Thank You CGC!

[skybolt]

It doesn't seem like we should have to pay more. If CGC is so phenominally successful that they're four months behind, they should be hiring more people and LOWERING prices.

 

If they were struggling, I could understand the need to limit their payroll and raise prices, but they appear to be doing quite well.

 

I guess when you have a monopoly on the system you can do whatever you want.

[sborock]

It doesn't seem like we should have to pay more. If CGC is so phenominally successful that they're four months behind, they should be hiring more people and LOWERING prices.

 

If they were struggling, I could understand the need to limit their payroll and raise prices, but they appear to be doing quite well.

 

We are doing well ONLY in the industry as # of books graded. The owners of this company have not taken dime one in profit the entire five years that we have been open.

 

Unlike the false information in a crazy and paranoid rant from Rosenberg or Dupcek, we have at least five people look at each Economy submitted. That is besides the person who opens the package, the one who does the receiving, the one that does the barcoding, the one that does the heat sealing, the one that does the sonic sealing, and the one that does the shipping. Not only that, but you have to remember that we check and verify pedigrees and we have to check interiors on restored comics. Just try tracking down an unrestored Four Color # 4 to use to check the interior of a restored Four Color # 4. Tough as nails and takes many phone calls.

 

Also, employees (and the ones behind the scenes like security guards, accountants, IT people, and the like) want health benefits, vacations, and raises.

 

Advertising is murder on the profits as well as some conventions. The charity work CGC does is something we do not write off because it is not enough to pay for our accountants time.

 

If we were a Mickey Mouse outfit, we could hire nobodys and/or novices to grade and do resto checks on your books, work out of an unsecured facility, and use cheap materials for our holders. There are many bad ways to cut corners; we just aren't going to do it.

 

This is why it costs so much to grade and why it takes so long to grade comics. No matter what anyone claims to know, we really do care about giving each and every book its fair grade.

 

Unlike most companies in America, we have not raised our prices even though the prices of our materials have risen significantly.

 

Thanks for letting me

[OldGuy]

If we were a Mickey Mouse outfit, we could hire nobodys and/or novices to grade and do resto checks on your books, work out of an unsecured facility, and use cheap materials for our holders.

 

Good thing there isn't anyone out there like that.

[sfilosa]

I for one am shocked that you haven't had a PRICE INCREASE in the past year as almost ever other business who has way more DEMAND for their SERVICE than SUPPLY does.

 

Like I said, I would NEVER wanted CGC to sacrafice QUALITY, just to grade books faster.

 

That said, it really makes sense for you to CHANGE your ESTIMATED TURNAROUND TIMES (i.e. don't even show forty days for ECONOMY) if you think it will take an extended period of time before you catch up (say a year or two).

[justiceleaguer]

It doesn't seem like we should have to pay more. If CGC is so phenominally successful that they're four months behind, they should be hiring more people and LOWERING prices.

 

If they were struggling, I could understand the need to limit their payroll and raise prices, but they appear to be doing quite well.

 

We are doing well ONLY in the industry as # of books graded. The owners of this company have not taken dime one in profit the entire five years that we have been open.

 

Unlike the false information in a crazy and paranoid rant from Rosenberg or Dupcek, we have at least five people look at each Economy submitted. That is besides the person who opens the package, the one who does the receiving, the one that does the barcoding, the one that does the heat sealing, the one that does the sonic sealing, and the one that does the shipping. Not only that, but you have to remember that we check and verify pedigrees and we have to check interiors on restored comics. Just try tracking down an unrestored Four Color # 4 to use to check the interior of a restored Four Color # 4. Tough as nails and takes many phone calls.

 

Also, employees (and the ones behind the scenes like security guards, accountants, IT people, and the like) want health benefits, vacations, and raises.

 

Advertising is murder on the profits as well as some conventions. The charity work CGC does is something we do not write off because it is not enough to pay for our accountants time.

 

If we were a Mickey Mouse outfit, we could hire nobodys and/or novices to grade and do resto checks on your books, work out of an unsecured facility, and use cheap materials for our holders. There are many bad ways to cut corners; we just aren't going to do it.

 

This is why it costs so much to grade and why it takes so long to grade comics. No matter what anyone claims to know, we really do care about giving each and every book its fair grade.

 

Unlike most companies in America, we have not raised our prices even though the prices of our materials have risen significantly.

 

Thanks for letting me

 

 

Heck, i'm suddenly feeling all pumped up to get some more books graded after that rant of yours. Keep up the good work Steve, and everyone else at CGC as well.

[SpideySense-migration]

Only the moderns I submitted came back. All the rest will be back at the end of February or early March. Approximately 4 month turn-around time.

[FlyingDonut]

Realistically, it isn't that simple. The difference of 1-2 days versus 4 months has to be factored in. Time value of money, anyone?

 

Brian

 

Exactly. Plus the cost of NOT having to insure the books and ship them, plus the ability to market time makes onsite submission, especially for post-1975 books, the absolute way to go.

 

Here's a real example. I submitted 8 X-Men 266 in Chicago. Four came back 9.8, three 9.6, one 9.2 and a 6.0 (oops). For this I paid $160. Had I submitted them by mail, they would have cost roughly $135 ($16 each plus shipping and insurance each way). It is worth $25 without question to have those books in hand and sell them when I wanted to. Same with my 30 submissions in Baltimore.

 

On-site submissions are the only way I can guarantee getting my books back in time to (Batman 232) capitalize (Batman 335) on upcoming events. The extra money I pay out is more than recouped by being able to market-time.

[garthgantu]

Doubtful that they'll ever get rid of on-site grading just to catch up. It's a cash cow (what is the charge for "on-site"?) and great promotion for their service.

 

No doubt...you do what you have to do to pay the bills!

 

I wouldn't call that "doing what you have to do to pay the bills" - I'd call it lousy management. If the on-site grading, which accounts for some tiny fraction of their overall grading/slabbing volume, is adversely affecting the service provided to the non-onsite submitters who make up the vast majority of volume, it should be discontinued. It's not as though CGC needs more promotion at the moment - obviously they're already struggling to adequately serve the existing customer base.

[drbanner]

Doubtful that they'll ever get rid of on-site grading just to catch up. It's a cash cow (what is the charge for "on-site"?) and great promotion for their service.

 

No doubt...you do what you have to do to pay the bills!

 

I wouldn't call that "doing what you have to do to pay the bills" - I'd call it lousy management. If the on-site grading, which accounts for some tiny fraction of their overall grading/slabbing volume, is adversely affecting the service provided to the non-onsite submitters who make up the vast majority of volume, it should be discontinued. It's not as though CGC needs more promotion at the moment - obviously they're already struggling to adequately serve the existing customer base.

 

Hello? Is anyone home?

 

Steve said...oops, sorry...don't want you to have an aneurisym...I heard that CGC is not currently very profitable, therefore if they make a bunch of money doing on-site grading then they're going to continue doing it. See, this is what companies do - they try to make money (even if you would rather they do it for free according to your personal terms and conditions). CGC should raise their prices to make more money, which would probably result in fewer submissions, which would probably allow them to catch up on their turn-times. It seems so simple, almost like a fundamental principle where eventually the supply would catch up with the demand or something like that, understand?

 

I think if someone told you CGC was cancelling all on-site grading this year your response would be that they are only doing it to make more money by grading more books back at the office and are avoiding answering the tough questions that need to be answered and... .

[nearmint]

It doesn't seem like we should have to pay more. If CGC is so phenominally successful that they're four months behind, they should be hiring more people and LOWERING prices.

 

If they were struggling, I could understand the need to limit their payroll and raise prices, but they appear to be doing quite well.

 

We are doing well ONLY in the industry as # of books graded. The owners of this company have not taken dime one in profit the entire five years that we have been open.

 

Unlike the false information in a crazy and paranoid rant from Rosenberg or Dupcek, we have at least five people look at each Economy submitted. That is besides the person who opens the package, the one who does the receiving, the one that does the barcoding, the one that does the heat sealing, the one that does the sonic sealing, and the one that does the shipping. Not only that, but you have to remember that we check and verify pedigrees and we have to check interiors on restored comics. Just try tracking down an unrestored Four Color # 4 to use to check the interior of a restored Four Color # 4. Tough as nails and takes many phone calls.

 

Also, employees (and the ones behind the scenes like security guards, accountants, IT people, and the like) want health benefits, vacations, and raises.

 

Advertising is murder on the profits as well as some conventions. The charity work CGC does is something we do not write off because it is not enough to pay for our accountants time.

 

If we were a Mickey Mouse outfit, we could hire nobodys and/or novices to grade and do resto checks on your books, work out of an unsecured facility, and use cheap materials for our holders. There are many bad ways to cut corners; we just aren't going to do it.

 

This is why it costs so much to grade and why it takes so long to grade comics. No matter what anyone claims to know, we really do care about giving each and every book its fair grade.

 

Unlike most companies in America, we have not raised our prices even though the prices of our materials have risen significantly.

 

Thanks for letting me

 

I am rarely guilty of talking out of my [#@$%!!!]. I guess I was due.

[Stout1a]

"The owners of this company have not taken dime one in profit the entire five years that we have been open." With all due respect, I dont beleive this. No one I know who runs a business is going too run a business and not make a profit from it. I have seen plans where big business will project a loss or break even point for a maximum of 3 year's. Then owners, share holders, expect too earn a profit. Why offer a service if there is no profit?? Besides charitable causes.. Most of the big ones make a profit, by the way. So if I get this right, either they are just covering the cost's, not making one single solitary dime, or loosing money.. There has too come a time when a company floats or sinks. No smart business person I know is going too keep a company going that isnt at least giving them a decent return on there money, efforts, time. I have seen companies loose money for a planned amount of time, then it's either sink or swim..

[sborock]

"The owners of this company have not taken dime one in profit the entire five years that we have been open." With all due respect, I dont beleive this. No one I know who runs a business is going too run a business and not make a profit from it. I have seen plans where big business will project a loss or break even point for a maximum of 3 year's. Then owners, share holders, expect too earn a profit. Why offer a service if there is no profit?? Besides charitable causes.. Most of the big ones make a profit, by the way. So if I get this right, either they are just covering the cost's, not making one single solitary dime, or loosing money.. There has too come a time when a company floats or sinks. No smart business person I know is going too keep a company going that isnt at least giving them a decent return on there money, efforts, time. I have seen companies loose money for a planned amount of time, then it's either sink or swim..

 

And the reason I would make this up is why?

 

One of the biggest reasons the owners have not taken a dime of profit is that we keep putting money into new things like these boards, comic type mags(tooling and material costs), registry, signature series and other things to keep CGC an evolving business. Salzberg and Eichenbaum are very smart and ethical business men and they have a long term plan not just for CGC, because that would not pay, but for a large group of expert and independent certified collectibles services under the

unified Certified Collectibles Group (CCG) umbrella. We are here for the long haul, not to make a fast buck.

[BassGMan]

I don't think Stout even understands what he is trying to say, and I hope I don't screw it up myself. I imagine that all involved with CGC (new employees to Borock to owners) all receive a salary. But even after all salaries and expenses have been paid, I'm sure (hopefully) there is money left over: profit. What Steve's statement is saying is that the owners have left the profit in the business in an effort to use it to grow the business. They HAVE made a profit, they are just not taking that profit OUT of the business and giving it to themselves as individuals. I imagine that years down the line the owners will take some of that profit out of the business but it looks like now they are using this extra money (profit) to expand and offer further services. THAT is what I call SMART business with a long term horizon. If all profit is disbursed, the company cannot grow, therefore you do not want to take any profit, especially in the beginning cycles of the business or during growth spurts.

 

I'm sure there is more to it than that, but I think that is a simple version of it anyways.

[RS]

Doesn't anyone EVER forget anything in this madhouse!??

 

 

 

Madhouse.wav