Tony S

If your customers or you are most concerned about damage or getting lost, Registered Mail is the Gold Standard. It also is the slowest. Sometimes lots slower. Ten business days not uncommon. But lose or damage is nearly unheard of. And insurance costs much less once the package is registered. But I'm pretty sure you know all of this. And probably have private shipping insurance. I cannot say about the US Postal Service. But I worked for a State Agency where deadlines and accuracy of benefits given were the most important. I was middle management. And at least where I worked, the big bosses had a view on timeliness just the opposite what you express (and is most fair/reasonable) Their attitude was that once it was late, it was late. That counted against our benchmarks. But it didn't matter how late. One day late, three weeks late. All the same on the stats. So the focus was getting as many done on time as possible. Once a case went late, it became a much lower priority. . Again, I have no idea if there is a similar view at the USPS and other delivery services. And I disagree - now and back then - with that view. But that view was the prevalent view at the top. Because for them it's not about the individual case/person and maybe package. It is about meeting the benchmark. Stats. Once late, no reason to hurry.

I have no good answer LOL. NASA has billions and every once in a while a rocket blows up. Ford sold 4.2 million cars in 2022 - and a some were lemons. USPS doesn't meet it's stated delivery time - in my experience - more than seems reasonable. Maybe it didn't get scanned properly. Maybe too many people called in sick so it just sits a day. But USPS gives the sender the postage costs back if you ask on the Express service. Which I will do if they are late. But that doesn't happen often with me, because I strongly encourage customers to just do regular priority mail with some extra insurance and a signature. The difference in delivery time is often only a day and sometimes - like this situation - no difference at all.

It's not lost. It shows in the system as in transit. It's going to arrive late. Just file a claim to be reimbursed the postage costs when it finally does show up.

I doubt that 40% figure. Here is why One thing that hasn't been mentioned here is that the higher the restored grade, the lower the percentage of the same grade it blue label it brings. Low grade keys will often fetch 50-70% of blue. High grade not even close. Example AF 15 - New record set at 3.6 MILLION for a CGC 9.6 AF 15 - Restored CGC 9.6 - take your pick of one at $86,600 (Slight professional) or $52,800 (A3 - or moderate professional) Either figure is tiny, TINY percent of blue label. Let's do 100,000 restored to make the math easy. Less than THREE PERCENT of blue label. The reason why is easy to deduce. One hundred grand can still buy you decent, unrestored copy of AF 15. Which would you rather have - a 9.6 restored or a 6.5 unrestored. Your B&B 28 is going to hit that problem much earlier. A blue label 8.5 is a $34 - $35K book.40% is $14,000. For $14,000 you can get a 7.5. That's not a decision worth even a few seconds of consideration. Anyone with any knowledge of collecting would take a blue label 7.5 over an purple 8.5. Now anything can happen on any given day with any given sale. But 40% of blue for a CGC 8.5 restored is doubtful and not a good purchase for the buyer. Not meaning to pick on your book. But this was a good example of the "higher the restored grade, lower the percentage of blue it's worth" guideline that had not yet been discussed.

I have never used Instagram. Is there a way to post up "I am slammed and cannot take on any new restoration jobs for xxx time?" A quick Google search indicates that there are some auto response features with Instagram. Both to frequently asked questions, welcome messages and away messages. So Kenny should take a few minutes and set such up. The front end of any business is important. That old saying is "you only get once chance at making a first impression." No response at all is not a good first impression.

If Kenny Sanderson was the last man standing, he's also super busy. I contacted him a year ago and while he initially responded (as near as I can tell you can only reach him through Instagram) he never followed up so I did not get my book restored. But Kenny isn't actually the last person standing. CCS - the in house pressing service for CGC - also does restoration. They do a lot more restoration removal, but they do offer restoration services as well. CCS is - almost certainly - the easiest to reach out to and most likely to respond. Just send scans of the front and back cover of the book(s) you want restored to submissions@cgccomics.com

Probably just your bad luck. And probably not cracked when leaving CGC, but happening during shipping. Probably. Get a PO Box and have books shipped to it. That will force Registered Mail (same price) instead of FedEx. USPS Registered mail is going to a far more gentle ride. It will also probably take a lot longer to arrive.

I first thought the purple vertical stripes along the spine looked suspicious, but that is how it was printed. I don't see obvious color touch.

I have seen books - under CGC's current standard (adopted 4/30/2013) - grade as high as 7.5 with a very small amount of tape. Things to consider: This much tape I would not consider "a very small amount". You have two pieces of tape probably 1/2 inch each. That might be small but not very small. And then there is the fact that the tape isn't really sealing any tear or defect. Just a reinforcement. I believe the BEST grade you could get is 7.0-7.5. This is also how the grading is done with a defect like this. If the book is otherwise a 4.0 the small amount of tape probably has no effect on the grade. If the book is an 8.0 a small effect on the grade. If the book were a 9.4 it's BIG hit on the grade, because it is likely limited to 7.0-7.5 by the tape alone.

I sympathize with your disappointment. But - you say "I knew all that already". An adequate understanding of CGC's grading standards would have resulted in NOT sending this book in. Pressing cannot fix light staining and light scuffing. Staining especially is a grade killer. The stains and scuffing no doubt limited the grade - whatever grade you received. "light spine stress lines" and "light bends" to cover you can find on NM and NM+ books. If you get grading notes that is. A lot of 9.4 and better books that are not expensive or key don't have grading notes. So we don't want to see "light bends to cover" on pressed books. And in fairness I've cracked more than a few CGC graded books that had notes of light bends to cover. Only to find a perfectly flat cover. IDK - maybe the books flattened out in the slab. But for you and this book, this was just a poor pressing candidate. Do not send in books with cover scuffing and light stains on the cover - unless you will be happy with a book graded in the VF range.

Wow! A lot here..... I don't even want to read all 14 pages even though some are members whose posts I always enjoy. Maybe later CGC's new policy is bad. 14 days isn't long enough. If there is spoon in the holder or the labels are wrong CGC should WANT TO fix it, no matter who currently owns the book. Does CGC really want defective product out in the market? Every single slab graded by CGC is an advertisement for CGC when sold. They should want it to be positive advertising.

Yes, it is surprising the search doesn't show anything. There is a difference between This item cannot be found. and no graders notes available. Your serial number is "item cannot be found". Check and make sure the number is correct. Those old labels had tiny little serial numbers. Keep in mind that even if there are graders notes, the notes are not a detailed account of every single defect. It is just what the graders took the time to write down. Welcome to the boards!

Once in a great while I have seen graders notes on prescreen reject. It is rare. I've never seen a grade (that was lower than the prescreen) listed. I believe it is likely - as Lightning55 says - that a pregrader looks at prescreens and passes or rejects the books. But sometimes then the graders decide it doesn't meet the minimum grade so you might see a rare graders note. But like Lightning, I've never seen a grade on a PS reject.

CCS doesn't list 10 month TAT. It's much, MUCH less. Like a month or less. https://www.cgccomics.com/submit/services-fees/ccs-pressing/

You need to call customer service and confirm it will be a reholder. There have been threads here in the past they say 9.9's and 10's are not automatically given the same grade with reholders. What you picture is only in the label area. Which is completely separate from the book. So the book is a 9.9. Just the label is.....a bit unattractive.

Well - the short answer to your question may not be a satisfactory answer. Your CGC dashboard only has information on submissions and their status for current and the --maybe two years?. There simply is not and never has been any information regarding your account. You cannot see payment histories, ,stored payment methods or account credits. . There has been some improvement here. Used to be you had to call accounting. Now the frontline customer service agents can fix most billing issues and answer most questions. And you can update payment method online yourself. Too bad - I kinda liked talking to Jose in accounting from time to time LOL. The competition in Texas is no different. Online you can update payment methods but there is no way to look at account history and credits. And it is vastly easier to reach a customer rep with CGC

Even on high grade GA books, mistakes can still be made. Mistakes can be made by the best. As for "why are people paying more for higher value comics?" Because 3rd party grading and encapsulation is a VALUE ADDED service. The book is worth more graded than it is raw. And the more it is worth the more value added by 3rd party grading and encapsulation. But mistakes can still happen....regardless of experience and how much you pay.

You don't have to post on Friday to have Friday thread LOL. And I consider starting a "Friday thread" an honor! But I believe we have reached a point where we actually both agree I concede it is a concern. I'm just a lot less concerned than most - at least most participating in this discussion. People grading are still human. Even if - and I accept it likely - it's the same book and a cut coupon was missed - my view is so what? If humans are involved you can't make things fool proof. The bedrock of third party grading and encapsulation is that "the grade is the grade". The grade is near universally accepted. Unless mistakes are so common that it undermines that foundational idea, then I don't see the point of obsessing over the rare mistake. Don't crack it open - and it is what it is. The book could have been a CGC 9.6 for eternity - until someone unwisely decided it could be better. WHO expects a 9.8 on a GA book? With a partial erasure on the front cover?? Third party grading and encapsulation is like referees in sports. Are they always right? Of course not. Are they necessary? Absolutely. Otherwise it's just adults in silly uniforms arguing balls and strikes, safe and out, catch or no catch. If people cannot accept the occasional mistake, just don't play the game. Comics are still comics in a bag and board. Keep them that way.

What makes you doubt there was a settlement? I'm aware of several just from submitting for others. I can think of three different submissions where a book went from blue to purple or blue to green. Two of them the owner of the books (crazy, but one person had it happen twice) told me he called and something was worked out settlement wise. Not everyone that submits books to CGC also is a board member that posts up. I would guess that the great majority, the vast majority of people that have submitted books to CGC have never visited or joined this discussion board. And there are boardies that have never submitted a book to CGC. They just like the forum and discussions. Unless the "victim" comes forward and says they got screwed, I think this is just another Friday thread. A lot of assumptions, lots of drama.

Interesting that somehow the books did not make it over to CCS as they were supposed to and you paid for. Thanks for sharing. Something for people to watch for.

No....Not your FAULT. Your responsibility. There is a difference. Maybe everyone here should just crack open ALL their CGC graded books to make sure everything is OK. I mean how can you be sure??? The reason I am not caring about all this is because we have not - to my knowledge - even heard from the "victim". The person doing the video is a third party that never owned the book. Just an underbidder that noticed what everyone believes is the same book going from blue to green. For all that anyone here knows, the maker of the video knows, CGC may have already compensated the owner of the 9.6. Maybe that owner called up CGC after the book came back Green label and said "WTH?" and something was worked out. I would. I bet everyone reading and commenting here would would make that call. And if they got compensation, not talking about it was probably part of the deal. So pardon me while I shrug and don't give a sh... People are assuming there is a problem when maybe the problem was fixed. If I were inclined to criticize CGC, it would be for giving a book within an obvious partial erasure a 9.8 (the grease pencil) . Even 9.6 seems generous.

I could lightly add a grease pencil arrival date to a book. IF your point is that it's probably the same book - I agree. If your point it is 100% certain it's the same book - I disagree. IF your point is CGC owes someone money - I 100% disagree. The original owner had what they paid for. A CGC graded 9.6. They decided to roll the dice - really high risk undertaking - and it didn't work out. CGC has their own in house pressing service. If it had been sent there and came back 9.8 qualified - for a cut out coupon - they would be discussing how much compensation, not if there is compensation. If one gambles, one sometimes looses. No one owes you jack.

Every hustler claims there is no hustle here. Otherwise they are not a hustler. And the hustle isn't tanking scissors to a CGC graded high grade book after cracking it out. The hustle is already having a high grade book missing a coupon - then purchasing a complete CGC graded high grade copy of the same book and swearing when you cracked it out the book was missing the coupon. I am not making accusations. I can't possibly know for sure. CGC can't possibly know for sure. I'm pointing out the endless wave of claims that could come CGC's way if they pay out. The owner of the book that decided to bust it out and regrade rolled the dice and they lost. Maybe the next roll of the dice will go better. Maybe they will decide to quit gambling. If you can't stand losing sometimes you should quit gambling.

I don't want to appear....cold hearted. But crack press and resubmit (CPR) is not guaranteed $$. It's a risk/reward equation. Maybe CGC missed something the first time. Maybe they are more strict on certain defects today than they were years ago. Most importantly, you have to have balls the size of King Kong's to crack a 1947 CGC 9.6 book hoping for 9.8. That is truly a high risk / high reward gamble. The owner lost this time. And the obvious problem here is that it COULD be a hustle. CGC could end up paying out constantly to people that claim - with no real proof - that a coupon was clipped or page was missing. CGC has it's own in house pressing service. If you send the book in still encapsulated to them to CPR and it flips from blue to green or purple you have a good claim for compensation. Otherwise CGC has every right to say "no".

The answer to your question is the slab/comic/label is 100% legit. This is an older label. When CGC redesigned their comic holder (2016 - generation 2) they also redesigned the label. Making the numeric grade stand out more. I actually prefer the more subdued look of the older labels - I feel that on the new labels the number is comically large and calling for attention. When maybe the first thing you should notice is the comic book. But that's just a taste thing and ultimately is a minor thing. Congratulations on your purchase!