HAMMER COMES CLEAN.... CPG QUOTES.. THE FLIP SIDE

[WEBHEAD]

Every side has 2 stories.. In all fairness and equal time I would like to present to the board members in 3 seperate posting Hammers alias Comic-Keys posting on the CPG site. I don't know if many of you have read these before Some of this may surprise you some may not.. they are copied verbatem and not altered.

 

@Hammer 2003

 

QUOTE>>>>>>

 

"How unfortunate that Hammer isn't barred here as he is on the CGC message board, eh FF?? These witch-trials conducted with the accused in exile and unable to answer to trumped up charges and incredible inaccuracies are right up some folks' style who like to fill the jury box with Kangaroos, but disallow the accused the opportunity to speak. Whether Hammer is barred here depends directly upon how much CGC has the power to silence voices defending themselves, over here. I guess I'll find out soon enough. The TRUTH usually lies somewhere between BOTH the accused and the persecutors' rantings. I can well understand the CGC forum wanting the other half of the story to be silenced and unavailable for review. Makes the lynching go down far more palatibly to ignore the vast chasm of contradictions in the many diverse story versions of the many persecutors, most of which have never had any dealing whatsoever with the prematurely found "guilty" party."

 

-HAMMER

 

"Hey FF, I'll give you one newsflash, for free!!!! There's a whole lot more that I'll keep to myself for now. This supposed "Restoration Service" that Fantazia was supposed to have been conducting in the 80s and everyone trying to pin this sort of thing on Hammer (NOT Fantazia) in the 2000s is total garbage. See, the search for truth can be biased dependent upon WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PROVE. If you wish to prove GUILT, you ignore factors that DON'T support guilt.

 

For instance, it was VERY easy for me to find out that the Fantazia Restoration Service was NOT a service performed by Fantazia. Quite matter of factly, that restoration service was nothing more than an ad in the Overstreet to subcontract restoration work that was going to be performed by a CGC Forum member, who must have forgotten that HE was the one who wrote that ad copy for Overstreet because he never came forward to own up to the truth and clear up THAT inaccuracy that spawned 100s of other stories and ideas about Keys based on something that WASN'T EVEN TRUE. From my understanding, the work that this "artist" performed for subcontracted work was SO BAD, people using the service complaining that their child could have done a better job, that Fantazia quickly abandoned accepting books for this person's services! A person that is WELL KNOWN AT CGC and at shows as well. I wonder why he never said a word about this!

 

Pretty interesting, don't you think, FF? There's LOTS more blatant inaccuracies and exaggerations that will go unanswered on that Forum because of absentee prosecution."

 

-HAMMER

 

"The the best thing to do is let it go. No use crying over trash from another site on another site's forum. If you want to go into such details then this matter is better done via e-mail.

 

 

 

If I might explain, FF is one of my biggest detractors across the way. There are many reasons for this, that I will not go into, but suffice to say that anyone who shows a resistance to blindly genuflect before the slab, in the eyes of FF, is a heretic. He's the TorQuemada of CGC. He dragged this thread from the CGC forum over here, which is the only reason why I commented on it. Just ONE inaccuracy of a multitude of inaccuracies in the CBG story and thread.

Since I was barred there, immediately following my posts on how CGC can selectively put some books with color touch with a blue label, yet others are put with a purple label (I believe my post was, "Hey Borock..grade em' all on the same level playing field regardless of who owns them, or don't grade them at all"), when some Forum members across the street noticed that I was posting here on completely unrelated subjects, they reacted in print (one of the threads on that Forum) with the "let's get over there right away and start bashing this guy, mentality". I believe that the first troll here was a poster there, SupaPimp, who took the user ID HERE of DanielDupcak for no other reason than to troll.

Unfortunately, I would imagine that a whole BUNCH of trolls will soon be here since I have started posting."

 

-HAMMER

 

I

 

 

"great head-up, Brock; long article though; have to read it all later....

 

"Incidentally Dupcek (Doop-Check) is a Polish name, and 'Dupa' is a slang word for arse

 

Just so's you know...."

 

 

While you're setting the record straight for all of us, by sharing your wealth of knowledge on slang and name origins, I thought I'd point out that you misspelled Dupcak. If you bothered to comprehend the article, the spelling was given as Dupcak. Further, since cek, czek, and cak endings are found not only in Poland, but in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and just about all other territories in that part of the world, how you can be sure that the name is Polish and his descendents not from a different country of origin would make you a seer. That is unless you really don't know and are assuming that it's Polish, which is how misinformation spreads.

Also, just about ANY name can be fit into a mold, when broken down phonetically and other letters added into any other disrespectful or profane one. Big Lyin' for example! Just so's you knows!

 

 

-HAMMER

 

"great head-up, Brock; long article though; have to read it all later....

 

"Incidentally Dupcek (Doop-Check) is a Polish name, and 'Dupa' is a slang word for arse

 

Just so's you know...."

 

 

While you're setting the record straight for all of us, by sharing your wealth of knowledge on slang and name origins, I thought I'd point out that you misspelled Dupcak. If you bothered to comprehend the article, the spelling was given as Dupcak. Further, since cek, czek, and cak endings are found not only in Poland, but in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and just about all other territories in that part of the world, how you can be sure that the name is Polish and his descendents not from a different country of origin would make you a seer. That is unless you really don't know and are assuming that it's Polish, which is how misinformation spreads.

Also, just about ANY name can be fit into a mold, when broken down phonetically and other letters added into any other disrespectful or profane one. Big Lyin' for example! Just so's you knows!"

 

-HAMMER

 

"I'm as surprised as you are. His mood swings are triggered by his star rating going from 3 to 2. During his latest tirade when that happened, quite recently, Joanne (the lone voice of sanity, across the way) actually calmed him down, "for Heaven sake, Supa..calm down. Why is this star rating so important to you that you would become so agitated over losing a star". The guy actually posted that he was going to petition the moderator to give him a permanent 3 star rating. I wish I were the one who could take credit for his up and down star count, but I can't, although he's certain that I am responsible in some way for it.

 

What's really incredible, over there, is the ease of impressionability of the whole. Very easily led. I'd drop in and read the Forum from time to time and see the same folks crying about the same types of auctions alluding to me in some negative way. For instance, a publisher's unused remainder cover for Avengers 9, a piece that I had absolutely no interest in owning/winning/bidding on. I'd think to myself, "Look at this. They're already talking about this piece and stating that Comic-Keys should be interested in it so he can scam someone with it, and will probably bid on it", and a smile would cross my face with the idea, "why not..I know THIS will raise all their collective blood pressures by 30 or 40 points..let's do it with just one $35.00 bid". Just ONE bid, well under the reserve or winning price was all it would take to accomplish this. They'd get all chummed up, "Did you see that? Did you see that" Comic-Keys is bidding on it like stink on du-du (one bid mind you, either UNDER the reserve or low enough a week before the auction end that I knew it would be overtaken!!!). We have to stop him!!! He's gonna' rip someone off with it. Somebody outbid him! Don't let him get it! Call out the "Bay Commandos" (they're version of the Ebay police...the collective there that spam bidders and winners contrary to Ebay policy...and Ebay is aware of it and this has already backfired on them with a different seller), call out the Police!".

So wouldn't you know it, CBG "accurately" reports that I was bidding on an item that might be questionable and of use only to a restoration artist. Yeah, sure...that's "EXACTLY" why I bid!

 

Matter of factly, anything I bid on is called attention to and given nefarious implications:

 

FF bound volume (didn't win): Forum writes, "He's gonna' separate them and sell them as unrestored"

Showcase 4 restored (won): Forum writes, "Look for this to be featured in a future auction as unrestored"... PS: I auctioned it AS WON (restored) about 3 months later.

FF 4 CGC 7.0 (didn't win).. Forum writes: "This is typical of the type of book he will restore to NM/MT"

FF 41 CGC NM 9.4 (didn't win)..Forum writes: "This is typical of the type of book he will restore to NM/MT".

 

Sounds pretty ridiculous doesn't it? ANYTHING I bid on is given this negative spin. Matter of factly, over 95% of all the material I resell DOESN'T COME FROM EBAY. Most of the time, I'll throw a bid on an item, well under the reserve, JUST TO SEE WHAT SCUTTLEBUTT it will generate on the CGC Forums with this type of "He's gonna' do this and that once he wins..that's why he wants it" nonsense. Then they'll say, "He's avoiding the facts!!!, same old Hammer", but these are very relevant facts because they actually believe that I'm trying to win these books to alter them, and that simply isn't the case. The bidding is primarily to bust their chops, and that's it. 99% of what I bid on, I don't win and Lord knows... I DO have the money to pursue a win if I really wanted to. It's not for lack of immediate funds that I don't win!"

 

-HAMMER

 

"Yes Shawn, That's me. Hammer/Comic-Keys/Richard Koos.

 

Most ironic thing is that CBG DID contact me for my commentary, but I was never asked certain pertanent questions. I was given the impression by the reporter that the "interview" was being conducted for MY commentary and opinions regarding Private feedback and Private Auctions on Ebay. I saved the emails, back and forth between CBG and myself and this was MAIN FOCUS, until I was asked outright, "Are you Dupcak?" and at that point I wrote something like, "Too bad you couldn't come straight out to the point and had me answering questions for two days on Private Feedback. NOW, the entire reason behind this charade is apparent". The reporter from CBG even titled his emails, "Private Feedback Questions", NOT Daniel Dupcak questions. MOST of the "information", real or misconstrued/inaccurate, I was NEVER GIVEN A CHANCE TO COMMENT ON, and yet should have been given the chance to blow to bits each piece of commentary in that article that I may have had knowledge of, for instance, the part about the Fantazia Restoration service Overstreet ad, which was ACTUALLY placed on behalf of CANTIE BREVARD of SuperDuperComics (who WROTE the ad that appears in the Overstreet to subcontract work through Fantazia and although a CGC Forum member, never said ONE word about it for all the times it was brought up on that Forum and allusions to my once running a restoration service were being inferenced with ME as the restorer, a field in which I have no hands on abilities...and neither did Cantie, from what I heard of his paint by numbers technique). A self-professed "restoration artist", at that time, whose idea of cleaning covers and de-brittleizing was to float disassembled covers in naptha, clorox, and water, then paint out the creases. Of course someone across the street has already said, "How can Hammer know that? He MUST be Dupcak?" Could be much less nefarious than that also. I may have stumbled upon an EMPLOYEE/PAST CUSTOMER of Fantazia who saw this with his own eyes (the BEST kind of witness/evidence). All you have to do is talk to people and seek ALL the truth, not just the "truth" that is interpreted as supporting criminal activity.

 

Now, for the sake of clarity, and setting the record straight. Here's something VERY interesting. The exact, unaltered sequence of EMAILS between the author of that Fantazia story and myself. You decide what the focus was and what I was given a chance to comment on:

 

EMAIL #1:

 

Subj: Private feedback questions

Date: 1/9/04 6:01:28 PM Eastern Standard Time

From: melbyn@krause.com (Melby, Nathan)

To: Comickeys@aol.com

 

Hi Richard!

 

We do lots of stories about comics auctions on eBay and one of the things we are working on this week is a story about feedback. You're one of the few comics auctioners with both private auctions and feedback, so we'd like to ask you some questions:

 

Why do you keep your feedback private? We have seen a bit of the explanation on one of your auctions pages, but hoped you might elaborate.

 

A lot of people don't like private feedback auctions. Does private feedback just protect you, or do you think there are ways it benefits customers?

 

Do you know other eBay dealers we can talk to who use private feedback?

 

Please provide your full name with any quotes (we checked eBay for your name, but want to be sure). And please be sure to let us know what is on and off the record.

 

Thanks!

 

Nate Melby

Krause Publications

Comics Buyers Guide, Reporter

Comics and Games Retailer, Reporter

____________________________________________________________________

 

My response to Email #1:

 

Subj: Fwd: Private feedback questions

Date: 1/9/04 10:38:44 PM Eastern Standard Time

From: Comic Keys

To: melbyn@krause.com (Melby,Nathan)

 

Nate, Thank you for your interest! I think everyone that auctions expensive items on Ebay gets their fair share of spam mails. My feedback was 400-0 when I decided to make it Private. Even now, my feedback numbers are visible (1043-4) even though the comments and winners/bidders identities are shielded.

First off, in my behalf, let me comment that I feel that I am unique on Ebay. My feedback record is comprised of entirely raw and slabbed silver age comics (95%+ raw!!!) in high grade. Also, the average auction item I transact is well over $1000, with MANY $10K+ sales. I do so while maintaining a Power-seller status AND square trade membership.

Initially, my feedback was made private due to a winner of mine (of many high priced auction items) receiving incessant spam mails from someone offering him comics at ridiculously low prices. He had asked numerous times for the spammer to cease and desist. He didn't. This went on for a while and he stopped asking for the spammer to stop. The spammer became abusive and 1 week later sent a profane message along with a picture of two men engaging in a sex act THAT HIS 9 YEAR OLD CHILD ACCESSED ACCIDENTALLY, thinking it an email from his cyber buddy!!! The spammer was using an off-shore anonymizer service. At that point, I made ALL auctions and feedback private. I feel it hasn't hurt me one bit.

Many of my high-rollers enjoy their anonimity. Also, the Private auctions protect the item from nonsense bids. With a private auction, there is absolutely NO REASON ON EARTH to bid on an item unless you really want it!

Think of it this way, HERITAGE (a company that let's their EMPLOYEES BID!!!!), runs private auctions. I don't think it hurts them one bit. SOthebys's, Christie's, Mastronet, etc....these are all private auctions (sure there's bidders in the room that you can see, but do you really know who's on the phone bidding against you, or even if it's a dead-line???).

EVERY store of quality merchandise that I can think of, from jewelry to Ferrari dealerships, DOES NOT MAKE PUBLIC, their buyer's ID and information.

I see nothing wrong with privacy in retail. The numers of positive and negative are always there for review anyway. Considering that I'm selling expensive, super high grade items that are NOT slabbed, and to some buyers that are VERY hard to please where grading is very subjective individual to undividual, my record is INCREDIBLE!!!! Thank you!

 

Respectfully, -Richard / Comic-Keys

 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Email #2 To me (in respnse to the above):

 

Subj: RE: Private feedback questions

Date: 1/12/04 5:58:42 PM Eastern Standard Time

From: melbyn@krause.com (Melby, Nathan)

To: comickeys@aol.com

 

Thanks -- this is very helpful!

 

A few follow-up questions...

 

1) When was it that you converted from public to private feedback? You said it was when you were 400-0 -- can you give me a year? It would illustrate whether feedback in coming is more quickly or less quickly now that it is private.

 

2) On that same score, if your feedback page is visible only to you, do you find that buyers are more or less likely to leave feedback? I kind of wonder whether they'd be less likely to reciprocate when you leave feedback for them, simply because it goes somewhere they can't see.

 

3a) Lastly, there's something I saw online that relates to this issue. You surely know of those rumors out there that you have some connection with a dealer named Danny Dupcak, and I wonder if that controversy might be another reason you want to keep the auctions and feedback private. Is it?

 

3b) And to settle this, once and for all: For the record, are you Danny Dupcak? Have you ever met the guy? Do you have any connection to him whatsoever?

 

I just figure while we're at it, this would be a good place for you to address that once and for all...

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

Nate Melby

Krause Publications

Comics Buyers Guide, Reporter

Comics and Games Retailer, Reporter

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

My response to his email #2:

 

Subj: Re: Private feedback questions

Date: 1/13/04 12:53:51 AM Eastern Standard Time

From: Comic Keys

To: melbyn@krause.com

 

Nate,

1) I really didn't notice any change in the rate in which feedback accrued once turning to private auctions. I noticed very little change at all in prices realized, approx. numbr of bidders on each item, etc. I would imagine that if now I have approx. 1050 feedbacks, and I changed over to private at 400, that would represent somewhere around the 40% range of the total duration of my Ebay tenure (since Feb. 2000). I was buying in April of 2000, and I became a seller in Oct of 2000 (approx. 38 months ago so 40% X 38 months = 15.2 months or approx. Jan. of 2002 as my best guess (didn't keep track of exactly what date it was.

 

2) I'd estimate that 80% to 90% of all buyers leave me feedback, which from what I understand is the Ebay average.

 

3) I've been hearing that connection SINCE BEFORE I SOLD my first book on Ebay!! When I was just BUYING!!! My feedback and private auctions are in place because of more than one reason, but each one important enough in itself to warrant having privacy for myself and more importantly, my clients (ESPECIALLY after the well documented incident with the spam message of profanity and an image of pure filth depicting a full sex act between two MEN that my buyer's CHILD inadvertantly intercepted:

 

a) Business privacy

b) protecting buyers/clients/bidders from outside spammers

c) " " " " " " harrassment

d) Elimination of disengenuous bidders (Thrill-bidders)

 

4) I've covered this 1000 times (and no doubt, I will cover it 1000 more). NOT Dupcak. Not Dupcak. Not Dupcak. Richard Koos is NOT Dupcak.

Interesetingly, I went to a show at the Jacob Javitts Center. Some of the dealers there that LATER jumped on the Koos is Dupcak, Dupcak is Koos bandwagon WERE IN ATTENDANCE! I'm low key in public. I'm the guy that saunters in quietly, does my business, and I'm OUT. The Javitts Center was the first show I was ever at (about 3.5 years ago...a sci/fi comic show). I didn't really know who any of these people were (I had just started on Ebay after only studying it for a few months). So I remember being at the table of a MAJOR dealer and MAJOR contributor of the Dupcak is Koos theory. I stood at his table and asked to see a book off the wall, looking him right in the face. He saw my arms, then my physique and said, "So how's the Superhero business?", then we talked about the gym and working out for a few moments (even though it's obvious that he's not a workout person). I might mention that I'm a lifelong power-bodybuilder and am currently a brick hard 242 lbs. at 5'9" with legitimate 23 inch arms and a personal best 616lb. bench press (three years ago at 259lbs. bodyweight). There was no sign of recognition on his face yet later, I've heard the story where he said he had been in Dupcak's store on many occassions!! I didn't introduce myself to anyone at the show (why should I?) and I was there, walking around for 2 hours without anyone coming up to me the whole time and saying, "Dan? Danny Dupcak????".

Later, when I started to hear about these stories from dealers WHO WERE AT THAT SHOW, I was amazed. Also, might I add that I disliked the show immensely, and another 2 that I went to around the same time in NYC. Shows to me = poor lighting, crowds banging into you, dealers with no patience, bad food, unsanitary restrooms, parking areas in poor proximity, just not a fun way to try to buy books if you're serious. You have 40 watt lights spaced 8 feet apart 40 feet up and you're trying to angle a book to see defects while the dealer is looking at you like you're trying to make off with his comic!!!!

Anyway, Not Dupcak, Never Dupcak, I don't KNOW from Dupcak. It's hard enough just being Richard Koos let alone someone else as well!! Thank you, Nathan!

 

Respectfully,

 

Richard (I'm not Dupcak) Koos / Comic-Keys

___________________________________________________________________

 

His email #3:

 

Subj: RE: Private feedback questions

Date: 1/13/04 3:37:20 PM Eastern Standard Time

From: melbyn@krause.com (Melby, Nathan)

To: ComicKeys@aol.com

 

Thanks for your response!

 

I'm afraid there's a problem, though... In evaluating the validity of the Dupcak stories, we checked a lot of the public records databases we have access to. What we found -- well, I hope you can tell me what to make of this:

 

On SquareTrade, you have listed your mailing address for years as...

Richard Koos, 87-03 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11001

...and we know that's the address you've been doing your eBay business from.

 

This raises several questions. If you are not associated in any way with Daniel Dupcak...

 

...why do you live in a house that, according to real estate records, is owned (and has been for years) by Rosemary Dupcak?

 

...why do you live in a house where, according to the state, Daniel Dupcak and Rosemary Dupcak have automobiles registered?

 

...why do you live in a house that EVERY public records database we search says Daniel Dupcak -- and other members of his immediate family -- are associated with in one way or another?

 

We don't doubt you might have business enemies -- and know that computers make mistakes sometimes. But with SO much information in so many official sources, this connection can't be dismissed.

 

If you can make some kind of sense of this, we'd appreciate your explanation. Or do you want to amend your statement?

 

Thanks!

 

Nate Melby

Krause Publications

Comics Buyers Guide, Reporter

Comics and Games Retailer, Reporter

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

My response to his email #3:

 

Subj: Re: Private feedback questions

Date: 1/13/04 9:43:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

From: Comic Keys

To: melbyn@krause.com

 

You should have just come out and asked me this one central question that was your actual interest instead of wasting both of our time with the other smokescreen set-up questions that I took time to respond to. You may be a reporter, but a master of interroggation, you're not. Now, all is revealed and made clear. Your connection with Elrod Mah, your being a pawn in his sworn Vendetta (as he puts it) is apparent.

 

This is the first I hear of this database "information". I don't do database searches on MYSELF or any other folks for that matter. You must realize, while there are those that are obsessed (such as yourself) with proving that Richard Koos is Daniel Dupcak, something that would prove to be your undoing if both Richard Koos (me) and Daniel Dupcak (wherever you can find him) were both subpoenaed into court (for what reason I couldn't possibly imagine, as if a Grand Jury would find the question of if one person is really someone else grounds for a court case...Good Luck). Just out of curiousity, in a civil case for libel and slander, what would you do if both Koos and Dupcak, supposedly the same person, both appeared in the same court at the same time? What high ground would you run for? I'm just speaking hypothetically. Say, you too are adamant about reporting that Koos is Dupcak and Dupcak is Koos (and we're NOT) and I sued for libel with BOTH PARTIES PRESENT to irrefutably prove that Koos isn't Dupcak, what would you do? No contest your honor?

You must understand, I have no interest in these Koos vs Dupcak issues. They're NOT my concern. I don't dwell on it 24/7 like some do and I see it as a morbid sickness in folks that do. What's the point? Someone changes figures and facts in a database and there we go, "Ya see, there's only one problem.....". BS! I don't have a problem. The only problem I have, is that when I tire of the malarkey and start civil libel lawsuits because folks want to write that Dupcak is Koos, it'll be pretty damn easy for me to win. Do you have access to medical records? Dental charts? BIRTH CERTIFICATES?

Thank you for the heads up on the database records being altered to fit the needs of whoever hacked it. I'll now start with the DMV and make the necessary changes for complete accuracy.

 

-Richard Koos"

 

 

-------HAMMER

 

 

 

 

so ends part 1

 

If you'd like to see all the comments

 

Hammer Time

 

 

WEBHEAD

 

 

[WEBHEAD]

PART 2

 

@HAMMER

 

" We're talking about if and when I sold restored comics! From my understanding, Fantazia was DONE, sold their last collectible over 10 years ago! The fact that there were restored comics sold and unauthentic sportsmemorabilia sold by that merchant is a matter of record. Remember, back then restored comics didn't have the same stigma that they do now. I've read where the "Golden age of Restoring comics" was the 80's.

There was however, a short-lived restoration service, but this work was being subcontracted for Cantie Brevard, then from Mt.Vernon, NY, whose work turned out to be of dubious quality (the same Cantie Brevard of SuperDuperComics who is a CGC Forum member and NEVER CAME FORWARD AND SAID, "Hey, THAT wasn't Dupcak OR Comic-Keys' Restoration Service! It was MINE. He just let me use the name, Fantazia for MY ad, because HE had a name and I didn't. For this, I was going to pay a percentage for my work". Even thogh THAT ad appeared innumerable times on that forum and was used to "prove" that Dupcak (and later, Koos) was a restoration artist). Cantie remained MUTE on the subject, as MANY others have been MUTE on many subjects that are totally relevant.

Enter Comic-Keys in the year 2000. Started buying and selling raw AND MANY CGC'ed books on Ebay. Problem was, that I always seemed to be taking a loss on CGC material and focused on raw material which didn't seem difficult to find OFF-Ebay. Bought a Marvel 1 in CGC blue 2.0 for $16500, only got $14800 about 6 months later. Bought a GL 1 in CGC 7.0 blue for $7200, only got $6400 about 5 months later. Bought an FF1 in CGC 7.5 blue for $7100, only got $7000 about 10 months later, and yet, almost EVERY RAW COMIC THAT I BOUGHT AND LATER AUCTIONED, I MADE MONEY ON!!! I went the way of the "Dark Side", the path of raw books based on my early investing sell/resell experimenting in my formative first year on Ebay.

I buy and auction mostly high grade unrestored Silver age books. Moved almost 1000 of them on Ebay, and well over 4000 of them off-Ebay (where the majority of my sales occur). I do occassionally auction RESTORED items, represented as restored.. most recently, a trimmed 1933 Goudey Ruth card, and approx 4 months ago, a very attractive Showcase 4 bought raw and restored and re-auctioned by me as raw and restored on Ebay.

Like any other seller who has ever sold a number of raw, expensive books (my average sale item dollar value is well over $1000), I have had books sold by myself that have been later purple labeled! In each and every case of this happening, the payment was completely refunded regardless of the time elapsed in detection of the restoration. Of note is that payment was refunded whether the alteration was detected by CGC or if it was just a buyer's opinion on whether or not there was alteration.

I keep careful records of this. There were even a few very interesting cases.

 

1) Instances where a book was found to have restoration by CGC, THAT HAD BEEN CRACKED OUT OF A BLUE LABELED SLAB.

2) One well documented CGC Forum thread where a Spiderman 122 was auctioned by myself (approx. 2 years ago) as a NM/MT 9.8 (raw), won by an Ebayer who submitted it to CGC and it received a NM+ 9.6 Blue label. He emailed me to tell me that the book received a grade less than what I had represented it as but he wasn't upset with me because he thought that the book was truly a NM/MT and that CGC lowballed the grade. That was the last I heard from him for about 9 months, then I received an email, "I'm going to take you down....you sold me a restored book. You sold me a NM/MT Spiderman 122 that was graded NM- or NM PURPLE labeled". So I'm reading his email and I can't put two and two together and finally it dawns on me, "THIS is my buyer on that gorgeous 122. What happened to the Blue top 9.6 slab???" What had happened was that he read somewhere that I was the devil himself, Daniel Dupcak, and he resubmits the book to CGC with the note, "You may want to take another look at this Spiderman 122. I bought this from Comic-Keys and it's my belief that you may have missed restoration on it". Sure enough, book comes back to him a NM- or NM Purple top with some notes, "Yes, you were right, we missed the restoration the first time around" and then the buyer was on my case, not wanting a refund (which I offered, even though I thought it the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard), but wanting the book as evidence. (Evidence of WHAT... either grader bias or outright ineptitude). The most ironic thing was that the book could have been traced back to the NEWSSTAND!! It was a consignment piece from someone who BOUGHT IT OFF THE NEWSRACK!!

 

 

Anyway, rest easy MK, I'm not living in the 10th house on a cul-de-sac, trying to bait children to trade me their middle grade unrestored Hulk 1s for shiny, high grade, restored ones!"

 

 

-HAMMER

 

quote]Originally posted by towards2112

 

With reference to Fantazia,

Since you seem to be familiar with the procedings against

this company, would you elaborate on the dissemination of

the stock and inventory when the doors were closed...?

 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

"Note: Just re-registered with another User name and password. Emailed the site to find out if I've been banned but received no answer so I may very well have been barred (why?..I honestly have no idea). I'll answer your question but please keep in mind that each and every post may be my last if for some unbeknowngst reason this site wished to silence me.

 

My knowledge of certain facts about Fantazia only exist through accounts of a former employee and several former steady cutomers who did spend a good deal of time in/at the store location. Most are accurate representations of conversations I've recently had with these eyewitnesses (since looking into this shop myself due to my being wrongfully associated with it). I really have no inside info pertanent to legal proceedings or dissolution of inventory. The nuts and bolts of the business closure or day to day operations. I know only what was addressed by a New York Newspaper article that the forfeiture was due to charges, a plea of guilty by BOTH owners (Dupcak was a silent partner at that time). Here's the misnomer concerning the sportsmemorabilia fraud charges:

 

Fantazia was NEVER charged with ANYTHING. Dan Dupcak was charged, not due to the business Fantazia in Harstdale, NY (in operation from ca. 1981 to 1991 or 2). He and Glen Beram (in the article) were owners of "Wall of Fame" in Levittown, NY. from Jan 1994 to Oct 1994. Glen was the everyday owner/manager/operator of this store and Dupcak and absentee partner, WHO SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THAT YEAR, HOSPITALIZED. There were two employees, Ray, and Carlo that asisted in the daily running of the shop.

Glen was the one that the arrest warrant was issued for and LATER, when it was found that Dupcak was on the lease as well, as a partner, he too was arrested and charged. This had NOTHING to do with comics, and nothing to do with Fantazia, which from all accounts, had closed up shop at least a year before the start of Wall of Fame!

 

Aside from that, I know very little, but what I DO know, for now, would be prudent to keep to myself (for a rainy day!). When you're constantly accused of being someone, it's smart to do your homework and do some REAL digging.

 

I'll answer questions for as long as they let me. But at this point, I fear I'm GONE from this Message Board, and it's not really my choice for it to be that way. I have alot of knowledge to share with anyone who would like to further their knowledge of comics and on these matters as well, and I haven't and DON'T intend to argue or fuss with anyone. BUT, If they want me gone and my log in attempts weren't just errors on my PC, what can I say?"

 

-HAMMER

 

 

quote]Originally posted by Batman

 

Not again...How about a lock?

 

-The Dark Knight

_________________________________________________________________

 

"Batman, Can't say I blame you one bit. It can be a tiresome subject, just as tedious as trying to set the record straight once everybody for too long heard the negative side of the story (I've been barred on the CGC Forums for a LoNNNNNNNNG time while all the banter abounded. If you don't want to hear responses to folks' asking a question to Shawn's thread, I do repsect your feeling to pass on it, but at the same time, out of respect to Shawn, in HIS thread, and to CPG members asking a question, I will answer, as long as I am allowed to, and in a civil and respectful manner. I'm not trying to change public sentiment concerning Daniel Dupcak, I can only interject facts that I've uncovered and try to dispel many notions concerning myself and THREE totally separate business entities in which there has been much confusion in attributing events and facts to accurately: Fantazia/Dupcak, Lakeside's Wall of Fame/Beram&Dupcak, and Comic-Keys/Koos.

 

Most reasonable people DO realize that there are TWO sides to every story and ARE interested, curious in both the A AND the B side. Only by hearing BOTH sides can we really begin to formalize a VALID opinion on a subject, rather than a hastily adopted opinion based on one side's account. Like I said, the truth is usually somehwere in the middle."

 

-HAMMER

 

 

 

One more and the story will be told

 

 

WEBHEAD

 

 

 

[Red Hook]

 

Oh, and here is one for part three.......

[WEBHEAD]

PART 3 ......

 

Those that wish to hit the button skip to the bottom

 

@HAMMER

 

"Agent Graves, Very grateful that you ask these questions as there is MUCH that was NEVER addressed.

 

I posted now (just checked my emails and this Forum), because I will address these issues this evening as soon as I return home from Postal runs and other errands, and I didn't want to give anyone the impression for even a moment, that I am remaining mute on these important issues. I'll post as soon as I return."

 

 

-HAMMER

 

Originally posted by BigLion

 

"Note: TWO negatives are entirely retaliatory in nature and were received by me immediately after leaving negative feedback for sellers whom I paid yet never received any merchandise from. Details by request"

 

I don't see how that is worth making the feedback private, from a list of 1,044 positives?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32739&item=2217134772

 

Howcome the black of Spidey's outfit is blacker than the rest of the black on the cover?

Bad scan?

____________________________________________________________________

 

"I'll answer this one quickly, before I run out. Just took a look at this particular issue and with 2.5 power specs, made a quick examination. There are TWO black hues being used on the cover of Spiderman 1. One of them appears to be a flat or matte-black with a satiny finish to it which is the black that is apparent on 95% of the cover blacks. It also has definite gray values in it. The other is a slightly deeper black (no gray values apparent to the eye) used far more sparingly on the cover blacks. This is used for mostly highlighting. THIS black surrounds the red Spider-Man logo letters, and a good deal of the character and figure artwork with an outlining effect. The central areas or shapes WITHIN Spiderman's body appear to have been colored with this glossier, slightly deeper black. There are other areas as well on the cover that aren't just outlined with the deeper black, but like Spiderman, have their "shapes" completely colored with this deeper, glossier black as well. Some areas also, mostly the larger background figures, shapes, objects, that are not of central focus, are comprised entirely of the grayish toned, flat/satiny black (more like a very dark GRAPHITE) and AREN'T outlined, highlighted, or interspersed with the glossier of the two blacks. When I come back, I'll run some comparison scans of other Spiderman 1's (I have 3 others in higher grade). A magnified pixel map of the SPiderman 1 you asked about, brightened up a bit, would show that there has been no alteration on the book or in the image, to the blacks. Especially when directly compared to other examples of other #1s, mine or anyone else's."

 

-HAMMER

 

quote]Originally posted by clyfft

 

This has been one of the more informative threads that I have read in a long time. I wonder how many restored comics are in circulation that are being passed off as "unrestored"??

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

"Clyfft, In all probability there are UNRESTORED items that have been graded purple as well. Also, let's remember the 2002 Overstreet, Marnin Rosenberg Market Report where he states something to the effect, "I had Susan Cicconi of Restoration Lab archive 6 books for me. All of these I submitted to CGC, and THEY ALL PASSED WITH BLUE LABELS. They blew 6 out of 6 calls for me, as far as I'm concerned". Marnin has been in the hobby for 35+ years and is as knowledgeable as anyone in the field.

How about all the Nic Cage books? Nic Cage! There's a fellow that had QUITE an experience with the Comic Hobby (and didn't buy ONE piece from Fantazi OR me). Let's review some of Nic's wonderful hobby experience (after all...what did the guy spend? A million and change. Think that got him any special consideration with his treatment?

 

Nic bought books. Lots of books. Silver age, mostly Golden Age Upper Echelon books. Mile highs and all. Bought books like 2 Marvel 1s (and Oct AND a Nov. copy!), a Mile High Cap 1, TONS of Marvel Mysterys (ALL OF THEM!), Planets (all of them), High grade More Funs, etc. Gorgeous stuff! All from 1 or 2 MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR dealers!

 

Lots of this stuff turned out to be RESTORED, including the MILE HIGH CAP 1!! Graded with either a purple top or one of those blue ("special consideration" labels for "Special cases" that says color touch on it...but STILL equivalent to a Purple Label Of Death as far as high rollers go). RUDE awakening for Nic #1!!!

 

Alot of Nic's books were real beauties too that DID blue label but looked DIRTY and if that DIRT could have been removed they certainly would have been given 9.0s instead of 7.5s!!! Cleaning and pressing seems to be a "grey area" that can return either a purple or blue label depending on each individual case.

 

Anyway, (this part will KILL ya'), Heritage is going to auction the Nic Cage books. The put together this outrageous catalog (all of their catalogs are gorgeous and works of art in themselves) containing all of Nic's books. ONLY Nic's books and call it "Proud to present, the NIC CAGE COLLECTION". Only problem is that they USE the hype, the fame, of Nic Cage to ALSO produce and put on ONE OF THEIR OWN AUCTIONS AS WELL, CONCURRENTLY!!!! That's right! TWO auctions at the same time. Both catalogs were mailed out at the same time in the same envelope.

OK, here's the scenario:

 

You have Nic Cage's books auctioning one day, and the next, you have Heritage's books auctioning. Only problem is that almost EACH AND EVERY ONE OF NIC CAGE'S BOOKS, were DUPLICATED, TRIPLICATED, QUADRUPLEATED in the Heritage catalog!!!!! Talk about stealing thunder. The Nic Cage catalog has the Mile High Restored 9.0 Cap 1 in it and Heritage has about 5 or 6 copies of Cap 1 ranging from 3.0 all the way up to unrestored 9.0 or so running in it. Conflict of interest? Nahhhhhhhhh!!!!! Nic has a Batman 1, Heritage's regular catalog has 3 or 4 of them, and so forth. Rude awakening #2 for Nic. If you were he, consigning books to an Auction House that was supposed to be dedicated to getting top dollar for his books, wouldn't you have expected slightly better timing for the Heritage auction??? Anyway, expectedly, the overall results on the sale of Cage's books were NOT overwhelming!

 

Fast forward. Heritage has a restoration artist on staff. Anyone ever think about that? Why??? Heritage doesn't grade books, and they sell so few raw books (less than 1% of their gross in all probability), why employ a restoration artist on staff?? It's common knowledge that Heritage employees can BID and WIN books in Heritage auctions (only in Texas state law). So we have the makings and conditions responsible for Nic's RUDE AWAKENING #3:

 

Books that "auctioned" from the Nic Cage collection, a few months later, are now beginning to appear in new Heritage auctions. Are they appearing with the same grades? They sure as hell aren't! First a Marvel 33 that auctioned in the Nic Cage collection as a CGC blue 7.5 shows up, but now looking MUCH cleaner and sporting a CGC 9.2 Blue overcoat! Then a Marvel 2 that auctioned in the Nic Cage catalog as a 7.5 shows up later in a new Blue 9.0 overcoat. Neither books sport the monogram "from the Nic Cage collection". What gives? Japanese knock offs like those cheap Rolexes on Broadway? NOPE! Somewhere in time, those Nic Cage books are being subjected to the "Fountain of Youth" and coming back looking much younger!!! And more and more of them have been lining up to retain their youthful vigor as the months roll by. Yes, the hobby was REAL good to Nic Cage, and Nic wasn't even a 6 year old in some cul-de-sac that someone was worried about trading his dull, unrestored Hulk 1 for a shiny, restored one."

 

-HAMMER

 

Just pulled my copy of Tales of Suspense #40 (April 1963) and had a look at the printing of the black ink. It would appear that there are two kinds of black ink here, one used for shading, the other for deep colouring. If you look closely you might be able to see a dividing line between the two inks below Gargantus' pants- the shiny one has been used for the outlines, while a matt black ink shades in below.

Hey- every day's a school day

 

Good answer, Hammer

____________________________________________________________________

 

"If you look closely at most covers from the silver age, most

black areas are an amalgam of blacks having different finishes and varied hues. Some books will have a black with possibly an irridescent green value within it that surrounds artwork, and a flat black with no discernable hue for large areas in general. Another may have a black with reddish brown values, just outside another outlining effect with bluish values. FF 48s have two separate distinct patterns that can be discerned from issue to issue. On one the blacks in certain areas have a distinct brownish hue, while on a DIFFERENT copy altogether (of the same book) the black in that area is FLAT BLACK. This effect of finding two different ink "fingerprints" (or more properly "DNAs" leads me to believe that there were two different printings of FF 48. Keep in mind that there are roughly 2 copies in existance for every 1 of FF 49 and 50."

 

 

-HAMMER

 

"Could you imagine the PANIC that would ensue amongst my winners and bidders if my feedback were made public? They would be besieged with countless derrogatory emails. In all honesty, why should I do that? Why should I allow that madness? Each and every person that ever won or bid in an auction would have to be spammed by countless SupaPimp-type characters bent on ranting.

Let's be realistic. I haven't been charged or found guilty of ANYTHING! Why should I subject myself and them to an inquisition that already has me tried, judged, and condemned?

 

If there are 1050 POSITIVES, wouldn't it be safe to assume that each one of these would say something positive in their comment? Would you expect to see a positive noted yet a comment like, "Sells restored books"? Would THAT make sense.

 

My positives are the likes of:

 

"Sweet! Book as described. A+. Thanks!"

 

"Great Ebayer! Goes that extra mile for his Buyers. Rates an A+++++++"

 

"Absolute BEST on Ebay. Incredible customer service. Highly, Highly recommended! A+"

 

"Stunning comic. Grading spot on. All I could ask for from a seller. A+++++"

 

Here's my negatives:

 

"Did not complete transaction. Bad communications. Looks like the rumours are true"

 

"Beware, will not complete transaction. If you can't check for restoration, avoid."

 

BOTH of the above from the same buyer.

 

Here are two of my statements in a Square Trade Case that took place between this "buyer/bidder" and myself on the items that yielded these negatives.

 

"Kristi, There were TWO books involved that comprised one payment (one 2 book transaction, an X-Men 5 and an X-Men 7). In my estimation, my first impression was that he was being very overbearing about how the payment and transfer of the books should proceed, CONTRARY to my auction policies which state nothing about my willingness to schedule personal meetings at my home for the pickup and payment of won auction items. Then when he relaxed his stance or seeming demand on this issue, I rationalized, "OK, maybe the guy had a bad Ebay experience and just doesn't fully trust someone he hasn't dealt with before", and full wanting to represent Ebay as a Platinum Power Seller to the best of my abilities, I told him that I would accomodate him and try to set up a meeting date, but in that case, could he please be patient as it may take a while for my hectic schedule to allow such a planned meeting. After a week+ of sporadic communication, I received the Square Trade request for mediation and saw the request for PayPal reversal the same day! I KNOW that once a PayPal BUYER puts in a request for a reversal, you have to move heaven and earth to contradict it, even if you please the customer flawlessly. At THAT point I started to communicate with Square Trade alone (as I understood is the suggested protocol once mediation through a Sq.Tr. mediator has been requested and/or commences). In the interim, the payment request DID reverse the payment and at that point there WAS NO LONGER A TRANSACTION, so I simply filled want lists I already had on file with the books! I just wanted you to know that I did follow what I thought to be good business sense, and correct protocol as the event stages developed. I never lose sight of the fact that Ebay is directly responsible for my continued success in the comics hobby marketplace, I do very well BECAUSE of Ebay, and I try to uphold and represent integritous and professional conduct inline with Ebay ideals at all times. The only fear I have now is two unwarranted negatives, and I saw unwarranted because the transaction payment was rescinded by the buyer due to the time lag it took only because I tried to accomodate his request for a personal audience. An event that is not a payment option in my auctions, my having no shop in which to conduct business in person.

 

#2:

 

Kristi,

Did you see request #3?? How can I provide him with books that I SOLD elsewhere ONLY BECAUSE HE CANCELLED his payment thereby NULLIFYING the purchase? This is reasonable? The next thing is that he's going to negative ME and I'm going to negative him right back for cancelling his payment. The ONLY reason he doesn't have the two books that he "won" in those two auctions is because he CANCELLED his payment. I had want lists for these books. When he CANCELLED his payment, his hold was relinquished and I resold the books to buyers who provided payment that did NOT cancel their payment. I'm beginning to have an idea as to why he is like a pit-bull with a bone concerning these two books. The first request. He is a CGC Forum member. These members have a large scale problem with sellers that offer high grade NON-CGCed comics on Ebay. A quick review of the CGC message Boards will illustrate the member mindset who openly criticize, condemn, and call for the end of Ebay in thread after thread. Any rational individual would realize that once you cancel full payment, as he did, you relinquish your right to those items, whether won at auction or not and yet this debacle goes on (at your inconvenience). I'm glad that we have a record of all this because when he negatives me, I will have an ironclad negative feedback removal case. By his own admission, he rescinded payment, and by the order of the timeline, I disposed of those books elsewhere AFTER he rescinded payment. The only one here that did something not above board is HIM. It seems to me as though he was hoping that he'd get the books BEFORE I NOTICED that the payment was rescinded, but it didn't work out that way for him.

I bent over backwards for him trying to arrange my schedule, then re-arrange it, to honor his request for a personal audience for him to pick up the books from me personally (something he emphatically requested). While doing so, he takes back the payment??? And he's going to issue ME negatives? This is utter lunacy!

 

Thank you Kristi, -Richard

 

Remember...TWO sides to every story."

 

-HAMMER

 

"So is trimming!! I can show you over 3500 scanned images of books with incredibly questionable edges (a great many of them from ONE seller on Ebay who just happens to run a restoration service...and YES, most of them are in blue slabs with VERY wide SPACERS by no strange coincidence). I have disc after disc of slabbed examples that leave me astonished, seeing them graded UNtrimmed! I can post images of some books that you would think a 5 year old with garden shears had cut the edge or edges, and there they are in Blue holders. Card people have a much easier time discerning trimming. If the card doesn't SIZE at least what the catalog or grading says it should size, they WON'T grade it!! I've had Spiderman 1's in Blue holders that have been as narrow as 6 and 1/2 inches and as wide as 7 inches!!!! Size should have been an ESTABLISHED STANDARD of course with the adjustment made as the years progress for slightly smaller issues (Silver/Bronze/Modern).

Also, Marnin said that there were different degrees and elements of alteration done to those 6 books. Again, I only cite Marnin as a reference. There is no evidence to support his claim from my understanding. Only his word."

 

-HAMMER

 

 

"Not a cat on a hot tin roof at all! Just business as usual BEHIND the scenes with many of the unknown intricacies and nuances being discussed. I'm shooting from the hip here. You must realize this. There are 100s of unfounded, unconfirmed statements that I can unload but I am stating ONLY THAT WHICH I CAN BACK UP 100% and honestly believe to be true. I read the CGC Forum at times and there it is, "There's Hammer over on the CPG Forum making up all this stuff". Yeah right!! Believe me, my imagination is NOT that fertile. I couldn't make up HALF of this stuff if I tried to! Nor would I waste so much time on lies. Anyone else would have packed up shop over a year ago, and simply changed handles and style, yet here I am, still selling them funny books on Ebay and with an impressive record as well. Let's take a look into 2 more negatives, out of the five that folks SUPPOSE that MUST be about restoration issues:

 

This was my statement to Square Trade in my case against HIM for non-receipt of merchandise. He negatived me TWICE (two items won) AFTER I negatived him once 6 weeks had elapsed and I had no product, no insurance #, and no further email responses.

 

 

"I did NOTHING to earn the negative he issued me but seek to resolve his non-delivery of my item. He denied me even the most basic service and refused to make a refund. My negative should be removed. His should stand along with his OTHER 114 negatives, in each case of which he immediately retaliated on the ebayer with a negative as well for problems similar to mine!

I still have not received the merchandise.

I was never given an insurance#. Never assured of anything. What he is stating is 95% false, with 5% twisted and spun in a different direction. THIS is why he has 114 negatives already. You cannot insure a $1631.00 parcel for $11.00, shipping inclusive! First, he told me to "get lost", citing in an email, "Everybody knows about YOU", about some bad reputation I have and using THIS as an excuse for his actions. When it became painfully obvious that a refund, which after 7 weeks I was within my rights to request, was NOT coming, I negatived him, AFTER finally communicating with him.

 

Further Details About the Problem:

Without exception, if you study his many negative feedbacks, all based on non-received items or items that were not as specified, there's a distinct pattern. ALL ebayers who issued negative feedback received an automatic, retaliatory neg. from him for doing nothing more than stating what transpired with their transaction gone bad, just as I did. No one flipped out, no one foamed at the mouth. After 7 weeks, I expressed my willingness to take the next step & go to the Police if my money is not returned, matter of factly. He didn't like my unwillingness to remain a double-victim, no money/comic. Unfortunately, he has already expressed to me by phone that he can "beat the Ebay system" and that there's nothing I can do here. I had 1 negative against 700+ positives before he gave me this undeserved one. I should have looked into his 114 negatives closely before dealing with him.

Richard Koos's offered solutions:

There was nothing "hasty" about it. 7 weeks had gone by since "winning" this item. I had tried emailing him over 2 dozen times in the next 2 to 3 weeks with no response to my not receiving the item. AFTER speaking to him, in which he did NOT accept responsibility for the delivery of the item to me, I negatived him. If this is not a classic textbook case reason for a negative, I don't know of any other situation better suited for one.

I would be willing to accept a full refund. ($1631.00)

I received nothing. I don't want a gift. I just want my money back on a book he can't and hasn't delivered. He is in direct violation of mail order laws. I understand that if I have not received a mail order purchase after 30 days of paying for it has elapsed, I am entitled to a full refund if I so choose. He told me that he is unwilling to make one. Also, look at his comment (he probably wants to keep the $3.95). He's the one that has been embellishing and accusatory since I finally reached him after asking him by email if I must go to the Police to have the matter resolved. He saw this as a threat? What other recourse do I have at this point other than criminal authorities?

Ridiculous. I have the communications we exchanged, there's nothing that a rational adult could possibly misconstrue as "hostile, threatening, and harassing". Asking for my money back after 7 weeks (and being denied that request), shouldn't be construed as hostile.

 

Further Details About the Solution:

As stated to him, if I didn't have steps toward resolution on my requested refund (my position since our 1st communication), which I have every legal right to expect after 30 days with no delivery, since he was unresponsive to my repeated requests, he was forcing me to seek the aid of Ebay fraud investigation & Square Trade (which he actually laughed at in our phone conversation...at 4PM, NOT 3AM) and if I could get nowhere with that, I would have no recourse other than to go to the proper authorities to file mail-fraud charges. I don't see this as a threat or harrassment, but informing him of my next step to rectify this deplorable transaction since he will not. I just want my money back & for you to review the negative. I asked him by phone, "why must I complain to ebay to get you to refund my money?", His answer was, "go ahead, they can't do anything"."

 

 

-HAMMER

 

quote]Originally posted by brockley1978

 

How did it turn out hammer, $1600 is no small sum, did you get your money back?

 

You said they are on CGC talking about you over here, is this recent? I'm going to troll and see if I can find a thread worth intrest over there that doesent contain 800 quotes and 1371 smilies

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

"Never got the money back or the two books, Shawn! To tell you the truth, the $1600 loss wasn't as important to me as the two retaliatory negatives that were immediately levied against ME!! I'M the one that sent the money through PayPal (documentable), never received merchandise, and never received an insurance number, or any type of responsibility on the part of the seller to try initiating a trace! For my winning an auction and paying promptly, then waiting for 6 weeks for merchandise that to this day never showed up, I have two BIG negatives from this guy on my record, and he has two from me for non-performance out of his 150 or so negatives! Of course, across the street, all they can imagine is that my negatives are from misrepresentation. An incorrect assumption.

I just stopped in on the thread that you posted here from the CGC Forum. Do you know that there were about 8 pages of in-fighting over some poor schnook being accused by SupaPimp of being Hammer (me)? Supa was threatening this guy (Phantom) by PM and using his 20 or so shill Ids on the Forum to knock down his star rating. Supa is good friends with the moderator and can pretty much run the show over there.

Actually, How OUR feud started (as he calls it, a Vendetta against me) is when Supa got caught using one of his Ebay Shill IDs (Infinitecapcity..... a deliberately misrepresentative "play on words" of the great Ebay Seller Matt Stanley/Notch_top) to win and leave himself praise on items that he auctioned as SupaPimp and theHurtingMan (another Ebay ID). Supa and I had already gotten into it already over his avatar (he posted a picture of himself wearing culottes, a blouse tied at the midriff, and his hair in long pigtails...YES, he was serious!). Kiddingly, I said that he looked like Pippy Longstocking. He said some particularly vindictive things back and I countered, asking him if he was a hermaphrodite! He wanted to fight ME! He said that he would knock me on my derierre in 3 seconds flat and in general have his way with me, and that I was a coward that would never face him, etc. Based on HIS comment, I issued a challenge (that's FAMOUS TO THIS DAY ON THAT FORUM..the stuff that legends are made of!), the $50,000 challenge. I simply told him that I would pay for him to fly to NY, and I'd have him chauffered to Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, and we'd roll. I'd have a bag with 50 large in my right hand and if he could take it away from me, it was HIS. He and everyone else started screaming bloody murder that I was threatening Supa! They all took it seriously, except for a few that were smart enough to realize, "Hey, Supa, dripping wet, weighs about as much as one of this guy's arms..he's kidding and they're taking it seriously".

So when it came up on the Forum about SupaPimp/Elrod Mah shilling his own auctions, and I got on his case, it was more than he could bear and his brain exploded (hasn't been right since!). Now, like in Jacob's Ladder, everywhere he sees "Devils", demons that all look like Hammer! Supa denied shilling his auctions, over and over, and his many supporters actually believed him, that is until Matt Stanley himself logged on and told the whole story about his shilling ways that earned him a big NARU 30day Ebay suspension (which of course he was screaming about as MY being responsible for it...I WISH I were the one responsible). THEN he finally admitted it, but in his own classic fashion, "OK, I shilled my own auctions BUT that's NOT AS BAD AS COMIC-KEYS selling restored books. At least I'm not a criminal". Once again, ComicKeys hasn't been charged or found guilty of ANYTHING!"

 

-HAMMER

 

know selling restored books isnt a crime, now is mis-representing restored books and selling them as un-restored a crime? or is it just un-ethical. I read the claims that you sold restored books and didnt disclose the restoration, but I the read that you always refunded the money. Is this true? I mean to call you a thief is one thing but would a thief not offer the money back. Was there ever a time someone asked for the money back on an un-disclosed restored book and you didnt comply?

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

"Here's an interesting absolutey true and unconvoluted story:

 

At one time, I felt that X-Men 5 was one of the hardest Marvels to acquire in VF or better, owing to it's relative scarcity among X-Men 1-20 and the color scheme highly susceptible to flaked stress vsibility. There was an X-Men 5 on Ebay about 1 year ago in CGC 8.0 that from the large scan provided looked to be far better than the assessed grade. I bid and won it at $275. The book arrived and I couldn't believe how sharp it was (for an 8.0) and couldn't fathom why it was low-balled with an 8.0 grade. I cracked it out for further examination, expecting to find either an internal, unremarked problem, or a surface problem that possibly the slab hid that was detectible from touch (gloss inconsistancies, spotting, moisturization of the paper, etc.)....NOTHING. This was at the very least a 9.0 quality book! Nice! "Thank you CGC...I paid $275 for a $700 book and I stole it because nobody looked BEYOND the label! Three months later, either Jason Ewert or Marc Shreuder (both GREAT sellers) ran an auction on a CGC 9.4 X-Men 5 that looked beautiful, but the scan was quite small. Knowing their great rep, I didn't question the book and bid just about sight unseen (might as well have been from the small scan provided and I saw it too late to request larger scans, which I'm SURE that would have happily been provided by either of the quality, first class sellers. I won the book at $2075.00. The item arrives and when I took my first in-hand look at it, my face must have turned white (like the top left corner!!!). The book was IDENTICAL IN SHAPE TO THE CGC 8.0 THAT I HAD WON about 3 months before. I pulled out the one that was in the CGC 8.0 (now deslabbed) and compared the two! TWINS!!! IDENTICAL twins!!! Never had I seen two different copies of the same issue that looked so much alike. Same defects, same amount of spine stresses, same white fibres in the top left, etc. etc. In essence, the 9.4 was a 9.0 quality book in a 9.4 slab!!!! ALL SALES ON CGC MATERIAL FINAL.. Thank you CGC for lowballing a 9.0 book and putting it in an 8.0 holder so I could buy a $700 for $275, a net profit of about $475.00...but now, Curse you CGC for putting a 9.0 quality book inside a CGC 9.4 holder, so I could buy a $700 for $2075, a loss of $1375!!!! Did I mention..ALL SALES FINAL ON CGC MATERIAL! Well didn't turn out too bad, I later auctioned the X-Men 5 on Ebay as a VF/NM and made money, and Rob Zipperer/Clobberin'Time, one of the Forumites that blasts me on a regular basis across the street offered to buy the X-Men 5 CGC 9.4 from me for what I paid (I beat HIM in the auction)+ a profit!! I told him, Rob...the book is NOT a 9.4. It's more like a 9.0 in a 9.4 slab. He DIDN'T CARE!!! He had X-Men 1-10 in 9.4 or better (all CGCed) and needed the #5, was tired of looking for it, and as long as the label said 9.4, so be it!!! I declined to make a profit and SOLD IT TO HIM FOR WHAT I PAID. He bought it on TIME payments and was happt with the purchase, yet to this day, for some reason, the man continues to make snide remarks and berate me (he bought 1 book from me, a CGCed one..Perhaps I should note that some of my most staunch critics have NEVER had any dealings with me) for no other reason I can imagine other than to just chime in and gain the respect of the rest of the crowd across the street!

Anyway, I thought I would mention this story because it illustrates the biggest pitfall, in my opinion, of buying slabbed books. The finality of it. Through no fault of CGC, 99% of all sellers of CGC comics have adopted this, "Since it's Professionally graded, it's not returnable" policy. You buy it, you don't agree with the grade, oops..too bad, you're STUCK with it! Raw books can ALWAYS be returned for refunds. You get a book from me that you don't like or agree with the grading on..send it back! No problem. Full refund. You get a book from me that is at some time found to have or suspect for restoration...NO problem Full refund. Send it back, whether 7 days or 7 weeks or 70 weeks have elapsed. The piece would then be deemed defective and as such a return would be immediately honored. I do not know of anyone who has ever requested a refund because a book I sold as unrestored was returned restored that I did not honor their request! This, "only 10% of the people who bought from him are aware because only 10% will submit their books" theory is boulderdash! When a buyer on Ebay is bidding on super high grade raw material, 90% of the time (not 10%), they are buying to submit to CGC in the hopes of scoring a higher grade, or getting it graded so they can flip for more!! ALL requests for a refund have ALWAYS been honored with respect to discovery of undisclosed restoration (of course unless the book was auctioned as restored), and that's the way it will always be. Look at it this way, I've NEVER EVEN ARGUED a purple top CGC call with a person who wished to return a book and if they're wrong about the grades themselves from time to time (I'm sure that most of you have seen the gross inconsistancies at times in CGC grading as per my X-Men 5 example above), they can (AND HAVE BEEN) wrong about the findings on restoration as well (just as someone on the CGC boards quite recently posted about opening a slab to read a book and COMING UP TWO PAGES SHORT ON THE INTERIOR PAGE COUNT)! They're not infallible, and their service isn't even GUARANTEED (read the back of the label if you think I'm kidding). It's a second opinion. That's all it should have ever been. Somehow, along the way, the label became Gospel!"

 

 

 

-HAMMER

 

 

 

 

end of transmission******************

[Red Hook]

What a sad, pathetic obsessive load of malarkey that all is. What a tremendous waste of time and energy (Hammers, not yours Webhead) that will end up changing nobody's mind. Hammer dug too deep a hole for himself to ever successfully talk his way out of this.

 

You know, the funny thing is.....if Hammer had put as much energy into running open, honest, auctions and making great presentations (as he is capable of doing) of unrestored, less than perfect books, as he has put into doing end runs, creating shill accounts, and defending himself over and over and over until it begins to sound like a letter home from the Unibomber, he probably would have scored as many sales, and in the long run made even more money than he has.

 

But it's the game he gets off on. It's the criminal mind. He may make some bucks off what he's doing, but it sure seems a shallow, [!@#%^&^]-poor way to make a living. He's ended up the Smeagol of the comic biz.

 

I for one, will be bidding on his auctions in the near future, and I plan on getting two books, far enough apart so that when I get the CGC'd PLOD back on the first book, I will simply leave the neg for that one on the feedback for the second book. Cause I enjoy the gamesmanship a bit too.

 

Now leave me alone while I get some more shuteye.

 

[Aces]

[lighthouse]

Man that's a lot of words...

 

And coming from me... well... that's saying something...

[OldGuy]

Man that's a lot of words...

 

And no pictures! Sorry, it's got to look more like a comic book before I can invest the kind of time it would take to read through that much fiction.

[whetteon]

So WEBHEAD is actually Nate Melby? Or am I reading this wrong? Good I love these boards. You never know who your going to bump into and it like everyone who is someone in the hobby post here at some point in time.

[BachelorOfComix]

So WEBHEAD is actually Nate Melby? Or am I reading this wrong? Good I love these boards. You never know who your going to bump into and it like everyone who is someone in the hobby post here at some point in time.

I don't think so. I think he just copied & pasted the info.

[COI]

Every side has 2 stories.. In all fairness and equal time I would like to present to the board members in 3 seperate posting Hammers alias Comic-Keys posting on the CPG site.

 

Are you a Hammer sympathizer or something? He's had all the "equal time" he needs or deserves when he was allowed to rant on these forums and come back time and time again despite the fact that he was banned. You're just giving him another opportunity to rant here.

 

In the interest of "fairness" he should be shut down, Period.

[Joanna]

He's still talking over there. I'm not sure what he's talking about, though, as he's claiming a need to research his home address. Maybe I read it wrong.

[Flaming_Telepath]

Research his home address?

 

What? So he can find it?

 

Anyway, isn't it San Quentin? Or at least, soon will be...

[localshop]

The latest on the other thread is that he has data Daniel Dupcek is living close to the CGC Headquarters. To quote him directly:

 

Well, silly as it may be, I was given information that I have not yet full substantiated (but DOES look VERY convincing at face value) tying Daniel Dupcak to an address that is approx. 6 miles North of CGCs Headquarters. Should I take this to mean that either I or Daniel Dupcak have something to do with CGC as well?? At time, pieces of information need delving into before a full explanation can be offered otherwise it's just more speculation. In the meantime, please keep in mind that my MAIN focus is NOT proving guilt or innocent as I am not guilty of anything. My MAIN focus is keeping the parcels moving for customers who have paid for items (or then I WOULD be guilty of something!!!).

 

 

It's very interesting that a number of members over there seem to be falling for his side of things. Or at least are taken in by his rip-roaring anecdotes on restored books slipping through the CGC net. His ability to shift focus to aspects which muddy the water is really quite amazing.

[Flaming_Telepath]

And what is even more amazing is that, given he's got a 24/7 job as one of the country's premier surgeons, he gets the time to post War & Peace on a daily basis.

 

When I had the displeasure of dealing with him, he could never respond to e-mails as he was always 'on call' and pulling 72 hour stints.

 

Of course, he might have lied, I suppose?

[Aman619]

he had the same following here too...until he went crazy one too many times. Lots of posts attested what a shame it was to lose Hammer's "comics mind" and observations on the hobby......

[lighthouse]

he had the same following here too...until he went crazy one too many times. Lots of posts attested what a shame it was to lose Hammer's "comics mind" and observations on the hobby......

 

I have no problem admitting that I am one of those people...

 

Some of the most informative posts I have ever read in these forums came from Meth/Hammer. The guy knows a great deal about comics and on several occasions was willing to spend time offering his knowledge here. I am not suggesting anything about his business away from the forums, and I certainly can't defend any threats of violence he made. But in amongst it all, he actually did make some positive contributions to the board.

 

I'm not making excuses for him... but there were parts of his time here that I will miss...

[greggy]

he had the same following here too...until he went crazy one too many times. Lots of posts attested what a shame it was to lose Hammer's "comics mind" and observations on the hobby......

 

I have no problem admitting that I am one of those people...

 

Some of the most informative posts I have ever read in these forums came from Meth/Hammer. The guy knows a great deal about comics and on several occasions was willing to spend time offering his knowledge here. I am not suggesting anything about his business away from the forums, and I certainly can't defend any threats of violence he made. But in amongst it all, he actually did make some positive contributions to the board.

 

I'm not making excuses for him... but there were parts of his time here that I will miss...

[awe4one]

he had the same following here too...until he went crazy one too many times. Lots of posts attested what a shame it was to lose Hammer's "comics mind" and observations on the hobby......

 

I have no problem admitting that I am one of those people...

 

Some of the most informative posts I have ever read in these forums came from Meth/Hammer. The guy knows a great deal about comics and on several occasions was willing to spend time offering his knowledge here. I am not suggesting anything about his business away from the forums, and I certainly can't defend any threats of violence he made. But in amongst it all, he actually did make some positive contributions to the board.

 

I'm not making excuses for him... but there were parts of his time here that I will miss...

[Rickdogg]

What a waste of my life! The long posts remind me of the drivel that bug used to post using that software he had that would spit out a bunch of crapola.