Kudos to Brian Ketterer (I now dub thee "fraudkiller") and all the lawyers here!

[Ares]

Aren't traditional Gyros/Souvlakis made from spiced Goat/Lamb meat?

 

Gyros are made with Lamb meat.

 

Souvlaki, traditional in Greece, is from Pork.

 

Goat meat has to many muscles and it tasted like [embarrassing lack of self control]

 

 

True except North Am Gyros is made the same way North Am hotdogs are

I am going to Greece Next year to get real thing.

[mrwoogieman]

Usually, the gyro meat in the U.S. version of a gyro is a combination of pressed ground lamb and beef.

[Ares]

Usually, the gyro meat in the U.S. version of a gyro is a combination of pressed ground lamb and beef.

 

Think Hot Dog Meat

[mrwoogieman]

Usually, the gyro meat in the U.S. version of a gyro is a combination of pressed ground lamb and beef.

 

Think Hot Dog Meat

 

Yeah, lips and buttholes and other tasty slaughterhouse 'sweepings'! mmmmm,mmm

[Foolkiller]

Thanks Bruce. By the way, I like gyros... preferrably the lamb ones. And of course who doesn't like hot dogs -- or more specifically, I enjoy pigs in the blanket.

 

But this has NOT been fully resolved yet. And I perceive there to be more to be done, even after CGC has given us some of the answers. I realize there's some damage controlling going on as people don't want to tarnish every single slab out there, nor should it be.

 

BUT let's all keep something in mind -- Ewert had his hands on a lot of books and a lot of high grade books. There needs to be a strong public statement denouncing this practice by the major BSDs, like Metro, Comiclink, Brulato, Storms etc. Everyone needs to publicly also issue statements that condemn this selling practice (and the seller, if sufficient evidence conclusively links him -- and it appears that there is) of undisclosed resto and fraud regardless of whether CGC comes by it. Also, any and all information regarding Ewert and Ewert books should be made available to the public that CGC has if they can release it.

 

Additionally, people who allow Ewert an avenue to sell his books (beyond ebay) but any dealers who take Ewert books and do not disclose thusly if they know them to be should also be on notice. Allowing Ewert to sell books through a site is both impractical and illogical given what we currently know about Ewert. If you have Ewert (not Brulato) books on a site, they should at the VERY LEAST be flagged so the buyer knows whose books they are so the consumer can bid accordingly.

 

AND to all the consumers -- I would feel that, and this is a sad state, that if I bought any slabs, I am going to ask if this is a book they got from Jason Ewert. I would expect an honest answer. And I would avoid the book if it is.

[The Black Hand ®]

Thanks Bruce. By the way, I like gyros... preferrably the lamb ones. And of course who doesn't like hot dogs -- or more specifically, I enjoy pigs in the blanket.

 

But this has NOT been fully resolved yet. And I perceive there to be more to be done, even after CGC has given us some of the answers. I realize there's some damage controlling going on as people don't want to tarnish every single slab out there, nor should it be.

 

BUT let's all keep something in mind -- Ewert had his hands on a lot of books and a lot of high grade books. There needs to be a strong public statement denouncing this practice by the major BSDs, like Metro, Comiclink, Brulato, Storms etc. Everyone needs to publicly also issue statements that condemn this selling practice (and the seller, if sufficient evidence conclusively links him -- and it appears that there is) of undisclosed resto and fraud regardless of whether CGC comes by it. Also, any and all information regarding Ewert and Ewert books should be made available to the public that CGC has if they can release it.

 

Additionally, people who allow Ewert an avenue to sell his books (beyond ebay) but any dealers who take Ewert books and do not disclose thusly if they know them to be should also be on notice. Allowing Ewert to sell books through a site is both impractical and illogical given what we currently know about Ewert. If you have Ewert (not Brulato) books on a site, they should at the VERY LEAST be flagged so the buyer knows whose books they are so the consumer can bid accordingly.

 

AND to all the consumers -- I would feel that, and this is a sad state, that if I bought any slabs, I am going to ask if this is a book they got from Jason Ewert. I would expect an honest answer. And I would avoid the book if it is. [/quote

 

 

__________________________________________________________________

What do you think CGC's part in this should be? Considering that they missed a lot of trimming and other forms of restoration.

[Foolkiller]

Here's where I stand with CGC:

 

They are doing everything possible to try and correct this situation. I have been speaking to Steve Borock about their efforts, and I believe that they are doing what they can to try and investigate this situation thoroughly with the facts.

 

I have both publicly and privately stated to Steve that my confidence in CGC as a product is lessened. Missing resto on this scale this often is not good. But trimming is also one of the HARDEST things to detect, because, as is often noted, technically every book gets trimmed at the printer. Nevertheless, any trimming that occurs AFTER the book hits the stands is resto. Period, end of story. I don't care if it's a 1/64th of an inch. It's artificial improvement to the book.

 

However, my position on CGC is, you have to be concerned about the slabs for the moment. I can't put my confidence behind a product that misses this sort of thing -- On the other hand, some resto check is better than none at all. Since raw HG is also very expensive, the flip side is getting no insurance at all. The resto check is still valuable, but you can't view it as infallible, which is how many collectors were viewing it, almost an insurance policy.

[The Black Hand ®]

Is it easier to spot trimming on a book the older it is and the more current the trimming is. Does it take microscopic inspection? What do restoration pro's have to say on this subject?

[Foolkiller]

I'm going to defer to others in how the determination is made of trimming. I have a rudimentary understanding of some of the techniques, but I am NO expert.

[skybolt]

As everyone else has stated, good job FK for taking a stand on this issue and using your lawyerling skills to sniff out the truth.

 

Plus, since you're a Doctor Who fan like myself, you get double the kudos.

[BronzeBruce13]

Well said Brian… Certainly more work has to be done and you can count on me for my support. I for one just felt you deserve a little credit now for bringing the matter to a head while you were basically standing alone. That took balls and an obvious love for our hobby. I'm gald to have you as both a friend and capable watchdog in the hobby I love.

 

Sorry for the sappiness people, but let's be honest, I'm right and I know most of you feel the same.

[TvComics]

Earlier in the thread, Brian makes a point that dealers/consignment houses should not give Ewert an outlet to sell his FrankenComics by hiding behind a consignment site like ComicLink, Pedigree, Heritage or via a consignement to a large dealer.

 

I would like to take this a little further and say that I personally will not knowingly sell any comics to Ewert. I setup at the Big Apple/National and have sold him about a dozen or so 9.0's and 9.2's over the years (most were sold before the show opened during the "dealer free for all"). I will not do so again and will simply tell him that I prefer to not sell to him.

 

While I am a small fry in a big fryer, I can do my part to express the collective outrage and to keep nice 9.0 and 9.2 comics from becoming the next experiment on the Ewert improvement table.

 

Sincerely,

Byron Jones

[Foolkiller]

Byron:

 

Thanks for that support for collectors in general, and I am certainly glad to see that there are some dealers taking this stand. I know for a fact that there are other dealers who have taken this position. I am hopeful that other dealers will join this position if and when CGC gives us the findings of its report.

 

That said, I know you have continuously set up at the Big Apple and I will certainly make an effort during the National to come by and introduce myself in person again. I know we have spoken in the past about some books.

 

It is just as important that the "small fry" like you and Gary Platt and others are just as outraged and unified in support as the BSD dealers.

 

Bruce,

 

thanks for the kind words, but let me just say that all I did was become a squeaky wheel. by no means was I any more integral to this process than the boards collectively. I credit the willingness of the boards to publicize and remain continuous in our pressure. When evidence, circumstantial or direct, exists that is strong, it is important that we as a community remain vigilant. Equally so, it is important that we remain judicious in our application of this pressure to out a fraud, and not become too quick to jump to any conclusions either.

[Rickdogg]

He deserves a custom TITLE!@

[Pirate]

i want to meet foolkiller and shake his hand....

[BronzeBruce13]

He deserves a custom TITLE!@

 

Arch… "the fraudkiller" ?

[BronzeBruce13]

Just wanted to acknowledge and thank Mark Zaid for agreeing to join Scott and Brian "Fraudkiller" in the upcoming litigation vs. Ewert.

 

I'm sure glad there are lawyers that collect comics and care enough about the hobby to make it a priotiry to protect it, and by doing so additionaly represent a serious deterent to other scumbags that may consider embarking on similar behavior as Ewert in the future.

 

Kudos againg to the Comic Collecting Lawyers on the boards.

 

 

 

[SignatureSelect]

Will it be a civil case and is there going to be a criminal case.