• 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.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Another batch of Overgraded books from a major dealer... RANT!!!

Started by LordRahl,

264 posts in this topic

GACollectibles

GACollectibles

Posted
Posted

:makepoint::makepoint: :makepoint::makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint: :makepoint: :makepoint::makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

 

 

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint::makepoint::makepoint::makepoint::makepoint:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rodan57

rodan57

Posted
Posted
Didn't read the whole thread, but if this is about Ted, he is a soft grader. That being said, I have bought from him many times, in person and via mail. Obviously if your at a show you can see for yourself what the grade is. He is very reasonable about bargaining price, I have made trades with him that were better than anyone else would do. Via the mail I have gottem some awesome books from him, and ones I have returned for a full refund.

 

He might not be the world's best grader, but he is a great guy, and I have gotten some sweet stuff from him. I wish more dealers were like him.

 

Did your full refund include your cost of repackaging and mailing the books?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gorgoguy

gorgoguy

Posted
Posted
On a quiet spring night in March I was reading some posts on the CGC message board when Lord Rahl disturbs the peace. He claims that he bought some overgraded books from a "major dealer" (as if that is breaking news?). However he seems to indicate that the books can be returned so all he loses is effort. He warns the readers not to read the post. Some don't listen.

 

Who is the "masked dealer"? Alas, a clue was given in the original post! The dealer is a "nice guy". Therefore, We are left with very, very few possibilities. :baiting:

 

Now the speculation heats up. Who is the dealer? (shrug)

 

The attackers start. "I hate all dealers" :headbang:

 

The defenders defend, "I like all dealers". :headbang:

 

On page 2 Esquire says, "There will never be any reason for any dealer to change his/her ways if their conduct is not openly identified". Yet on page 7 he says.

" So many people complain about dealer X and dealer Y yet are not willing to do anything about it.".

 

Why doesn't he identify who dealer X and Y is? hm

 

Chuck of MH must be a nice guy but he wasn't outted.

 

Foolkiller is the first to "out" the dealer by name. "As others have stated, you can buy from XXXXXXXX but it is generally better in person because he is more forgiving at times on defects than CGC."

 

Bedrock, has an interesting suggestion. Perhaps Dealers should "out" some buyers?

 

I'm thinking that dealers shouldn't sell books to anyone. That's payback to the addicts? :banana:

 

Now the crowd is turning hostile and talking about throwing dealers under buses. :o

 

A concensus seems to be developeing regarding dealer grading. Apparently they use "old school" grading when buying and "new school" grading when selling. (tsk)

 

The lessons I learned from the thread:

 

1)Buy books in person from dealers that will take the books out of the bag.

2)Don't buy raw books from most dealers if you can't grade like an expert. Most pro sellers opinions aren't to be relied on. :cry:

 

 

 

 

I stopped reading 1/2 way in, cause I was laughing so damb hard.

 

(worship) (worship) :headbang:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr.Diggler

Mr.Diggler

Posted
Posted
:makepoint::makepoint: :makepoint::makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint: :makepoint: :makepoint::makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

:makepoint:

 

 

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint:........................... :makepoint:

:makepoint::makepoint::makepoint::makepoint::makepoint:

 

:roflmao::applause:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Aces

Aces

Posted
Posted
Not to absolve anybody, but if you buy a book from somebody as a VF, and you send it to CGC, and it comes back a 9.6, do you send that person some extra cash? Just wondering.

 

 

In a way...

 

If I bought a VF (or VF-NM) book from a forum member and it came back 9.4/9.6 there would be a thread started as soon as my damn dial-up would let me.

 

People would flock to his next selling thread.

 

That would be "sending him money" since customers equal money.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Aces

Aces

Posted
Posted
Rationalization

 

Isn't everything? (shrug)

 

This sorta depends on the book too.

 

A: A $20 VF that's worth $100 now it's in a 9.4 holder?

 

B: A $200 VF that's worth $1500 now it's in a 9.4 holder?

 

 

In case B I definitely see a need for some compensation.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pirate

Pirate

Posted
Posted
I wish more dealers were like him.

 

Bad graders who are really nice? I'll stick to the only two online dealers I do business with, Doug Sulipa and Bob Storms. You might pay guide or slightly under but you don't have to worry about returning items, which is pure aggravation especially for someone like me who might only spend $50 a pop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Norrin_Radd

Norrin_Radd

Posted
Posted

Some excellent points raised in this latest discussion about dealer grading.

 

Whether you agree or not, the main raison d'être for this message board is for collectors to share their experiences. And it's advantageous to have some idea of how loose or tight an online dealer's grading is. For that reason, I think these discussions are important... even if some question their tactfulness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
buttock

buttock

Posted
Posted

I've brooded over this for a while, and here are my thoughts.

 

In the post-CGC era, there are two ways for dealers to make a living. 1) price aggressively (e.g. Harley Yee) and 2) overgrade (I'll withold...) The big dog does both, you know who I mean.

 

Every 3 months there's a show down here, and the old dealers pizz and moan about CGC for any number of fabricated reasons. Anyone willing to listen gets an earful. That's because by commoditizing books CGC has hurt their bottom line. By slabbing, I can get a better price on Ebay (often) than I can by selling to them, and they can't get as much for their overgraded junk, and their grading is exposed.

 

I've sold several books to Ted over the years, and bought many more. Of those I've bought, about 3/4 are overgraded, of which I return about half. The others I keep due to reasonable pricing. Of those I've sold to him, none have been graded (by him) less than what I sold them as, and most get bumped up a little.

 

Ted's a nice guy, but it's a little like having a nice guy poke your wife every now and then. You walk in on them and say, "Hey, what the...Oh, it's just Ted, he's a nice guy. Carry on."

 

I realized that a while ago, and now I don't buy from Ted through the mail unless there's a BIG cushion on the price. The fact that he's a nice guy makes it a little more frustrating. I expect to get the shaft from Metro, so it's not a big deal when it happens. With Ted, it's like a friend wronging you. At some point you have to end the friendship.

 

And please, don't take my mentioning Harley as a bad thing in any way. He prices aggressively, but his grading is wonderful. I really enjoy dealing with Harley - increasingly moreso as I'm getting more & more picky about books. I hope to have a big package from him waiting for me when I get home today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

Posted
Posted
I expect to get the shaft from Metro, so it's not a big deal when it happens. With Ted, it's like a friend wronging you.

 

Interesting. I know where you are coming from, but even though we might expect a certain behavior from a dealer doesn't mean we just should "Accept" it. Conversely, although some folks are pleasant...it's clear to me the #1 think collectors need as based on the thread that was created recently is grading. Take pricing off the table, and that is the #1 thing that I think raw graders lack. Heck, I buy from Stormms b/c his grading is tight, although his personality is virtually black and white over Ted. (:hi: Bob). When it's all said and done the collector wants to know he got a fair product at a fair price. Yes, some collectors want to push the envelope, and dealers can push back.

 

Great observation on dealers. Margins are thinner now that the market has been broadened by the commoditizing of CGC grading. The internet and having other venues have made it difficult for dealers. With that said, that's why if a dealer is getting consistent negative feedback on their raw grading they should correct it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pirate

Pirate

Posted
Posted

The problem is 80% probably buy the overgraded books and don't know any better (the mile high effect). The 20% (most of these boards) don't mess around and return stuff. I bet overall his returns are very small. As more and more people become grade sensitive, more and more of these dealers will either have to step up or step out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted

Kinda of the same when shopping in a con. I don't know of too many people that will let you take the book out and examine it and maybe/maybe not purchase it.

----------------------------

I've never encountered a dealer who wouldn't let a book out of the bag. Sometimes they insist on being the one handling it, which is fine with me, I don't want to be the cause of a tape pull or whatever. Maybe I have the look of someone who isn't just there to yank their chain, probably because I already usually have a stack of inexpensive books that aren't going to get a proctological exam I am buying from them if I am going to be looking at expensive stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted

As for the suggestion of buying CGC 8.5s and 9.0s and breaking them out, you'd be surprised how many nice books you can acquire that way for a reasonable price.

----

And if everyone started doing that those reasonable prices would become less reasonable....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Go to topic listing