Phantom variant program

[the420kid]

[Tiger Topher]

If you want to believe you didn't do anything wrong (as in "incorrect", not "bad"), again, that's certainly your right. But if you're unwilling to accept any responsibility at all, what does that say?

In hindsight, I should have worded things differently in my note. I admit that. However, the issue was what followed.

 

Here's where your argument falls apart: if Larry had said he was "screening for 9.8 copies", then your request would have been redundant and unnecessary. But he didn't. He didn't promise 9.8s. He didn't even imply 9.8s. And that made your request, in your mind, necessary in the first place, or you wouldn't have made it, which means you acknowledge that he wasn't offering 9.8s.

 

(and I can't help but notice that you didn't bring up the "screening" comments by Larry until well into the discussion. If it was vital, why didn't you bring it up at the beginning?)

I had a busy night. I was dealing with Larry, an eBay scammer and other issues as well. The screening thing skipped my mind until this morning. As I've already mentioned, I'm not someone who gets comics graded, so when I was trying to recall why I even mentioned books with 9.8 potential, I remembered the screening comments.

 

One more time: you didn't ask for "the best books possible." You asked for a SPECIFIC type of book: a 9.8 candidate. World of difference.

When a seller has 3,000 copies of a book and they're coming right out of a case, a lot of them should have 9.8 potential. The way I worded things meant the best books possible. It wasn't interpreted that way and that's fine. Lesson learned. I'll be very careful with how I word things when dealing with comic sellers in the future.

 

You asked for 9.8 candidates. Whether you "insisted" or not isn't relevant.

And I didn't even do that. I said that I'd appreciate it if Larry could provide me with comics with 9.8 potential. I didn't tell him to do it. I didn't even ask him to do it. I just said that I'd appreciate it if he did. He misinterpreted that and overreacted.

 

Anyway, I've lost enough of my free time to this silliness and I'm going to move on with my life. I suggest we all do the same. There's really nothing left to be discussed here.

[LarrysComics]

If you want to believe you didn't do anything wrong (as in "incorrect", not "bad"), again, that's certainly your right. But if you're unwilling to accept any responsibility at all, what does that say?

In hindsight, I should have worded things differently in my note. I admit that. However, the issue was what followed.

 

Here's where your argument falls apart: if Larry had said he was "screening for 9.8 copies", then your request would have been redundant and unnecessary. But he didn't. He didn't promise 9.8s. He didn't even imply 9.8s. And that made your request, in your mind, necessary in the first place, or you wouldn't have made it, which means you acknowledge that he wasn't offering 9.8s.

 

(and I can't help but notice that you didn't bring up the "screening" comments by Larry until well into the discussion. If it was vital, why didn't you bring it up at the beginning?)

I had a busy night. I was dealing with Larry, an eBay scammer and other issues as well. The screening thing skipped my mind until this morning. As I've already mentioned, I'm not someone who gets comics graded, so when I was trying to recall why I even mentioned books with 9.8 potential, I remembered the screening comments.

 

One more time: you didn't ask for "the best books possible." You asked for a SPECIFIC type of book: a 9.8 candidate. World of difference.

When a seller has 3,000 copies of a book and they're coming right out of a case, a lot of them should have 9.8 potential. The way I worded things meant the best books possible. It wasn't interpreted that way and that's fine. Lesson learned. I'll be very careful with how I word things when dealing with comic sellers in the future.

 

You asked for 9.8 candidates. Whether you "insisted" or not isn't relevant.

And I didn't even do that. I said that I'd appreciate it if Larry could provide me with comics with 9.8 potential. I didn't tell him to do it. I didn't even ask him to do it. I just said that I'd appreciate it if he did. He misinterpreted that and overreacted.

 

Anyway, I've lost enough of my free time to this silliness and I'm going to move on with my life. I suggest we all do the same. There's really nothing left to be discussed here.

 

When a seller has 3,000 copies of a book and they're coming right out of a case, a lot of them should have 9.8 potential.

 

Sometimes NONE.

[Citizenvain]

There's no chill in you is there, Larry?

 

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

If you want to believe you didn't do anything wrong (as in "incorrect", not "bad"), again, that's certainly your right. But if you're unwilling to accept any responsibility at all, what does that say?

In hindsight, I should have worded things differently in my note. I admit that. However, the issue was what followed.

 

You're just completely unwilling to give an inch, huh...? The only problem on your part was "wording", right...? No unreasonable expectation on your part at all?

 

Here's where your argument falls apart: if Larry had said he was "screening for 9.8 copies", then your request would have been redundant and unnecessary. But he didn't. He didn't promise 9.8s. He didn't even imply 9.8s. And that made your request, in your mind, necessary in the first place, or you wouldn't have made it, which means you acknowledge that he wasn't offering 9.8s.

 

(and I can't help but notice that you didn't bring up the "screening" comments by Larry until well into the discussion. If it was vital, why didn't you bring it up at the beginning?)

I had a busy night. I was dealing with Larry, an eBay scammer and other issues as well. The screening thing skipped my mind until this morning. As I've already mentioned, I'm not someone who gets comics graded, so when I was trying to recall why I even mentioned books with 9.8 potential, I remembered the screening comments.

 

Which means it wasn't that important an issue to you in the first place.

 

One more time: you didn't ask for "the best books possible." You asked for a SPECIFIC type of book: a 9.8 candidate. World of difference.

When a seller has 3,000 copies of a book and they're coming right out of a case, a lot of them should have 9.8 potential. The way I worded things meant the best books possible. It wasn't interpreted that way and that's fine. Lesson learned. I'll be very careful with how I word things when dealing with comic sellers in the future.

 

You're really just making excuses at this point.

 

You asked for 9.8 candidates. Whether you "insisted" or not isn't relevant.

And I didn't even do that. I said that I'd appreciate it if Larry could provide me with comics with 9.8 potential. I didn't tell him to do it. I didn't even ask him to do it. I just said that I'd appreciate it if he did. He misinterpreted that and overreacted.

 

Anyway, I've lost enough of my free time to this silliness and I'm going to move on with my life. I suggest we all do the same. There's really nothing left to be discussed here.

 

One of my favorite things is when people say "there's really nothing left to be discussed"...after they've just spent several paragraphs doing just that.

 

 

Here's the bottom line: Larry has admitted he screwed up. You will not.

 

I'm not trying to pick on you, TT, and I have nothing personal against you. But you thought it was a big enough deal to put Larry's name on the probation list. That's not a minor issue around here. If it's a big enough deal for that, it's a big enough deal to be hashed out.

 

You had an unreasonable expectation, and you made that expectation known (however you want to word it) AFTER the fact. Everyone is telling you the same thing, but you're not willing to admit your part in it. No one is holding Larry guiltless, not even Larry. But that doesn't mean your hands are spotless, either.

 

[500Club]

There's no chill in you is there, Larry?

 

Should there be? He's a retailer who had to deal with a ton of orders for this particular book, and is seeing his reputation shot at here by a couple of vocal minority high maintenance customers. I'd protect my reputation as well.

 

Look at this from the dealer side of the fence. Diamond doesn't ship the Phantoms to the various retailers. Larry gets them all. He then has to turn around and secondarily ship them to all the various participant LCSs. He also has to fill individual orders. You can see how he'd be scrambling to pack and ship well, let alone reply to serial e-mailers.

 

Also, he gets what he gets out of the Diamond boxes. He can't call the printer or Diamond, and advise them he'd appreciate 9.8 candidates. If everyone is calling Larry requesting 9.8 candidates, who are they proposing the 8.5s get sent to?

[500Club]

When a seller has 3,000 copies of a book and they're coming right out of a case, a lot of them should have 9.8 potential.

 

Sometimes NONE.

I'd be inclined to state policy as 'books will be sent Diamond case fresh. No grade guarantees can be offered.'

[randyp]

When a seller has 3,000 copies of a book and they're coming right out of a case, a lot of them should have 9.8 potential.

 

Sometimes NONE.

I'd be inclined to state policy as 'books will be sent Diamond case fresh. No grade guarantees can be offered.'

 

If he gets Diamond cases like my LCS does he will have a load of damaged comics.

[revat]

There's no chill in you is there, Larry?

 

Should there be? He's a retailer who had to deal with a ton of orders for this particular book, and is seeing his reputation shot at here by a couple of vocal minority high maintenance customers. I'd protect my reputation as well.

 

Look at this from the dealer side of the fence. Diamond doesn't ship the Phantoms to the various retailers. Larry gets them all. He then has to turn around and secondarily ship them to all the various participant LCSs. He also has to fill individual orders. You can see how he'd be scrambling to pack and ship well, let alone reply to serial e-mailers.

 

Also, he gets what he gets out of the Diamond boxes. He can't call the printer or Diamond, and advise them he'd appreciate 9.8 candidates. If everyone is calling Larry requesting 9.8 candidates, who are they proposing the 8.5s get sent to?

 

I think the vocal minority isn't so much mad about not getting high grade copies, its about the communication. Most of us understand that we can't always get 9.8's, or that there are delays, or that we ourselves might make mistakes that lead to the delays. But at the same time we also expect a certain amount of professionalism from the companies we purchase from. And a large part of that professionalism is expressed through timely communication.

[Iqc23]

(thumbs u

[cshepard81]

If everyone is calling Larry requesting 9.8 candidates, who are they proposing the 8.5s get sent to?

 

If Larry's into sending out more free books today, I'd happily accept an 8.5. I just like the cover and have no interest in getting it slabbed.

[Lonzilla]

Just order you Phantoms from Third Eye or another Phantom retailer then. I asked my Phantom carrying LCS to pull me 2 minty Spider-Gwens and they did. Both are 9.8s for sure.

I ordered 5 Humans Jetpack variants from Larry's ebay page a few months ago, 4 are 9.8s and 1 is a high 9.6. Not too shabby.

However, I don't think it's ethical of someone who is behind a certain variant cover inflating the price out of pure greed, thus setting the market price at 5x above cover. Major conflict of interest there.

 

[jcjames]

more more more!!!!

 

!

 

 

[500Club]

There's no chill in you is there, Larry?

 

Should there be? He's a retailer who had to deal with a ton of orders for this particular book, and is seeing his reputation shot at here by a couple of vocal minority high maintenance customers. I'd protect my reputation as well.

 

Look at this from the dealer side of the fence. Diamond doesn't ship the Phantoms to the various retailers. Larry gets them all. He then has to turn around and secondarily ship them to all the various participant LCSs. He also has to fill individual orders. You can see how he'd be scrambling to pack and ship well, let alone reply to serial e-mailers.

 

Also, he gets what he gets out of the Diamond boxes. He can't call the printer or Diamond, and advise them he'd appreciate 9.8 candidates. If everyone is calling Larry requesting 9.8 candidates, who are they proposing the 8.5s get sent to?

 

I think the vocal minority isn't so much mad about not getting high grade copies, its about the communication. Most of us understand that we can't always get 9.8's, or that there are delays, or that we ourselves might make mistakes that lead to the delays. But at the same time we also expect a certain amount of professionalism from the companies we purchase from. And a large part of that professionalism is expressed through timely communication.

OK, so then Larry spends his time answering incessant emails, and the books get shipped out more slowly. Then he gets hammered the way Conquest did when they were slow to get the ASM 4 Black Cat variants out.

[RockMyAmadeus]

who are they proposing the 8.5s get sent to?

 

You and Kimik.

 

Duh.

[500Club]

more more more!!!!

 

!

 

[500Club]

who are they proposing the 8.5s get sent to?

 

You and Kimik.

 

Duh.

 

That's it!!!

 

The family summer trip to California is ON!

[RockMyAmadeus]

When a seller has 3,000 copies of a book and they're coming right out of a case, a lot of them should have 9.8 potential.

 

Sometimes NONE.

I'd be inclined to state policy as 'books will be sent Diamond case fresh. No grade guarantees can be offered.'

 

If he gets Diamond cases like my LCS does he will have a load of damaged comics.

 

A lot of buyers clearly have no experience with receiving cases of books.

 

Most of the time, sure, the box is filled with 9.8 potentials. Maybe even 60-70% of the time.

 

But there's a damn big chunk where it's not. I could never be a retailer for precisely that reason. I would be returning endless damages, and Diamond would cut me off.

 

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

who are they proposing the 8.5s get sent to?

 

You and Kimik.

 

Duh.

 

That's it!!!

 

The family summer trip to California is ON!

 

Ooo, sounds like fun!

 

I'll make the reservations now.

 

[kimik]

who are they proposing the 8.5s get sent to?

 

You and Kimik.

 

Duh.

 

All of my Phantom variants are 9.8s. Larry and Happy Harbor Comics in Edmonton take good care of us up here.