Slade Wilson

Aaarrgghh! . . . Nope, I’m not a newbie I know the drill. I’ve submitted books to CGC before but I’ve not dealt with such a frustrating situation like the current one with UPS. Navigating all of the topics/forums on the message boards now that’s a different story.

Bird - Thanks, man. Glad I didn’t make the trip! 🥃

Jennifer - Thank for your response. The information about my submissions potentially still being presented to George Perez helps keep my hopes up.

I feel your pain! I sent 2 books to CGC via UPS for George Perez’s signature on JAN 27th. JLA/Avengers #3 and Avengers/JLA #5 As of today, nothing and the UPS Manager opened an “investigation” on my behalf because the last known location of the shipment was on Friday, January 28th at the UPS processing facility in Sarasota. I need a drink! The first round is on me. 🥃

Thank you for your reply! Really thanks. Maybe there’s hope that UPS will find my books. I feel a little bit better knowing that there’s a chance that CGC might still accept them. I’ll raise a drink to you tonight when I’m having a few or more! 🥃

I know I’m not alone. Who else has experienced this problem with a package getting lost or stolen en route to CGC? Please share . . .

On January 27, I sent 2 books to CGC via UPS for George Perez’s signature. JLA/Avengers #3 Avengers/JLA #4 Interstate shipping wasn’t even necessary. It was from Jacksonville, Florida to Sarasota, Florida. The Manager at the local UPS anticipated delivery to CGC the next day. I didn’t foresee a problem meeting CGC’s January 31st deadline. As of today, Thursday, February 2nd, nothing and the UPS Manager opened an “investigation” on my behalf because the last known location of the shipment was on Friday, January 28th (the anticipated day of delivery) at the UPS processing facility in Sarasota. The local UPS Manager has been very helpful and kind but I’m sick about this. At this point, I just hope that UPS recovers the books undamaged. I’m very sad that even if UPS recovers the books, CGC will likely say, “too bad it’s too late.” I hope I’m wrong. This is terrible because of the unfortunate circumstances and special nature of George Perez’s in-house signing. I suspect theft. CGC should really consider an alias name and address for receiving shipments. CGC’s name and the artist’s initials on the box are a dead give away to anyone in the know that the contents are comics for signature/grading. Will CGC accept the books if UPS pulls off a miracle and finds them? If not, is a credit or refund possible? I’m confident that both books are 9.8 but good luck finding them again. If I ever do this again, I’m driving the 3 to 4 hours to Sarasota and delivering the books to CGC myself. The George Perez aspect is really bothering me too. The news of his health was sad and like everyone else I grew up admiring his work. I was in awe at how cool he is to say that he wants this opportunity to connect with his fans. Totally down today.

I sent 2 books to CGC via UPS for George Perez’s signature on JAN 27th. JLA/Avengers #3 Avengers/JLA #4 Interstate shipping wasn’t even necessary. It was from Jacksonville, Florida to Sarasota, Florida. I anticipated and the Manager at the local UPS agreed that the package would be delivered the next day. I didn’t expect a problem meeting CGC’s January 31st deadline. As of today, nothing and the UPS Manager opened an “investigation” on my behalf because the last known location of the shipment was on Friday, January 28th at the UPS processing facility in Sarasota. The local UPS Manager has been very helpful and kind but I’m sick about it. At this point, I just hope that UPS recovers the books undamaged. I’m very sad that even if UPS recovers the books, CGC will just say, “too bad it’s too late.” It’s terrible because of the unfortunate circumstances and special nature of George Perez’s in-house signing. I suspect theft. CGC should really consider an alias name and address for receiving shipments. CGC’s name and the artist’s initials on the box are a dead give away to anyone in the know that the contents are comics for signature/grading. I wonder if CGC will accept the books if UPS pulls a miracle and find them? If not, will CGC refund or credit my $202? If I ever do this again, I’m driving the 3 to 4 hours to Sarasota and delivering the books myself. The George Perez aspect is really bothering me. The news of his health was so sad, I grew up admiring his work, and I was in awe at how cool he is to say that he wanted this opportunity to connect with his fans. Totally down today.

Has CGC commented on the homemade window bags at all? I want to do it because I really want to submit a copy of Avengers/JLA #4 but I’m worried about CGC rejecting the book and not presenting it to George Perez. Also, I know the normal rule for submissions is not to include anything other than the comic itself like a Certificate of Authenticity and CGC tosses the polybag if the book still is sealed in it. However, due to special and sensitive nature of Mr. Perez’s in-house signing event will CGC allow a card or note of appreciation/encouragement written to Mr. Perez? Beyond hosting this event, I’m hope CGC will pass along fans’ messages of love and support.

I just posted my question on the "Ask CGC" forum.

Crops068, thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try.

Are current CGC employees at liberty to respond to this topic? I'd really like to hear from current Comic Graders on how to get your foot in the door at CGC. I don't have prior "professional grading experience" so I'm willing to start entry-level, educate myself, learn from experienced graders, apply CGC's practices, etc. I know comics, I'm familiar enough with grading that I'd be a viable candidate, and I've got (1.) research skills and (2.) client/customer service experience from my non-comics professional career that would compliment job functions at CGC. Plus, I'm ready & willing to relocate to Sarasota.

My wife would happily relocate to Sarasota, Florida so no issue there. If I were lucky enough to snag an interview @CGC Comics and then even luckier to get hired we’re there! Is there any truth to the rumor that only former LCS owners get hired as graders? If so, that’s a tough hurdle to overcome for the experience criteria. The HR Department didn’t seem interested in a conversation about how to gain the “skills & experience” for such a niche job. I wish I had an opportunity to talk with a current Comic Grader @CGC Comics because in all fairness to the HR people they might be corporate folks not “comic book” people. I’d love to take what I know then work, study, and learn from the experienced Graders. Dream job for sure! I always see stories about pursuing your dreams or doing what you love . . . Wow! This would be amazing! Maybe one day.

I wish!

QUESTION: If you love comics, want to join CGC, willing to relocate, put in the time, and effort . . . how do you do it? CGC posted job opportunities for 2 positions that I'm really interested in, COMIC GRADER and RESEARCH/VERIFICATION CLERK. How do you get your foot in the door at CGC? That's my question. I want it. I want to put in all the time, effort, and all it takes. I get that the Grader position most likely is an uphill battle because I currently don't have professional grading experience. Maybe an entry-level grader position? I'd love to discuss and learn the process from the other Graders and learn how to do it the "CGC way." There certainly are candidates with more practical experience than me but I still want to do it. Whereas, I'm definitely well suited for the Research/Verification Clerk opportunity which sounds amazing because I love reading and learning about publisher histories, identifying significant issues, tracking down unique variants, etc., and I've developed great researching skills over the years in a "traditional" professional career in the corporate and legal fields. I'm fascinated by CGC, grading in general, and I've loved comics all my life. I want to pursue this path with everything I've got. How do you do it? In March 2019, I applied for the Grader opening and received a reply that advised me CGC decided to pursue other candidates who appeared to match the "skills and experience." I get it. I never owned a shop or worked for another grading company but I want to learn how CGC's business works, I want to put the time into studying and learning how to grade and advance myself within the company. I want to experience the discussions that might ensue while researching, grading, and learning from other graders, researchers, and staff. A week ago, I applied again and tried thinking outside the box. Rather than just attaching my rigid professional resume I also included a statement that made my application more relevant to CGC i.e., my efforts to catalog, organize, and grade my personal comic book collection of approximately 5,600 raw books for sale. That same day, I applied to the Researcher/Verification Clerk position too, and mentioned that I was applying to both positions. I believe that I'm well suited for the Research/Verification Clerk role and see it as a great opportunity to join CGC and grow with the company. Does CGC HR ever monitor these boards to answer questions? I'd be thrilled to hear from a current Grader or the hiring manager. I really want this. Thanks, Jim