BarristerBaker

8 hours ago, Tony S said:

Amateur (C category) restoration are not good candidates for restoration removal. Almost never. If you are really lucky and it's one tiny spot, OK. But there is no guarantee that the initial grading notation of "very slight, slight or moderate" is particularly accurate. 

The bottom line is the book in question had more CT than the original grading would lead most to believe. It's too late now, but the book should have just been left alone. 

Or it was a shoddy job. And a job that was incomplete. 

It’s too late now, but the answer is to use another service if you’re going to have work done, not “work should never be done.” CCS isn’t a quality provider. Full stop. 

14 minutes ago, walclark said:

I have a couple of books with “very minor color touch” and I would like to have restoration removal performed on them, but just not with a chainsaw and belt sander.

You’re not getting good service until you get the yard clippers and steel brush...and then a purple label on the other side of that “work.” It’s the seldom offered “BIZARRO” service tier which isn’t listed on their site. Requires twice the shipping, twice the wait and, in the end, the opposite results from what any rational expectation would produce. It’s killer. For best results, please submit rare books that might challenge top of the census. That’s really preferred. 

12 minutes ago, newshane said:

CT removal is like cutting off an arm to get rid of a wart on your finger. 

I generally agree, but these were two awfully small warts. I assumed the doctor would know what to do. Didn’t lose an arm, but the treatment certainly wasn’t localized. 

Seriously, this was light CT. Super light. Had I known they’d take not only the finger but the wrist as well, I’d of course have skipped the treatment.

5 minutes ago, csaag said:

I have an X-Men 94 which ended up having some slight color touch.   I was advised that it would cause significant damage to remove it.   But I was advised before any work was done.  Though that was with joey rather than CCS. I can't seem them making that determination and not notifying the customer before wasting their money.

Yep. That’s the way you do it. If you cared, that is.

And to create significant blights and STILL send it back as C-1? On the second submission? Subpar. 

3 minutes ago, Kevin76 said:

I have heard of stories from a dealer I press books for, him telling me about people using CCS for CT removal only to have pieces missing afterwards cause they just cut pieces out. CCS has so many books to press they don't have time to do it properly. Matt Nelson said in a Reggie Simmons youtube interview on pressing that "we don't add anything"  So that just tells you they don't use a hydration chamber, which takes a few hours to get the moisture into the book. Lessons learned. Stay away from purple label books at all costs, unless it's an Action 1/Det 27.  Find a 3rd party presser who presses correctly and has better turnaround times than CCS. Of course , Stay away from the T Shirt pressers on Facebook.   

Right-on advice on the CT removal, it seems. Hatchet vs. scalpel for mine.

Here’s the main thing for me: CCS is far from the cheapest service. Given the cost and the connection to CGC, it is implied that the quality is high (“get what you pay for”). I would assume artisanal-like care for each book, an appreciation of these artifacts and methods/approaches that are the most thoughtful and supportive of top-notch results.

That’s not what you get. Go elsewhere.

2 minutes ago, shadroch said:

Not to hijack the thread, but is that Stan in the photo?

It is. 

I don’t have any pictures from the first grading (9.2 C-1). But I have a raw scan and current state (8.5 C-1). It was extremely minor CT. I showed a dealer that I know and trust, and he couldn’t find it at first. It was that kind of light touch.

CT on bottom left corner was very, very small. CT on lower right was larger, but still very slight. They didn’t need to take that much paper on the lower left - half of that, at most. But, I’m more upset about the fact that it’s still in a purple holder after two submissions than the shoddy work. I knew there would be some visible scars (though what was done shows a lack of care, had you seen the book up close).

This isn’t my way, but I feel I must type my story as a word of warning. DON’T USE CCS. 

I bought a Golden Age book off Heritage with ever-so-minor color touch. Beautiful book, otherwise.

I drop the book off at C2E2 to have the CT removed and the book graded. Book makes it to CCS, and I get charged for services. Book then makes its way to CGC. Grade gets posted...purple label with notes of minor color touch. Frustrating...as I sent it to CCS for precisely that reason - to have CT removed. Invoice is clear as day - CT removal noted. Book arrives at my house, and it’s apparent there was no attempt (at all) to remove the CT. They were fine with taking my money, but didn’t see the need to do the work. 

I call, they tell me that there must have been a mistake. They told me to print my receipts and send the book back. I did that, and typed/sent a thoughtful note as well.

So, I pay for shipping. Then I wait. Again. Book finally makes its way through the system. Again. The book arrives at my house...and? ANOTHER freaking purple label. CT removal was clearly done, as there are pieces missing and the removal job looks like garbage given how little CT there was. But, they didn’t remove enough to get the darn thing into a Universal holder. I’m not called, consulted, nor apprised of this in the process. 

So, now I have to do this dance once more. More calls. More shipping. More annoyance. More time. ...And no certainty that it’ll get done right. 

Asinine. Just crazy.

It’s a mess with poor quality over there. CGC should get rid of that group. The quality there DOES NOT match the quality of their grading services and harms their brand. Just bad. Divest and move on. 

This is the second bad experience I’ve had. The other related to a poor pressing job. 

Can’t trust them with restoration removal. Can’t trust them with pressing. Bad. Find another provider. Don’t waste your time and money like I did. 

3 hours ago, JollyComics said:

That Graham Crackers owned it until it was sold via Clink. Now it's back in Illinois.

...it’s the circle of life, and it moves us all...

Take per PM. 

14 hours ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

That’s a big ‘un 

Want! Such a pretty book. 

The stuff I was tracking was quite strong. Like, made me mad strong. So, guess perceptions of this auction vary quite a bit. 

Another fun one. I bought a book that I knew had a (very) tiny bit of color touch. I dropped the book off at C2E2 for resto removal and grading. I get charged for the restoration removal. I get charged for the grading. Book comes back with a purple label with no attempt to remove the restoration. So, I have to pay for shipping again to send them my book and now hold in queue once more. 

CCS is far and away the most expensive service. I’m fine paying a premium, but services should match the fees. They don’t. Certainly not on pressing (where my books weren’t handled well) and it appears not on resto removal (at least in process).

Joey for pressing. I need a restoration removal option. Recommendations?

3 hours ago, buttock said:

Yeesh.  Seems like an epidemic.  

The books I sent them were bigger/pricier books (one 5.5, one 6.0 - so not beaters). I went to them thinking I’d get extra care/TLC on those (as it’s certainly not the cheapest route). 

Wasn’t the case. 

7 hours ago, telerites said:

I hate to jump on the bandwagon here but the one submission through CCS, a staple was popped as well.  I thought I had missed it and did not contact CGC.  I knew I had pictures of the raw book but couldn't find them.  Several months later I did and my pics clearly showed all was attached.  I had pics of the CF as well.  Thought at that time, it was too late to do anything and won't use them again. 

I had great luck with Matt when he had Classics Inc.  Joey has been doing my stuff for a while now.  Other than good service and results no extra postage to have the books sent to CGC for grading.

I had a staple popped by CCS too. Nice book. Made me sad. Another had some tearing around the staple. 

Joey gets most of my stuff now. 

2-4 that I’m eyeing. Busy week that isn’t ideal for bidding, unfortunately. 

On 5/21/2019 at 9:15 PM, lou_fine said:

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending upon your point of view), this malaise in prices is generally limited to the 2nd tier DC GA books, with the Adventure run being a classic example where the majority of them tends to sell at only a discount to guide.  You also tend to see the same thing with the other 2nd tier runs like Leading, Comic Cavalcade, Worlds's Finest, etc.  

Cavalcades aren’t “hot” by any stretch, but they aren’t as cheap as they once were. Have bounced a bit in the last 12-18 mos.

17 hours ago, Straw-Man said:

have y'all seen that run of mystic comics in the auction?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Nope. No Mystics there. 

Some of his work on Flash Comics is superb. I’ve always loved this one. 

This thread is awesome. 

Bump here. Books end Sunday, the 24th. No reserve goodness here. Thanks!

Posted some books on eBay this past Sunday. All no reserve:

ME Ghost Rider 9 CGC 6.5 (12 in census)

Space Adventures 23 CGC 7.0 (4 in census)

Space Adventures 35 CGC 4.5 (8 in census; tough book)

Space Adventures 40 CGC 7.0 (10 in census)

Fantastic Four Annual 6 CGC 8.0 (Key -1st Annihilus and Franklin Richards)

All end this coming Sunday (24th). All great books. Good luck.

2 hours ago, G.A.tor said:

No idea. I had valued at 10+ on my list. Will look tomorrow night. 

Possible to get a summary, after digesting and reflecting? Did you meet expectations? What 10 books over-performed? What 10 under-performed? Top 10 you’ll miss the most? And so forth. I think that’d be fun, @G.A.tor.