Certified Collectibles Group (CCG) Acquires Classics Incorporated 3 3

[mintcollector]

 

The MCMiles vs namisgr throwdown was golden.

 

 

What, no love for my mint smackdown?

 

What if I add, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

 

 

That was a 'smackdown?' Surely you can do better? At least for my 'fans' who 'lurk' here.

 

For someone who does not seem to agree with any of my views, you sure have a way of bringing me back into the conversation.

 

I will assume you never bothered to read my responses.

 

'mint'

[drbanner]

Converserly, as undergraded books are identified and flip hands and work their way through the ringer(s) (and make no mistake, there are books out there that have been pressed, re-pressed, and post-re-pressed as the new "owners/investors" have no history that a book has already been pressed and re-pressed), the % of overgraded CGC books will increase as each book is maxed out. That, and the loosening of CGC's standards over the last few years, has resulted in an overall population of CGC graded books that lean towards the low end of the grade spectrum.

The fact that a book as expensive as the Pacific Coast Hulk 1 has been resubbed many times tells me that the more expensive/rare/highly sought after a book is, the more likely it is that it'll have a "checkered" resub history. Combine that with your point about overgraded/overworked books and the astronomical rise in the prices of many key books, and you can only conclude that buyers will continue to get far less for their collecting dollar.

If I had money that I couldn't afford to lose tied up in books, I'd be dumping like it's hot.

 

This is really the problem, today's 9.2's and 9.4's were yesterday's 9.0's and 9.2's.

 

IMHO, some of the biggest losers here are the collectors sitting with "virgin" CGC books in their collection from before about 2010. These books are slowly being marginalized as the hobby around them systematically reduces the overall quality of a given CGC numerical grade by 1) the loosening of grading standards, and 2) making sure each and every book that passes through CGC's hands has the "opportunity" to "reach it's full potential".

 

Three cheers for opportunity and potential! :headbang:

[mintcollector]

I should probably add Shrunkenhead, that I mean this 'tongue and cheek.' Do not take my response above seriously...

 

I was just 'baiting you.' No offense taken. You are entitled to your opinion.

 

'mint'

Edited November 18, 2012 by mintcollector

[Boozad]

This acquisition strengthens CCG’s commitment to promoting the comic collecting hobby and enhancing the collecting experience by offering a streamlined submission experience and a suite of services that is a win/win for both collectors and dealers.

 

I'm still struggling to see how this is win/win when it comes to people who want to try the CPR treatment on books that have already been pressed two or three times. I wonder how many people will CPR books only to get the same grades back?

It's hardly showing a commitment to promoting the hobby at all, and how having CI down the hall instead of in Texas enhances the collecting experience is beyond me.

[VintageComics]

Coming soon: more of these:

 

 

What's the deal with that book?

 

You don't see it?

 

Stare for at least 10 minutes straight into Loki's face, and his eyes cross. That is weird how CGC pulled this off.

 

JIM #91 is another book notorious for top staple problems.

[VintageComics]

You can even get a 9.6:

 

 

What is really neat is how the top of the staple is further indented than the bottom of the staple.

 

I wonder how a press did that. Or it didn't and the top prong is just tighter than the bottom one from production.

 

 

 

 

[shrunkenhead]

 

The MCMiles vs namisgr throwdown was golden.

 

 

What, no love for my mint smackdown?

 

What if I add, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

 

 

That was a 'smackdown?' Surely you can do better? At least for my 'fans' who 'lurk' here.

 

For someone who does not seem to agree with any of my views, you sure have a way of bringing me back into the conversation.

 

I will assume you never bothered to read my responses.

 

'mint'

 

I've no problem with your views. It's the presentation of those views. It's telling somebody who's been dealing comics full-time longer than you've likely been alive that they need to cease to be part of the conversation because you're a part-time antiques dealer with a vast storehouse of knowledge.

 

Especially when that person has been respectful and gracious enough to directly ask your opinion.

 

It's kinda like Pauly Shore giving Olivier acting tips because of Shore's vast experience in cinema.

 

This board is a small community. A lot of the folks here know each other in one capacity or another. It's no hyperbole to say that some of the most influential collectors and dealers in the world regularly frequent this forum. I submit to you that you have far more to learn from the folks here than you could ever teach them. And I honestly don't mean that to be insulting to you, though you might take it as such.

 

There is a tremendous stockpile of knowledge on these boards. More than I'm afraid you recognize, and, if so, that would be a shame. If you're able to step back and learn as well as pass on advice to your disciples, that would be great. There are people here who can teach you stuff about the hobby that you're never going to get in a Gary Rinker piece. And I don't suggest that I'm one of those people who's got something to teach you.

 

My mention of a smackdown was an attempt to diffuse the situation via humor. Obviously it ain't working. So I won't go there again. I'll back away from this and derail no more.

 

 

[namisgr]

 

JIM #91 is another book notorious for top staple problems.

 

Try to follow along, Roy, with the information that's being presented. This is the White Mountain copy. I used to own it when it was in an old label, and still have a front cover scan. The substantial staple indentation is new for the new label resubmitted version.

 

Now you can concoct a story about how the full moon exerted gravitational pull on the staple and caused the indentation. Still doesn't change the FF36 that I showed you. Or the increasing prevalence of high grade books being sold through certain venues that carry defects from pressing (and not just at the staples).

[namisgr]

You can even get a 9.6:

 

What is really neat is how the top of the staple is further indented than the bottom of the staple.

 

I wonder how a press did that. Or it didn't and the top prong is just tighter than the bottom one from production.

 

 

Again, you've lost track. This was presented as an example of a comic that can have an impacted staple and still garner a 9.6 from CGC.

 

That staples are sometimes indented during the production process has no bearing on the examples of staple indentation from books pressed by CCG's new pressing service.

[TheLiamSturgess]

It doesn't look too impacted to me :shrug:

[namisgr]

It doesn't look too impacted to me :shrug:

 

It isn't. For many, but not CGC, a staple like that would preclude a near mint plus grade.

[TupennyConan]

What, no love for my mint smackdown?

 

 

With heavy-hitter word-count scoreboard like you & mint put up in your street fights to the death, the only clear winner is CG.

 

[TupennyConan]

Pauly Shore enjoyed a reference on the last page.

[mintcollector]

 

The MCMiles vs namisgr throwdown was golden.

 

 

What, no love for my mint smackdown?

 

What if I add, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

 

 

That was a 'smackdown?' Surely you can do better? At least for my 'fans' who 'lurk' here.

 

For someone who does not seem to agree with any of my views, you sure have a way of bringing me back into the conversation.

 

I will assume you never bothered to read my responses.

 

'mint'

 

I've no problem with your views. It's the presentation of those views. It's telling somebody who's been dealing comics full-time longer than you've likely been alive that they need to cease to be part of the conversation because you're a part-time antiques dealer with a vast storehouse of knowledge.

 

Especially when that person has been respectful and gracious enough to directly ask your opinion.

 

It's kinda like Pauly Shore giving Olivier acting tips because of Shore's vast experience in cinema.

 

This board is a small community. A lot of the folks here know each other in one capacity or another. It's no hyperbole to say that some of the most influential collectors and dealers in the world regularly frequent this forum. I submit to you that you have far more to learn from the folks here than you could ever teach them. And I honestly don't mean that to be insulting to you, though you might take it as such.

 

There is a tremendous stockpile of knowledge on these boards. More than I'm afraid you recognize, and, if so, that would be a shame. If you're able to step back and learn as well as pass on advice to your disciples, that would be great. There are people here who can teach you stuff about the hobby that you're never going to get in a Gary Rinker piece. And I don't suggest that I'm one of those people who's got something to teach you.

 

My mention of a smackdown was an attempt to diffuse the situation via humor. Obviously it ain't working. So I won't go there again. I'll back away from this and derail no more.

 

 

Who is Gary Rinker? Your attempt at humor is greater than you realize (!)! That being said, I want to bring up one point before I let this die.

 

These discussions I have on this forum are NOT about 'winning or losing' as some make these out to be. That is a very immature view to possess (and I am by no means implying that you possess that view). They are about learning and sharing knowledge. Personally, I have learned a great deal about comic books from this forum; a little too much to be quite honest as I have yet to have a need for most of the knowledge gained.

 

That being said, you need not compare me to people who have vast amounts of knowledge in one field of other. I succeeded in the antiques and collectibles business because I have a vast knowledge of multitude fields of interest. I do not argue that a lot of cross-collectors and dealers here have a similar amount of knowledge. While you may not agree with how I may seem to come across; my only interest is sharing and learning from that knowledge. My original signature post was 'here to learn.' I only hope other individuals also learn from me as well.

 

Main take away; none of my posts are ever about being 'right or wrong.' It is always about the sharing of knowledge. I have said this multiple times.

 

Kind Regards, Shrunkenhead.

 

Respectfully yours,

 

'mint'

 

[ComicConnoisseur]

Here is a thought,and not a statement.

Does anybody see this as a last gasp hail mary by CGC?

They got competition with digital comics exploding in sales on one side,and then they got the big players now moving into OA.

It seems getting that CGC 9.6 pressed into CGC 9.8 doesn`t seem that special anymore.

Look at all the interest this has created on the board.

 

 

CGC will slab more books this year than they ever have. Business is in no way down.

No Hail Mary needed.

You have to admit a 1966 and up cgc 9.8 really isn`t that hard or expensive to get anymore.

An example.

Somebody(dealer) does all that work(pressing and slabbing),but someone(collector) can just go on Ebay or another site, and get that 9.8 cheaper than they would pay the dealer or presser themselves.

The point I am trying to make there really isn`t that much a money incentive now to even want your 9.6 pressed up to 9.8. 3 to 5 years ago pressing and resubs was bank. It is not so anymore for most comics.

Those days are past,and it looks like the big players are moving into OA.

Just my opinion.

Edited November 18, 2012 by ComicConnoisseur

[Jeffro.]

I can't wait until this thread gets locked. Suck on a -5 points bgraves.

[TupennyConan]

Main take away; none of my posts are ever about being 'right or wrong.' It is always about the sharing of knowledge.

 

I feel smarter.

 

 

[shrunkenhead]

Pauly Shore enjoyed a reference on the last page.

[lscomics]

I'm pretty much impartial on this whole thing. It's not a service that I myself would use and I sincerely doubt that it will affect grades in any way. In theory shouldn't the graders still be getting the books with nothing more that a UPC code to identify them? As long as that remains the case I don't see any conflict of interest.

 

It's ridiculous that people here are suggesting that this is what will cause the downfall of the collectible comic market. Worldwide I'd bet that 75% or better of comic collectors aren't interested in graded books at all.

[shrunkenhead]

Worldwide I'd bet that 75% or better of comic collectors aren't interested in graded books at all. [/quote

 

I continue to be surprised at the low percentage of graded books at most smallish to mid-sized shows. The thousands of slabs that are for sale on ebay any given week always give me the impression that the market for slabs is far larger. But I still routinely hear dealers explaining to prospective buyers terms like CGC, slabbing, resto checks, etc.

 

So yeah, there is a big percentage of the hobby that has never got on the carousel.