grendel013

On 1/25/2024 at 4:39 PM, wiparker824 said:

Here's a fun one I stumbled across...

First image from WP/eBay sale from 7/16/23 direct edition book, direct edition label for $760. 

Second image from listing on Grailz IG account on 8/15/23 for $2999 but what's this, magically there's a newsstand book inside. Side note - my man wastes no time getting books reholdered, got to say I struggle to even get CGC to open my box in 1 month this guy bought it from eBay got it shipped to him and reholdered, then relisted thru Grailz in 1 month. Impressive. 

Third image from CGC scans on verify tool. The 2nd custom label, which hey at least it's not a Spidey custom label on an X-Men book anymore, also got CGC to "fix" his label and notate the newsstand edition this time. 

UN FUH KING BELIEVABLE.

On 1/25/2024 at 12:52 PM, Steven Valdez said:

Wait, so you've been the culprit all along?

My shenanigans would be more in the style of a Batman 66 episode. I'd be swapping legit books with homemade version done with my own pen and crayon. Leaving clues along the way for the caped crusader and boy wonder...

Unless someone at CGC is swapping out my books, I see no issues with ME submitting MY books for grading. I think the concern would be if I tried to then sell MY graded books. But like many others on here, my usual submissions are not really in the wheelhouse of this scam. I did recently submit an ASM 252 newsstand and ASM 238 newsstand with tattoos. Based on the grades (9.2 white and 6.0 white respectively), even if I do opt to sell, I doubt folks will suspect they were swapped. If anything, I just created more "doner" books for a scammer to use for a swap.  Knowing that though, I think I'll just keep these for myself. At least for now. I know their origin. I know they are legit.

Pix gone?

On 1/23/2024 at 12:16 PM, bc said:

IMHO - Don't think that putting a scanned image of the book on the label is going to do anything to stop fraud.

The image is going to be as big as postage stamp, if that. There's no way to see any level of detail to verify that the actual slabbed book is the same.

Here's a sample label:

Where are you going to put the image at without a total redesign?

Guess they could put it on the back of the label - but again, it's going to be too small to discern any unique characteristics of that specific book.

-bc

Agreed! Thank you for posting this. I like thinktanks but not sure why anyone wants to clutter the label with a scan of the raw graded book. Or what purpose it would serve. Like you pointed out... it would be the size of a postage stamp. Then what?

I like the ability to pull a 9.8 from a stack of 9.4s and 9.6s.

You should post more pix in the Hey buddy can you spare a grade section.

On 1/19/2024 at 5:56 PM, MAR1979 said:

Just have the original artist staple an acetate to the cover, then on the standard S1798 crossout Machine Gun and write in your choice of Pizza Oven or 10.0

I love MASH.

On 1/17/2024 at 8:09 PM, bc said:

Depends on how they married it. If they used any tape or other adhesive, the weight would deviate.

-bc

I hope it was booger glue.

On 1/17/2024 at 4:39 PM, paqart said:

They could weigh them. A sensitive enough instrument should be able to tell the difference.

Not in the example given of the dealer who married an incorrect MVC inside a Hulk 181. Weight would be good on that.

On 1/17/2024 at 6:48 AM, sledgehammer said:

Here is the ASM  16 yellow, also. Same thing. 

https://www.cgccomics.com/certlookup/1146675001/

 

ASM 18

So we are sticking to the lone gunman theory?

On 1/15/2024 at 9:04 PM, WestcoastDAVEngers said:

Hey all, so I needed to keep this under wraps until it happened, but this interview took place today, hopefully it helps answer some of the questions we've all had. Matt did a good job answering what he could

 

 

Thanks for posting this. Since Matt and CGC can determine FMV of a graded slab maybe they can save me some time and money and add that to the registry. Just a suggestion...

On 1/15/2024 at 3:25 PM, Gonzimodo said:

I sold my raw Uncanny X-Men 266 MJI years ago (early 2000s) on eBay.  I didn't advertise it as an MJI because at the time I didn't realize that actually meant anything.  (Most of my comics from late 1989 to mid-1991 are MJIs because I was in the Army and stationed in Germany at the time.)  It was a really nice-looking high grade copy aside from a dinged lower left corner (probably from shipping back to the US), so I sold it and bought a better-looking direct edition copy.  

I've often wondered whatever became of it, and it's crazy to think that it could theoretically be involved in this scam.  

Dammit! This all your fault!!

just kidding.

Hello page 350.

I still want to know how the list was compiled but I understand...

On 1/12/2024 at 5:07 PM, drotto said:

The other old adage in programing is that end users will find ways to break the program or exploit the program that the programmers never imagined. 

That's why I recommend testers DO NOT just follow the script when in UAT. I'd rather users break it while still in development then in production. But nobody listens...

I like to be in the know. But I did have to step away to win a Rifleman #10 auction off ebay just now. Plenty of good comics still out there for everyone to enjoy!!

On 1/12/2024 at 1:20 PM, comicjel said:

I think CGC should start printing a high resolution scan of the ungraded book on the CGC label (maybe even front of book on front of label and back of book on back of label) - I think it would make things safer.

I love infinity covers!