Beware monsterscollectibles on Ebay.

[buttock]

Does PGX state any kind of resto guarantee on their label....

 

From the Services part of the website:

 

Thorough Restoration Check

 

A thorough restoration check is done on every book that goes through the PGX Certification process. Books with restoration are assigned a 'Restored' label with restoration being noted below the grade. Books with slight color touch will be assigned the Blue World label with slight color touch being noted below the grade.

 

From the Legal part of the Website:

 

PGX's grading is based on the PGX Grading Standards developed by PGX and the opinions of the PGX Grading Team and does not guarantee complete acceptance. A restoration check is made on every book that comes through PGX. Every effort is made to detect restoration, but we do not guarantee this process or the result.

 

 

I don't think even CGC makes a guarantee.

[TheShadowKnows]

Just a heads up for anyone buying from Ken Danker, aka monsterscollectibles. He's buying books, having them restored, and then sending them to PGX for blue labels and listing them on Ebay. I know he's a board member and has peddled his wares here before.

 

Happy to show proof if he dares to stick his neck out here. One more scumbag to add to the "avoid like the plague" list.

 

Maybe the concerns Trey Cannon had with him were justified after all.

Ah good old Ken Danker.Every book he owned was "going for 10 times guide" or "5 times guide".

Bought a book for 20-25 dollars and ask him to ship so it would cross in the mail.All he could say was "no you might steal my book"

And yes these are direct quotes.

[Mr 9.8]

Does PGX state any kind of resto guarantee on their label....

 

From the Services part of the website:

 

Thorough Restoration Check

 

A thorough restoration check is done on every book that goes through the PGX Certification process. Books with restoration are assigned a 'Restored' label with restoration being noted below the grade. Books with slight color touch will be assigned the Blue World label with slight color touch being noted below the grade.

 

From the Legal part of the Website:

 

PGX's grading is based on the PGX Grading Standards developed by PGX and the opinions of the PGX Grading Team and does not guarantee complete acceptance. A restoration check is made on every book that comes through PGX. Every effort is made to detect restoration, but we do not guarantee this process or the result.

 

The underlined was my favorite. So there were no Graders outside the PGX team to help with resto detection?

[shadroch]

How does that differ from CGC's operation? Do they do a seperate restoration check or is it done by the graders?

[THE_BEYONDER]

How does that differ from CGC's operation? Do they do a seperate restoration check or is it done by the graders?

 

Does Freisen not work for CGC anymore?

[DrWatson]

Chris Friesen, Restoration Detection Expert

 

An avid collector since 1985 and comics professional since 1987, Chris has experienced the hobby from every angle. Focusing on vintage comics, buying Silver and Golden Age keys and trying to put the highest-grade possible run of Famous Funnies up to issue # 62 (December 1939), he founded Paradise Comics in 1988. Operating out of Toronto, he sold comics through catalog mail order and at southern Ontario area conventions. In September of 1991, Chris opened his own retail store and operated it until 1994. During that time Chris also founded Paracon, a comic convention promotion company. Paracon organized several conventions in Toronto from 1992 to 1994.

 

Tiring of retail and wanting to incorporate his love of comics with his passion for art, he founded Renaissance Restoration Lab in 1996. For almost five years, the leading dealers and collectors have retained his comic restoration business for their best pieces. Known for high-quality archival and ethical work, Renaissance flourished until CGC recognized Chris’s phenomenal restoration detection ability and picked him to lead its restoration detection department. Seeing that CGC was filling an ethical need in the computer age of buying and selling comic books, Chris decided to close down Renaissance Resoration in 2000 and take one of the most important positions at CGC.

 

Knowing the secrets behind the latest restoration methods by constantly studying techniques from our hobby and others, plus his analytical attention to detail, makes Chris one of the world’s foremost restoration detection experts in comics.

[shadroch]

But does he go over all sixty brazillion books they slab each year, or does he only examine books called to his attention?

Besides, isn't he involved in that side business of theirs now? I thought Steve B had taken off as chief restoration expert?

I've been out of the loop and am not current on what goes on down there.

[sborock]

But does he go over all sixty brazillion books they slab each year, or does he only examine books called to his attention?

Besides, isn't he involved in that side business of theirs now? I thought Steve B had taken off as chief restoration expert?

I've been out of the loop and am not current on what goes on down there.

 

The first 6 months we were open (and the year before that), I was the resto guy. Begged Friesen to come on board because it was too much for me & Haspel.

 

Litch, became amazing at resto detection during that 1st year, working with the three of us.

 

If I am correct, Friesen still checks all econs, standards, ex, wk-thru's. The graders are all trained in resto detection.

 

Friesen, Haspel, & Litch, are amazing at detection. I would put any of them against anyone one else in the hobby.

 

pgx has the three blind mice doing their "resto detection".

[buttock]

pgx has the three blind mice doing their "resto detection".

 

I think you're giving them way too much credit.

[shadroch]

Steve,

I'm not comparing their abilities, I'm comparing the process. Certainly not comparing their honesty or integrity.

If the books are checked seperately, just for restoration- is it before or after the graders look at them.

[RockMyAmadeus]

pgx has the three blind mice doing their "resto detection".

 

I think you're giving them way too much credit.

 

It's true. Patterson's just one guy.

 

[Point Five]

Here's the short version.

 

I bought a Zip 29 from him on Ebay here and I've been on the road 3/4 weeks this month so I didn't have much time to give it a good once over. The book came in, I looked at it briefly and it looked ok (definitely a little overgraded, but...), left decent feedback.

 

Then I cracked it out, the staples had been monkeyed with and it had been poorly pressed, not a big deal as I factored (a) a "generous" grade from PGX and (b) some similar work into the price when I bought it, but I had no idea if the seller had done it himself, so no big deal.

 

Then I see the same book having been sold here as a 1.0 and I take a closer look and there are some tear seals and amateur resto at the top of the spine & top staple. The time from the first sale to the second means that it almost certainly had to be the same person doing the work & submission to PGX.

 

PGX is of course incompetent, and as I said, I just factored that into the price when I bought it. But this all adds up to a deliberate intent to use PGX's incompetence to pass off restoration.

 

Sorry to hear this, Dan. I remember seeing that slabbed Zip on ebay and thinking it was a good deal.

 

It seems telling that he was confident enough of getting a PGX unrestored label that he would roll the dice to make... what, $90 or so?

 

Wonder what other surprises are in those PGX slabs.

 

 

 

[buttock]

Here's the short version.

 

I bought a Zip 29 from him on Ebay here and I've been on the road 3/4 weeks this month so I didn't have much time to give it a good once over. The book came in, I looked at it briefly and it looked ok (definitely a little overgraded, but...), left decent feedback.

 

Then I cracked it out, the staples had been monkeyed with and it had been poorly pressed, not a big deal as I factored (a) a "generous" grade from PGX and (b) some similar work into the price when I bought it, but I had no idea if the seller had done it himself, so no big deal.

 

Then I see the same book having been sold here as a 1.0 and I take a closer look and there are some tear seals and amateur resto at the top of the spine & top staple. The time from the first sale to the second means that it almost certainly had to be the same person doing the work & submission to PGX.

 

PGX is of course incompetent, and as I said, I just factored that into the price when I bought it. But this all adds up to a deliberate intent to use PGX's incompetence to pass off restoration.

 

Sorry to hear this, Dan. I remember seeing that slabbed Zip on ebay and thinking it was a good deal.

 

It seems telling that he was confident enough of getting a PGX unrestored label that he would roll the dice to make... what, $90 or so?

 

Wonder what other surprises are in those PGX slabs.

 

 

 

That's the kicker. Why risk it over such a paltry amount?

[sborock]

Steve,

I'm not comparing their abilities, I'm comparing the process. Certainly not comparing their honesty or integrity.

If the books are checked seperately, just for restoration- is it before or after the graders look at them.

 

Didn't think you were complianing. Just thought I would give the facts.

 

Most books are checked seperately for resto, but pre-graders and graders catch so much as well.

 

[Point Five]

That's the kicker. Why risk it over such a paltry amount?

... Trial run?

 

 

[VintageComics]

Just a heads up for anyone buying from Ken Danker, aka monsterscollectibles. He's buying books, having them restored, and then sending them to PGX for blue labels and listing them on Ebay. I know he's a board member and has peddled his wares here before.

 

Happy to show proof if he dares to stick his neck out here. One more scumbag to add to the "avoid like the plague" list.

 

Maybe the concerns Trey Cannon had with him were justified after all.

 

This is why in Trey's thread I thought the resto disclaimer sounded like it was worded strange....it was either written purposefully to have a double meaning or it was simply a bad write up.

 

I did say that it read as though he offered a 90 day resto guarantee to any raw comic and a guarantee for PGX books if the case was returned undamaged.

 

Muddy or intentionally misleading?

 

 

His guarantee...

 

 

"My Guarantee! Once you receive the book, if you are not 100% happy with it, you can return the book in the undamaged/unopened PGX holder for a full refund of the purchase price. I put up Hi-Rez pics of the front and back covers of all the books, which is far more than most sellers, so it's only fair that you are responsible for the shipping costs to and from. Also, If you buy a book from me and within 90 days of receipt you have it graded by CGC and it is found to be restored, I will Happily Refund all of your costs. Shipping, Grading, Cost of the Book, everything. All I ask is that the book be sent to me in the undamaged CGC holder with receipts and I will refund your $ immediately upon receipt. I keep hi-res scans of every comic I sell, so there is no confusion as to whether the book was the one I sold or not. I stand behind everything I sell, unlike most other ebay sellers. "

[TheDanimal]

WOW is PGX that bad for restoration checks? I just don't get how there are such ignorant collectors out there that prefer it to CGC.

[DR.X]

WOW is PGX that bad for restoration checks? I just don't get how there are such ignorant collectors out there that prefer it to CGC.

 

Because they're shopping with dollars and not brains. (thumbs u

 

DRX

[mackenzie999]

WOW is PGX that bad for restoration checks? I just don't get how there are such ignorant collectors out there that prefer it to CGC.

 

I believe they are cheaper and have a superior slab, or so I've read. If all you want is to slab your comic it might not be a bad option, but if you care about a more thorough evaluation / estimation of grade and resto, and resale, well, maybe not so much.

 

Also their labels are damn ugly. I doubt CGC labels would win any design awards, but they're way better than PGX labels.

[sborock]

WOW is PGX that bad for restoration checks? I just don't get how there are such ignorant collectors out there that prefer it to CGC.

 

There are two types who use pgx:

 

1: People who think using it is cheaper and thinking it is "certification". They just don't know any better. Many of us make the same mistake in using companies like that in our non-collecting life at some point or another. I got taken by a muffler place, they had great prices and good advertising. Bottom line, they ripped me off and it ended costing me more $ in the long run.

 

2: People who know something is wrong with their books and use pgx to claim "Hey, they are experts, they must be correct." They then go on and sell it with no way they can be accused of anything that they already knew was wrong.