I will see listings in comic groups and on eBay of raw and even of GRADED comics where folks say the comics in question are/were, “Never pressed or cleaned!” Why is this advertised as a good thing? Wouldn’t it be better if a comic was already pressed and cleaned so I could just send it straight for grading instead of paying someone else to do it for me? Am I missing something here when people act like stating a comic was never pressed or cleaned is a selling feature? Am I dense? Someone explain this to me. I feel like saying, “Fresh out of the press and ready for slabbing!” would appeal more to me as a buyer, after all.
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It’s their way of saying that the grade of the book is actually higher than it appears so therefore should command a higher price 
It’s dumb but people do it all the time.
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Some people are adamantly against pressing and cleaning. This is the sellers way of saying it is as pure as the day it was released.
Goes back to a discussion going on in a different thread in my opinion. These days it seems like folks believe a “clean & a press” is akin to some form of Voodoo magic where someone simply has to wave a wand, recite an incantation & the book will magically become a 9.8.
It’s a smoke & mirrors type deal. A way to sell books for more than they are worth based on a grade the book isn’t even at.
Couple guys that always sell books on a Facebook show constantly are saying this (can’t recall their name)…I can’t even watch that stream anymore as their prices are so out of line & they constantly use this approach.
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I think they’re trying to advertise that it “could” be higher.
And how do they know it was never cleaned or pressed unless they are the original owners?
Just a gimmick to entice people who may be in the market for grading a copy.
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Perfectly stated.
For the same reason that people look at grading notes when buying a slab, to see if there is any chance of a grade bump.
Plenty books will get a grade bump with a press and clean so always worth noting it and letting people know. Doesn’t mean the book should be sold for more though but in my experience that has never been the case.
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If someone routinely CPRs (Crack, Press, Resubs). They may be more apt to pay more for a book in the same grade than lower price copies in the same grade in hopes of CPRing and achieving a higher grade, thus making a nice profit. If there are visable defects that you think could be pressed out and if you know it hasn’t been pressed, then chances are decent you could get a grade and $ bump if you CPR
The only way to prove it’s never been read.
You’d have to trace it back to the source and ensure it was sealed immediately upon being printed, and never opened.
Polybagged books are the only books that come close to having type of “never read” OQE.
“Never read” is as subjective as grading…maybe worse.
What if while the inside pages were being printed, a printsman looked at the pages and read a few panels? Is it considered read then as well? 
It has been read. Yes.
That’s why I say it’s nearly impossible. Bagged at least there’s a good argument it wasn’t.
Next time someone says a comic is never pressed or cleaned I’ll tell them I’ll buy it but only if they press and clean it for me first to save me that expense, as I consider pressing and cleaning a positive–I seriously do! I’ll see what they say…
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So I guess it really comes down to how the narrative plays out…and perhaps “who” is providing the information. It’s great information to have if you trust the seller/trust the process and are simply interested in whether or not the book has been pressed and cleaned because there are issues with the book that could be resolved.
It’s not information that is all that valuable if it is a show seller/livestream seller who is trying to grab as much money as possible by creating an impression that the book is worth more than they are selling it for because every flaw could be fixed.
Sort of like buying a car…maybe all the miles are highway miles and it was a southern car never subjected to the ice and snow and horrible roads of Michigan. I trust the little old lady telling me those facts far more than the used car salesman. It’s great information to have…just really depends on the situation.
NM++
never read
brand new
never pressed
never cleaned
never even looked at with cross-eyes
damaged during shipment 
Now this would be a cool description
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Never taken to the bathroom…
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Kinda self explanatory really. It’s a book that hasn’t been pressed or cleaned. Meaning it could potentially benefit from both and be a higher grade. I have a book listed as such.
That’s an important one… read is not so bad, read on bathroom toilet is a no go on every book. Tainted forever…