Neo "The One"

I give this a 10 for content, a 10 for consistency and a 10 for clarity. Overall a 9.8 since 10's are unicorns in comics. (ok 10)

POSITIVELY IMPACTS THE GRADE - She's Gorgeous!

I have a good one. How would this be handled?

This is so true. I sent in 2 "New Avengers 7" and on one of them Bendis signed RIGHT OVER Spiderwoman's face. She was really pissed. And so was I. (I'm not kidding - well maybe a little)

Not sure applicability in the States, but interesting none the less... https://www.theguardian.com/money/article/2024/may/08/no-refund-after-i-was-sold-a-stolen-3300-bike-on-ebay

I disagree with the verification part, but agree about 'grading a signature'. I have signed books I'd like to get graded from the 80's when I was a kid. I witnessed it, but no one that could verify did! Been sitting on the fence about grading elsewhere. I have what I believe to be a 9.8 Punisher 1 Limited Series signed by Carl Potts. I always wanted it to be graded, but don't like Green labels. I have Sketched books I'd like to get graded / verified. My LCS does several signings a year which I've been on the fence about due to grading issues. I'm happy CGC / JSA is doing this.

@MattM CS Sorry - new to this, but in what cases would art negatively effect the grade of the book? If you have a link that's fine. Thanks!

I'm always going for grade drops when re-submitting. And with a CGC press it happens quite often! yay me.

This is a good one. Sounds more like a re-holder to me. Why regrade? Unless you think it will get a bump.

You are grading the book - not the quality of the artwork. I would say something like "Verified Signature and Sketch" Same ink, same style. Did it come with a COA?

Yep - I agree. And don't like that idea. Still insulting. ;) I mean, except for the stamp thing. Stamps are not signatures, even if theoretically Stan himself stamped it. In that case it should be 'Stamped by Stan Lee". I don't need a company to tell me if it is a good or 'quality' signature or not - you can see that with the naked eye. Authentic or not is a different ballgame (kind of like Babe Ruth).

Thanks for the clarification. I’m not sure why someone would want to grade a signature. Seems insulting. Either it’s real (in their opinion) or it’s not. I guess where it gets wonky is if you try and authenticate some signatures but not others on the same book. Anything more than 3 signatures on a book and it gets to be a mess IMO.

Red is too OG

Um, I like it?! I was Never a fan of getting books signed by people that did not actually work on a book so 2 is fine. I’d prefer 3 for writer, penciler and inker but 2 is a good start. I have books I had signed (my own personal “witnessed” signings) including George Perez and Jim Lee. I’ve had them on the side to send to “another grading company” that ends inBS:: for over a year now and just could never pull the trigger on it. Now I get to find out if those “John Byrne” signatures I have are real! And no I won’t have the signature “graded” wtf is that?!

52 wow. Spot on.

@RockMyAmadeus - I mean does everyone even know? HR could make all of the defects on that book (or any for that matter) DISAPPEAR, that is to say, disappear along with the book itself...

Ok - so I just had a mental 'smoke' and am replying and quoting my own post. Hypothetically if there was color touch on the edge of a comic and CGC cut it out - would that qualify as trimming!? Now I really need to smoke.

Just like pressing does not improve a grade... Oh, who said that?! I agree it is not a trimmed edge, but just a missing piece. I mean, CGC removing restoration (color touch) by cutting it out is more the definition of trimming IMO!

Man - Ponzi scheme is the best way to sum up this whole mess!

I mean, ok. He could have ben losing money - and that is understandable - but honestly he should have just returned the books. It seems he was a small operation (I hesitate to say 1 man since he had the NJ location) that got in way over his head. That is understandable. What is not ok is stealing - which is what this all boils down to.

Not only that, but I vaguely recall when he filed for bankruptcy didn't he say he had like 0 books (I mean a very low number)?! I think he's again incriminating himself - basically lying either in the bankruptcy filing or to A.Romeo and everyone else.

Agreed. My hopes are not extremely high. But who knows. Just to make a car analogy - if you hire someone to work on your car and instead they take the money and send your car to a chop shop and get paid for the stolen car is that not theft? I’m not expert either but seems straightforward enough. Hero Restoration was a company, not just “some guy”. Mike and HR had a good reputation, references and other businesses promoting his company. Not just some random presser. (My opinion).

Hey @revat - as Sauce Dog alluded to, on the original thread Mike actually did threaten violence before that thread was locked. There were a lot of other things 'said'. Books may have been stolen. I mean, I sent him my book and he sold it on eBay without my authorization or knowledge. No compensation was given to me. I like many others were giving HR the benefit of the doubt, and they strung me along for months before ultimately closing shop. I head 'rumors' of a robbery of his shop that may or may not have been staged as well as other 'interesting' things. These things have all been mentioned either on the original thread or this one. I also believe there is a third thread that goes waaaaay back to when Mike, 'introduced' himself to the community. Kind of like that Seinfeld episode.

Very funny.