Solid evidence of Chuck's ineptitude and duplicity.

[Timely]

Everyone sells their books at multiples of guide, but chuck is selling his at multiples of the going rate, which is mulitples of multiples.

 

When a book regularly sells at 3 times guide and chuck is asking 2 times that (6 times guide) then I'd think there is a problem. I just recently went through his CGC inventory and could not find one book that was priced to sell, even with his sale.

 

Timely

[lou_fine]

From reading everybody's comments regarding Chuck's grading prowess, I believe we should all try to take advantage of this situation. With all of Chuck's current buying ads, I think we should all send in our mid-grade books so that he can pay us the near-mint price for them. Oh, I just forgot, most of his full near-mint prices are still only $0.25, $0.50, or $1.00 only! I guess we still end up losing out in the end. No surprise here, I guess.

[COI]

There's no doubt that Mile High overgrades too much and overcharges by a mile, but I don't get why so many people seem to hate and publicly berate him. He's a bit of a blowhard, yah, but he's a personable one.

 

I'm surprised to hear you say this, considering your distaste for arrogant egoists. Judging by Tomega's account, and by many stories that have been discussed here ad naseum, not to mention Chucky's own words, I don't think it's hard to see why he is hated. The worst part about him is not his shady practices, overpricing/overgrading, but that he worships himself, and does so publically. His delusions are just sickening, as are his practices. As far as I can tell, the only reason he's been around for this long is sheer dumb luck.

[Red Hook]

 

 

 

 

Tomega, ... sounds like Chuck might have done you a huge one. You should thank him! Seriously!

 

[fantastic_four]

I'm surprised to hear you say this, considering your distaste for arrogant egoists.

 

You might be right...I'd probably have a whole other opinion watching his dialogue, but his monologues are entertaining.

 

 

the only reason he's been around for this long is sheer dumb luck.

 

The source of his funds were luck, but the way he's built from that money doesn't seem lucky. I seem to recall reading that his degree is in marketing, and he's probably advertised/hyped better than any back issue seller in comics ever has. I'm not a hypester myself and I don't admire hype, but I somewhat respect it...or at least acknowledge the necessity of it in business.

[murph0]

I would agree there Andrew.

The one point that some others have tried to make is that Chuck, or whoever, should do business with someone they don't get along with. I would never do business with someone I don't like. It's all about having an easy/fun transaction, and tensions/dislike don't lead to those factors for me. From a strictly business standpoint, if you don't like a person you're not going to use that person. To this point, I think what Chuck is doing (not letting Tomega buy a book) is fine. The way he goes about doing it is too "weasel"-like IMO. And that, added with his enormous ego, self-congratulatory writing style, his blindness to his own companies overgrading while he complains about CGC, and his attempts to monopolize his prices have just boiled up on me and I'm to the point where I just can't stand the guy. And that's why I said, if he's banning people from his site. I'd like to be on there.

 

Brian

[COI]

The source of his funds were luck, but the way he's built from that money doesn't seem lucky. I seem to recall reading that his degree is in marketing, and he's probably advertised/hyped better than any back issue seller in comics ever has. I'm not a hypester myself and I don't admire hype, but I somewhat respect it...or at least acknowledge the necessity of it in business

 

Well, I agree considering that I know first hand how easily money comes and goes when running a business. I was mostly referring to the unbelievable luck that became the source of his funding. But it seems to me that the practices he's employed to keep and build his funds are far less than admirable, and he's pushed and clawed his way to "the top" by doing what many of us are sick of seeing everyday on Ebay. He's just a glorified, corner-cutter, who was lucky to have fallen into the funds necessary to carry out these little schemes on a large scale.

 

 

[COI]

I see what you're saying, but as a business man, where do you draw the line? If I refused to do business with everyone who has ever rubbed me the wrong way, or whi I didn't particularly like, I'd be having a very difficult time paying the bills. A good businessman has to act as a diplomat of sorts, and put feelings aside for the good of his business. Chuck obviously couldn't get past his bruised ego to do business with Tomega, and look at the result! The entire mess has been posted on the forum, and as a result, will end up costing Chuckles dearly. For those such as myself who didn't like Chuck, it just backs up our feelings. And for those who have been customers such as one poster on this thread, they have been rubbed the wrong way and will think twice before dealing with him again. I'm sure there are tons of lurkers who are equally as turned off, where as they may not have had any ill will towards Chuck in the past. And all because he couldn't pull his head out of his arse long enough to conduct himself in a more professional manner that is ultimately better for his business.

[Aman619]

I was already banned by Chuck for returning VGs in NM/M bags, but if I wasnt, I d demand to be put on the list too!!

 

When I started reading Tomegas story, I must confess that I thought Chuck was just exercising his right as a businesman to cut off his nose to spite his face. Thats is, denying himself a sale as payback for online criticism. We all have our pride and ego, and he exercisez his at Tomegas expense.

 

But Tomega made a great case in his letter to Chuck. And Hes right.. If Chuck is aware of us here and our criticisms, why doesnt he defend himself, or explain himself?? Vinnie read the harsh posts about himself here in the dustup with Ian, and scred BIG points by defending himself AND patching things up fairly amicably...Sure Chuckies probably jusy way too busy planting organic mexican pottery.... but as a businessman, youd think hed want to shore up business with the BSDs here that spend so much on comics each year??

 

Oh well, Chuck. Your loss. It will all catch up with you, just you wait!!

[murph0]

I feel you can still successfully conduct business and circumvent people you'd rather not do business with. That's my dads policy when dealing with people. If he doesn't like you, or you don't like him. There's no deal going down. Forcing yourself to do business with people that you can't get along with just breeds problems. Dishonesty, poor communication, hard feelings, non-mutually beneficial circumstances, and many other things arise from such instances. While it'd be nice if everyone liked you, that's simply not the case.

I didn't intend for this exact instance to be a measure stick for how you should go about dealing with situations like this. As I said, I believe he acted like a weasel in this situation. Since he handled it badly, it did get blown up on these boards and as such looks bad on him. However, there is a way to go about this process without killing your public image (not that Chuck had much of one anyways) in the meantime

 

Brian

[awe4one]

I was told that you would take it back this time but do not bother ordering again if I was going to be “one of those picky collectors.”

 

Didn't Mile High tell you not to bother ordering from them again after your problems with the coke ring ASM?

 

Am I missing something here?

 

Jim

[Tomega]

I was told that you would take it back this time but do not bother ordering again if I was going to be “one of those picky collectors.”

 

Didn't Mile High tell you not to bother ordering from them again after your problems with the coke ring ASM?

 

Am I missing something here?

 

Jim

 

Uhh, yes that was the time with the ASM.

[awe4one]

But Tomega made a great case in his letter to Chuck. And Hes right.. If Chuck is aware of us here and our criticisms, why doesnt he defend himself, or explain himself?? Vinnie read the harsh posts about himself here in the dustup with Ian, and scred BIG points by defending himself AND patching things up fairly amicably...Sure Chuckies probably jusy way too busy planting organic mexican pottery.... but as a businessman, youd think hed want to shore up business with the BSDs here that spend so much on comics each year??

 

If he made his presense known here, I'd agree he should defend himself. But since he's not a participant, I don't see why he should. That's the difference between Vince's situation and Chuck's. Metro has come on here in the past either hyping their website or looking for feedback, etc. Chuck has never (as far as we know) posted on these Forums so essentially he has no reason to "keep up appearances" here.

 

Jim

[awe4one]

I was told that you would take it back this time but do not bother ordering again if I was going to be “one of those picky collectors.”

 

Didn't Mile High tell you not to bother ordering from them again after your problems with the coke ring ASM?

 

Am I missing something here?

 

Jim

 

Uhh, yes that was the time with the ASM.

 

So why be surprised now?

 

Jim

[drice6900]

I was told that you would take it back this time but do not bother ordering again if I was going to be “one of those picky collectors.”

 

Didn't Mile High tell you not to bother ordering from them again after your problems with the coke ring ASM?

 

Am I missing something here?

 

Jim

 

Uhh, yes that was the time with the ASM.

 

So if they told you not to order then, why the big surprise now?!

[OldSchoolTerry]

 

 

 

Tomega, ... sounds like Chuck might have done you a huge one. You should thank him! Seriously!

 

 

You want bread with your comic? Three dollars!!!

 

Hilarious!

 

My only input on this subject is that if you disagree with how he conducts business, don't buy from him. I never have, and I never will. He's obviously still selling to someone, or else he wouldn't be in business. You would think he would want to make nice with all the BSD's on here, to get some of the bucks they throw around.....

[cvttrdr1-migration]

Metropolis has great inventory and fair pricing. Nice shop too. May as well point out the good guys. Four color was always enjoyable too.Vote with your wallet!

[Hensley300]

Yep, I think MHC is one of the only businesses that I do unfortunately take a verbal stand against. Usually my philosophy is that if you dont like the way they conduct business dont buy from them. Yea, ive person_without_enough_empathyed about Heroes and Legends prices being too high before but I like the store overall and have bought some of their stuff too, I just choose not to buy some of their stuff I thknk is overprices. However, concerning MHC,most of his stuff isnt CGC and he doesnt seem to want neither a fair price in selling or offering a fair price when being a collection. In fact, even after talking with some employees there they believe the grading is off. So, I just do not buy from him anymore. But at the same time I think i have an emotional connection to the store because it was one of the first places i bought from as a kid. They have a great inventory and so much potential. I think its the unrealized potential of MHC that gets me. Such a sophisticated computer system and elaborate set up and deep inventory, why overgrade? why not make your customer base happy and coming back for more? why not send in those books and get em CGC'd so the world can finally see how much they were overgraded to begin with? I guess its because imagine the depreciation he would realize from his inventory when he finds out (or already knows) most of his back issues are overgraded to the extent that its not worth his effort overall to get them graded or to fix the grading for accuracy. Perhaps Chuck is burned out on this new comics marketplace. Do you smell death coming from Chucks business? If he does not change with the times, his business's could eventually die. It seems as if he is fighting tooth and nail to resist this new marketplace of pickier and more knowledgable buyers and sellers and he does not like it while other business's have accommodated for it and are now prospering.

[the_Greatest]

[Red Hook]

WARNING!!!!

 

RANT ZONE ....avoid if you haven't had your morning cup of joe yet!

 

I consider one of the many different roles this board plays to be that of an informal Consumers Reports for collectors. I know that if I were a dealer I would not necessarily feel the need to participate in the discussions (replying to and defending any and every accusation could be a time consuming and thankless job), but I would certainly consider it a valuable source of info and feedback about how a certain segment (and I believe - more experienced segment) views my services. I automatically assume much written here is eventually scanned by most of the dearers. At least the smart ones. Selling comics has GOT to be a tough business to be in.....I don't envy any of you.

 

And as a dealer, I'd think of it as getting the benefit of having an ongoing focus group relating to my industry available, without having to pay any of the participants. This is free feedback. I would definitely be paying attention! It might be hard to swallow, but the material posted here might actually help you to run a better and more profitable business. What a concept, eh?

 

It's no coincidence that CGC hosts and monitors these boards and regularly particpates. That's smart business. It offers a constant source of consumer recognition, and they get to see exactly what's on the minds of some of their customers, thoughts both favorable and negative.

 

I love the passion that board members bring to the table....we obviously care a lot about fairness and good business practices, and it does really irk me when someone like Doc Keys continually gets away with continued fraudulent practices. But of course he's not a dealer, he's just a crook! He is another discussion.

 

In the case of the infamous returned book incident between Tomega and MH, which I think of now simply as "The Ring", (or "Return of the Ring"), I believe Tomega's version of the facts and his ill-treatment at the hands of the MH staff. Tomega lays out a brilliant case for not ever doing business with Mile High again. His final note to MH is a classic! (Five stars to you Tomega - wish I had 25 more to throw at you!)

 

Personally, I figure Chuck has the freedom to run his dang business any way he wants. It's his empire, so he can sell or not sell to anyone he chooses. That's really kind of the end of the story from his side. He can price his merchandise any way he wants to price it. Overgrading is another issue. That's less than honest. And it would also seem that his strategy of going for the immediate kill with the sale of an apparently overgraded book, will over time seriously undermine his customer relationships which mean fewer sales. I suspect it's already happening. I believe that in business, an ongoing relationship with a customer is worth it's weight in gold. Return business is what it is all about. I get insulted when I get the endless newsletters regarding the latest 40% off sale. His pricing methods just end up confusing his customers, and probably him too! Here's a new strategy, Mr. R........just grade accurately, and sell at reasonable prices. No sales, less hype. (See Blazing Bob, below). As a volume dealer you won't ever look back. You'll laugh all the way to the pottery barn!

 

 

The other point I want to add is that Mile High, Metropolis, and the other big dealers have to understand that commentary and criticism (constructive or otherwise) comes with the territory of being a high profile entity. If you are a big dealer and aggressively promote that business, you have to expect some dissatisfaction. Don't be surprised when your ill treatment of a paying customer comes back and bites you in the butt! The Metropolis incident with Ian was a great example. It wasn't so much who was right and who was wrong, it ends up being all about appearances! I still believe Met suffered more than a little PR damage on that one, which is going to be slow in disappearing. Maybe they lost some future sales from it, maybe not. Thing is, they will never know.

 

Mile High, if they were smart, would be much more sensitive to situations like Tomega's. Customers WANT to be loyal. Give the customer the benefit of the doubt, treat them with a little respect and you have the beginning of a beautiful friendship. That's money in your pocket Chuck! Hold back on bombarding us with the e-mail Dear Diarys, and pay attention to customer satisfaction! If you really think we are interested in hearing about the pottery, you've lost touch with us. Glad you have a hobby. Thank God it isn't Pez dispensers. But for us, it's about quality of product, good service and fair prices. Imagine leading the industry in that area. You'll be remembered more for that ultimately, than for Mile High I, II, III, IV, or V!

 

In my case, when I got seriously back into collecting last spring, and knew next to nothing about the current pricing and grading, I bought about half a dozen books from Mile High. Even though I was a new-returnee, I knew a couple of those Near Mint books I received were nowhere near that in condition. Since then I spent about eight grand on books through the end of 2003. Not a dime went to Mile High. And I'm not even that hard to please. Now I go to the Mile High website to look at comic book covers. I don't think that's why Chuck went to all that trouble to set it up. And a suggestion to Metropolis.....get scans up of all the actual books you are selling. That's poor customer service by not sending them out for books under $500. Shortsighted, guys, shortsighted. I've held up buying from you for that reason. My business isn't going to make or break you, but I am just one of many. I recently requested a scan for a $135 book from Blazing Bob and it was in my email box within hours. I didn't buy the book, but there is no doubt that I will eventually make purchases from him. He's short on hype, has a sense of humor, fairly-priced product and good service. I found out about him from reading the boards. He is a better business model that Mile High. He's more of a professional than the bigger guys!

 

 

A final word to the dealers.....please stow the arrogance! Without us, your customers, you would shrivel up and die. Show us a little more respect!

 

 

"Oh, you want Mylar and a backing board with your comic? Five dollars!"