MAY1979

On 9/8/2024 at 1:43 PM, Stuk said:

I cannot tell from the search string, but those numbers, ideally, should exclude 1) vintage (for the most part), 2) books that are below 9.4 (maybe? because the look or grade is barely if at all affected?), 3) books that are "newly" slabbed but still before mid 2023 (?), and 4) any books, modern or otherwise, that simply are not bowed (there apparently are some). Not knocking the point, just suggesting a refinement.

Your are technically correct!  I will update my original comment when CGC replaces my 9.8 1/1's with true  9.8's of those same books, or remunerates me for the books + emotional distress.   My guess is that occurs half past never.

On 9/8/2024 at 1:23 PM, WeR138 said:

OK. This helps me to understand where you are coming from with that statement.  

I'm sorry that you have had such a negative experience with dealers/sellers/flippers.

I have met quite a few great ones. Some on these boards, some in my local community.  They do exist.

I count only those met in person or dealt with one-on-one and that includes online sellers.  I will say my dealings, especially when there were issues with the book or slab, with MCS have been 100% excellent. However that is a business entity in my mind not an individual.

I do want to issue a Correction! I also feel very bad for forgetting him may he RIP, from the Mid 90s-early 2000's a small local con and via his self hosted "garage sales" I dealt a lot with a part time seller named Rino. He was honest and overtly fair.  Him and his wife were truly great people. He also had one of those great voices likley aided by his chain smoking which sadly did him in (found out last year he passed away in 2014).  RIP RINO and my apologies for not giving you your due.

I've posted a handful of times about Rino here is a link; https://boards.cgccomics.com/search/?&q=rino&quick=1&author=may1979&search_and_or=and&sortby=relevancy

On 9/8/2024 at 12:53 PM, WeR138 said:

So they have the audacity to not be shady? Are you wanting BANANAGATE in the title? Help me out here. I am truly trying to follow what you are saying.

I dealt and known many comic dealers/sellers/flippers/speculators for 40 years, none of them have anywhere near that level of honesty. Wish I did know some that are, but I don't. I've heard they exist and while I'm sure that's plausible, again I've never met a single one who even borders on being honest.

Thus I ask again is it being oblivious? Sheer Ignorance?  Cognitive Dissonance?  or some combination thereof that these eBay sellers proudly exclaim "Newly Graded" or "New Slab" as if that is a positive thing.

P.S. Those involved with buying comics I've met who are honest, are limited to collectors only

On 9/8/2024 at 10:36 AM, MAY1979 said:

Near 800 Slabs on eBay in which the seller smugly exclaims "Newly Graded"

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=cgc+newly+graded&_sacat=0&_odkw=ms+marvel+23+cgc+9.8&_osacat=0

~1400 in which Seller proudly touts "New Slab"

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=cgc+"new+slab"&_sacat=0&_odkw=cgc+newly+graded&_osacat=0

 

Given their nature most who sell comics would obscure as much as possible they are 2024 slabs.  For these sellers is it: Simply oblivious? Sheer Ignorance?  Cognitive Dissonance? 

 

On 9/8/2024 at 11:33 AM, WeR138 said:

I'm not following. Looked at quite a few of these and they all had the cert.# clearly visible in the pictures? Didn't check to see if they had it listed in the item description. What type of obscuring are we talking about?

You would think Sellers given their nature would not advertise the slabs are new and do whatever they can to draw attention away from that. Instead they boldly state they are newly graded.

Near 800 Slabs on eBay in which the seller smugly exclaims "Newly Graded"

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=cgc+newly+graded&_sacat=0&_odkw=ms+marvel+23+cgc+9.8&_osacat=0

~1400 in which Seller proudly touts "New Slab"

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=cgc+"new+slab"&_sacat=0&_odkw=cgc+newly+graded&_osacat=0

Given their nature most who sell comics would obscure as much as possible they are 2024 slabs.  For these sellers is it: Simply oblivious? Sheer Ignorance?  Cognitive Dissonance? 

On 9/7/2024 at 3:35 PM, Stuk said:

This is great info to see. Thanks so much. Can anyone take a crack at explaining why almost every month there is either a massive (like 50k) dip or rise? The drop from 2/2024 to 3/2024 makes obvious sense (reholder-gate) but what explains 8/2023 to 9/2023 and 10/2023 to 11/2023 etc.? As for as the impact of bend-gate, I think we have to wait a month.  Remember that this data doesn't track submissions, it tracks census addition, so the census data in any month is for submissions from a month or two earlier. The numbers for September to October 2024 -- showing submissions in July and August when bend-gate started to really become known-- should be interesting.

Exactly. Near end of the year I think the data will paint a better picture.

Dips and swings can also be attributed to delayed updates and Holidays.

On 9/7/2024 at 11:38 AM, Stefan_W said:

The tough part about interpreting this trend is it also corresponds to a drop in the comic market after the comic boom. As prices drop fewer books are worth submitting and fewer books are submitted. 

Submission numbers will get lower. Blips and standard deviations aside, the bottom will never be reached and ever-heading down as more and more overall hobby attrition and shinkage continues.  Then factor in the Cali folks plausibly siphoning of a noticeable chunk of business due to this continued banana bending debacle, including CGC washing their hands of it with a metaphorical flip of the bird response.

My response to the statement is best said by Flatt and Scuggs; "California's The Place I Oughta Be"

Or by Robert Plant ;  "I'm goin' to California with an aching in my heart"

On 9/6/2024 at 12:50 AM, LordRahl said:

While everything you say is perfectly logical, the one thing that I don't get is, how can they not know the cause of the problem. I mean they've been slabbing books for 20 years and didn't have this issue then all of a sudden a few months ago, BAM. Now, bent wells. Also, it seems isolated to modern subs. In theory all CGC needs to do is a comparison between last year's processes and this year or vintage versus modern and they should be able to figure it out pretty quickly. I just don't get why they wouldn't be able to figure it out

I have it going back to 427 series which is June 2023. From 427-435 seems to be a coin flip, then a near certainty from 436+

On 8/16/2024 at 11:15 PM, MAY1979 said:

Predictions?

It's not a "Demon In A Bottle" cover, but it's close, and the fake stats look like garbage, but nekked it's a true frame hang on the wall conversation piece.

I'm going to say $40-55K. Thoughts?

https://www.comiclink.com/Auctions/item.asp?id=1787427

29K. I'm shocked! That's a 2014 price. I expected no less than 40K

On 9/5/2024 at 9:20 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I’m so sorry to hear this. Your thread rundown that you just made to me a few posts up? Very restrained, given the situation. 

BTW; Love your Forum ID

On 9/5/2024 at 8:22 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

That explains why I’ve gotten my GA back, but not my moderns. 

CGC may not be changing their public position, but the fact they don’t just slab my moderns means, to me at least, that they are acknowledging the problem (at least internally). Otherwise, they’d go ahead and encapsulate my books just to shut me up

My books took 8 week to get back from re-holdering and they were in worse condition than when i have sent them back. 50% had color breaking ticks and the bend remained.

If my 9.8's were cracked out and re-submitted they would be 9.4's at best. I'm not alone it that as it seems to be the norm. Simply read the last 20-25 pages of this thread and you can confirm the last sentence.

Reading into wait times is purely optimism.

^ GreatCaesarsGhost, GreatCaesarsGhost I do suggest you get a bit caught up on the thread and you will understand the reason for all the ire.. The Short answer is NO, we have been told "the bending is normal".  

Which is tantamount to CGC:

1) Telling us its normal for them to damage your books
2) Only the number of the label is important the actual condition of the book is not relevant.  Which BTW is what made PGX irrelevant.
3) Pre 1975/Vintage subs appear not to suffer the bends thus rendering the "bending is normal" statement to be a logical falsehood.
4) While some of its been debunked a bit; Major 1975-Current submitters (think more than 1000 comics per month) of Modern Books appears to be affected to lesser degree than everyone else.
5) It's Newport Beach California here we come for a growing number of folks.

On 9/5/2024 at 12:25 AM, AJsLongboxComics said:

Yikes. This is unfathomable to me. 

Same has happened to me this week + added damage on half my books during the slip-shod re-holdering.  If you read the last 25 or so pages of this topic, its same/BAU for everyone else except for an outlier book or two somehow coming back flat.   

My guess is CGC figures the "damaging you books is normal" message from their CS will be accepted by the sheep, IMHO it's now an even money chance that the Newport Beach folks service will catch on instead!

On 9/5/2024 at 9:29 AM, Ninja0215 said:

 

I can see Dave has had no issues with his recent submissions which is amazing consider those are probably high profile/high grade books. I do hope that trend of zero issues continues.  We can only hope this quietly goes away.. 

Hi @Ninja0215, please go back page you will see I asked about @BraveDave's submissions, and then his response - I've quoted all below. Dave's subs were all PRE-1972 Silver and early Bronze submissions . The issue has been the exception with 1974 and earlier and The Rule (+remains the rule) with 1975-present.  

Thus there is no trend, nothing has changed! 

Giving up one hopes and dream are difficult, after nearly 25 years I have for CGC and have moved on to to other collecting interests. Not saying you need to do the same, but I do encourage you to give some thought about a new collecting and or business plan that is not 100% Sarasota related.  I am very curious to see how it plays out for the Cali folks and hope it works out better than they or anyone else expected.
  

On 9/4/2024 at 11:40 AM, BraveDave said:

Received back my books processed in August. No issues, all look good. Bronze and Silver Age books only, no moderns. Multiple tiers. Not sure if this means the issues were addressed but wanted to update with my experience.

 

On 9/4/2024 at 1:18 PM, MAY1979 said:

So all pre-1975?

On 9/4/2024 at 4:24 PM, BraveDave said:

Yes. All 1971 or earlier. 

On 9/4/2024 at 4:24 PM, BraveDave said:

Yes. All 1971 or earlier. 

Then for that bending is the exception not the rule as it is for 1975-present.

Still nothing showing that post 1974 has changed.

On 9/4/2024 at 11:40 AM, BraveDave said:

Received back my books processed in August. No issues, all look good. Bronze and Silver Age books only, no moderns. Multiple tiers. Not sure if this means the issues were addressed but wanted to update with my experience.

 

So all pre-1975?

Never heard of them. At least you dont have to pay for return shipping as on top of the standard bending and damaging ComicBook services fees

On 9/3/2024 at 9:44 PM, Stefan_W said:

I am still holding out some small hope that the books on their way back to me were paused during encapsulation because they figured out how to fix the issue. While UV protection would be pretty amazing, I was hoping to hold off going in that direction for a couple of years while they iron out their own kinks. Expect a lot of inconsistent grading, etc, at the start. 

As a submitter if the book is returned to me in the EXACT same condition as when I sent it in, I do not care if grading is not totally accurate.  As buyer of course but I buyer the book not the label. The additional wait like mine appears to be due to volume or volume of vacations. 

Hope your luck holds out and your books have no new color breaking ticks when they come back

On 9/2/2024 at 10:15 PM, DaveNix said:

Newton Rings.  Still a thing, no?

Damaging the Comics "fixed" newtons rings. Prolly means to fix the Slabs Damaging Comics issue after grading they'll simply incinerate the Comics and return the ashes inside the 9.8 slabs. Thus no more complaints about Banana Bends. Followed by the CS statement of "Burning the Comics to Ashes is Normal"

On 10/11/2022 at 1:25 PM, Qalyar said:

TI-99/4A. Played a lot of TI Invaders, Chisolm Trail, Hunt the Wumpus, and a great many of the Scott Adams Adventure cassettes.

Nice!

My 6 favorites from the platform are:

Tunnel's Of Doom

Alpiner

Tombstone City

Zero Zap

TI Invaders

Munchman

Through the Magic of Emulation starting in 1996 and continues to this day I'm able to enjoy them. Back in 2000 I even picked up a set of new/old stock TI Joysticks. You cant get the real experience without those stiff TI Joysticks (keep it clean folks they really are horrid).  They are compatible with most 2600 Joystick USB adapters.

On 9/1/2024 at 9:29 PM, aszumilo said:

Zamfir was the Master of the Pan flute, not a bag piper. 

The Undisputed Master I might add

On 9/1/2024 at 4:27 PM, lollyclown said:

Wonder what's going to happen when the person who owns that 9.9 giant size X-Men starts noticing that the comic is bent and that it developed spine ticks. I bet they'd have to address it then.

Pretty sure that if book was cracked out now and resubmitted it would be a 9.6. Then if cracked out and resubmitted again a 9.4 or 9.2