disclosing ALL restoration important

[comicquest]

I guess my original user id on here got wiped from a LONG time ago so I'm back. I read a couple of people asking about NeatStuff's action 1 and maybe a superman 1 they're currently selling. Just be careful, as I questioned them on a Marvel (mystery) comics #1 they had listed awhile back. See item 6548049849 on ebay. I used to own that book. I had it for about a year, sold it somewhat locally for $12K cash+$7K trade. Then that dealer tried to sell it; ended up sending it with someone to San Diego convention. I don't know the connection of how it got from San Diego to Neatstuff, but when it left for San Diego it was SLABBED and graded 7.0 moderate restoration. I am sure I still have the large scans here somewhere, but the spine was reinforced, color touch, but MOST importantly it has BINDER holes sealed/filled. Not just the cover either, but painstakingly filled on each and every page. Nowhere does NeatStuff disclose the binder holes; they just gloss over "at least 7.0 condition GURAUNTEED OR YOUR MONEY BACK, maybe better. Book has professional color touch. Pages are cream to off-white." That is RIDICULOUS. He should have taken the money and run when it hit $28K.

 

But when I emailed him and told him he should disclose the binder hole fix at least, he pulled the ad. I haven't seen it since. The TELLTALE sign on this one if you happen to see it in-hand, is the back cover. The top (left as you're looking at the back) binder hole that was filled in, had been forgotten to be written over with the original ad type. In other words, the binder hole was still white and the ad print suddenly stopped outside the hole.

 

Nuff said on that (pardon the dry humor). I am glad to see luca-comic-book-store is finally off ebay. I don't know if it was someone else that put the final nail in their coffin, but I've been working on them for MONTHS. I know I put the kibbosh on their SquareTrade Seal; I can show the emails to that effect. That may have led to their unravelling with ebay too as SquareTrade and ebay are joined at the hip (or should I say hip-pocket$$).

 

I also have the most lively stories about Koos aka comic-keys but you'd all be just bored silly. I have some better pictures of him than those jail photos, and some other raunchy tidbits but this is a respectable site. And I'm a respectable (?) person so that stuff is just not proper topics for mixed company.

 

BTW I just submitted an Action comics #1 to CGC and I almost guaran-dang-tee it is NOT restored. I don't know if I'll get a 5.5 or better but it is unrestored. Since I brought it up, I HAVE to say something about that Action #1 from neatstuff. How in the !@#$% do you get VG- when there are clearly water stains/rusty staples, etc? And in their own words "Book is in VG- condition with slight professional color touch, a few sealed tears, and is missing the centerfold. Pages are cream." Like I said before, if they didn't disclose binder hole fills on that Marvel #1, what are they glossing over here?

[jimm94]

Great information on the Marvel # 1. Thanks for sharing it.

 

That Action # 1 they call a "VG-" currently on eBay is almost certainly the restored CGC .5 in the census. While it certainly appears better than poor, they are seriously misrepresenting the book IMO. I hope whoever wins truly understands what they are buying.

[comicquest]

Oops, I re-read my blurry-eyed post from last night. As you're looking at the Marvel #1 from the back, it's the upper right binder hole that was filled but had not re-written the ad.

[Point Five]

Hi there comicquest,

 

This applause is for you, and for whoever else contributed to kicking "luca" off!

 

Great info all around. We were discussing that Action 1 on the GA board...as has been pointed out, since the book is missing the centerfold, their claim of "VG- condition" is totally misleading to begin with and certainly has to raise one's suspicions re the description...

[Harvey Dude]

Hi there comicquest,

 

This applause is for you, and for whoever else contributed to kicking "luca" off!

 

Great info all around. We were discussing that Action 1 on the GA board...as has been pointed out, since the book is missing the centerfold, their claim of "VG- condition" is totally misleading to begin with and certainly has to raise one's suspicions re the description...

 

Exactly.

[comicquest]

Hi there comicquest,

 

This applause is for you, and for whoever else contributed to kicking "luca" off!

 

Great info all around. We were discussing that Action 1 on the GA board...as has been pointed out, since the book is missing the centerfold, their claim of "VG- condition" is totally misleading to begin with and certainly has to raise one's suspicions re the description...

 

Exactly.

 

It is always my pleasure to help put the bad guys away (or at least cut their heads off and force them to grow a new one). That reminds me, I wonder what happened to harnish auctions

[ComicSupply]

I can only assume Harnish has bilked thousands of dollars from people and is now on the run from the law.

 

I wish there was a site that would detail why people get kicked off eBay.

[comicquest]

What was Harnish doing (besides their 'package deals' and other iffy wording in their ads)?

[action1kid]

Hi/

 

5.5 is a very impressive grade for an action 1[unrestored] only 3 copies would grade higher unrestored.can you say anything about the book?

[the_changing_man]

This is quite worrying really....

 

AFAIWC Neatstuff seemed like one of the main "big" eBay dealers who looked pretty on the ball and had a lot of pretty good deals for bulk purchasing....

 

it really raises the question " is the stuff in the pics the only decent stuff and the rest is kak fillers? "

 

I havent bought anything off him *yet* but i'm always checking out his auctions for a nice bulk load to fill a few million gaps

 

Cheers for the info Comicquest,

[Point Five]

What was Harnish doing (besides their 'package deals' and other iffy wording in their ads)?

 

Ooh! Ooh, over here!

 

They were doing these kooky "presale" auctions, where they were selling runs of high-grade books they didn't even own (say, Amazing Spiderman 1-100 in CGC 8.0) and promising to assemble these runs and ship to the buyer within 90 days. There were probably a hundred of these auctions (!!), and it was extremely, painfully obvious that they would never be able to deliver the phantom runs of books, especially at the low prices their auctions finished at. Finally Paypal (and belatedly, ebay) stepped in and suspended their account for violation of rules.

 

I have to say, it was a strange and marvelous thing to watch them crash and burn like that...

[Point Five]

This is quite worrying really....

 

AFAIWC Neatstuff seemed like one of the main "big" eBay dealers who looked pretty on the ball and had a lot of pretty good deals for bulk purchasing....

 

 

NeatStuff used to have quite an awful reputation. I had a bad experience with them (books overgraded & shipped a full month after payment), as did countless others. In recent months, Brian of NeatStuff has pledged that they're turning over a new leaf, and they seem to be making an effort to improve customer service and shipping times. Fair enough.

 

But that said, it sure doesn't seem like much effort goes into their auctions, does it? I don't have $25,000 to drop on an Action #1, but if I did I would want more than a tossed-off two-line description, even leaving aside the grading and disclosure issues we've been discussing here.

[comicquest]

HI. Until I get it back in my hot little hands I can't say anything. I don't want to jinx it!

[comicquest]

Another funny thing about Neatstuff: When I was first wrestling with Koos about a comic (LONG story where I got the upper hand there miraculously) I didn't really know his MO. When I was initially digging for dirt on him, I saw a bad transaction that had happened between Koos & NeatStuff. So I had emailed Neatstuff to see what had happened, and apparently Koos said he didn't get a pricey book that NeatSTuff had shipped. Neatstuff had shipped it with NO tracking/insurance or other easy way to prove he had gotten it. I convinced NeatStuff to run a tracer on the package through the USPS and eventually got NeatSTuff's money back. So did I do a lesser of two evils by helping NeatSTuff against Koos? Reminds me of a time Thor teamed up with Galactus to take down Ego, only to turn on Galactus later................or was it Thor and Ego to take down Galactus, only for Thor to turn on Ego..............

[Psiknight]

I emailed the following to Harnish about a month ago in reference to their dubious auctions:

 

"I have a feeling this auction is for your time to compile the first 10 issues of FF (at 9.0 or better); however, no where in your auction do you specifically state that you are simply auctioning off your time and ability to procure the books. In fact, you state that the winner of the auction will actually own the full run (without stating that the winner will have to actually purchase the books from you). Here is the specific quote from the auction:

 

"The winning bidder of this auction will be the proud new owner of Fantastic Four 1-10 in CGC 9.0 condition or better. That's right all 10 books in CGC 9.0 UNRESTORED condition or better!"

 

Just a word of warning: This is a pretty cut and dry case of misrepresentation (and a definite case of poor business ethics). I'm not sure if it is your intention to mislead potential bidders, but your auction is slyly worded and seems to purposely mislead people.

 

Thanks."

 

Their response was along the lines of "You're right, the auction is for our time to compile these books. We did not mean to mislead anyone. Sorry for the confusion."

 

What a load of BS.