CGG just contacted me about the forum controversy

[Smokinghawk]

[Just for the record, I'm their customer, not their advocate, but they contacted me because they thought I would be even-handed in presenting their own words since you were all curious about them]

 

Hello, this is Daniel Patterson from the Comic Grading Group. I hope you don't mind me emailing you again.

 

I have been reading the different threads about CGGroup and would like to respond to all the comments. I was kicked off the forum before and if I was to try and post under this new name I am sure it would be deleted quickly and I would be banned once again. Also, I want to respect CGC's decision to not allow me to post.

 

First I would like to address the supposed restored Avengers #4. This book had no restoration, when a book is cleaned it leaves many signs that are very difficult to disguise, mainly a chemical smell and a change in the way the paper feels and a change in the gloss. It is possible to get rid of the chemical smell, but it is not easy. Also it is possible to re-gloss a book, but when that is done it can be detected without to much difficulty. I am very confident that this book is not the same book as claimed by one of the members of the forum. I say this because at the time I put a good deal of concern into what some of the people on this forum had to say. I tracked this book back to the original owner, and spoke with him. He informed me that this book was from his original collection, and had owned the book since he had purchased it new. As I was familiar with this person's reputation I could believe him without hesitation.

 

I also know that the AMS #121 and #129 are not the same books as stated by the person who started this thread because these two books were graded on 9/5/03, and besides, it should be fairly obvious just looking at the books they are not the same books. I can see many differences just by looking at the books.

 

 

On to the Iron Man #1 that came back a 9.4 from CGC. I don't disagree with the grade of 9.4 that they gave it because just by looking at the scan up close I can see several defects that were not on the book when it came through our offices. On a book that is a soft 9.6, meaning it was closer to a 9.5 than a 9.7, those few new defects should drop it to a 9.4.

 

One of the problems is people do not properly package their books for shipping. I have seen books that were a obvious 9.6 before shipping end up as a 8.0 because of damage that occured during shipping. Then the person is confused when they receive the book back. As far a the person selling these books I don't necessarly believe he pulled these books because someone on a forum was talking about his book. Most of the high-end books I have bought never reach the end of auction because the buyer accepts my offer and then ends the auction. Its the best way to guarantee you get the books you want.

 

I can say without hesitation that the majority of our customers have been happy with our service and our grading.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to address these issues because I could no longer stomach some of these comments people are making. I wouldn't mind people bringing up concerns, certainly legitimate when there are problems with scammers and dirtbags out there, but to simply throw a supposed misdeed or conspiracy theories (hypothesis) out in the ring and never bothering to find out the TRUTH is in my opinion irresponsible because it helps no one. I would venture as far to say that the people that do this sort of irresponsible bashing without backing it up with any kind of real facts, other than conspiracy developed in their own minds, are as harmful to the comic book industry as the scam artists out there in la la land.

 

Not once have we received a phone call asking if we could address any concern that has ever been brought up on these forums, seems kinda odd don't cha think. Are these guys that only like to bash scared of the truth because all their supposed theories and conspiracies would run and hide.

 

Please understand I am not trying to bash everyone on these forums by any means, there are many of you that have many things to say that are helpful and insightful in many areas of the comic book industry.

 

Thank You for taking the time to read this, and I hope you will post this.

 

 

[keep in mind that these are CGG's comments, and I'm just offering them for discussion.]

 

[rob_react]

He could have just signed up and posted that himself. That would have been better. A monologue is lame. Dialogue is good.

 

By the way, it's not a forum controversy, it's a CGG controversy. The forums have enough controversies of their own without being blamed for this one

[Rickdogg]

[stynxno]

I thought CGG wasn't allowed to post on the CGC comics boards....

 

 

maybe because they're a competing company? I wouldn't want another company posting on my message boards if I had a business.

[greggy]

I tracked this book back to the original owner, and spoke with him. He informed me that this book was from his original collection, and had owned the book since he had purchased it new. As I was familiar with this person's reputation I could believe him without hesitation.

It was my book and odin88 confirmed it. I guess it was just a coincedence that the buyer was from Eugene, OR? Say what you want about get rid of the chemical smell but how about the bright bright white pages? How common is that for a 30 year old book. Plus, an easy way to check if a book has been dismantled and cleaned is by checking the centerfold staple section. The staple prongs never match up with the indentations.

 

Regarding the Spidey auctions and the Avengers...makes you wonder why the auction was ended? Sure, the Avengers had no reserve and the seller has a rep for cancelling auctions if the price isn't high enough but the Spideys had a reserve? Didn't want more scrutinization? I saved the auction pics as well the pics to the purchase of the VF/NM books just in case, as I knew the seller would cancel them.

[Rickdogg]

I tracked this book back to the original owner, and spoke with him. He informed me that this book was from his original collection, and had owned the book since he had purchased it new. As I was familiar with this person's reputation I could believe him without hesitation.

It was my book and odin88 confirmed it. I guess it was just a coincedence that the buyer was from Eugene, OR? Say what you want about get rid of the chemical smell but how about the bright bright white pages? How common is that for a 30 year old book. Plus, an easy way to check if a book has been dismantled and cleaned is by checking the centerfold staple section. The staple prongs never match up with the indentations.

 

Regarding the Spidey auctions and the Avengers...makes you wonder why the auction was ended? Sure, the Avengers had no reserve and the seller has a rep for cancelling auctions if the price isn't high enough but the Spideys had a reserve? Didn't want more scrutinization? I saved the auction pics as well the pics to the purchase of the VF/NM books just in case, as I knew the seller would cancel them.

 

Exactly! Something doesn't seem to add up here. 3, ALL 3 auctions were canceled after being outted.

 

We all know that some sellers claim that the book being offered is from "their personal collection." I remember selling a Spidey #129 to a gentleman on ebay and a week later, he relists the thing with a higher grade assigned and claimed that it was sitting in his closet for 20 yrs+!

 

As I was familiar with this person's reputation I could believe him without hesitation.

 

I made the same mistake of believing someone just becuase of their trusted reputation with me in the past and it came back and bit me in the [!@#%^&^] later. Reputations are just that, reputations and cannot be relied on to find the truth 100% of the time.

 

Pathetic attempt.

[ghoulaid]

"Most of the high-end books I have bought never reach the end of auction because the buyer accepts my offer and then ends the auction.

 

Hmmm...isn't this against ebay rules? I'm sure ebay frowns on the practice of off-site sales. (just butting in)

[greggy]

"Most of the high-end books I have bought never reach the end of auction because the buyer accepts my offer and then ends the auction.

 

Hmmm...isn't this against ebay rules? I'm sure ebay frowns on the practice of off-site sales. (just butting in)

Yeah..it is against their rules but hard to enforce. Also....regarding not ending the auctions because I was talking about them... . Enuff said on this issue!

[Rip]

[joe_collector]

Hmmm...isn't this against ebay rules? I'm sure ebay frowns on the practice of off-site sales. (just butting in)

 

Nope, EBay even has a set option in the "End Auction Early" section to sell to the buyer at the current price.

[Smokinghawk]

I tracked this book back to the original owner, and spoke with him. He informed me that this book was from his original collection, and had owned the book since he had purchased it new. As I was familiar with this person's reputation I could believe him without hesitation.

It was my book and odin88 confirmed it. I guess it was just a coincedence that the buyer was from Eugene, OR? Say what you want about get rid of the chemical smell but how about the bright bright white pages? How common is that for a 30 year old book. Plus, an easy way to check if a book has been dismantled and cleaned is by checking the centerfold staple section. The staple prongs never match up with the indentations.

 

Regarding the Spidey auctions and the Avengers...makes you wonder why the auction was ended? Sure, the Avengers had no reserve and the seller has a rep for cancelling auctions if the price isn't high enough but the Spideys had a reserve? Didn't want more scrutinization? I saved the auction pics as well the pics to the purchase of the VF/NM books just in case, as I knew the seller would cancel them.

 

I wrote the seller and asked. I'll post his reply when I'm at my home computer.

 

[rob_react]

I thought CGG wasn't allowed to post on the CGC comics boards....

 

 

maybe because they're a competing company? I wouldn't want another company posting on my message boards if I had a business.

 

I guess, but if I were Steve I don't think CGG would be the "competition" keeping me up at night. I've never thought of them as anything more than a novelty.

[Rickdogg]

Looks like we have a job for Tony after all!

 

TONY!

[fantastic_four]

I tracked this book back to the original owner, and spoke with him. He informed me that this book was from his original collection, and had owned the book since he had purchased it new. As I was familiar with this person's reputation I could believe him without hesitation.

It was my book and odin88 confirmed it.

 

I forget...did you post a scan of your own of that Avengers 4? If you did, and the date stamp is exactly the same, there should be no question about this...the guy at CGG could only claim that you're lying and fabricated your story and the image if the date stamps match.

[Rickdogg]

I tracked this book back to the original owner, and spoke with him. He informed me that this book was from his original collection, and had owned the book since he had purchased it new. As I was familiar with this person's reputation I could believe him without hesitation.

It was my book and odin88 confirmed it.

 

I forget...did you post a scan of your own of that Avengers 4? If you did, and the date stamp is exactly the same, there should be no question about this...the guy at CGG could only claim that you're lying and fabricated your story and the image if the date stamps match.

 

Date stamp is present

 

I bumped the old thread for good ol' fashion fun

[drbanner]

I tracked this book back to the original owner, and spoke with him. He informed me that this book was from his original collection, and had owned the book since he had purchased it new. As I was familiar with this person's reputation I could believe him without hesitation.

It was my book and odin88 confirmed it.

 

I forget...did you post a scan of your own of that Avengers 4? If you did, and the date stamp is exactly the same, there should be no question about this...the guy at CGG could only claim that you're lying and fabricated your story and the image if the date stamps match.

 

Date stamp is present

 

I bumped the old thread for good ol' fashion fun

 

I didn't see the scans of the two books (Greggy's restored CGC book and the "unrestored" CGG book), have they been taken down?

[Rip]

Ditto, lets see the scans.....

[aardvark88]

If u break the Avengers 4 out of the CGG case, u will find that the bottom staple in the centerfold is elongated. I sent the book to Susan C. to be cleaned & pressed over 10 years ago. This specific raw Avengers 4 was shown to both Brad Savage, NY & Bechara Maalouf, Boston at San Diego Comic-con about 10 years ago. YES, I can specifically identify this copy with the date stamp placement on the top front cover.

[Rickdogg]

I didn't see the scans of the two books (Greggy's restored CGC book and the "unrestored" CGG book), have they been taken down?

 

Hopefully someone can provide pics?

[Rickdogg]

If u break the Avengers 4 out of the CGG case, u will find that the bottom staple in the centerfold is elongated. I sent the book to Susan C. to be cleaned & pressed over 10 years ago. This specific raw Avengers 4 was shown to both Brad Savage, NY & Bechara Maalouf, Boston at San Diego Comic-con about 10 years ago. YES, I can specifically identify this copy with the date stamp placement on the top front cover.

 

Ouch!