Restoration & Authenticity Detection
Long-wave UV examination, high-magnification inspection, and paper-weight analysis to detect colour touch, trimming, married pages, glue, and reproduction covers.
Pricing
$19
per book
Booking reserves your slot and ships your submission kit. Grader tier fees, if any, are invoiced separately once you approve the per-book recommendations — nothing is submitted without your sign-off.
- Turnaround
- 3–5 business days
- Shipping
- Insured both ways
- Drop-off
- Austin, TX
What this service is
Undisclosed restoration is the single most expensive mistake a collector can make. A purple-label book can be worth a fifth of the same book in blue.
Our detection service catches colour touch, spine tears sealed with glue, trimmed edges, married interiors, and reproduced covers before you buy — or before you submit.
You receive a written report with UV photography that stands up as documentation in a resale or insurance context.
How it works
- 1
Submit the book
Ship it in, or bring it to the Austin location for same-day examination by appointment.
- 2
Examination
UV, magnification and dimensional analysis by two independent examiners.
- 3
Report
A written PDF report with photography, delivered to your account within five business days.
Frequently asked
Is this the same as CGC's restoration check?
It uses the same methods. It is not a substitute for a CGC grade, but it tells you what a grader will find before you pay tier fees.
What if you find restoration?
You get the full report either way. If you bought the book from us, we refund it in full under our authenticity guarantee.
Can you detect a trimmed book?
Yes — dimensional measurement against publisher trim specs is part of every examination, and it is the most common defect we catch.
Ready to get started?
Book restoration & authenticity detection online, or talk to a grader first — we're happy to tell you if a book isn't worth the fee.