Rich Muchin Strikes Again

[Yanell45-migration]

I read all of your warnings regarding Tomorrow Treasures comics and I didn't listen. The book looked so nice on his website. An Archie Annual # 1 UNRESTORED for $950. I offered $800 and he sold it to me. I received it. Now it looked noce when I received it the spine looked a little bit split. I was thinking 6.0-7.0 range when CGC'd. Very scarce book and highest grade on CGC census is a 7.0. I sent away for 5 day grading. Got the image yesterday in my email. 5.5 PLOD, spine split sealed to the cover whatever that means. Sigh!!!!!!!!!

[Mutie Fan]

Sorry to hear that. Have you asked if he will work something out with you?

[Yanell45-migration]

I already told him I am sending the book back and he said ok. It just pisses me off that I had to spend the CGC fees to know this. Why cant he be just honest and say what the book has. I bought three other high grade books from him and now I do not know what to do. AmI goign to have to pay CGC fees for each one to find out the truth?

[Aman619]

return them all. HG aint HG with some dealers

[Bomber-Bob]

Richie works on the premise that a certain percentage(probably a majority) of his customers will not submit the books to CGC. He is willing to sustain the infrequent returns knowing he will simply try again with the next guy. Wake up fellow Boardies and learn from the experience of others.

[jgallo]

I know "known" him for years and long ago I learned to stay away. Guy just doesn't have any respect for people as far as I am concerned and he just has to do something to EVERY book.

 

That being said go to Spencers get a UV blacklight and look over the books. Most restoration can be seen that way and it will be a learning experience as well.

 

James G

[tth2]

It just pisses me off that I had to spend the CGC fees to know this.

As you yourself said, you had plenty of warning from these boards about dealing with him but chose to ignore them. So you really have no one to blame but yourself and I would say that incurring the CGC fees was a more than fair penalty for your insistence on learning things the hard way.

[Sardo Numspar]

I read all of your warnings regarding Tomorrow Treasures comics and I didn't listen. The book looked so nice on his website. An Archie Annual # 1 UNRESTORED for $950. I offered $800 and he sold it to me. I received it. Now it looked noce when I received it the spine looked a little bit split. I was thinking 6.0-7.0 range when CGC'd. Very scarce book and highest grade on CGC census is a 7.0. I sent away for 5 day grading. Got the image yesterday in my email. 5.5 PLOD, spine split sealed to the cover whatever that means. Sigh!!!!!!!!!

 

Richie discloses sealed tears and spine splits on his ebay listings under "Conservation". He takes the position the conservation is different than restoration, so in his mind, assuming he was aware of the sealed split, your book was unrestored. Did he disclose the seal in the listing in this manner? Also, once you had the book in hand there was nothing to prevent you from opening the book to check for a seal. Usually this is the type of work done on a book that you should be able to spot yourself - as opposed to other types of restoration. You had full opportunity to inspect your book before submitting it to CGC. Even if there was no seal, but you still believed the book fell below the advertised grade, Richie would have taken the book back no questions asked.

[BaltimoreLauren]

I know "known" him for years and long ago I learned to stay away. Guy just doesn't have any respect for people as far as I am concerned and he just has to do something to EVERY book.

 

From personal experience, the guy is a grade A fruit basket.

 

However, I'm not going to rip you a new one for dealing with him regardless of the warnings. Who knows, you might have gotten lucky and had a good experience with him. That being said, I would have checked the book. If you're not so keen on your restoration detection skills, you could always bring it to your LCS for help. Good luck in the future finding an AA 1, tho!

[faster friends]

I already told him I am sending the book back and he said ok. It just pisses me off that I had to spend the CGC fees to know this. Why cant he be just honest and say what the book has. I bought three other high grade books from him and now I do not know what to do. AmI goign to have to pay CGC fees for each one to find out the truth?

 

It might not be the best idea to get on the internet and slam the guy before he returns your $$$

 

 

+1

 

[Forbush-Man]

I already told him I am sending the book back and he said ok. It just pisses me off that I had to spend the CGC fees to know this. Why cant he be just honest and say what the book has. I bought three other high grade books from him and now I do not know what to do. AmI goign to have to pay CGC fees for each one to find out the truth?

 

It might not be the best idea to get on the internet and slam the guy before he returns your $$$

 

 

+1

 

I don't know. Lets him know you are serious about not getting your money back.

[Transplant]

I know "known" him for years and long ago I learned to stay away. Guy just doesn't have any respect for people as far as I am concerned and he just has to do something to EVERY book.

 

From personal experience, the guy is a grade A fruit basket.

 

However, I'm not going to rip you a new one for dealing with him regardless of the warnings. Who knows, you might have gotten lucky and had a good experience with him. That being said, I would have checked the book. If you're not so keen on your restoration detection skills, you could always bring it to your LCS for help. Good luck in the future finding an AA 1, tho!

Yep. Try out some of the other scammers on Ebay. You never know. You might get lucky with them as well.

[Cat-Man_America]

I already told him I am sending the book back and he said ok. It just pisses me off that I had to spend the CGC fees to know this. Why cant he be just honest and say what the book has.

 

 

Judging from this incident it is understandable why this dealer has so much animus toward third party grading in his listings; one might describe it as self-serving contempt.

 

My suggestion: scan the CGC graded book in it's slab and file the image away. After you've received your refund he'll probably crack out the book and relist it on ebay. Then you'll have the evidence to call him on it publicly if you choose.

 

 

I bought three other high grade books from him and now I do not know what to do. AmI goign to have to pay CGC fees for each one to find out the truth?

 

Probably.

 

But don't beat yourself up about it. This can happen to anyone. I've had similar disappointments purchasing raw books from Harley Yee, who is very well respected and appears to be entirely ethical. For my part I never bothered contacting him because the misrepresentations just weren't quite bad enough to hassle with returning the books in question. I gave him a second chance, but the over-grading cinched it; I've learned my lesson.

 

 

[Yanell45-migration]

I checked the book all over before submitting it to CGC. Even when CGC graded it the guy had never seen that sort of restoration before. Spine split sealed to the cover. When I bought the book he said there was no restoration or conservation as he puts it.

[TheWatcher]

Send the other books to Classics Inc to have them checked for resto. It'll be much cheaper than sending to CGC, but the turnaround will take longer (depending on how busy they are)

http://www.classicsincorporated.com/services_proscreen.htm#fee_table

[BaltimoreLauren]

I know "known" him for years and long ago I learned to stay away. Guy just doesn't have any respect for people as far as I am concerned and he just has to do something to EVERY book.

 

From personal experience, the guy is a grade A fruit basket.

 

However, I'm not going to rip you a new one for dealing with him regardless of the warnings. Who knows, you might have gotten lucky and had a good experience with him. That being said, I would have checked the book. If you're not so keen on your restoration detection skills, you could always bring it to your LCS for help. Good luck in the future finding an AA 1, tho!

Yep. Try out some of the other scammers on Ebay. You never know. You might get lucky with them as well.

 

 

 

I have to find the silver lining in everything.

 

Even if it is a pile of carp.

[Cat-Man_America]

Send the other books to Classics Inc to have them checked for resto. It'll be much cheaper than sending to CGC, but the turnaround will take longer (depending on how busy they are)

http://www.classicsincorporated.com/services_proscreen.htm#fee_table

 

+1 ...Excellent suggestion; Matt's very efficient. (thumbs u

[cloudofwit]

Send the other books to Classics Inc to have them checked for resto. It'll be much cheaper than sending to CGC, but the turnaround will take longer (depending on how busy they are)

http://www.classicsincorporated.com/services_proscreen.htm#fee_table

 

+1 ...Excellent suggestion; Matt's very efficient. (thumbs u

 

I went that route after I had several books come back from CGC with a purple label that had been in my collection since the '70s or '80s. It was 3 bucks a book for a resto check, along with the cost of shipping both ways.

[G.A.tor]

Send the other books to Classics Inc to have them checked for resto. It'll be much cheaper than sending to CGC, but the turnaround will take longer (depending on how busy they are)

http://www.classicsincorporated.com/services_proscreen.htm#fee_table

that matt is so dreamy

[DrWatson]

I know "known" him for years and long ago I learned to stay away. Guy just doesn't have any respect for people as far as I am concerned and he just has to do something to EVERY book.

 

From personal experience, the guy is a grade A fruit basket.

 

However, I'm not going to rip you a new one for dealing with him regardless of the warnings. Who knows, you might have gotten lucky and had a good experience with him. That being said, I would have checked the book. If you're not so keen on your restoration detection skills, you could always bring it to your LCS for help. Good luck in the future finding an AA 1, tho!

Yep. Try out some of the other scammers on Ebay. You never know. You might get lucky with them as well.

 

 

 

I have to find the silver lining in everything.

 

Even if it is a pile of carp.

You need to learn how to say, "You can't polish a turd." in Japanese.