The good old days. posted by DBoy

[CSJournals-migration]

The thrill is gone.

 

I guess this all began last year right before CGC announced it's price increases for grading and everyone rushed in their orders to avoid the price increase which subsequently overloaded their work load which doesn't look like there is a bottom to the wait time it just seems like the wait just isn't worth it for me anymore, aside from Marvel totally screwing up their numbering system yet again where I just threw up my hands and said enough is enough. My money and my time is worth a lot to me and I'm not going to be subjected to waiting for a submission that used to take on average 20 business days to a quarter of a year if not more unless you shell out for the fast track services but it can get very expensive as you all may know. So the thrill of the wait is slowly dying and even though I still love comics and growing up with my spider-man and DareDevils and Batman in the 80's I think I'm just going to hang up the gloves and just concentrate on getting those last 8 issues of Amazing spiderman I need to finish the run from #1 to #700. I have 5 modern books still only verified since December and I just don't even care anymore when I get them back because the thrill is just gone. It's sad to have to say it but at this point I'm not sure I can even go back. I think just purchasing books graded might be a better alternative than just submitting on my own. I'm not going to write on how or what Cgc should do to improve their services because we've all heard it before and it's like preaching to the Quire but all in all it's a business like another and that's how they run it not for the love of preserving our beloved books but to make a dollar and a cent in the comics industry. I spoke to a CGC employee at the NYCC this past year and asked her if she works for CGC because she likes comics and he reply was "no" so right then and there I started to pull away emotionally from this hobby.

 

See more journals by DBoy

[Tnerb]

That Sucks

 

As I read this I felt like I was losing something. There was a time I was forced to stop collecting comic books. This wasn't done by anyone or anything, actually it was because I lacked one thing, disposable income. It was proabably a good thing because when I did eventually get the issues I missed as back issues, they sucked. I mean seriously the White Queen is an X-men now. I still hate that one. Although the latest issues of Uncanny X-men, which being that it is only #2, was the most I liked the White Queen from my introduction to her in New Mutants #15, how I love that book.

 

It was these journals more than anything else that inspired me, these journals and a copy of New Mutants #1 in a 9.8. I have no trouble waiting since I am patient...very patient, and if my books weren't sitting in boxes there, they would be sitting in boxes here. I understand the frustration though. Waiting a quarter of a year or more for a service that should not take that long is frustrating. Do they somehow have more graders doing the fast track or does every time a book come in as a fast track it gets placed in the middle of the line.

 

It is agreed that somewhere there is something missing. Whether it is the customer service, the lack of knowing when, or just the sheer boredom of paying for time lost. I hated CGC when they were just an idea coming to fruition. I might not love CGC now but I don't dislike them either because I have found that this hobby is ore than getting a comic book of any caliber, but making friends of the best kind.

 

I hope you find your joy in this hobby, if not today, then maybe tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

Tnerb

[Jeffro.]

For me, I had to focus on what mattered to me most and that was collecting the comics of my youth (Richie Rich and DC bronze war) and a few others that appealed to me (DC bronze horror and Atlas pre-code horror). I also dabble in fun books like Gold Keys and non-RR Harveys.

 

Doing that has really given me my drive and passion back that I had been lacking for awhile.

 

 

[GamingEtc-migration]

I am in by no way trying to belittle how you feel but I honestly just can't relate to being so bummed about waiting for books to come back. I could see people trying to flip books wanting them back ASAP to sell, but if it's your personal copy, no one is forcing you to have it graded and if you're just going to keep it, what does it really matter if it sits somewhere else for awhile and then comes back upgraded. Upgraded meaning it being graded is obviously an improvement to you or you wouldnt be doing it. I don't want any of this to be read as judgmental or meanspirited because it's not my intention at all, I just don't relate to this line of thinking at all.

 

[Tulls19-migration]

I think what makes it so painful is that while waiting you now have a long "Graded" phase that so far I am into week three of.

 

It wouldn't be quite as bad if it was still like the good old days when "Graded" meant Click Here and See What You Got! and it was something exciting in itself. Also when you could see the grade if felt like you made progress. Now it just says "Graded" and while I believe it is graded it is nice to have solid proof of progress.

[RULKFAN1000]

that sucks to hear Dboy, your Rulk collection has inspired my efforts to compete against you in that run. Whats more impressive that most were submitted by you!!!

[roger1971-migration]

I am one who is not a patient person, with that being said, as long as CGC is the only reputable grading company this will continue to go on. CGC is about the almighty dollar, it financially benefits CGC to have people wait months to get their books back, this way people have no choice but to pay the extra $10 to fast track their service, if they don't want to wait months. Now people have to wait even longer and longer for the fast track service, pretty soon CGC will have another service, where you can pay an extra $10 to fast track the fast track service you already paid $10 extra for, that's more money for them. It will never change until another reputable grading company comes along and they start to lose the money, then it will be all about the customers.

[kaholo1256]

I completely understand you. I think some of my fears is from the unknowable’s. I have someone I know and trust send in a group of comics with this last set being a group of 60 comics. That's 60 reasons to be leery about something. I then don't know how they are treated, how they are stored, will they simply lay them back down and possibly do damage to them? All of these questions come to mind. When it was the one to two month turnaround I still had these fears but I saw progress. Now I don't. I see huge lulls in between progress and many times wish they would simply do away with the fast track until they at least can get under 60 days. I guess the idea that with each coming Con in this heaviest part of the year coming through, my comics are going to go from 120 days turnaround to most likely 200 and possibly more. That's roughly one year turn around for something I pay upfront without ever seeing my comics come back. This is the down side of CGC for me. I have to pay $600 more in order to get my books back within a decent amount of time and if I don't I get to face the dreaded crawl that my books take on the order status page.

 

I guess Tnerb said it best though. While I got into this for the comics and the 9.8's it’s the collective minds of individuals that frequent these journals that have made this process enjoyable for me. The look at what I got's, the history of comics, and the ability to write my goals, ideas, and wants without being judged.........to harshly.

 

For me the patience thing isn't too much of a bother. I'm in Afghanistan and thus won't see my comics graded or not for some time. It’s probably for that reason and that reason only that I'm still ok with the length of time. But if it does get to a year, which following last year the time limit jumped exponentially, then I may very well decide to jump on your bandwagon and start buying previously graded and utilize ebay to buy discounted downloadable comics so I can get my reading enjoyment and CGC fix all at once.

 

My guess though, August, I think we will see the dreaded 200.

 

K

 

[jasonxz-migration]

Back in the mid-90s, I was forced to quit the hobby due to an unfortunate employment status. But, at the time, I didn't really mind. I was still buying new books b/c I was afraid of missing something, not b/c I really wanted them. The gluttony of material being published every week was killing the fun for me.

 

Now that I'm back in, I really don't like what I'm seeing. In order to generate interest, the publishers have adopted the variant cover methodology, purposely creating rare versions of books that can normally be found in abundance. These are books that are not meant to be read. Why even put an interior in the book? Why not just sell the variant cover for what it is: a piece of art?

 

I understand that this is something that's been going on since the early '90s (at least). But in those days, the variants were saved for specific special issues (i.e. "Spider-Man" #1 Platinum) and I didn't like the practice back then b/c the average collector never had a chance to get these variant copies. And now, you can find series that have at least 1 variant for EVERY issue. That's just ridiculous.

 

Anyways, when I returned to the hobby & saw this happening, I determined I would "never" purchase another new book. I will not get caught up in this scheme. And, at the same time, since I'm a horrible grader, it has just made sense for me to purchase my books pre-graded. I've accumulated a decent collection this way. So, if you're going to adopt this method, it's OK in my book.

[surfer99]

Hey DBoy, a lot of good comments here already. For what it's worth, I'm not a big fan of submitting to CGC myself. I prefer the pre-graded books...no stress waiting, and no stress about what the grade may be. There are exceptions of course...I like getting signatures myself regardless of the grade because it's cool to meet one of the creators and have them sign "my" book.

 

Certainly nothing wrong with wanting to finish your Amazing Spider-man set, that's a great goal, graded or not. Until you are in a place where getting graded books is fun again though, I hope you continue to visit and participate in the journals.

 

 

 

[pubmonkey]

I'm going on 5 months with 27 books. After a call yesterday I was told not to expect them back for another 5 weeks, at least!

I have actually forgotten what I sent in, I had to look at my orders to remember if I even owned these books! They are all books I bought as a 15 year old in the 80's and I'm not trying to flip them. I 've had them in a box for 25 years but this wait is killing me.

I have another 30 books I want graded but I think I'll just buy them pregraded from now as I have never known any product from any company to take this long to be processed. Even my house was built faster than this!

 

Dboy, I feel your pain!

 

p.s. that part about the female employee saying she doesn't even like comics is very annoying. How did she get the job if that is her attitude. I certainly wouldn't hire someone into my company who said they didn't like the product we were offering. How can that possibly benefit the company or the customers???