MadGenius

This exactly. We're now introducing a human element with the address change that could generate more issues. How do we know that the address will be updated and updated correctly in this scenario? We don't. We just have to hope everything works out okay.

I'm not a lawyer, but doesn't CGC's liability end once they ship to the address on the submission form? Once the shipment is accepted by the carrier, wouldn't the carrier then assume liability for anything that goes wrong? And wouldn't there be more liability on CGC's end if they ship to a different address than what is on the submission form because the "customer" called or emailed to request a change? This entire policy doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The problem with this is, with the current TATS, I have to provide this information up to 3 months in advance. Unlikely, but what if my local Fed Ex office store goes out of business during that time and I'm not aware of it? Then my shipment is held up and (maybe) gets to returned to CGC if I'm lucky.

I got a similar response. Nobody is asking CGC to change anything. We are asking the carrier (Fed Ex, UPS, etc.) to hold the package until we can pick it up rather than attempting to deliver it when we're not going to be at home to sign for it. My response from CGC indicated this was for the "security of the package." Yet, they also say they can change the shipping address prior to it being shipped out. How is that process more safe than the recipient redirecting to a carrier facility for holding? Couldn't anyone with the submitters account number and invoice number have the shipping address changed from what's on the form? Doesn't make sense.

Both.

If you disagree with this recent change to CGC shipping policies, I encourage you to make your voices heard. Please email CGC to let them know you do not want them to place delivery restrictions on your shipments. Feel free to use the template below to voice your concerns. "Hello, I have recently been made aware of delivery restrictions that CGC has placed on shipments going through Fed Ex and other carriers. These restrictions are preventing recipients from having packages redirected and held at local carrier facilities (i.e. local Fed Ex Office locations) and will greatly inconvenience your customer base. Fed Ex and other carriers allow packages to be redirected in this manner for the convenience of both the recipient and the carrier. This service allows the recipient to pick up packages on their timetable rather than having to be at home to receive their package. This service also eliminates repeated unsuccessful delivery attempts by the carrier which drastically reduces the chances of a package getting lost or being returned to sender. As many of your customers work during the day, it is not always possible for them to be at home to receive a delivery. And even when they are at home, there is no guarantee they will be available at the exact time the carrier attempts to deliver the package. Many of us rely on having our packages held at local carrier facilities for both convenience and security and CGC’s recent change to restrict delivery to the recipient’s home only will do more harm than good. If there are security concerns on the part of CGC, please be aware that the recipient is required to show photo ID at the carrier facility before they are allowed to take possession of the package.There is no downside to the utilization of the delivery customization services offered by the carriers. I encourage CGC to reconsider this recent policy change and allow your customers to have their packages held at local carrier facilities for convenient pickup. Keeping this restriction in place will not only greatly inconvenience your customers and the carriers you partner with, but it will also have the unintended consequence of increased incidents of shipments being lost or returned to sender. Thank you for your consideration."

I will add that I ALWAYS have my Fedex packages from CGC redirected. I do this for two reasons. 1) I don't want to sit around all day waiting for the delivery only to miss it if I'm on a call or in the shower when the package arrives and 2) there is a less likely chance that the package will be misdelivered if I have sent to a FedEx location rather than my home. Maybe if enough customers complain CGC will walk back this new "policy."

I tried to do this myself over the weekend and couldn't get it redirected either. Now I know why. It's dumb that CGC is doing this. Only the recipients are having packages redirected, so I'm not sure how this service is any less secure for CGC.

If the book has already been slabbed by CGC I would caution against cracking it to get it signed. CGC grading is ridiculously strict right now, so the chances of a grade drop are higher than ever at the moment.

I don't think it's been mentioned, but not only does Paypal forbid using Friends and Family payment for the purchase of merchandise, it also prohibits sellers from adding a surcharge for using Paypal as a payment method. In other words, you can't price something at $100 and then say add 3-4% on top of that if using Paypal to pay for the item. I see a lot of big time dealers on the boards adding this surcharge on their sales and it violates Paypal's terms of service. As it was mentioned above, the 3% fee is the cost of doing business and the price you pay for getting paid in seconds rather than waiting for a check to arrive in the mail.

You're going to have to eat this return. If the damage wasn't there when you shipped them out then it could have occurred in transit (or the buyer could be pulling a switch and scamming you). Either way, there's no way to know for sure so eBay will side with the buyer in any dispute.

A big thank you to the judges! I was pleasantly surprised to see my Runaways set chosen for Best Presented set. You've inspired me to start working on my Squirrel Girl set for 2019 and beyond.

She's staying on Ms. Marvel, so all's well on the Kamala Khan front.

I'd like to add an Erica Henderson cover from Unbeatable Squirrel Girl to my collection. If you have one that you'd consider selling please send me a PM with a pic. Thanks!

The future of the hobby is keys and trades/digital. Floppy sales will continue to trend downward because of a variety of factors: cost, accessibility, and storage. People still have a passion for the stories and the characters, they'll just consume them in a more cost effective way. Having the 1st appearance of the character (either raw or graded) plus a collection of trades or digital comics will become the norm as time goes on.

Yes, but Disney will only push the marketing of the spider characters so far. Disney/Marvel have the license to feature the characters in animation and possibly TV (not sure how that works), but the movie rights to Miles, Silk and Gwen are still with Sony. And Sony has not proven they can make a good Spider movie since Spider-man 2.

The monthly sales charts are quickly becoming irrelevant. More and more people are turning to digital and trades to consume comics. I've been collecting comics for a loooong time and my habits have definitely changed. I used to pull 20-30 books every month and now I only buy about 6 titles a month - those being the titles I want to collect. When you factor in digital sales and, more importantly, TPB sales the titles/characters that seem to generate no interest based on their position on the monthly sales charts suddenly look much more popular when viewed with a wider lens.

If we're adding Squirrel Girl to the mix, then she's #1. All the others are derivative characters whose popularity, particularly with the spider characters, will always be a fraction of the original. Squirrel Girl doesn't have that baggage and is probably the most popular of the bunch in the mainstream. And that's without any kind of TV show or movie to raise awareness.

Rich, Will you be offering any presales for G Willow Wilson at SDCC? I'd be interested in the Marvel Rising Squirrel Girl / Ms. Marvel book that came out last week.

Marvel distributes the standard TPB collections through Scholastic. The collections have a larger profit margin than the floppies which is why Marvel is all too happy to continue publishing those titles that "don't sell well" as monthlies.

Marvel has distribution deals through Scholastic for Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur and possibly a few others. This is a BIG money maker for Marvel as they sell a ton of TPBs through Scholastic. This program is doing what many industry analysts have been asking for for years - getting comics in the hands of kids. In 15-20 years, when the kids of today are adults with disposable income, these characters 1st appearances will be the keys of the next generation.

On the flip side, Kamala Khan has the murkiest 1st appearance situation of any of these characters. IMO, All-New Marvel Now Point One #1 is the one you want because that is the 1st full appearance and 1st Kamala Khan story. Captain Marvel #14 is a joke and #17 you never see her face and her powers don't manifest the same way they do in the Ms. Marvel series. People love that CM #17 2nd print because she's on the cover, but I can't really get behind that one either.

Kamala Khan's comic isn't going anywhere unless G. Willow Wilson decides to end it. Ms. Marvel doesn't sell a ton of floppies every month but she does VERY well in digital and TPB sales. Same reason why Squirrel Girl is nearing the 50 issue mark.

IMO, the issue doesn't warrant a return. The buyer got exactly what he paid for. The bindery tears are visible in the photo and the seller delivered the exact item pictured safely. I think the buyer needs to eat this one. If he doesn't like the book, he can sell it and try to recoup his money. I don't think the seller should be held responsible for a soft grade by CGC.