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

[Norrin_Radd]

Because CGC does not consider professional UNDETECTABLE pressing of comic books as restoration, I have a standing offer of a $100,000.00 year salary to anyone who could successfully press a comic book into a higher grade which would allow it to pass through the hands of the CGC 100% of the time without the pressing being detected by the CGC

 

That's why Chris is leaving CGC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Couldn't resist....

 

[FFB]

He was nicer to you than I would have been. You should send him a thank you note.

 

 

I agree, by the way Trader, with the book in question, how do you KNOW that the book is pressed? Easy to make an accusation though.

 

What I really want to know is, what is Wall Street Trader (ebay ID dtcoleman) going to do if he sprains his ankle trying to run in those women's Nike running shoes he recently bought, or if his asss looks fat in the Bebe Logo black sporty capri pants that he bought? Threaten to sue Nike and Bebe?

[shrunkenhead]

Hey, it worked for that broad who spilled the coffee at Mickey D's, FFB....

[shrunkenhead]

But seriously, a class action lawsuit? C'mon now, that's being silly. Comic books are NOT a stable market, you can't compare them to other financial institutions. Wallstreet, CGC is relatively new but pressing has been around for a VERY LONG time, and if you're the "NEW BIG MONEY" (ahem), then you should have probably done your research before sinking all this "big money" into funnybooks. If your HG slabs sink, you can't blame anyone but yourself.

[jbud73]

I follow and I've already said that I realize there will be a negative perception if Chris does this within CCG. But follow my logic for a bit:

Current situation

1. Joe send book to Nelson/Wilson/Ciccone to press book

2. Joe submits book to CGC

3. Joe gets higher grade, let's say Blue label 9.6

4. Joe sells book for more money

Future situation

1. Joe send book to Friesen to press book

2. Joe submits book to CGC

3. Joe gets higher grade, let's say Blue label 9.6

4. Joe sells book for more money

What is the big deal? It's being done at the moment, in my opinion not nearly to the extent it's made out to be but that's another story. Does it really make that big of a difference that Chris will be doing what Matt currently does? I certainly don't think that CGC will look at a book, decide it could benefit from a press and call the submitter to tell them to send it to Chris. You can question that statement all you want, but it will quickly become known that CGC is doing this because they obviously have to tell the submitter and Steve has explicitly said that they will NOT do this.

 

The problem I have is this...

 

They set the precedent by claiming that NDP is not restoration.

 

Their top restoration expert then goes into business under the same corporate umbrella and starts performing the service.

 

So not only do they NOT look into ways of detecting NDP - which goes back to the whole we can't detect it so its not restoration arguement. IE they are not furthering their service by eliminating the books that slip through. And even if you don't think its restoration I think it should be noted (which I think is what pisses Redhook and alot of other collectors off). In fact they are doing the opposite - through CCG potentially going into business to perform the service.

 

How does this benefit CGC - more books are now slab worthy, more books get resubmitted etc etc.

[Norrin_Radd]

But seriously, a class action lawsuit? C'mon now, that's being silly. Comic books are NOT a stable market, you can't compare them to other financial institutions. Wallstreet, CGC is relatively new but pressing has been around for a VERY LONG time, and if you're the "NEW BIG MONEY" (ahem), then you should have probably done your research before sinking all this "big money" into funnybooks. If your HG slabs sink, you can't blame anyone but yourself.

 

Well said.

[FFB]

But seriously, a class action lawsuit? C'mon now, that's being silly. Comic books are NOT a stable market, you can't compare them to other financial institutions. Wallstreet, CGC is relatively new but pressing has been around for a VERY LONG time, and if you're the "NEW BIG MONEY" (ahem), then you should have probably done your research before sinking all this "big money" into funnybooks. If your HG slabs sink, you can't blame anyone but yourself.

 

Nevermind the fact that the securities market is a highly regulated market, whereas the comic book industry is exactly the opposite. Oh, and while we're on the topic, you can't even get a consensus from collectors or dealers as to whether NDP is even restoration or not. I think the McDonald's coffee woman had a better lawsuit than this.

[jbud73]

He was nicer to you than I would have been. You should send him a thank you note.

 

 

I agree, by the way Trader, with the book in question, how do you KNOW that the book is pressed? Easy to make an accusation though.

 

What I really want to know is, what is Wall Street Trader (ebay ID dtcoleman) going to do if he sprains his ankle trying to run in those women's Nike running shoes he recently bought, or if his asss looks fat in the Bebe Logo black sporty capri pants that he bought? Threaten to sue Nike and Bebe?

 

[BradleyX2]

[The Brain]

You sir move to the front of the class.

 

 

Timeless and Thoughtfull

 

 

Let us all take a minute for this set in.....OK

[jduran1]

If I was advising Steve. I would say the following. "You need to add the date graded on the label and the original date if reslabbed. That way collectors would know which books were slabbed before the creation of this new company" That way certain collectors will only buy non dated slabbed comics.

 

If that happens forumites your old slabbed comics without a grading date will fetch a premium from the purists.

[LordRahl]

Completely different argument here. I don't want to get into the "is pressing resto" argument. As far as I can tell, what Steve announced is very different from what was being speculated on ealier. People were afraid that Chris was going to be doing an in-house pressing service directly linked to CGC and interdependent with CGC. This does not appear to be the case. Chris is free to do whatever the hell he wants, and if it makes financial sense to do it with CCG then so be it. And exactly why is CGC being crucified for the business decisions being made by CCG. CCG is a certification company, they don't give a rat's [#@$%!!!] about comics other than the money they make from them. Even if Borock thinks this is a bad idea, from my understanding he has no control over decisions like this.

[Forbush-Man]

I hope I stop laughing by sometime next week!

 

[LordRahl]

Oy!

[jbud73]

Ya Bradley, I used to write these things for elected officials. It's starting to get very political out there Let's just hope CGC has more integrity than my former bosses.

[drbanner]

I AGREE........ In fact, I have several books I bought from FLATINUM PLATINUM on eBay (who has no website or phone number by the way).... Here is the response I got from him regarding a refund on a pressed book:

 

Hi,

 

thanks for your email. First of all before I even begin to dignify this email with a response, it would be helpful if you tell me your name, the books you purchased from me, and the date you purchased these books. Upon hearing this information, I would like to know whose professional expertise you used to judge if the books you purchased from me were professionally pressed. Third, I would like to know what would cause you to crack the books out of the slabs after they were certified and encapsulated by the CGC. Fourth, I would like to know if the books you purchased from me had a blue universal unrestored label. Fifth I would like to know how your expert determined that professional pressing had occurred, when the books passed through the detection team at CGC who determined the books were free from restoration ( which would include any detectable professional pressing). Upon hearing this information, I will be able to judge if you are truthful or you are full of $%&*!. If you forward the information to me and it is credible, I will be able to tell if the books you purchased were purchased by me raw and encapsulated, were on consignment with me (thus were encapsulated by the owner), or were purchased slabbed (thus were encapsulated by the prior owner(s)).

 

My policy has always mirrored the rules of CGC. CGC from what I have been told does not consider undetectable professional pressing of comic books as restoration. If it can be detected, CGC will flag the book as having been unprofessionally pressed and therefore place a purple restored label on the slab of the book with the restoration notes listed on the label. Because undetectable professional pressing of comic books is not considered restoration by the CGC, it is possible that any or all of the slabbed books you have purchased from anywhere and anyone could have or may have undetectable professional pressing done to them. The key word is UNDETECTABLE, because if it was detectable, it never would have made it into a slab with a blue universal unrestored label. It would have been flagged by the CGC and included a purple restored label. If I know in fact that any book I sell has without a doubt been professionally pressed, I have no problem disclosing that information to any potential buyer. My advice to any potential buyer is to CALL THE EXPERTS AT CGC WHO IS GRADING THE BOOK AND GET ANY OR ALL NOTES TO DETERMINE IF ANYTHING WAS DONE TO THE BOOK PRIOR TO ENCAPSULATION. DON'T CALL OR ASK ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T GRADE THE BOOK. IF THERE IS ANYTHING I KNOW ABOUT THE BOOK OTHER THAN WHAT WAS DETERMINED TO EXIST OR NOT EXIST BY CGC, I HAVE NO PROBLEM DISCUSSING THAT INFORMATION WITH ANY POTENTIAL BUYER.

 

Because CGC does not consider professional UNDETECTABLE pressing of comic books as restoration, I have a standing offer of a $100,000.00 year salary to anyone who could successfully press a comic book into a higher grade which would allow it to pass through the hands of the CGC 100% of the time without the pressing being detected by the CGC. I have yet to find someone who can do this. Because I have yet to find a person who can do this, I refrain from professionally pressing any comic books. My fears are too great that any pressing done would be detected by CGC, be downgraded by the CGC because the pressing would be deemed unprofessional, or would potentially damage the book. All three of these possibilities would cause me to lose loads of money. As far as me personally professional pressing comic books in order to get a higher grade and pass through the hands of the CGC undetected, I only wish I could say yes because I would be an extremely rich man. Sadly I can't. I am stuck with buying books I feel are high grade and sending them to CGC to be encapsulated as is. If others can do it and it has been deemed allowable by the CGC, I say all the power to them.

 

In summary, if you are a new collector, I would recommend sitting down with the professionals at CGC who can give you more information about what the rules are for grading and submission of comic books through their company. Being a real estate attorney, I know you can appreciate trying to do as much research and homework on the subject as possible before ever spending one dollar on a CGC book. If what you hear is contrary to what your collecting beliefs are, I would recommend stop buying CGC books as the source of the book and how it became to be slabbed cannot be traced.

 

There is no returns allowed on any CGC graded books, as these books are professionally graded.

 

thanks,

 

Jason Ewert

 

Thanks for the post! Combined with what donut told us Jason said when he asked him point blank if he had his books pressed and now Jason's own words, we can put to rest once and for all the rumor-mongering that his books are pressed.

 

However, we must now turn our attention to the Curator pedigree collection - this guy had huge runs of 9.6-9.9 silver age books kept at a museum that undoubtedly had restoration and preservation experts on staff...who volunteers to go on that witch-hunt??

[RS]

 

 

Brad

 

One more Classsic Photo

[Tango 'n Cash]

I know all of the arguments AND I STILL DON'T CARE ABOUT PRESSING. I. Don't. Care.

 

Rob, for someone who preaches "all collectors needs are equal" on here this stance is surprising. A lot of collectors on here could jump into Modern threads and say:

 

I know all of the arguments AND I STILL DON'T CARE ABOUT MODERNS. I. Don't. Care.

 

I could just imagine your response to this as I have read several already. Practice what you preach or get off the pulpit.

[Tango 'n Cash]

If it can be detected, CGC will flag the book as having been unprofessionally pressed and therefore place a purple restored label on the slab of the book with the restoration notes listed on the label.

 

Isn't this a total untruth?

 

I have a standing offer of a $100,000.00 year salary to anyone who could successfully press a comic book into a higher grade which would allow it to pass through the hands of the CGC 100% of the time without the pressing being detected by the CGC. I have yet to find someone who can do this.

 

And what in the world is this? Does Jason Ewert really expect people to believe that CGC is flagging comics with the Purple Label for "unprofessional pressing"? If this email is legit Jason has some serious questions to answer.

[drbanner]

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.

 

Steve - can you comment on the additional rumor that has been circulating that CGC has already been performing pressing for select clients and/or books that may have been damaged either while at CGC or damaged in the slab after being sent back to the submitter? Also, would CGC allow their employees to offer restoration services "after work hours" (moonlighting)?

 

I appreciate that you posted here addressing this topic, but my questions above remain unanswered and I consider them particularily disturbing.

 

Thanks!