There has been no more contentious issue in the preparation of the newest
edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide than restoration. As
Scoop readers have witnessed, we have included impassioned statements
from all sides on the issue, and if anything there is less agreement than there
was previously.

With that in mind, and the urging from all sides to
continue the debate, we want to actively endorse the concept of a renewed,
spirited and civil discourse on the issue.

The current definition of
Restoration is as follows:

RESTORATION – Any attempt, whether
professional or amateur, to enhance the appearance of an aging or damaged comic
book. These procedures may include any or all of the following techniques:
recoloring, adding missing paper, stain, ink, dirt or tape removal, whitening,
pressing out wrinkles, staple replacement, trimming, re-glossing, etc. Amateur
work can lower the value of a book, and even professional restoration has now
gained a negative aura in the modern marketplace from some quarters. In all
cases, except for some simple cleaning procedures, a restored book can never be
worth the same as an unrestored book in the same condition.

Do you
favor changing the first sentence of the definition to read as follows:
Any attempt, whether professional or amateur, to enhance the appearance of an
aging or damaged comic book using additive procedures.

Do you favor
changing the second half of this definition to the following:

Amateur work can actually damage a book further, and professional restoration
can enhance the appearance of a book, but still is a controversial issue with
some collectors. In all cases, except for some non-additive procedures, a
restored book will never replace an original unrestored
copy.

Additionally, do you favor adding “reinforcing” and “glue” to
the items recognized as restoration?

While there is clearly no
consensus on this issue, rather than changing the definition for one that is
equally challenged, we propose adding the following caveat:
There
is no consensus on the inclusion of pressing, non-aqueous cleaning, tape
removal, and in some cases staple replacement in this definition. Until such
time as there is consensus, we encourage continued debate and interaction among
all interested parties and reflection upon the standards in other hobbies and
art forms.

As always, we look forward to your thoughts on the subject.
Let us know what you
think.