• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

L Ludwig

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    53

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by L Ludwig

    current turn around rates at CGC

    in Comics General

    Posted

    On 8/1/2021 at 3:28 PM, MGsimba77 said:

    What tier did you submit under? I have a submission arrived June 1st that hasn't been touched yet. 

    Yeah its getting really rough man! They're having a tough time meeting their demand for sure! I'm thinking this is going to last well into next year barring any heavy COVID restrictions in the near term. It's a mixture of the all those deferred submissions from last year's shut down coming in since last December January that's clearly overwhelmed them. I had just 2 submissions last year and both of them took 2 and 3 weeks total from start to finish.

    The other reason is these signings from everybody happening every week. The one that scares me the most is anything Mcfarlane related. Luckily this is a restricted signing so I'm just hoping it's not a death blow to TATs :wishluck:

    Its terribly unfair to dealers that need TATs to be reasonable to make a living! If there's any good news, the postal service has been running very smoothly of late. It is now way better than the terrible shipping times from the start of the year. I don't know how or if Blackstone will be of help in this regard but hopefully the power of corporate America can help CGC meet its crushing demand. 

    Finally used Walkthrough due to a pressing business need. I knew not to expect same day or even same week, but was not expecting so much scheduling creep to the right. Good point on the signings and backlog (which I did not factor). Guess this really is a case of business being too good (and bad).

    current turn around rates at CGC

    in Comics General

    Posted

    Sunday's Musings

    CGC turnaround times have finally gotten to me. I have tried to be sensible and understanding in my reaction to the increased delays in getting comics graded or “pressed.” When checking on my submission status, I couldn’t help but notice under the grading field that CGC is “Now opening comic book submissions delivered the week of May 24, 2021.” I know this in not accurate – I have a submission from late June that has in fact been submitted for grading. However, this is a real tell regarding the pathology of CGC Services – lax, unconcerned, systemic, and remarkable.

     

    Walkthrough CGC Grading lists a current Turnaround time of 12 days. This is not walk or through by any definition or expectation. (And these are working days, excluding weekends, etc.) Please, CGC, come up with another category. If it is 5 days or less, then use “Walkthrough.” I said at the beginning I was trying to be understanding of whatever market forces you are dealing with – 5 is generous. Perhaps the category “In the Vicinity” could be applied for the current 12 days. And an appropriate reduction in price applied.

     

    Walkthrough CSC Pressing is a bit more problematic and is quite dependent upon submitted condition being addressed. However, 31 days is obscene for this category as is the pricing pleasure for the experience. Perhaps using moon phases and phrases would be appropriate here – Blue Moon comes immediately to mind.

     

    I am not going to go into “Express to Economy” schemes. Sussing that out would be cruel and unusual. 

    The Unofficial Underground Comix thread...

    in Comic Magazines

    Posted

    Noticed on eBay two Ebon comix for sale. One is CGC graded at 9.0, the other at 9.4. I understand the backstory for this comix -- first African-American traditional superhero to star in his own comic book. And I understand the dynamics brought about by Marvel Comic Universe upcoming films and the infusion of new and younger buyers for all things memorable. Both effects give dramatic rise to acquisition costs.

    I am, however, a bit surprised by the asking price for these comix -- $15K and $26K respectively. Yes, Ebon did have a very low print run. But, it was never that popular in its time. And it really only has a historic thread to the black superhero (Black Adam, for example) as character.

    My question Is do you think that the Underground market might be staging a renaissance? 

    [For the record, I do love museum artifacts and do understand bold sellers.]

    The Unofficial Underground Comix thread...

    in Comic Magazines

    Posted

    6 hours ago, felixthecat said:

    eBay has decided to ban all sexually explicit material starting in two weeks. They stated that most “adult only” items will not be allowed. I find this disturbing because of the amount of UG books that say adults only or some variation on the cover. There’s more info in a thread in comics general. 
     

     

    Appreciate the information; I really do need to get out more in the other chat rooms. I know that you can only be so creative with the artistic placement of Post-It notes (titles are what they are), but there has to be more creative ways to address whatever issue eBay is addressing -- it shouldn't be a binary solution.

    I don't use eBay extensively, but like most here, I do use them and do rely on them when all is said and done. I will explore further and make the obligatory "please re-think this approach to them", for what that will be worth.

     

    The Unofficial Underground Comix thread...

    in Comic Magazines

    Posted

    16 hours ago, FoggyNelson said:

    There is talk that some underground comics won’t be allowed to be sold on EBay , maybe even some Freak Bro,s 

    we shall see if this is true or not😷☹️

    Is there more you can share on this? I have seen a lot of creative placement of post-it notes there to dissuade prurient interests, I guess. But I am concerned that a good source of undergrounds might be negatively effected by what they started out addressing, ironically.

    The Unofficial Underground Comix thread...

    in Comic Magazines

    Posted

    9 hours ago, wpbooks01 said:

    If I had one I'd probably slab it, as I do have the reprint set that I could look at. Maybe L Ludwig did too!

    I do have the Complete FOO! reprint set (Bijou Publishing Empire) which does soften the loss and actually did lead to my slabbing it. That and the fact that my cats are incredible adroit at pilfering and shredding paper products. I have begun to realize that I have a few museum artifacts that I have ended with by accident more than by design or love for the art/comix. The FOO! was definitely in this category.

    • Popular Post
    • Popular Post

    The Unofficial Underground Comix thread...

    in Comic Magazines

    Posted

    Not strictly Underground, but my copy of FOO! #1 just closed at Heritage Auction for a much higher price than I was expecting. This coupled with the recent sale of "Crumb's last Zap" at PBA Galleries early this year leads me to wonder if there might be a positive inflection point for key artifacts and Comix? (I have heard that 2008 was the high water mark for Undergrounds.)

    The Unofficial Underground Comix thread...

    in Comic Magazines

    Posted

    Regarding precision calipers, the following information is via Steve Fox:

    From the measurements I have taken of multiple 1st and 2nd printings, the 1st prints measured from .0060 to .0072 inches. The 2nd prints run from .0032 to .0047 inches. The wide range of 2nd printing measurements is due to the diversity of paper stocks used in different press runs.

    But if the cover measures under .0050 inches, forget about getting it authenticated as a 1st printing.

     

    2020 "THIS SET DOESN'T EXIST, PLEASE BUILD" REQUESTS

    in CGC Registry

    Posted

    Matt: please create a set for the Chicago Mirror --1967-1968/ Jay Lynch - Mirror Publishing

    Please add cert #1198082001 (Chicago Mirror #3); and cert #0791890001 (Chicago Mirror #2)

     

    Cheers and Thank You

    Hello @L Ludwig,

    I am unable to find the details of this set to see how large the run is but CGC has only graded #2 and #3 which would make it ineligible for its own set. For these smaller runs of books I would suggest a custom set. Thank you