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Answer from CGC.........

Started by sborock,

1,346 posts in this topic

sborock

sborock

Posted
Posted

I have waited a few days before posting because I was hoping to be able to tell you a finalized decision about the hot board topic of the week. I am also posting a new thread so no one has to wade through all the other posts to get to my reply.

 

A few months ago, Chris Friesen informed Mark Haspel and me that at some point he will be leaving CGC to open up a new collectibles service. Chris said that while at first his primary focus will be on comic books, eventually he will be working with other collectibles as well. He told us that his departure has nothing to do with any problems with CGC, as he loves this company, enjoys the work he does, and really likes the people he works with. Chris said that it was purely a personal decision; he wants to do something more challenging with his time.

 

When Chris made this known to the owners of the Certified Collectibles Group, they asked Chris if he would like to establish his new business under the Certified Collectibles Group banner of companies. At this point in time, Chris and Steve Eichenbaum (CEO of the Certified Collectibles Group) are still negotiating to see if this will work.

 

I don’t know everything yet, but I can tell you some things:

 

I (at CGC) have been a part of the Certified Collectibles Group for almost six years now and have the utmost confidence in the honesty, integrity, ethics, and professionalism of the heads of the company; Steve Eichenbaum and Mark Salzberg. The mission statement of the Certified Collectibles Group is to provide a wide range of services to the collectibles industry and to make sure that whatever services are offered are in the best interest of the industry. If they agree to undertake another venture, it will be done correctly and above board. The Certified Collectibles Group is a services company (NGC, NCS, SGC, CGC) and will be adding many other services under their company banner in the next few years. This new company would be just one of them.

 

In the discussions I have had with Chris, there are a few things that have come up. The most important is that if Chris‘s new venture is under the Certified Collectibles Group banner, it will have to be completely separate from CGC as all the companies of the Certified Collectibles Group are independent of one another. Books submitted to CGC will not be evaluated for the service that Chris’s new venture will provide and Chris will not send his customers’ books to CGC once his work is finished. Nor can books be transferred between companies as they are not one and the same. The comic or comics will go directly back to the customer, not to CGC. Nobody who uses the service Chris provides will be told to send their books to CGC. Will we recommend Chris when people ask? Of course, but we would do that anyway. Chris is the best at what he does, that is why we hired him in the first place. If Chris does not become part of the Certified Collectibles Group, we will still recommend him to anyone who asks. Chris has the same honesty, integrity, ethics, and professionalism as the people who run the Certified Collectibles Group do.

 

If this becomes a reality, as usual, a more official statement from CGC and/or the Certified Collectibles Group will be released.

 

I am sure you will have many questions after this has been posted and I will try to answer some of the ones I can over the weekend.

 

Have a great weekend,

Steve

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Smokinghawk

Smokinghawk

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Can you give some official answer to the speculative question of what exactly Chris' service will actually do? You refer to books he receives and returns "once his work is finished" and that it will be a "comics service." Okay, but doing what exactly?Enough with the forum speculation--just what WILL Chris' business do with comics?

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Red Hook

Red Hook

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Posted

Steve, ....thanks for your post.

 

If Chris opens his "collectibles service".....what possible advantage could there be to either him or you for it to be established under the CGC umbrella? I think the pr fallout on the negative side would far outweigh any positive aspects.

 

Red

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Ze-man

Ze-man

Posted
Posted
Can you give some official answer to the speculative question of what exactly Chris' service will actually do? You refer to books he receives and returns "once his work is finished" and that it will be a "comics service." Okay, but doing what exactly?Enough with the forum speculation--just what WILL Chris' business do with comics?

 

I think thats an easy one SH, Chris will be restoring comics/paper goods

of all kinds, it is what he does best.

 

Ze-

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awe4one

awe4one

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Posted

Utter complete bull?^%#!

 

So essentially the umbrella organization is comtemplating letting a comics pressing service exist next to the grading service? Sorry Steve but your company's credibility has just gone out the window as well as your hard won reputation as an impartial grading service.

 

The fact you'd even recommend people using the service, regardless of who sends the pancake to CGC, is hypocracy at it's finest.

 

I was seriously hoping you'd quash this rumor but sadly I see money talks no matter the effect on the hobby. CGC has finally shown it's true colors I guess... frown.gif

 

Jim

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rob_react

rob_react

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Posted

If Chris opens his "collectibles service".....what possible advantage could there be to either him or you for it to be established under the CGC umbrella? I think the pr fallout on the negative side would far outweigh any positive aspects.

 

If I'm not mistaken they have something similar on the coin side, don't they? Maybe they think if it works with the coinees it'll work with us.

 

I doubt it.

 

Even if he sets up outside the same umbrella the mere fact that he's ex-CGC and doing some sort of restoration/ preservation/ pressing/ whatever work will likely presage a storm.

 

At least around here.

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Darthdiesel

Darthdiesel

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Steve...I'm disappointed. I thought it'd be in good form to let this rumor mill get out of control and throw the conspiracy theorists a much needed bone at least to ruin their Xmas holidays, pondering whether they missed the boat on flooding the market with their BSD hoards of slabbed treasures. Now, I guess they've got their SCS issue to satisfy their fetish for flogging deceased equines... sleeping.gif

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FFB

FFB

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Well this does it for me. It's time to get out. Of course, I am not going to do what all of you expect me to do and sell all of MY comics. No, I am going to attack the problem at its source. Therefore, I will be liquidating the comic collections of Paul Litch, Shawn Caffery, and West Stephan to protest this latest CGC policy. I would sell Steve's too, but he already beat me to it before joining CGC. frustrated.gif

 

Anyway, my mind is made up on this. Please contact me via PM if you would like to purchase cheap copies of 100 Bullets, Bite Club, or hard to find Golden Age books.

acclaim.gif

 

I will also accept trades for high grade silver and bronze age Spidey and FF. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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jbud73

jbud73

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Yep there is was in all its rhetorical glory - as I said press release style. Hmm lets see if I can summarize in ABC terms.

 

Chis being an industry insider has seen all the $$$ to be made from NDP. Seeing an opportunity to exploit his skills (hey nothing wrong with that) he has decided to open up a resto service.

 

The Collectibles group wanting to repeat its successful venture with coins is seeking to bankroll him in this venture.

 

CGC will remain impartial 27_laughing.gif27_laughing.gif27_laughing.gif by not accepting submissions directly from Chris and not recommending that the stuff he does to books be submitted to CGC. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif I wonder if any of the pancakes will end up there anyway. foreheadslap.gif

 

I wonder if the Sheep are still willing to dispute the extent that NDP is going on in this Hobby. makepoint.gif

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rob_react

rob_react

Posted
Posted
This topic is REAL important, keep your personal little arguing somewhere else please? This news from Steve sounds really bad to me. I am very disappointed as well.

 

Don't worry, if this thread gets derailed there will be a thousand more just like it.

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