Jason Ewert Replies!

[Red Hook]

Hi All,

 

I was away, once again, for a few days and found Jason's reply to my e-mail of two weeks ago in my mailbox. I asked him if he would mind if I posted it unedited and he said no problem. I think we pretty much explored this particular case study as much as possible, and I appreciated Jason's reply and told him so. For the record, I am attaching my initial query to him. If indeed the current owner of the book in question decides to pass on info about the book, and I get it, I will post it. Nice to be back!

 

Initially sent April 2, 2004

 

Hi Jason, My name is Brad Hamann and I am the CGC board member who noted that the Daredevil 11 CGC 9.6 GreenRiver you had up for sale a few weeks ago, was definitely a resub of a CGC 9.4 that Shin Kao had auctioned off for charity a few months ago. Shin himself offered the opinion that the book might very well have been pressed. I know Shin, trust his eye, so I gave some validity to his theory. The issue of whether dealers resubmit books after having them professionally pressed in order to get a higher grade and thus garner a much higher profit margin, has been debated hotly on the boards for the last couple of weeks. I never contacted personally after the book was withdrawn, because I assumed I was the last person you wanted to hear from at the time. I had apparently, and unintentionally deep-sixed your auction. Someone also suggested I contact you and try to work out a "special price" for the 9.4/9.6, but I felt that would be unethical. Anyway, it has been suggested that I indeed contact you for your take on all the developments. I have basically a couple of questions, that I would appreciate an answer to. 1. If you were offering a slabbed book for sale that you knew had been professionally pressed, and a potential buyer emailed you asking if the book had been pressed, would you supply that information, or would you consider it not the buyers business to ask. 2. More directly, have you ever offered a book for sale that you professionally pressed and then resubmitted to CGC in the hopes of receiving a higher grade. Please be assured, this is NOT personal. It is a hot button issue and your input is important. I would wish other dealers to be forthcoming also. We need to have an open discussion. I feel it is the consumers right to know as much about the item he is putting money down for, whether they think pro pressing is restoration or not. Thanks, Brad

 

 

Jason's Reply received April 9

 

Hi Brad,

 

    thanks for your email.  Sorry for any delay in getting back to you as I just returned from out of town.  I do not view or take part in discussions on the CGC forum and I am not an active member.  On occasion, I have friends who are active members alert me about items for sale on the forum and allow me to use their login account names to respond to the sellers to purchase.    However, I have no interest in viewing or taking part in discussions on any public forum with people who I don't know, can't identify, will never do business with, and with whose information cannot be verified.  If someone wants to email me directly with a question, I will always be more than happy to answer.

    The Daredevil #11 Green River was sold to a customer as a 9.4 who subsequently upgraded the book to a 9.6.  The owner consigned it back to me to sell on Ebay and later gave instructions to end the auction early.  I do not know the book's current whereabouts.  I am unaware what, if anything was improved on the book to allow it to receive the 9.6 grade.  I will pass the question onto the owner and let you know what he says or if he still has the book for sale.

    I have no problem discussing the background or history of a book with someone emailing me if I know the background or history.  This would be in situations where I directly had the book encapsulated myself.  Many books I sell are consigned, and many books I buy are already slabbed.  On these occasions, it would be impossible for me to know if a book has been professionally pressed prior to encapsulation.  Whatever information the owner (when consigned) or prior owner (when bought already slabbed) provides me with on a slabbed book, I have no problem sharing with a potential new buyer.  My recommendation to any potential buyer is to always be as informed as possible and call the CGC with the bar code number to get all the grading notes on the book and find out if the book has been professionally pressed.  In other words, don't rely on the information of the seller to tell you information on a book.  Call the independent, third-party grading and restoration experts at the CGC who graded the book who will give you truthful unbiased information.

    Professionally pressing of comic books is an activity I know exists.  This can be seen on high dollar books which were offered for sale in past Heritage Auctions at a lower grade, only to be offered at new higher grades with scans to show the before and after condition.  I am no fool.  If I saw an otherwise NM copy of Amazing Spiderman #1 with a 1" wave in the book,  I would contact a professional comic book restorer to see if the book could be professionally pressed flat to receive an unrestored, blue CGC label higher grade.  The book value difference might go from $4000.00 to $60,000.00.  However, I do not have the time, inclination, desire to spend additional $, or desire to tie up books for a longer periods of time to get them professionally pressed in order to get a "hopeful" higher grade, with a "hopeful" blue label (untampered with) which could occur a small percentage of the time.  I would rather turn my inventory as quickly as possible by buying it, slabbing it, and selling it - in other words "get it in and get it out".   My only hope is to provide a quality product to someone and deliver it with outstanding service so they will continue to come back for  more.  If  I am able to do this, I will succeed in accomplishing my goal. 

    Let me know if there is anything else you need.

 

thanks,

 

Jason

 

 

So that's it for now. I could not have asked for a more staight forward answer to my questions. I am very pleased that another dealer has gone on the record with their postion on the issue of Pro Pressing. Unfortunately, as I ascertained from my discussion last week with Mark Haspel, pro pressing would not appear in the graders notes.

 

Thanks to Shin Kao, Murph, Captain Tripps and everyone else for their contributions to this discussion. I suspect there will be much more said on this matter as time goes on!

[AlexH]

That's a very professional response. I wonder what he is hiding!!!

 

(just kidding )

[joe_collector]

That's a very professional response. I wonder what he is hiding!!!

 

This whole ordeal is so hilarious, and it seems that admitting you do press comics is not seen in a positive light.

 

Someone email him back and ask for an answer to this:

 

Have you ever bought a raw comic, had it pressed or pressed it yourself, and then sent to CGC for resale?

 

YES or NO

[Aman619]

....and you think he (or anyone else) would answer?

Lets email you some personal questions and have you answer them..

[garthgantu]

I don't think JC's question is all that personal, and it's certainly pertinent. I could see any dealer being reluctant to answer the question, though. Still, ya don't get if ya don't ask, and even a non-response means something (though not necessarily an admission of 'guilt').

 

If you're in the business of selling high grade books, you must expect that people will ask questions like this. If you were buying a set of tires at the local Goodyear outlet, and asked the salesman "have you ever had a recall on this particular model?" or "does Goodyear support the deforestation of protected old growth trees?" you'd expect a civil, straightforward answer, right? (Not that the Goodyear salesman would know the answers to either of these questions.)

[THE_BEYONDER]

. I am no fool. If I saw an otherwise NM copy of Amazing Spiderman #1 with a 1" wave in the book, I would contact a professional comic book restorer to see if the book could be professionally pressed flat to receive an unrestored, blue CGC label higher grade. The book value difference might go from $4000.00 to $60,000.00. However, I do not have the time, inclination, desire to spend additional $, or desire to tie up books for a longer periods of time to get them professionally pressed in order to get a "hopeful" higher grade, with a "hopeful" blue label (untampered with) which could occur a small percentage of the time. I would rather turn my inventory as quickly as possible by buying it, slabbing it, and selling it - in other words "get it in and get it out".

 

Hmm....

 

If he did find an "otherwise NM" copy of ASM 1 and pressed the "wave" out....would he disclose it?

[sfilosa]

Hmm....

 

If he did find an "otherwise NM" copy of ASM 1 and pressed the "wave" out....would he disclose it?

 

I interpret his words to mean:

 

1) He would (or has) sent books to be professionally pressed. The "HAS he ever done it", is not the real question. He WOULD DO IT.

 

2) If the buyer asked him if the book had been PRESSED (and he knew), then he would say YES.

 

What more can you ask for?

 

Is he suppose to list in his auction that ""CGC gave this book a blue label but I had it pressed". I wouldn't and I wouldn't expect him to either.

 

I thought his answers were straight forward and I will continue to buy books that he has, as long as I get them at the price I want.

[THE_BEYONDER]

Hmm....

 

If he did find an "otherwise NM" copy of ASM 1 and pressed the "wave" out....would he disclose it?

 

I interpret his words to mean:

 

1) He would (or has) sent books to be professionally pressed. The "HAS he ever done it", is not the real question. He WOULD DO IT.

 

2) If the buyer asked him if the book had been PRESSED (and he knew), then he would say YES.

 

What more can you ask for?

 

Is he suppose to list in his auction that ""CGC gave this book a blue label but I had it pressed". I wouldn't and I wouldn't expect him to either.

 

I thought his answers were straight forward and I will continue to buy books that he has, as long as I get them at the price I want.

 

I was merely making an inquiry.

[OldGuy]

Have you ever bought a raw comic, had it pressed or pressed it yourself, and then sent to CGC for resale?

 

YES or NO

 

He didn't say he has, but he clearly said that he would depending on circumstances. I'd say that based on that statement it's not unrealistic to assume that he may have had one or more books pressed. He also states that he would disclose it if asked.

 

BTW, welcome back Red!

[Red Hook]

Thanks OG! My on-again off-again wanderings are at an end for now. I was starting to get Board-Withdrawal while I was gone.

 

I interpreted Jason's answer to mean that he "would" press a book if it were really worth the money, ie the big ticket item he mentioned. He just wouldn't bother doing it with a book that he "might" squeeze a 9.6 out of a 9.4, like the DD 11. That's pretty upfront of him I have to say.

 

And no, he wouldn't advertise the fact that a book was pressed, but if you asked him, he would tell you if he knew. So for now, you take your chances.

 

I would recommend, that if pressing bothers you (it does bother me), then I would ask the seller whenever considering a purchase of a high end (9.6) silver age book. For Golden Age, the bar is much lower for pressing to be a possiblity.

[Mephisto]

I want to know the back ground of the magic marker Wonder Woman comic. Did he submit or was that someone else's mistake?

[Red Hook]

Send him an email Meph.....might work! (no sarcasm intended)

[sfilosa]

would recommend, that if pressing bothers you (it does bother me), then I would ask the seller whenever considering a purchase of a high end (9.6) silver age book. For Golden Age, the bar is much lower for pressing to be a possiblity

 

Not sure what you mean?

 

There is a MUCH GREATER chance that a Golden-Age book has been PRESSED because the cover stock lends itself much better to PRESSING than does Silver-Age. Most creases break color on Silver-Age books, but I have seen many Golden Age books with lots of long, non color-breaking creases.

[FFB]

I think that's exactly what he was saying.

 

would recommend, that if pressing bothers you (it does bother me), then I would ask the seller whenever considering a purchase of a high end (9.6) silver age book. For Golden Age, the bar is much lower for pressing to be a possiblity

 

Not sure what you mean?

 

There is a MUCH GREATER chance that a Golden-Age book has been PRESSED because the cover stock lends itself much better to PRESSING than does Silver-Age. Most creases break color on Silver-Age books, but I have seen many Golden Age books with lots of long, non color-breaking creases.

[Red Hook]

That is what I was saying. My bad for not being clearer. Also, the $ stakes are probably on the average higher with Golden Age books. My opinion.

[Calamerica]

I am with you here on this one.

 

CAL

[Ze-man]

Hey Red, thnx for posting your response.

 

I still keep coming back to the fact that even though he wrote you a very nice, very proffesional letter to your questions asked , does this clear him of anything?

perhaps/perhaps not.

But lets take the DD #11 for example.Even though its a small non major key book..

a 9.4 to a 9.6 is not chump change.

Heck.. its alot of money, and if an avid collector wants a 9.6 at time of auction.Then its indeeed alot of caish

 

 

And the whole circumstance surrounding the" I sold it, he cracked it, he resubbed it, then he consigned it to me" to me smacks of an inside job.

Sorry, I am not willing to accept his answer on that , for this instance anyway.

the darn thing was pulled within minutes of your post about it .

 

Or if not that, then I am sure Jason had to at least know it was a book he sold, was cracked and resubed, and graded at a higher grade.

He had to

And he was more then willing to make a bit of cash if he resold it"as a consigneee"

 

My point is not to bash Jason.. I have to take him at his word.

Hes a big dealer..

He has a great track record.. and plenty of people in his defense.

But my point is

 

This whole topic of pressing, cracking, resubbing, bothers me alot..

Alot..

And while I am not a comic dealer, nor do I sell much, and have no major interest in comics other then a fan, and minor collector.

I have no doubt that collecting has changed....... just this past 6 months.

 

We are all looking at, and wondering if every book we have, might buy, is or has been pressed.

CGC slabed, or Raw.

 

So for Jason to say he might press a certain book if a crease was deemed press worthy,

 

and he could make a truckload more money selling it as a non pressed, then why would I even for a second think he would not sell it as unpressed untill some one asks him.

 

This is such a grey area I cant believe it, and its changing the way all of us buy comics, and mark my words........

CGC will not police this, but I will be darned if they dont at least address it in a label change within 2 years..

If they dont then I guess I overestimated their willingness to grade comics in a way that informs the submitter/buyer, what exactly his comic is, and what was done to it. But thats the rub.... some pressing cant be detected... so where do we go from here>?

 

 

 

I suppose I said enuff

 

[supapimp]

great post! thx

[Red Hook]

Also for the record, it has been confirmed to me from a number of independent sources that JE does have a user account on the boards under the name cheapcomicnerdwithnomoney. Again, for the record only. And don't ask me to reveal my sources.......if you want to find out, do your own damn detective work.

 

Red

[OldGuy]

Also for the record, it has been confirmed to me from a number of independent sources that JE does have a user account on the boards under the name cheapcomicnerdwithnomoney. Again, for the record only.

 

Yea, he strikes me as a real class act. For the record only, of course.