Lightning55

Super comic. Heading out to buy some lottery tickets now! 

On 1/20/2024 at 12:27 PM, EastEnd1 said:

raking light

I like that expression. I'm stealing it.

That looks like more than a "bend".

It looks to be previously hard-folded, which when pressed, will still show where it was folded, otherwise known as a crease.

On 1/19/2024 at 9:41 AM, dbcn said:

Thx @The Lions Den - still seems like an odd choice to me - I could understand doing restoration on the cover to make the book present better, but color touching the spine of a book that is not in great condition to begin with seems weird. Maybe I just got somebody's book they were practicing restoration on?

A 7.0 is still a quality grade.

You will never know what was in the amateur restorer's head. Probably the most basic of motivations - "This could look a lot better if that white spot wasn't there. Where's my pen?"

On 1/18/2024 at 7:19 PM, Readcomix said:

They could mean the middle of that edge, by that language. I have seen that construction with horizontal tears from an edge in — “right center cover” etc.

Could be. You would think, though, that they would say "center of back spine".

Somebody should help us all out and standardize the descriptive order for cover locations. Like front or back first, top or bottom next, finishing with left, center or right. Then we could all be on the same "page". Maybe there's already a rule in place, and I'm the last to know. 

On 1/18/2024 at 5:30 PM, Readcomix said:

I can’t tell from the picture but the book has a wrap that goes around to the back a bit. Maybe they see something in that right edge on the back?

The notes said where it was, in the text you quoted: 

"the grader notes say 'small amount of color touch on right center back cover"

CGC does a resto check on each book. That is one reason people like to buy graded books. No surprises, you are guaranteed an authentic book. Although resto has been missed from time to time, very rare.

I believe that the first thing a grader checks for is restoration, after someone has done a page count at intake to make sure the book is complete. A trained eye will find signs of it, and there are always the usual suspect areas - corners, spine tics, edges, etc. Letting light reflect off the glossy surface can show inconsistencies in that reflection, due to the original finish possibly being worn off and recolored. It's very hard to duplicate the gloss in a perfectly smooth manner.

I've heard that it is all done by eye, not with a black light, but maybe a magnifying glass once you think you have found something. And of course the grader who finds it will check with others for their opinion. 

+1 to the above. I bet every collector eventually has a resto situation that bites them in the behind. Hate it when that happens. 

Professional restoration costs money. Anyone with a pen, pencil, marker, etc., can touch up color to hide a white area.

The ongoing severe snow storms and plummeting temperatures have slowed everything in that region to a standstill. Be thankful you are not in Illinois. 

It'll get to you eventually. In the meantime,  you'll have to have something no comic collector has - patience. 

On 1/17/2024 at 10:44 PM, wiparker824 said:

They definitely aren’t weighing them for MVS stamps. At least I hope not because there’s no way that would ever work.

+1 on that.  Even moisture content of the paper could change the weight, especially if weighed in Florida, humidity capital of the world.

If they could tell anything by weighing, they would have been able to detect trimming from day 1.

Congrats on the grade bumps. Definitely worth the investment. 

A stacking bend should be a routine ground ball for any presser.

And probably shouldn't be present in a 9.8, since that grade is supposed to be the equivalent of an fresh comic, right out of the box. Like a new comic on the shelf, before anyone manhandled it. New comics haven't had an opportunity to form a stacking bend.

On 1/17/2024 at 4:19 AM, DougC said:

I received no grader notes on a 9.6, no grader notes on one 9.8, but grader notes on another 9.8....

Its like playing darts, blind. Who knows evil notes lurks in the hearts of the graders.... the Shadow knows!

 

Grader notes on a 9.8, the rarest of the rare. I'm curious as to what the Notes said???

On 1/16/2024 at 6:51 PM, agamoto said:

CGC can't "prosecute" anyone. 

They will certainly sue the fellow they think is responsible for injunctive relief and a restraining order preventing him from attempting to sell any books with CGC's good name on them for fear they've been tampered with. And CGC will only need to prove with a preponderance of evidence that this is what's been happening. That's the info their internal investigation is digging up right now. They may even successfully convince a judge in civil court to force the perp to hand over every single CGC slab they still have in their possession, although, by now, anyone with half a brain would have liquidated every CGC book they've got or transferred them to another arm's length entity. I think Sledgehammer might be able to let them know about recent corporations formed in a certain US state. 

What CGC cannot do is prosecute anyone. With federal crimes, only a US DA's office can do that and that decision is normally based upon the quality of the evidence gathered by federal/state/local investigators and usually not by a private investigator. While some evidence gathered through a private investigation can lead to a criminal probe by feds, and some evidence they've gathered can even be admissble provided it's handled right, I highly doubt any DA is going to choose to prosecute  soley relying on evidence privately collected to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in federal criminal court. So, if you're someone who'd love to see this scammer behind bars, it's not happening unless there's a federal law enforcement agency investigating alongside Kroll, the PI's CGC hired.

Just as Mr. Nelson has let us know they're working with Kroll, he could have also let us know if they are coordinating with any law enforcement agency investigation. One has to wonder why that is when it's so incredibly easy to do with absolutely zero downside or risk to any ongoing investigation. What he does NOT want to say is that they are cooperating with law enforcement, if they actually are not. 

Come on back to this message a year from now after CGC puts out a press release declaring victory against the Mark's Jeweler Fooler in their lawsuit for injunctive relief and a permanent restraining order, in seizing all the perps's CGC books and settling the case out of court for an undisclosed amount, all of it wrapped tightly around an ironclad NDA with zero criminal charges against anyone. 

 

Unless he can be brought up on racketeering charges, I don't see the FBI ever getting involved. Probably never even know of its existence, as in "What comic scandal?"

On 1/16/2024 at 11:47 PM, Mgc015 said:

Quick question that has probably already been asked and answered (I read the first 100 pages but couldn’t keep up with every single page here)…when you look up a book with the Cert # and it gives you all of the info about the book, could they also add in if the book has ever been reholdered and what the date was of that reholdering? I don’t know if that would help every circumstance, but if I were buying a book and saw it had been reholdered, I would be much more careful with my evaluation of the book before buying it. (If this is helpful, I will give my address so you can send me my plaque.😁)

Yes, it was previously suggested, a couple of times during this long journey. 

They could  add a few things to the lookup page - maybe a History tab with all known movement (sales history, reholder history, photos of each time it was processed in any way, etc. Sort of like a vehicle title history. 

Maybe someday we will be saying "Show me the SlabFax".

On 1/16/2024 at 9:58 PM, Upgrayedd2 said:

Thanks for sharing. Outside of those responses, where does the CGC site state this?

My favorite response, "It should be noted that while notes may offer insight into the book's condition, the intent of providing grader notes is not to justify the grade received."

So...the grader notes which describe the book's condition is not related to the grade?

As in the thread links that @flchris kindly provided, and various similar threads, the CGC response has generally been that the grader notes are internal tools, not all-inclusive. I think they have been purposely vague, so collectors aren't picking apart the comments, calling to argue specific judgments.

Regarding the notes being from grader to grader, and I'm just spitballing here, but maybe there's a light stain that the first grader sees that could easily be missed, so he notes it. The stain figured into his preliminary grade. If the final grader doesn't see it, the early grade might seem "off". But the note brings it to his attention, making sense of the preliminary grade.

Or maybe that big white subscription crease isn't noted at all, because it is so obvious no one would miss it.

I just know that we have been told that the graders' job is to assign a grade. If they make notes, it is for operational purposes, and not all comics will have notes. 

I personally believe that all comics should have notes. If templated into the system, it might add a few seconds, big deal. Even a 9.8, with one click of a mouse, could say "meets the standard of a new comic, no added defects". Although I see that today's new comics, with the thinner cover paper, are more like 9.4 out of the gate.

Looks like it might be SCS. The condition of the case just above the comic corner (back view) doesn't look great, either.  But it could just be my perception of the photo. 

On 1/16/2024 at 1:30 PM, thehumantorch said:

Inspecting the interior of the book is the only way to check for the MVS

Maybe, for the suspected greens to blue on the list, they are just presuming it has been swapped, and immediately compensate the owner. They then keep it untouched, open it later in view of authorities to see what is actually in there.

On 1/15/2024 at 5:44 PM, Bowenfire said:

King Conan TPB $6

On 1/15/2024 at 5:28 PM, Bowenfire said:

Daredevil by Zardsky Vol. 1-6 TPB again $6 each or……$32 as a set.

Set of 6 at $32 

On 1/15/2024 at 4:22 PM, Bowenfire said:

Couple of trades from this series , you should be reading this. $6 each or $20 for the set of four.

Set of 4 at $20

On 1/14/2024 at 10:56 PM, Microchip said:

My post was to GPAanlysis.

CGC and GPAnalysis need to address this situation.   CGC has already responded, and responded with clear, and strong intention.  They have provided an ongoing commitment to provide remedy to those affected by this criminal fraud.  

GPA data will now be seen as compromised, without providing a public notification on their intention to respond to the situation.

 

 

GPA already made a statement, the one you were directed toward. Seemed to cover all aspects of the situation. 

I would think that their system of collecting data is very automated. So bad data is going to enter their database from time to time. Invalid sales data would have to be sorted out and removed. Only they know how efficiently and expeditiously that can be accomplished. 

I'm sure there's a lot of maintenance to keep it as pure as possible. The data is their product, so protecting it is Job 1.

On 1/14/2024 at 7:55 PM, Microchip said:

The question of Tampered slabs still stands.   

Will these be removed, identified, or nothing done in response to the list of numbers released by CGC, by @gpanalysis on the website.

CGC is not  compelled in any way to provide any answers to the many questions we all may have. If they do address any concerns, well, good on them.

There is no regulatory agency overseeing the comic collecting industry/hobby. CGC is not a financial institution, subject to SEC rules and regulations. It is a private company, owned by a public company.

CGC has not done anything criminal. A bit negligent or incompetent maybe, on the reholder process, but poor performance is not a crime. There is probably fraud taking place, maybe unwittingly aided by CGC. But CGC is not the source of the fraud, so not the subject of an investigation. The person, or people, swapping out books are the criminals. 

On that criminal level, the parties affected (collectors who lost money due to slab tempering), would be the ones to press charges, to get law enforcement involved, since something tangible was stolen from them - money. Multiple affected parties would have to band together to seek justice and compensation. 

But....has anyone to date lost money?? Those who potentially could have lost money are supposedly being made whole by CGC, so no longer victims. No victims = no crime = no prosecution. 

And as long as CGC keeps up with current compensation, as well as funding new, previously-unknown instances of swapping, this whole affair slowly loses traction, fading away. Could be the entire strategy. 

The CGC Guarantee states that each book is evaluated by at least 2 graders. Used to be 3.

On 1/14/2024 at 8:17 AM, MrPcfixer said:

So if the words CBCS comes up in ANY post is that also not allowed? I'm asking because I don't want to be punished again for speaking truth. The video posted quite literally didn't promote one case over the other. No where in the video did he say BUY CBCS NOT CGC. It was used for educational purposes and it served its purpose well. That is all there is too it. I'm not taking sides I'm also hoping CGC can take a hint and change the tooling of the cases to get this fixed SOON. But with MANY MANY millions of crack able cases out there its a moot point yes?

How to poke a bear...

On 1/14/2024 at 8:36 AM, CGC Mike said:

First of all, there was no formal warning attached to your account.  Secondly, I deemed your post along with the video absolutely did promote the competitor.  I do not think that it is too much to ask that people respect that one sentence rule.  I have edited this post to remove 1 sentence that did again promote the competitor.  Let it go, otherwise, you will be banned from this topic.  

Bear poking back, with restraint.