SeniorSurfer

X-Men #12 per PM.

On 10/29/2022 at 4:22 PM, Larryw7 said:

Or this guy.

My "favorite pin-up?""

Sorry that you had to go through with this farago but thanks for posting.  I would have noticed the book/grade discrepancy, the fake labels and the broken chips on the slab bottoms, but I think I might have gotten careless when noting if a return label was from eBay or not.  I also would have had no clue how to actually contact a live eBay rep.

A question (which will make me seem a little dense but I'll go with it anyway):  We're assuming McScammer doesn't have the books pictured in the original ad?  That he somehow broke open some other book slabs and inserted his drek, right?  Because if he really had the books pictured, broke open those slabs, kept the books for himself, then substituted his trash... why go through the bother of printing labels, rather why not just use the original ones instead?  It would have been one more unique flair to sell the scam (though everything else wouldn't seem right) and to the untrained eBay reps it might have made things harder to explain. 

On 11/7/2022 at 1:46 PM, wardevil0 said:

I think there are actually a lot of comics you can grade in less than a minute... most 90s drek is easily identifiable and can be quickly graded as "drek" without further attention.  There's not enough value in discriminating between an 8.5 and a 9.4 copy of Brigade 2 or New Warriors 16.

I think I've seen that grade category...

And then there's this little number I was following, but hesitant to bid on since the seller's feedback was zero.  Not to worry though, since it seems he had some help from a "buyer" who's feedback is also zero and set a really high bar.  I rarely click on the bid history but since this one went way above what I would have paid, I was curious.  I suppose eBay bots don't see anything wrong and, as long as they get their fees, this will get counted in GPA?  Should the high bidder (assuming it's yet not another account from the OP as he single-handedly tries to revive prices to 2021 levels) pay for this or just take a wrist slap from eBay and back out? 

I'm more of a Marvel fan myself but...

Gotta bump that amazing USA #1.  9.0?  With CVA sticker?

On 10/12/2022 at 11:33 AM, GeeksAreMyPeeps said:

You should call them up and ask for information about where they are. Note I'm not saying you should ask for compensation for packages that the system should indicate are pretty much lost, because of the way they handled things, but they need to learn a lesson about tracking things better, and making them sweat a bit over packages potentially worth thousands is maybe a good idea.

I usually just get (as @wardevil0 remarked above) someone who just recites what's online.  Heck, the boxes were just feet away from the representative, recently deposited within the last hour, and she still had no clue.  Almost.

On 10/12/2022 at 10:41 AM, Dr. Balls said:

"Not as clumsy or random as an influencer; an elegant collector from a more civilized age"

True, true.  I had to re-type and forgot on the second time to end my shpiel with  " "

On 10/11/2022 at 5:54 PM, revat said:

With influencers, they might be trying to video the entire thing, talking loudly or making a video in front of the signer, or wearing a stupid costume, or doing a stupid stunt that may involve props or loud noises, or require extra room, and might take active participation from the guest.  Not to mention getting multiple signatures.  So they waste a lot of time and it feels like the influencer monetizing the situation more than the creator signing something for true fans.

In pre-eBay and even before-the-internet days, fans would line up to meet a creator/artist, tell him they admired his work and maybe even get an autograph on a picture or copy of a sketch or even a book (inside page of course) then move on, just as you said.  It was all about the person in the booth, not those in the line.  Multiple signings were not seen much (hey, if you admired the guy, you were happy with the meeting and an autograph - you didn't need 10 signatures to stare at) and anyone doing extra shenanigans (costumed play-acting, cutting in line, pictures from every angle, loud behavior, etc.) would be criticized by those in line.  The sophistos would proclaim them "boorish" while the more spirited in the crowd would actively label them as an "a@@hole."  You might even get a handler or Con security to escort the offenders out if they were obnoxious enough.

And now they are described as "influencers?"

On 9/24/2022 at 10:30 AM, FlyingDonut said:

On 9/27/2022 at 10:47 AM, shadroch said:

I hope you learned never to leave your house again. Had you stayed home, your books would have been delivered safely weeks ago. Something for others to consider.  The system works, until people decide to take a joyride and go to Europa or whereever. When you send you books of for a yearlong vacation in Florida, you have an obligation to meet them when they finally return.

Right?  That's what I told my wife, impressing on her that since deliveries are erratic, we would have to permanently stay home.  I mean... that's what a home is for anyway.  We would save money on those totally unnecessary European trips (let's face it... they don't like us there anyway), gas, eating out, etc.  All savings could go towards more comics.  I thought "win-win."  She had other thoughts.

A brief tale told by an insufficiently_thoughtful_person, full of sound (but not fury), signifying nothing - other than caution.

After many months of lounging at home with no deliveries, I started travels on a three week vacation.  This of course was the precise moment FedEx sends a couple of emails stating that two packages are en route from CGC.  I always leave a succinct, boldly typed sheet on my front door (hidden from street view so as not to invite pilferers) asking USPS/UPS/FedEx packages be delivered to my neighbors a couple of doors down with the appropriate name and address and have never had a problem.  Still, I followed the links and attempted to stall delivery but "shipper does not allow this change to shipment" (paraphrasing).  I tried to change delivery address, same result.  I tried to have it held at a FedEx facility, same result.  Actually any attempted change, despite continued friendly FedEx messages encouraging me to customize my delivery, were met with the same result.  I then logged to my account and placed a "Vacation Hold" status on all deliveries (maximum time allowed was three weeks) and held my breath, which turned out to be just as useful.  While overseas, I could only helplessly watch as delivery attempt after delivery attempt was made, with dutiful emails letting me know another attempt would be scheduled.  After all the requisite attempts were made (unsurprisingly unsuccessful), the last email informed me the shipper would be contacted for further instructions.

When I got back, I immediately contacted FedEx who would not allow a re-delivery or for me to pick up the packages at their facility because "shipper does not allow this change to shipment."  They suggested I contact CGC, which I had to do via email as - Sockamagee! - it was late Friday and there was no one to answer a phone for the W/E.  Though the email was dutifully sent, the next day I got a notification from FedEx helpfully telling me that the packages were going to be sent back to the shipper.   I again called FedEx and re-told the story, ending with “let’s wait to hear from the shipper…  you know, the one you told me to contact.”  This representative seemed more open to the idea of sending the packages to a FedEx facility for me to pick up, though he would have to contact the “central facility” where they were actually being held and talk to a manager to see if such a thing could be done(!).  While he graciously suggested some pick-up locations that were 500, then 600 miles away, I boldly suggested that a facility somewhat closer to the actual delivery zip code, say 20 blocks from my house, might even be better.

Two days later I got an email from FedEx telling me the packages had arrived at the facility so I raced down there Quicksilver-like, only to be told by the two representatives manning the counter that tracking numbers showed they had been delivered to my house.  Having been there myself, I assured them that hadn’t happened.  Then they regrouped and told me there was no way the packages could have been delivered to them because that facility was only for shipping, while ground P/U were always sent to Facility B.  I then showed them the email from FedEx which printed out the address of the facility where they had been delivered (that is to say…RIGHT THERE).  Since this contradicted the tracking number information, I had now successfully stumped the band (What do I win, Johnny?).  At this point, one of these gifted whiz kids – and I swear I’m not making this up – turned her head to the left, looked at a corner on the floor behind the counter, and said:  “Oh… are these the ones?”  I tried not to be overtly grabby as they handed them to me, then I asked if they needed to see some ID or maybe even have to sign for them since they might, you know, have something of value.  They waved me away, saying that the packages weren’t even supposed to be there so there was no record in their system that needed me to confirm delivery.  Whew!  I don’t know why I was even worried after all that crack security exhibited from beginning to end by this Distributing Dynamo!  If I ever get a response back from CGC (still waiting) I'll be sure to let them know that everyone's books are in safe hands with these guys on the job!

Well, it turned out the story was not brief, but I still contend it to be cautionary.

200 pages, eh?  Will it have legs to go to 300?  (Maybe, since CGC continues to trickle out addendums to their previous "after careful consideration" responses).

Well, it's been like pulling teeth getting explanations and eliciting the proper answer despite all contributors here knowing in advance what should have been the correct answer to begin with.  While the incredibly-good-grades-awarded-per-item-graded-ratio will probably never be addressed, it's good to note that we were allowed to continue this thread and speak our minds in what is still a CGC forum.  I'm not sure if the non-focused pressure from other different social media weighed more or less than what was written here but kudos to them for letting us continue.  Kudos also to Mike who had the thankless go-between job, and if he was somehow involved with a bit of coercive troubleshooting involving these decisions then so much the better.

On 8/18/2022 at 7:35 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

1 in 14,000,605.

So in summation of almost 200 pages (minus the excellent jokes and sidebars) we have:

1) Black Flag explaining why some people got "theirs" and others got bent.

2) CGC explaining why their procedure and labeling were correct (nothing doing on grading as yet).

3) Marvel explaining the definition and extent to which an Exclusive remains as such... going forward, anyway.

Per PM:  ASM 135, X-Men 56, 57 and FF 41

On 8/11/2022 at 6:18 PM, MrBedrock said:

Whatever Marvel and Black Flag do really doesn't interest me or affect my business much. I would never choose to carry those types of bootlegs or variants to offer for sale to my customers. The way that CGC chose to grade them does affect customer confidence in their product and I do carry CGC graded books, so confidence in their product does affect my business.  The only response I want to hear is CGC saying that they made a mistake and retracting their position on grading and validating those unauthorized books.

On the day of this upcoming show where it's been threatened (I can't think of another word) more of these and other garage-made variants of variants are going on sale, and in the wake of these 100+ pages on the subject, this bears remembering and repeating.