Metropolis Comics... 9.8......

[Red Hook]

You seem like a person with a lot of anger.

 

I state the grades of the books and the total for the order (to make sure we are talking about the same group of book) and you seem angry at that.

 

We offer all customers a 7 day refund policy and you seem angry at that.

 

We ask for scans of the books you bought and you seem angry at that.

 

Steve

 

And therein lies the unique charm of our JC.

[joe_collector]

To state the very least, each and every book at Metropolis is graded with care, out of the bag.

 

Since these comics are a wash anyway, PM me your address (so that it gets to you personally) and I'll send you a book or two. Then you can look at them up-close and let us all know exactly what you think of the grading.

 

Deal?

[metropoliscomics]

Just to be clear you did order a book that was graded 9.0 Vf/NM and a book that was graded 9.2 NM-. Were you under the impression that these books were graded 9.6 or 9.8?

 

Steve

[shadroch]

Just to be clear you did order a book that was graded 9.0 Vf/NM and a book that was graded 9.2 NM-. Were you under the impression that these books were graded 9.6 or 9.8?

 

Steve

 

Slow day in the office there,Steve? Are you gearing up for all those delegates bursting into town,waving wads of cash to help out us poor New Yawkers, still struggling with the fallout of Sept.11th?

[drbanner]

You seem like a person with a lot of anger.

 

 

[joe_collector]

Just to be clear you did order a book that was graded 9.0 Vf/NM and a book that was graded 9.2 NM-. Were you under the impression that these books were graded 9.6 or 9.8?

 

Nope, and although the 9.0/9.2 might grade a tad lower (that scrape on the FF 122 is a real head-scratcher), it's those Avengers 9.6 and 9.8 issues that are the real suspect ones.

 

Of course, to be totally fair, this may be a case of improper storage (post-grading) and over-zealous employees rifling through the boxes and creasing these poor books almost in half.

[metropoliscomics]

those Avengers 9.6 and 9.8 issues that are the real suspect ones.

 

That's the part I can't understand. I graded those books and they were killer.

[joe_collector]

That's the part I can't understand. I graded those books and they were killer.

 

Forgetting the other two (164 is close, 165 is not), I do see how the Avengers 166 9.8 might have been pristine. It's a really nice looking book that seems to have been bent 1/2 and 2/3 of the way down (very long spine dents, creeping halfway or more into the book), possibly due to improper storage or searching techniques.

 

On the plus side, I can see you're very interested in customer service and that is most appreciated.

[Aman619]

hey JC, at this point I think most of us can see that you jumped into this thread, guns ablazing at Metro with more of a sense memory of being disappointed in the order you got from them but w/o the facts at hand, and now realize you must backpaddle cause you realize (based on the actual list of books Steve posted) that your "big yap" got you further out in front of this issue than you had planned.... yes? no?

[joe_collector]

Not even close. I just appreciate Steve acting like a professional in this matter. so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

You on the other hand....

[Aman619]

Just for the record, I purchased:

 

Individual Books rated at between 9.6 and 9.8

Bronze/Modern

 

And NONE was even close to NM 9.4. In fact, one 9.8 looked like it had been BENT IN HALF. Huge, deep spine dents running over half-way into the cover on a 9.6, not to mention multiple, significant, color-breaking corner creases.

 

I guess I was swayed buy the exaggerated use of "NONE was even close" when since it was only one 9.8 and one 9.6 you ordered that "NEITHER" would have painted a completely different picture of the size of your disappointing order. (2 books in those grades...)

[joe_collector]

I guess I was swayed buy the exaggerated use of "NONE was even close" when since it was only one 9.8 and one 9.6 you ordered that "NEITHER" would have painted a completely different picture of the size of your disappointing order. (2 books in those grades...)

 

I guess we all can't be geniuses at math. Although it's not like I ordered millions of comics from Metro, you are incorrect.

 

Check Steve's post again Einstein.

 

Arman, why not stop with the blatant "I'ts JC, so let's all pile on" mentality? It's so obvious, especially as your cranially-challenged skull can't even add 2 + 1.

[FFB]

We try our best. If people are unhappy with a grade on a given book, we are more than happy to take the book back. In some cases, books experience slight damage after they are graded. It happens.

 

If people want CGC 9.8s, they should buy books already in CGC holders that state 9.8 at the top. No one should buy raw books from anyone with the expectation of getting a 9.8 from CGC. If it happens great, but don't expect it.

 

If a buyer disagrees with a grade, sometimes I will agree with them and sometimes not. I have attempted to sell high grade books to certain people who 'ya just can't please. Standards that are one-sided (in their favor). When these same individuals attempt to sell me books, those incredibly strict standards seem to go out the window.

 

Steve

 

Since the grade 9.8 is a CGC invention,if you don't think they will grade out as CGC 9.8,why in the world would you sell them as such?

If people should not expect 9.8s to come as such,why should we expect your 8.5s to come as such?

I've never had a problem with any book you graded but the above statement makes me wonder about buying a raw book in the future.

 

Here's a PM I got from Arnold a while back when I asked a somewhat related question:

 

From: ArnoldTBlumberg

 

Hi Scott,

 

The 10 point grading system, which is a revision and clarification of the previous 100 point system, debuted in The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #30 (March 2000). Steve Borock was one of many Overstreet Advisors who contributed to the refining process. Bob Overstreet, in consultation with the advisors, as well as other collectors and dealers, had taken up the issue of revising the system almost as soon as the original edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide (1992) was released. As you suspected, it was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

 

Arnold

[Aman619]

I guess I was swayed buy the exaggerated use of "NONE was even close" when since it was only one 9.8 and one 9.6 you ordered that "NEITHER" would have painted a completely different picture of the size of your disappointing order. (2 books in those grades...)

 

I guess we all can't be geniuses at math. Although it's not like I ordered millions of comics from Metro, you are incorrect.

 

Check Steve's post again Einstein.

 

Arman, why not stop with the blatant "I'ts JC, so let's all pile on" mentality? It's so obvious, especially as your cranially-challenged skull can't even add 2 + 1.

 

I never understand why you resort to name calling. My first post, and others to you in the past were lamenting aspects related to your belligerrant and uncompromising attitude. For all the great posts you add, there are far too many thin skinned ones. Read my post again. It was worded not to accuse you but rather to just point out that it seemed you had overstated the comments about Metros grading. And it was prompted by the softening of your tone in answers to Steve at that point as you realized you had gone somwewhat overboard in your condemnation of their grading.

 

For the record, I happen to feel that Metro IS usually a half point high on their books.

And it is silly for any dealer to sell a book as 9.8 except as a mere suggestion of what CGC MIGHT grade it on a particular day and time.

 

But what is most illustrative of this whole incident is that once again, Metro (usually Vinnie and now Steve himself) come on here and discuss complaints and misunderstandings in a calm and professional manner. If that sounds like Im kissing than I'll ad the caveat: as opposed to their behavior one-on-one sometimes!.

 

and its Aman, not Arman. jeeeez

[pjthib]

I purchased a Harvey Hits #16 graded at 9.6 from them recently for around $100. I thought I was getting a steal. Unfortunately the book had the following defects:

 

- 2 inch non color breaking crease on cover. The book had to be looked at at an angle to see it.

- Another 1 inch non-color breaking crease on cover. Again you had to look at the book at an angle to see it.

- Several very small creases at the top left corner of the cover. Quite noticeable.

- A recessed staple

 

I was appalled with the grade. I'm not a grading expert but this book was no where near a 9.0, let alone a 9.6.

 

I returned the book with some notes on why I thought it was overgraded. They accepted the return without a problem, reposted it on their web-site at 9.6 and have since sold it again.

 

Pete

[Susanville]

I guess I was swayed buy the exaggerated use of "NONE was even close" when since it was only one 9.8 and one 9.6 you ordered that "NEITHER" would have painted a completely different picture of the size of your disappointing order. (2 books in those grades...)

 

I guess we all can't be geniuses at math. Although it's not like I ordered millions of comics from Metro, you are incorrect.

 

Check Steve's post again Einstein.

 

Arman, why not stop with the blatant "I'ts JC, so let's all pile on" mentality? It's so obvious, especially as your cranially-challenged skull can't even add 2 + 1.

 

barney (the purple dinosaur): two plus one is three. two plus one is three. two plus one is three. two plus one is three.

homer simpson: he he. i can see why this is so popular.

[pjthib]

In all fairness, I should add that my only other non cgc purchase from them was TOS 42-44 all graded between 8.0 and 8.5 and I felt very good about the grading.

 

I'm definitely not a Metropolis basher and will order from them again.

 

Pete

[sfilosa]

purchased a Harvey Hits #16 graded at 9.6 from them recently for around $100. I thought I was getting a steal. Unfortunately the book had the following defects:

 

- 2 inch non color breaking crease on cover. The book had to be looked at at an angle to see it.

- Another 1 inch non-color breaking crease on cover. Again you had to look at the book at an angle to see it.

- Several very small creases at the top left corner of the cover. Quite noticeable.

- A recessed staple

 

I was appalled with the grade. I'm not a grading expert but this book was no where near a 9.0, let alone a 9.6.

 

I returned the book with some notes on why I thought it was overgraded. They accepted the return without a problem, reposted it on their web-site at 9.6 and have since sold it again.

 

 

Quick Points:

 

1) Stephen's polite responses to JC comments show incredible

professionalism.

 

2) In general, I believe that non-color breaking crease are not downgraded by dealers / collectors as much as CGC does. I have CGC 9.2 books that looks perfect except for a 1" inch non-color breaking crease/indent. Almost all sellers would sell this book as a 9.4 or higher. That's just the reality of the situation.

[Aman619]

good point Sfilosa. I was thinking of saying something similar that CGC spots and downgrades for defects that arent very noticeable w/o special effort that dealers and collectors miss. But then I stopped because it gets caught uop in the 10-point scale issue. If Steve created it (and I believe he was the driving force in getting it adopted at the OS level) then CGC must be using a different 10-point scale or their grades would always be identical.

 

this whole thing just underscores thata book isnt ANY grade until CGC says so. I know that upsets people and many just dont agree. But for the purposes of selling a graded book, CGCs grade is the most important factor. Any RAW grade is just one man's opinion versus the "official independent" opinion.

[pjthib]

2) In general, I believe that non-color breaking crease are not downgraded by dealers / collectors as much as CGC does. I have CGC 9.2 books that looks perfect except for a 1" inch non-color breaking crease/indent. Almost all sellers would sell this book as a 9.4 or higher. That's just the reality of the situation.

 

That's good to know.

 

Thanks.