The Comic Doctor

Comic Book Pressing & Cleaning

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The Comic Doctor Reviewed

May 9, 2015 By admin Leave a Comment

Comic Book Doctor Testimonials

I love to receive testimonials from customers, because it reaffirms that I am doing something right.   Accolades for the work I do is always appreciated,  but it is even more gratifying to hear that I treated my customers right.  I pride myself on being friendly and honest. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked in customer service for many years –  perhaps this is why I strive to make customers happy.  I answer my phone or return messages/ e-mails promptly;  I will always let customers know when their books arrive (if sending by mail); I will never perform work that is not needed…these are just some of the things I do when dealing with customers.

Comic Book Daily I was recently approached by Charlie Kim, a blogger for comicbookdaily.com, to press and clean a few of his downtrodden comic books.  Somewhat skeptical with the process, he dropped off his comics and I began to work on them.  The link below will take you  to the article he wrote following the work I did.  Give it a read and be certain to take a gander at the before and after shots he took as well.

Read the article here!

 

Filed Under: Dry Cleaning, Pressing Tagged With: comic books, DC comics, grading, pressing

Comic Book Tips – Dry Cleaning Your Comic Books

December 29, 2014 By admin 11 Comments

Comic Book Dry Cleaning is a Must!

Paper Foxing, comic book defects, the comic doctor
“Foxing” is a reddish age-reated stain that can be found in older comic books

When comic book collectors approach me regarding the services I offer, they tend to focus primarily on my pressing service.  What I want to explore in this post is the dry cleaning service the Comic Doctor offers as well.  For comics that have not been stored properly over the years, a dry clean will work wonders.  Dry cleaning will remove dirt, grime and minor staining from comic books including led and wax pencil marks.  Dry cleaning will not remove foxing (age-related staining/ spotting), pen/ink stains or water stains.

Books that have been stored in damp areas often have a distinct smell and are grimy/ rough  to the touch.  This condition can be lessened greatly through dry cleaning.  If a book has mold and mildew staining (often green and/ or black), this sort of defect can only be corrected through restoration.

Dirty Comic Book
This sort of lead-like staining is reversible. Click on the image to get a better look.

Although many collectors change their bags and boards regularly, those that do not or have not may notice that dark staining has developed on the white areas of the cover – this condition is reversible.  Remember that the Comic Doctor includes a quick dry clean on all books that are received (if needed) for a press at no additional charge.  If a comic book is extremely dirty and requires extensive work, however, additional fees may be incurred.  See my pricing chart for more details.

While restorers will often use chemical washes to lighten pages and remove stains, the methods I employ are not invasive and  are not detectable by third-party grading companies like CGC.   In fact, CGC’s their own affiliate, CCS, likely uses similar methods when cleaning the books they service.  Aside from the tools involved,  the real trick to dry cleaning is patience.  Trying to get the job done quickly can result in areas being neglected, and worse, comic book damage.   In fact, the dry cleaning process is quite harmless, it is the actual handling of the book where potential damage can occur.  To ensure a comic book is not inadvertently damaged during the cleaning, maintaining an organized work space, and having tools within arms reach, is all important.

For more information about comic book dry cleaning, please look around this website or feel free to drop me an e-mail or give me a call.  Thank you!

Comic Book cleaning, the comic doctor
The back cover of X-Men 94 following 15 minutes of dry cleaning. Quite the difference.

 

Filed Under: Collecting Tips, Comic Care, Dry Cleaning

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Recent Posts

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  • The Comic Book Press – Not All Created Equal!
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The Comic Doctor is located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
You can also reach me by phone at 905-449-5680. The best time to call is after 3:30 pm.

Latest From My Blog

The Amazing Spider-Man – Top 10 Issues

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s creation, Spider-Man, remains one of Marvel’s top tier characters.  Several Spider-Man comic book titles, spin-off series, … [Read More...]

CGC Submissions

Submitting to CGC

The Comic Doctor is an authorized CGC dealer and as such can submit comics on your behalf to CGC.    The following is important information regarding our submission service. Your books ship within two weeks of being pressed!   No waiting for large bulk … Read more

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