CGC, The Only Slabbing Service Allowed Within The Walls Of C2E2/ECCC Until 2020

[VintageComics]

As several others have said, it's a moot point, because CBCS isn't CAPABLE of doing on site grading at these other shows, or at least, it hasn't even tried, so what are they being shut out of?

 

Just got caught up. It's more than just onsite, which is what I was not sure about.

 

There will be no CBCS presence at those two shows.

 

 

Did you get confirmation on this complete exclusivity for CGC?

 

Just asking as it sounds like most people are thinking the exclusivity is limited to only on-site grading which the other company basically does not do anyways.

 

I don't know. I would have expected some clarification by now but I'm just as confused as you.

 

[Iceman399]

Below is a post from ricketts

 

Some minor words edited, more to the quote on their street but clipped what was needed.

Here is an "official" response about VA Comicon...

 

Voldemort was headlined as the "Official Grading Company of the VA Comicon" but there was no exclusivity for us. CGC was on the vendor list until the last minute. A week or two before the show they pulled out and cancelled. I have no idea why; you'll have to ask them.

 

Voldemort has been offered exclusive access to several shows since we've opened, but we've turned it down every time because we feel it hurts the hobby. We want to gain customers by doing our thing, not by eliminating choices for the collectors. We're here to add a choice. If you like us, send us some books.

[Silver Surfer]

Even if you're only interested in shopping with CGC, competition would make your experience shopping with CGC better. Just last week my internet bill went down and my speeds tripled because I mentioned to the cable company I was thinking of switching to Verizon. Two things to learn from that. One is they could have afforded to give me faster speeds for less money all along, second is that they never would have if there was no competition.

Without a viable alternative, I wonder how much more time CGC would have taken to fix the new holder. Or if they would have rolled back the modern tier to 1975. Yay, competition!

just think of this though, with their backlog approaching a year, could they have hired more graders with the money spent on exclusive deals?

 

Yes a year long log backlog is a joke but why fix it as it is designed to make you spend more and send your orders in via express. Problem solved, CGC wins, consumer, well whatever.

[1Cool]

I got my 80 prescreened modern slow boat books back within 2 months. Definitely not a year.

[blazingbob]

Even if you're only interested in shopping with CGC, competition would make your experience shopping with CGC better. Just last week my internet bill went down and my speeds tripled because I mentioned to the cable company I was thinking of switching to Verizon. Two things to learn from that. One is they could have afforded to give me faster speeds for less money all along, second is that they never would have if there was no competition.

Without a viable alternative, I wonder how much more time CGC would have taken to fix the new holder. Or if they would have rolled back the modern tier to 1975. Yay, competition!

just think of this though, with their backlog approaching a year, could they have hired more graders with the money spent on exclusive deals?

 

Yes a year long log backlog is a joke but why fix it as it is designed to make you spend more and send your orders in via "fast track". Problem solved, CGC wins, consumer, well whatever.

 

Fixed that for you. I think many continue to miss that why would CGC add more staff when comic collectors are notoriously impatient, want instant gratification and willingly pay Fast track.

 

Which is why there are more dates for on-site grading.

 

Many suffer from Veruca Salt syndrome -

[comix4fun]

I think it says alot about a company that instead of letting your product do the talking you have to resort to threatening and paying people/companies off to discourage your customers from using your competitors. I'm no cheerleader for any specific company, as none are perfect but this behavior is really off-putting.

 

 

So do you avoid all restaurants, concerts, sporting events, movie theaters, and other arenas of proprietary merchandising and vendor exclusivity (E.G. Every-freaking-where), because that's the world of business and has been for a very long time.

 

I missed the "threats and payoffs", was that somewhere in the thread?

[FlyingDonut]

I think it says alot about a company that instead of letting your product do the talking you have to resort to threatening and paying people/companies off to discourage your customers from using your competitors. I'm no cheerleader for any specific company, as none are perfect but this behavior is really off-putting.

 

 

So do you avoid all restaurants, concerts, sporting events, movie theaters, and other arenas of proprietary merchandising and vendor exclusivity (E.G. Every-freaking-where), because that's the world of business and has been for a very long time.

 

I missed the "threats and payoffs", was that somewhere in the thread?

 

I think it was in the discussion of rack space for potato chips, but I may be confused.

 

What has always amused me on this board is that people believe that comic book sales should be all sunshine and rainbows and kumbaya, ignoring the fact that it is a business. Exclusivity deals happen all the time in every aspect. I'm assuming all of you have no problem with your favorite sports team only wearing one company's clothing line - that's the exact same thing that is happening here.

[chrisco37]

I think it says alot about a company that instead of letting your product do the talking you have to resort to threatening and paying people/companies off to discourage your customers from using your competitors. I'm no cheerleader for any specific company, as none are perfect but this behavior is really off-putting.

 

 

So do you avoid all restaurants, concerts, sporting events, movie theaters, and other arenas of proprietary merchandising and vendor exclusivity (E.G. Every-freaking-where), because that's the world of business and has been for a very long time.

 

I missed the "threats and payoffs", was that somewhere in the thread?

 

I think it was in the discussion of rack space for potato chips, but I may be confused.

 

What has always amused me on this board is that people believe that comic book sales should be all sunshine and rainbows and kumbaya, ignoring the fact that it is a business. Exclusivity deals happen all the time in every aspect. I'm assuming all of you have no problem with your favorite sports team only wearing one company's clothing line - that's the exact same thing that is happening here.

 

Yeah, this thread is a bit bizarre, IMO. Am I the only one that goes to conventions so I can look for/buy books?

 

Baltimore is the one big show I attend every year. I'd still go if none of the grading companies had a presence there.

[Guardian Comics]

paying people/companies off

 

How can you say this when you don't even know whom approached whom? Just boggles my mind.

 

Jim

[Guardian Comics]

Some clarification since I couldn't go to C2E2 last year - is this the first time CGC will be doing onsite at that show? If so then I could see the promoter offering the exclusive agreement to get onsite at the event and of course CGC is going to agree to that offer. Who wouldn't want to be the only seller in a room? Hell - who wouldn't want to be the only dealer of books in a Con and would turn down the opportunity to be buyers only option. Not ideal for the buyers standpoint but I'm pretty sure CGC is not in business to provide you with other options at a Con.

 

Already been suggested 11/15/16 11:37 PM

 

What does the convention get out of this arrangement? More money from CGC to set up shop?

 

I think so. I could be wrong.

 

 

That is the only scenario that makes sense to me.

 

Why? Maybe Reed is paying CGC to be there. If they think that having CGC do onsite there might result in more people buying passes at $50-$100, maybe they offer booth space for free, who knows.

 

Maybe they offer CGC money, and by doing so take away the exclusivity that WWChicago has with that market for onsiting. C2E2 happens earlier in the year then WWChicago, maybe they want the Chicago collector who will only go to one show a year, and try to entice them with onsite grading.

 

People are looking at this from only one perspective, but yet two parties are involved, both with their own reasons.

 

Jim

 

[comix4fun]

paying people/companies off

 

How can you say this when you don't even know whom approached whom? Just boggles my mind.

 

Jim

 

 

It's the same sort of leap of logic and problem solving that had some guy on facebook yesterday try to blame cgc's quality control for a small insect making it's way into the slab.....almost 11 years after the book was graded.

 

A guy posted the pic as a joke, it was a small bug "caught" inside an ASM slab...and someone jumped in screaming about how CGC should fix that problem.

[Fan Boy]

paying people/companies off

 

How can you say this when you don't even know whom approached whom? Just boggles my mind.

 

Jim

 

 

It's the same sort of leap of logic and problem solving that had some guy on facebook yesterday try to blame cgc's quality control for a small insect making it's way into the slab.....almost 11 years after the book was graded.

 

A guy posted the pic as a joke, it was a small bug "caught" inside an ASM slab...and someone jumped in screaming about how CGC should fix that problem.

 

What grade did the bug got?

[LordRahl]

paying people/companies off

 

How can you say this when you don't even know whom approached whom? Just boggles my mind.

 

Jim

 

 

It's the same sort of leap of logic and problem solving that had some guy on facebook yesterday try to blame cgc's quality control for a small insect making it's way into the slab.....almost 11 years after the book was graded.

 

A guy posted the pic as a joke, it was a small bug "caught" inside an ASM slab...and someone jumped in screaming about how CGC should fix that problem.

 

Never underestimate the stupidity of people. See current national events for an example

[PovertyRow]

I'm assuming all of you have no problem with your favorite sports team only wearing one company's clothing line - that's the exact same thing that is happening here.

 

This analogy literally makes no sense. It is a reflection of what happens when your head gets so much into the concept of business and business decisions that perspective is lost.

 

You are saying a sports fan is affected by a team being restricted to one brand of clothes in the same way a comic book collector is affected by a con being restricted to one TPG?

 

How do these two things even remotely equate? It sounds like you are saying comic collecting is a spectator sport.

[comix4fun]

I'm assuming all of you have no problem with your favorite sports team only wearing one company's clothing line - that's the exact same thing that is happening here.

 

This analogy literally makes no sense. It is a reflection of what happens when your head gets so much into the concept of business and business decisions that perspective is lost.

 

You are saying a sports fan is affected by a team being restricted to one brand of clothes in the same way a comic book collector is affected by a con being restricted to one TPG?

 

How do these two things even remotely equate? It sounds like you are saying comic collecting is a spectator sport.

 

 

 

Starter is a business, Majestic is a business.

 

If you walk into an MLB stadium and want to buy an officially licensed product such as a jersey....and MLB still has their contract for in stadium sales of jerseys with Majestic then your options for the jersey will be limited to Majestic. You may want a Starter jersey, may yearn for a Starter jersey, but if you enter their house, with their rules and their contracts in place you're buying a Majestic or nothing at all.

 

You can always go outside the stadium, to another vendor, or online and order through the mail and get whatever item you want made by whatever licensed manufacturer.

 

Make that a comic convention in a particular location, who can choose who they prefer to associate and align themselves with, and allow a booth presence to, and it's not all that different. However, the comic convention analogy is far more free and less restrictive than the original given that anyone is free to attend, take submissions, do business, etc. just not branded behind their own booth.

 

So any company's witnesses, affiliates, employees, partners, or persons in other roles may be there. The choice is still there in that respect, tempests in teapots excepted.

[comicwiz]

I don't know that the name brand of the clothing manufacturer will make or break a fans decision to buy a jersey. What would however is walking into a fan show with your jersey in hand, standing in line, and finding out when you arrive at the table that the athelete won't sign your jersey unless it's the name brand he's aligned with under his "new" endorsement contract.

 

Never happens right?

 

No, and it's because it's too stupid to even imagine treating fans that way.

 

Somehow, it's happening with C2E2, and it's Popweeds prerogative to run their show to the ground, but don't think that fans are going to be happy being turned away because a contract forces it's hand on people's ability to enjoy fan culture.

[comix4fun]

I don't know that the name brand of the clothing manufacturer will make or break a fans decision to buy a jersey. What would however is walking into a fan show with your jersey in hand, standing in line, and finding out when you arrive at the table that the athelete won't sign your jersey unless it's the one he's aligned with under his "new" endorsement contract.

 

Never happens right?

 

Somehow, it's happening with C2E2, and it's Popweeds prerogative, but don't think too many fans are going to be happy being turned away because a contract forces it's hand on people's ability to enjoy fan culture.

 

 

 

That's not what's happening. I read the press release. No one is barred from attending. No one is barred from taking submissions. No one is barred from anything other than having a booth from the way it's worded.

 

Since you brought up signatures. Most conventions (because there are so many of them) don't have ANY official booth presence from either company. What they do have are facilitators and witnesses who attend the convention, walk the floor, do their business, witness their signatures, leave the convention and mail the books back to the main location of their business.

 

So no one's turned away from pretty much anything, especially in the "signed jersey" hypothetical applied to the actual fact pattern.

 

Also I remember Ken Griffey Jr. not being able to sign any card other than Upper Deck in 1992 or 1993 because of a deal he signed with them. So, yeah, that happened too.

[PovertyRow]

I'm assuming all of you have no problem with your favorite sports team only wearing one company's clothing line - that's the exact same thing that is happening here.

 

This analogy literally makes no sense. It is a reflection of what happens when your head gets so much into the concept of business and business decisions that perspective is lost.

 

You are saying a sports fan is affected by a team being restricted to one brand of clothes in the same way a comic book collector is affected by a con being restricted to one TPG?

 

How do these two things even remotely equate? It sounds like you are saying comic collecting is a spectator sport.

 

 

 

Starter is a business, Majestic is a business.

 

If you walk into an MLB stadium and want to buy an officially licensed product such as a jersey....and MLB still has their contract for in stadium sales of jerseys with Majestic then your options for the jersey will be limited to Majestic. You may want a Starter jersey, may yearn for a Starter jersey, but if you enter their house, with their rules and their contracts in place you're buying a Majestic or nothing at all.

 

You can always go outside the stadium, to another vendor, or online and order through the mail and get whatever item you want made by whatever licensed manufacturer.

 

Make that a comic convention in a particular location, who can choose who they prefer to associate and align themselves with, and allow a booth presence to, and it's not all that different. However, the comic convention analogy is far more free and less restrictive than the original given that anyone is free to attend, take submissions, do business, etc. just not branded behind their own booth.

 

So any company's witnesses, affiliates, employees, partners, or persons in other roles may be there. The choice is still there in that respect, tempests in teapots excepted.

 

The way the analogy was phrased was the team wearing one brand. Nothing to do with selling/buying. Just a team wearing a brand of clothes. Which doesn't equate to comic book collecting in any way I can see. But if your explanation IS the case we are just restating the Coke/Pepsi thing.

[comix4fun]

I'm assuming all of you have no problem with your favorite sports team only wearing one company's clothing line - that's the exact same thing that is happening here.

 

This analogy literally makes no sense. It is a reflection of what happens when your head gets so much into the concept of business and business decisions that perspective is lost.

 

You are saying a sports fan is affected by a team being restricted to one brand of clothes in the same way a comic book collector is affected by a con being restricted to one TPG?

 

How do these two things even remotely equate? It sounds like you are saying comic collecting is a spectator sport.

 

 

 

Starter is a business, Majestic is a business.

 

If you walk into an MLB stadium and want to buy an officially licensed product such as a jersey....and MLB still has their contract for in stadium sales of jerseys with Majestic then your options for the jersey will be limited to Majestic. You may want a Starter jersey, may yearn for a Starter jersey, but if you enter their house, with their rules and their contracts in place you're buying a Majestic or nothing at all.

 

You can always go outside the stadium, to another vendor, or online and order through the mail and get whatever item you want made by whatever licensed manufacturer.

 

Make that a comic convention in a particular location, who can choose who they prefer to associate and align themselves with, and allow a booth presence to, and it's not all that different. However, the comic convention analogy is far more free and less restrictive than the original given that anyone is free to attend, take submissions, do business, etc. just not branded behind their own booth.

 

So any company's witnesses, affiliates, employees, partners, or persons in other roles may be there. The choice is still there in that respect, tempests in teapots excepted.

 

The way the analogy was phrased was the team wearing one brand. Nothing to do with selling/buying. Just a team wearing a brand of clothes. Which doesn't equate to comic book collecting in any way I can see. But if your explanation IS the case we are just restating the Coke/Pepsi thing.

 

I guess I am having a hard time seeing the difference between this deal and any other business deal across a myriad of businesses. I just stripped away "comics" from the analysis and it brings me to the same destination each time. Maybe I am looking at it from the wrong perspective. How do you see it as different than any other exclusivity deal in business? Seriously. It's possible I am too locked into my analysis.

[FlyingDonut]

I don't know that the name brand of the clothing manufacturer will make or break a fans decision to buy a jersey. What would however is walking into a fan show with your jersey in hand, standing in line, and finding out when you arrive at the table that the athelete won't sign your jersey unless it's the name brand he's aligned with under his "new" endorsement contract.

 

Never happens right?

 

No, and it's because it's too stupid to even imagine treating fans that way.

 

Somehow, it's happening with C2E2, and it's Popweeds prerogative to run their show to the ground, but don't think that fans are going to be happy being turned away because a contract forces it's hand on people's ability to enjoy fan culture.

 

Happens all the time. Bryce Harper - just as an example -will only sign Under Armor items. He's nice about it - and will sign for anything for kids - but at signing events, only Under Armor.