What is going on with Heritage's Ga grading department? 2 2

[Robot Man]

26 minutes ago, OdinsSecrets said:

Luckily they are still good about returns, didn't get any pushback on the one I just submitted and they sent me a shipping label.

I wouldn't have bought the book if I had held it in hand, but the issues were hard to spot from the scan on that particular book. The Submariner above I have steered clear of 

I dunno but obvious rat chewed corner is real obvious to me on that (their) scan.

Glad they paid the return postage for you. 

[vheflin]

Typical day at the Heritage imaging dept.

[Book Guy]

2 hours ago, Cat-Man_America said:

These flaws might actually qualify as production chews, but only grader Magoo would know for sure.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think Heritage should be commended for hiring all those poor souls selling pencils from building stoops and street corners, providing them with a trade grading and scanning collectible books.  Personally, this humanitarian side of the collectible’s business is quite noble and very heart warming, no matter what anyone else thinks. 

Major League Baseball is going to have problems getting umpires if they continue at this rate!

[Randall Dowling]

4 hours ago, southern cross said:

This is a 4.5 in my book.

Am I incorrect?

That sounds about right for the WAC 2.  Give or take a 1/2 point.

[AJD]

This was a Heritage VG+... the staples had crumbled to a few rusty scraps that fell out when I opened the book.

[comicjack]

I got one like that it should be stated rusty staples at least.The flakes of paper are an added bonus 

[Mr. Lady Luck]

10 hours ago, vheflin said:

The raw grading is ebay bad.

Look at this one from last Sunday, it didn't sell

They had it at VF+!!!

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/crime/war-against-crime-2-ec-1948-condition-vf-/a/122126-17903.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Archive-ThisAuction-120115

That is really bad.

[Mr. Lady Luck]

Is this a relatively recent thing with HA in house grading? I've always thought they were pretty accurate in the past, but these recent examples are quite disturbing.

[Mr. Lady Luck]

10 hours ago, vheflin said:

The 1.21 gigawatt light box they use to photo the raws is shameful.

A brown paper bag will appear bone white with their setup.

 

The raw books don't bother me as much as the slabs. The lighting is so bright, I can't see what's going on with the inner-well - and that triggers my OCD.

[telerites]

Yeah this is not new.  Years ago I bought a raw National 18 listed I believe as a VG+.  When it arrived, the cover looked especially glossy which I felt had been reglossed.  Nothing in the description mentioned this or any type of restoration.

I called HA and was told that isn't possible as the books are carefully graded and restoration is checked before listing.  I forget what the turnaround is to return a book but is seemed like it was pretty quick.  I reached out to Matt Nelson (this was when he had Classics, Inc.)  I sent it to him and he confirmed the reglossing and sent it on to HA within their prescribed return timeline so I was refunded.

A few weeks later the book turned up in another of their weekly auctions, this time noting the restoration.  

My experience with HA's customer has normally been exemplary but this incident stands out like an sore thumb.  

I am sure I have bought a few raws since then on a GA book that I needed/wanted for my collection but very rarely and my experience is not a one-off reading what others have posted.

[Funnybooks]

2 hours ago, comicjack said:

I got one like that it should be stated rusty staples at least.The flakes of paper are an added bonus 

Those flakes are now multiple copies of your book...congrats!

[comicginger1789]

11 hours ago, lou_fine said:

I believe it was a "production" rat that was running around the printing facility when these Subby's got printed and prepped for shipping.  

Little known fact, his name was Leroy and they employed him initially as a sales representative but he was found chewing on books off the production line so they fired him. He managed to have a successful career in showbiz though…I believe his great great granddaughter was the rat in the one episode of Game of Thrones. 

[batman_fan]

11 hours ago, vheflin said:

The raw grading is ebay bad.

Look at this one from last Sunday, it didn't sell

They had it at VF+!!!

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/crime/war-against-crime-2-ec-1948-condition-vf-/a/122126-17903.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Archive-ThisAuction-120115

Cat pee 

[jimbo_7071]

11 minutes ago, batman_fan said:

Cat pee 

John McLaughlin is salivating in his grave.

[batman_fan]

I am actually feeling like maybe I undergrade 

[Comcav]

With their volume of material, I am sure some things slip through the cracks.  But I buy an inappropriately vast amount of material from Heritage.  Graded and raw.  I'm thrilled with the books and to date, never had a grading problem.  Out of everyone in the industry, no one is even close to having the nearly-perfect batting average of Heritage.

[Blue_Bolt]

12 hours ago, southern cross said:

This is a 4.5 in my book.

Am I incorrect?

I believe so also. CGC 5.0 books are kind of my sweet spot for collecting silver age and no way would that get a 5.0, too many imperfections.  What's funny is it isn't even a F/VF, they somehow go up to VF+ with the stain on the back and those creases lol.

[amatta]

13 hours ago, southern cross said:

This is a 4.5 in my book.

Am I incorrect?

I'm with you, maybe a 5.0 at best... a.k.a. an E-Bay "9.2/9.4 NM+ MUST SEE!"

Edited July 6, 2021 by amatta

[buttock]

1 hour ago, szav said:

I mean.  It could have been a typo or documentation error somewhere along the chain …. although I did get an email from HA advertising a job opening for an in house comic book grader, so maybe they had the janitor giving it a go last week on an interim basis.

I've got to think it's a typo.  VG+ typed as VF+.  Otherwise... yeesh.  

I've only ordered a handful of raw books from HA over many years.  My experience is that they're almost always overgraded at least a smidge.  

[Dark Knight]

7 hours ago, comicjack said:

I got one like that it should be stated rusty staples at least.The flakes of paper are an added bonus 

If you put those flakes in a little baggy and advertise em as coming from an Action 1, you might be able to get your $ back