MONDAY'S COMIC ZONE- CGC'S STEVE BOROCK & PAUL LITCH

[awe4one]

OK, after all of this sturm un drang, I've gone through and counted. I have, in my basement 44 Silver and Bronze Age 9.8s. None of them have any sort of slab damage. Neither do any of my other slabbed books, ranging in grades from a 1.8 to 9.6. I simply don't see any.

 

You want me to post examples? We could be here awhile...

 

Jim

[goldust40]

Steve Borock said:

When I say problems, I mean, I get a 20 minute dissertation on how CGC' s stance is wrong and why we should change it. Like any business, by being a good clients and/or friends I have known for years, you give them the chance to "argue" their case at length (like we let you do here) Once in a while, people come up with great thoughts on how to do things better/differently and we then adapt to make our service better. Many people have been around a lot longer than those of us at CGC, we respect their opinions and knowledge, and there is nothing wrong with listening to your customers whether you take their advice or not.

 

I said:

Just to be clear, your official stance is that CGC has never granted any customer any sort of special treatment?

 

And could you supply us with examples of the "great ideas" that you have heard from others that have been implemented and have improved your service? I continually see what I (and many others) consider to be "great ideas" that are either ignored or dismissed.

 

 

Upon reading my post above, Mr. Borock felt it necessary to PM me and tell me to stop asking him questions or he would have me banned.

 

I wonder what the "hot button" was there? Either way, he asked me not to ask him any more questions ever again. So I won't.

 

Once again, you are INCORRECTLY relaying what I wrote and I did not want to bring it to the boards. Since you have, you may post BOTH my pm's to you here so that all may see what was written to you. After that, please leave threads that I am on, alone. I have no problem discussing concerns our board members have, ask Scott or Garth. People my not like all my answers and I might not love their questions, but if the conversation is adult like, I have no problems answering those questions or concerns they have in person and/or on the phone. Typing takes too much time out of my day (today and yesterday are perfect examples) and I type too slow.

 

Gotta go. Going to vote and teach my daughter about the right to vote and that everyone in this great country has a right to voice their opinions in a CIVIL manner

 

PLEASE, EVERYONE VOTE TODAY!

 

I wish I could.

[drbanner]

Wow. I think most of your questions are just attempts to get Steve to [/i]say something he shouldn't[/i] and aren't really constructive.

 

Bummer, if only there was some kind of forum or venue where we could call Steve on the phone and ask him these great questions? And wouldn't it be great if everyone else could somehow hear the conversation, like, you know, over the internet! Then we could ask Steve directly about things like, say slab damage and turn-times. Now that would be really great!

[Red Hook]

If you can get to Dade County by midnight you might be able to!

[awe4one]

If you can get to Dade County by midnight you might be able to!

 

Hey I vote in Dade County! At least I know my vote is counted....and counted again....and again...and....

 

Jim

[goldust40]

If you can get to Dade County by midnight you might be able to!

 

Should've thought of this earlier......

[ArAich]

And yes I do know how to transposrt a CGC slab safely...

 

Step 1: sandwich the slab between stiff cardboard.

Step 2: tighly seal the cardboard around the slab.

Step 3: cushion around the sandwiched unit with hollow packing peanuts in order to cushion rough handling.

Step 3: Ship via USPS priority since they handle these packages with a little more care.

 

I've received comics with slab damage in the mail that have met all of this criteria...

 

Jim

 

OK...but exactly when did the slab damage actually occur...before or during shipping???...

[goldust40]

Wow. I think most of your questions are just attempts to get Steve to [/i]say something he shouldn't[/i] and aren't really constructive.

 

Bummer, if only there was some kind of forum or venue where we could call Steve on the phone and ask him these great questions? And wouldn't it be great if everyone else could somehow hear the conversation, like, you know, over the internet! Then we could ask Steve directly about things like, say slab damage and turn-times. Now that would be really great!

 

So does your trenchant irony mean you're backing up MK, or not?

[awe4one]

If you can get to Dade County by midnight you might be able to!

 

Should've thought of this earlier......

 

Well it's 2:30 there now...if you immediately hop a flight to MIA you'd just make it...

 

Jim

[garthgantu]

Put me in the category of having at least 125-150 graded books pass through my collection and none with slab damage.

I have seen one book with my own eyes that I believe had a curled corner from slab damage.

Other than that book, nada.

I'm not saying it can't happen. Just that it's never happened to me.

 

But do you care? When the "clean, press and resubmit" trend was at its peak (in terms of discussion on these boards), there were quite a number of posters who took the attitude, "well, I don't collect GA or SA books, so the clean/press/resub problem doesn't apply to me."

 

When people complain about slow turnaround times, there's always some yahoo ready to say "well, if you only collected 'economy-class' books, you'd be home by now!"

 

Now we have a problem - SCS that seems to be affecting BA and MA books far more than other 'ages'. And we still have people saying "I don't own any books with SCS damage, so it can't be a big deal, at least not for me."

 

Not trying to put words in your mouth....but wondering if many board regulars only care about a given CGC issue/policy when it applies directly to them.

 

Because you never know - the next major point of contention might land in your backyard...

[awe4one]

And yes I do know how to transposrt a CGC slab safely...

 

Step 1: sandwich the slab between stiff cardboard.

Step 2: tighly seal the cardboard around the slab.

Step 3: cushion around the sandwiched unit with hollow packing peanuts in order to cushion rough handling.

Step 3: Ship via USPS priority since they handle these packages with a little more care.

 

I've received comics with slab damage in the mail that have met all of this criteria...

 

Jim

 

OK...but exactly when did the slab damage actually occur...before or during shipping???...

 

In the last case, the damage absolutely happened during delivery. I posted scans the last time we had this discussion about a month ago...

 

Jim

[shrunkenhead]

I'm in Dade County too. Took me over an hour at the polls to get through the line once they opened, and I got there 40 minutes before they opened.

[goldust40]

If you can get to Dade County by midnight you might be able to!

 

Should've thought of this earlier......

 

Well it's 2:30 there now...if you immediately hop a flight to MIA you'd just make it...

 

Jim

 

Yeah, I can just imagine....telling the missus that I'm just nipping off right this second to Miami to vote in the Presidential elections.

[drbanner]

Wow. I think most of your questions are just attempts to get Steve to [/i]say something he shouldn't[/i] and aren't really constructive.

 

Bummer, if only there was some kind of forum or venue where we could call Steve on the phone and ask him these great questions? And wouldn't it be great if everyone else could somehow hear the conversation, like, you know, over the internet! Then we could ask Steve directly about things like, say slab damage and turn-times. Now that would be really great!

 

So does your trenchant irony mean you're backing up MK, or not?

 

Are you saying I'm implying that if these questions were so important to him then MK should have called Steve yesterday like Foolkiller and Redhook did? I guess if the MO isn't constructive on these boards, then it wouldn't be constructive in person either...

[garthgantu]

Banner, you've called me on this one before too, and I think it's bogus.

 

What, I should call Steve to ask my questions, feverishly write down his answers and post those along with my questions? What if I'm as bad at taking dictation as Steve B is at typing?

 

Here are some solutions to Steve B's lack of available time for typing responses to questions and comments on the boards:

- get Steve a secretary. She needs to be just knowledgeable enough about comics and the back issue community to identify reasonably sincere questions. Then take 30 min. each day to pose those to Steve and convey his responses to the boards.

 

- create some sort of utility for Steve so that he can attach audio files to posts. Thus Steve could record his responses in spoken form, attach them to posts on the boards, and quickly/concisely get his responses to the masses without typing.

 

- have Steve attend typing lessons. This one sounds silly, but the fact is that ultimately 2 mos. of typing lessons will benefit anyone who can't already type 40 or more words per minute. At the end of the day, even Steve will feel better, as he'll be able to respond to more posts in a more detailed, comprehensive way.

[hobbes]

So Steve, how many times have you banged your head on your desk today?

[OldGuy]

Wow. I think most of your questions are just attempts to get Steve to [/i]say something he shouldn't[/i] and aren't really constructive.

 

Bummer, if only there was some kind of forum or venue where we could call Steve on the phone and ask him these great questions? And wouldn't it be great if everyone else could somehow hear the conversation, like, you know, over the internet! Then we could ask Steve directly about things like, say slab damage and turn-times. Now that would be really great!

 

I don't understand what you're saying here. You know I was talking directly to MK, right?

[Illiterati-migration]

Steve Borock said:

When I say problems, I mean, I get a 20 minute dissertation on how CGC' s stance is wrong and why we should change it. Like any business, by being a good clients and/or friends I have known for years, you give them the chance to "argue" their case at length (like we let you do here) Once in a while, people come up with great thoughts on how to do things better/differently and we then adapt to make our service better. Many people have been around a lot longer than those of us at CGC, we respect their opinions and knowledge, and there is nothing wrong with listening to your customers whether you take their advice or not.

 

I said:

Just to be clear, your official stance is that CGC has never granted any customer any sort of special treatment?

 

And could you supply us with examples of the "great ideas" that you have heard from others that have been implemented and have improved your service? I continually see what I (and many others) consider to be "great ideas" that are either ignored or dismissed.

 

 

Upon reading my post above, Mr. Borock felt it necessary to PM me and tell me to stop asking him questions or he would have me banned.

 

I wonder what the "hot button" was there? Either way, he asked me not to ask him any more questions ever again. So I won't.

 

Once again, you are INCORRECTLY relaying what I wrote and I did not want to bring it to the boards. Since you have, you may post BOTH my pm's to you here so that all may see what was written to you. After that, please leave threads that I am on, alone. I have no problem discussing concerns our board members have, ask Scott or Garth. People my not like all my answers and I might not love their questions, but if the conversation is adult like, I have no problems answering those questions or concerns they have in person and/or on the phone. Typing takes too much time out of my day (today and yesterday are perfect examples) and I type too slow.

 

Gotta go. Going to vote and teach my daughter about the right to vote and that everyone in this great country has a right to voice their opinions in a CIVIL manner

 

PLEASE, EVERYONE VOTE TODAY!

 

How am I incorrectly relaying anything? Wait, can I even respond to this? Regardless, here's your first (unsolicited) PM:

 

I asked you to stay away from my posts.

 

Please use "ignore this user" option when it comes to me. If you continue to play "board bad boy" (or whatever it is you think you are) around me, I will have you banned.

 

Thanks,

Steve

 

Now, in a "forum" like this, Steve, context is everything. I was asking you various questions (nothing more) when you sent me that PM. You effectively silenced my question-asking by threatening to ban me.

 

I fail to see how that is "incorrectly relaying" your message. As I told you, I am concerned for the state of the hobby, I am not playing "board bad boy".

[drbanner]

Banner, you've called me on this one before too, and I think it's bogus.

 

What, I should call Steve to ask my questions, feverishly write down his answers and post those along with my questions? What if I'm as bad at taking dictation as Steve B is at typing?

 

Sorry, but Vinnie posted this thread to announce that Steve was going to be taking questions from callers on-line for everyone to hear, so it's BS that MK tries to call Steve out for not responding to his rhetorical/unanswerable questions when he didn't take the 60 seconds needed to make the call and talk to Steve directly, for everyone to hear nonetheless!! And who needs dictation when the show is archived and anyone call pull it up today and listen?

 

Now, this is different from what your situation was last year(?) where you just kept hammering and hammering away while other, more constructive posters (like BB-13) simply called CGC's 800 number and asked to talk to Steve. I'm glad you attended the Wonder Con dinner and gave SB the 3rd degree (although I don't believe you ever did provide us with the "meeting minutes" I PM'ed you about concerning "the questions that have to be asked", last I heard you had sent your responses to Steve for his approval or something), but here you are asking the same questions over and over and harping on CGC over and over on the same issues, you're like a broken record.

 

Here are some solutions to Steve B's lack of available time for typing responses to questions and comments on the boards:

 

- get Steve a secretary. She needs to be just knowledgeable enough about comics and the back issue community to identify reasonably sincere questions. Then take 30 min. each day to pose those to Steve and convey his responses to the boards.

 

- create some sort of utility for Steve so that he can attach audio files to posts. Thus Steve could record his responses in spoken form, attach them to posts on the boards, and quickly/concisely get his responses to the masses without typing.

 

- have Steve attend typing lessons. This one sounds silly, but the fact is that ultimately 2 mos. of typing lessons will benefit anyone who can't already type 40 or more words per minute. At the end of the day, even Steve will feel better, as he'll be able to respond to more posts in a more detailed, comprehensive way.

 

Just like your "proposal" to scan every comic book that comes CGC's way and run it against a database of all previously graded comics to search for pressed resubmits, the proposals above are not practical ($$ and time). In addition, as OldGuy points out above, there are some questions that can't/shouldn't be answered, similar to the old joke from middle school - "Does your mom know you're gay/dumb/weak/etc?"

[drbanner]

Wow. I think most of your questions are just attempts to get Steve to [/i]say something he shouldn't[/i] and aren't really constructive.

 

Bummer, if only there was some kind of forum or venue where we could call Steve on the phone and ask him these great questions? And wouldn't it be great if everyone else could somehow hear the conversation, like, you know, over the internet! Then we could ask Steve directly about things like, say slab damage and turn-times. Now that would be really great!

 

I don't understand what you're saying here. You know I was talking directly to MK, right?

 

Yes, me too...indirectly!