Kamenliter

I bought a press around a year and a half ago but it sat untouched for months and months until I finally said I’m going to do this; I did start by cleaning books last year but only started pressing in mid April of this year. A couple of weeks in and a I bought a second, larger press, able to accommodate two books, so I can now have three going at a time. I’ve now pressed somewhere around 200 books. It’s saved me tons of money and time. I can’t understand why he hasn’t sent my books back yet; if still nothing this week then I’ll move to the next step. btw that’s a heavy price increase on the diving course (and supplies). I’ve gotta hand it to you, I’m terrified of the water. Went snorkeling in Turks and Caicos in 2006 in only 20-30 foot water and was not having fun looking down.

He does restoration and some of the books involved were restored books that he was going to do additional work on to bring to a higher grade. The ones I gave him were unrestored books just needing pressing and cleaning.

Thanks for adding your story, one of only a few I’ve heard from people actually getting books back (or even waiting on books). There’s no more staff to get in touch with as he let the staff go a couple of months ago. I sent a friend request yesterday to Brandon Daza, who was my contact in NJ (left my books with him at a local show last August) and he accepted soon after but he has not responded to my message about this situation.

Thanks for all this background. It gives me a bit of hope; it would have helped if the communication on his end was more transparent; I’ve heard good things and bad aside from books not getting returned. A good friend of mine got some books back not long ago that he said seem to have not been cleaned at all; a number of posts in that vein on Facebook as well of books coming back that didn’t seem to have any work done to them. That might be the result of these subpar new hires. I sent him a few books in 2018 and they were retuned in a timely manner and looked good to my eyes at the time. As I’ve now been pressing and cleaning my own books I’m more discerning. Well, let’s see. His message from earlier today said he was packing them up. Tomorrow I hope to have that tracking # confirmation.

Unfortunately he took money upfront for the work he was to do; so all that money is now gone.

Wow, that's really bad. I'd hound him on that, I mean you're talking thousands of dollars. I'm guessing no collectibles insurance?

Omg what?? That’s grand theft! Did you file a police report?!? Sorry that happened, that’s horrible. When did this happen?

If he was reputable and I could trust him sure, but he’s not getting another dime from me. I already paid $34 for shipping (along with the $450 for cleaning/pressing).

He wrote today to say that he was still boxing up my books but I won’t believe it until I get a tracking # and the books in hand. Just more stalling but we’ll see tomorrow. In the last couple of months I’ve learned how to press my own books so I’m not handing my precious books anymore to a third party presser. The only people I’d have do any pressing if it’s something I don’t feel comfortable with or after a signing would be CGC (I know they get a lot of slack but they did a very impressive job on an X-Men 3 recently, getting me an 8.0).

Lol thanks. Yeah it’s sad. He actually replied again and said my books (and my friends) are still being packed up today ‘as planned.’ We shall see.

Their Yahoo page did actually say ' Permanently Closed' but their IG, FB and website are still active. He's actually started a GoFundMe to seemingly save the business, looking to raise $160,000, but as of the last time I checked it had only raised...$20.

Thanks for that information! I appreciate that. I'll call my insurance company on Monday (they were closed by 3 pm today) and see what they say.

Yes, I've got a log of all the emails, receipts, etc. At the least, I'm hoping my insurance will reimburse me for the value cited on the receipt. Of course who knows what some of these books could have graded at (I have a general idea, but you never know some could have gotten higher and the value could be more than cited). ie I have my Invincible 1 valued at $1000..but I believe it would grade at a 9.6 which would bring the value to around $1500..and who knows if it were a 9.8, then you're talking upwards of three grand or more. Sure, it could come back a 9.2 or 9.4 and then you're lower. I just want my actual books, whatever they grade out at as.

Yes, I'm going to pursue that.

Sounds very likely! Wish I could find other people that have been this situation.

This was his response when I wrote that if I didn't receive a tracking # I would be forced to pursue legal means. Seems he just threatened to hold onto my books even longer should he get a call from a lawyer. My friend with the FF 5 has worked in law enforcement and is prepared to call the local PD. A class action suit would be best, if we could find more people who have books out with him. I posted in the Facebook CGC group, with 33k members and not one person, aside from someone who has a book out since 2018 (!) that needed extensive restoration (and who didn't even seem fazed by it) responded. I hope you don't mind me giving some advice, but don't waste any money on an attorney, they are not worth it. All they want to do is charge you and they're not going to get anything more than you can do yourself which is get your books shipped. I really don't like attorneys;; they speak to you like bullies, and it has the opposite effect on me,. Once I hear from one of them to the back of the bus that client goes. For some reason they think vinegar works better than honey, I guess I just don't understand lawyer speak. Even my own attorneys are that way, I'd rather see money go to my favorite charity and break my back to solve the problem myself. If that makes any sense.

That is what I'm thinking. Theft of $10,000 or more in Oregon is considered Theft in the 1st degree, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250K fine. Between just my friends book and mine, I think that easily qualifies. I'd imagine he'd prefer to send people's property back rather than risk jail time.

I just came upon your thread, thanks to someone posting a link on a thread I just made about this same problem. Mike has had my books now for close to ten months. I'm happy you at least got your book back! That gives me a bit of hope I may get mine back, but who knows. Here's a link to my topic:

Thanks for that link. I'd missed that thread. Well, at least he did eventually get his books back. I have small shred of hope I may still get mine back, but the anxiety, not to mention the wasted time dealing with this, is not right.

Yes, he let his entire staff go and it's just him. He posted a video on his IG around 6-7 weeks ago showing him going through a box and checking off people's names saying books were being returned. I still haven't received my books. He told my friend 'I'm slow, I'm not a thief.' I understand he's had health issues, etc, but if his response above is real, then he has a girlfriend, who you'd think could help him pack up books. I see claim sales on Instagram where people a day later have forty packages boxed and ready to be mailed out. There is no excuse to take ten months to get someones books back for a simple clean and press. (I was also told 2-3 times that my books 'needed extra work' and at one point 'as soon as everyone is back from Spring Break we'll get you taken care of' (except there were typos). Were they employing college kids to work on my books? Makes no sense.

Is there anyone out there with books out to Hero Restoration/Mike DeChellis that have not have their books returned? I dropped off nine books with a representative of Hero Restoration at a local NJ con last August and was told the turn around time for a press and clean would be 11 weeks. It is now close to ten months with no books and only excuses. Supposedly Mike had a heart attack earlier this year and let go of his entire staff but even weeks after he said I'd have my books back, nada. A week ago he said my books were going out. Nothing. This Wednesday he said he was packing them up and would send me a tracking #. Nothing. When I inquired again today, his response was and I kid you not: 'My girlfriends dog just ate all my baby chickens. I am offline until further notice.' Sounds like he is certainly not in his right mind. For the record he has my: Amazing Spider-Man #6, #7, #15, #18, #70, Daredevil #7, FF #16 and #19 and Invincible #1. Somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000 or more worth of books. I have collectibles insurance and have been in contact with them. But, more than anything I want my books back. Most of them I've had for over forty years, since I'm a kid. This is heartbreaking. I have one friend, who has his FF #5 out for over a year now with Mike. It was a 5.5 restored book that Mike was going to bring up to an 8.0. My friend paid him $2k for the work, which to date he has not begun and has not returned his comic or his money. I cannot find anyone else online who has books out with Hero Restoration, which I find perplexing. I would think there would be dozens of folks with comics with him and usually people are fairly vocal about things when personal property worth a lot of money has basically been stolen. I have tried to keep patient and respectful up until now, but at this point I'm getting pretty infuriated. If you have books out with HR, please respond here or you can message me directly. Maybe a class action suit needs to be opened.

I've entered a submission and added the payment info, but I realized right after that I forgot to add pressing to one book. The books are still in hand, so is there a way for me to add pressing to that one book before I mail them out? It's a 10 issue submission. Thanks.

9.4

9.2

4.0.