All Clear! Really? 5 5

[Math Teacher]

On 11/17/2021 at 2:08 AM, Galen130 said:

In part, I think.  My presser was able to get my 20 Moderns in before the May deadline, but he told me that a lot of his customers were going to be unlucky because they had a lot more comics to submit than me.  He didn’t have nearly enough time to help those people out. 

This tidal wave of submissions has affected everyone in the chain. Shippers, pressers, CGC, and customers. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going to happen. There is no way to rectify this situation if you are a one-man shop, such as @joeypost. But a large business should be able to figure out that raising the pricing on a certain date would lead to an avalanche of submissions.

Have you ever seen the frenzy at a Wal-Mart on Black Friday? People actually sleep at Wal-Mart the night before to make sure they are first in line. Do you really think Wal-Mart wouldn't plan ahead and make sure there are plenty of employees available that day? Granted, Wal-Mart's business is far greater than CGC's, but the preparation should be essentially the same. I do know that you can't hire someone off the street to work at CGC, like you can with Wal-Mart. My apologies to any Wal-Mart workers, as many of you are conscientious, helpful, and competent in your job. But, as we all know, Wal-Mart hires people that would not be considered to be "the cream of the crop."

Edited November 18, 2021 by Math Teacher

[oakman29]

Thank you Nick for this explanation. 

 

[Iceman399]

OMG CGC just keeps giving us what we want another signing  

[Robot Man]

On 11/18/2021 at 8:05 AM, Iceman399 said:

OMG CGC just keeps giving us what we want another signing  

These “signings” really amaze me. They get some second rate “hot” digital comic artist to sign tons of comics in a closed room with no fans present. And the prices and “tiers” are insane. People just accept it, eat it up and pay probably more than the books are really worth.

To me, getting a book signed by one of the greats was always such a wonderful experience. Never did it for the money.

 

[Galen130]

On 11/18/2021 at 9:27 AM, Robot Man said:

These “signings” really amaze me. They get some second rate “hot” digital comic artist to sign tons of comics in a closed room with no fans present. And the prices and “tiers” are insane. People just accept it, eat it up and pay probably more than the books are really worth.

To me, getting a book signed by one of the greats was always such a wonderful experience. Never did it for the money.

 

I agree with this sentiment.  Getting books signed for the fun of it, in person, was what it was all about.  I haven't done that in quite awhile.  Now, if there's a signed comic that I really want, I look for it on the boards...preferable something signed/graded prior to 2020.  I'm working on a deal to get one that was signed and graded back in 2010.  Makes me feel more comfortable in the quality of the work done slabbing the book.  I will NEVER pay to send books in for a signature.  What a joke...in my opinion. 

[Iceman399]

On 11/18/2021 at 11:27 AM, Robot Man said:

These “signings” really amaze me. They get some second rate “hot” digital comic artist to sign tons of comics in a closed room with no fans present. And the prices and “tiers” are insane. People just accept it, eat it up and pay probably more than the books are really worth.

To me, getting a book signed by one of the greats was always such a wonderful experience. Never did it for the money.

 

I'm legit waiting for CGC to offer a Bob Storms authorized signing @blazingbob I'm not sure which book I'd have him sign though  

[oakman29]

On 11/18/2021 at 9:33 AM, Iceman399 said:

I'm legit waiting for CGC to offer a Bob Storms authorized signing @blazingbob I'm not sure which book I'd have him sign though  

Now I would pay top dollar for a  Bob Storms autograph....🤑

[F For Fake]

On 11/18/2021 at 11:27 AM, Robot Man said:

These “signings” really amaze me. They get some second rate “hot” digital comic artist to sign tons of comics in a closed room with no fans present. And the prices and “tiers” are insane. People just accept it, eat it up and pay probably more than the books are really worth.

To me, getting a book signed by one of the greats was always such a wonderful experience. Never did it for the money.

 

I'm not into yellow labels at all, but I do have several signatures on raw books that I got strictly for sentimental value over the years, a memento of meeting someone that I admired. So, I don't really have a dog in the signature series hunt, but it seems INSANE to me that CGC keeps announcing these events when they are already drowning in submissions. I understand that a lot of folks like yellow labels, and I understand that CGC likes money. And I guess the signing events were one way to get some money into the hands of some creators, and CGC, during the time when live shows were mostly cancelled. But to just keep piling on new submissions when they already have such an unwieldy backlog, it seems positively unhinged, at least to me.

[thehumantorch]

On 11/18/2021 at 10:43 AM, oakman29 said:

Now I would pay top dollar for a  Bob Storms autograph....🤑

Agreed, on a blank cheque.  

[blazingbob]

On 11/18/2021 at 12:33 PM, Iceman399 said:

I'm legit waiting for CGC to offer a Bob Storms authorized signing @blazingbob I'm not sure which book I'd have him sign though  

Frankly if anybody would want me signing a book it would have to be this one - https://nextmosh.com/john-dolmayan-launches-ascencia-comic-book-kickstarter/.  Where else has fantasy reached its pinnacle whereby a Drummer who never smiles writes and publishes a comic book?  

 

[Gary Strange]

A HUGE chunk of my 7 month wait so far has been "CCS IN PROCESS", so they need to fix that aspect pronto if they want me to continue to use that service.

[Iceman399]

On 11/18/2021 at 12:43 PM, oakman29 said:

Now I would pay top dollar for a  Bob Storms autograph....🤑

See I knew I was onto something  

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

On 11/18/2021 at 12:25 PM, blazingbob said:

Frankly if anybody would want me signing a book it would have to be this one - https://nextmosh.com/john-dolmayan-launches-ascencia-comic-book-kickstarter/.  Where else has fantasy reached its pinnacle whereby a Drummer who never smiles writes and publishes a comic book?  

 

So if some of us were to acquire this book and send it to you , would you fill out a creators agreement with CGC to get a Signature Series for them? 

[Qalyar]

On 11/18/2021 at 1:22 PM, Gary Strange said:

A HUGE chunk of my 7 month wait so far has been "CCS IN PROCESS", so they need to fix that aspect pronto if they want me to continue to use that service.

I'm at almost 6 months of "Received at CCS", so I'm pretty convinced their pressing division is not "all clear". Or likely to get repeat business from me, especially since I press very few of my books.

[etanick]

On 11/17/2021 at 11:23 PM, oakman29 said:

Thank you Nick for this explanation. 

 

you are welcome 

[Mystafo]

I love how 90% of youtube videos' cover stills have someone with their mouth agape!

Edited November 18, 2021 by Mystafo

[Fisionbomb]

On 11/18/2021 at 11:27 AM, Robot Man said:

These “signings” really amaze me. They get some second rate “hot” digital comic artist to sign tons of comics in a closed room with no fans present. And the prices and “tiers” are insane. People just accept it, eat it up and pay probably more than the books are really worth.

To me, getting a book signed by one of the greats was always such a wonderful experience. Never did it for the money.

 

I'm not into mail in sig only, but I love the remarque/sketch option. I don't go to shows and cons, but I want original art from my favorite artists on my graded books. Suits me perfectly.

Said it before, saying it again: Quit whining, bring on the signings.

[wombat]

Is this the thread where we act impressed that CGC figured out how to open up their mail?

[jas1vans]

On 11/18/2021 at 7:40 PM, wombat said:

Is this the thread where we act impressed that CGC figured out how to open up their mail?

 

...which they did NOT have to do...

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 11/18/2021 at 7:40 PM, wombat said:

Is this the thread where we act impressed that CGC figured out how to open up their mail?

I agree! 

Not to nitpick, I'm surprised no one posted the whole announcement 

It promises other things now that they've 

Essentially "opened the mail"

But I get it !!

 

A comprehensive effort to increase capacity and improve workflow has enabled CGC to catch up on the backlog of submitted comics that were waiting to be opened.

Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) is excited to announce that it has caught up on the backlog of submitted comics that were waiting to be opened. This important accomplishment follows a comprehensive effort that included acquiring additional square footage, working thousands of hours of overtime, hiring more people and engaging operational efficiency consultants.

CGC is the definitive leader in comic book certification worldwide and has experienced extraordinary demand in this booming collectibles market. Comic book collecting continues to reach new heights as demonstrated by the five CGC-certified comics that have sold for more than $1 million so far in 2021. This incredible growth has resulted in submissions to CGC increasing at an extremely rapid pace — faster than CGC could hire or acquire space.

Now, every package has been opened, and submitters have full visibility into the status of their submissions through the online CGC Submission Tracking tool. To view the current status of a submission, sign into your account at CGCcomics.com and select “Submission Tracking” under “Submit.”

 

To eliminate the package backlog, CGC took a multipronged approach that included acquiring an additional 25,000 square feet of space to develop and implement an optimized CGC workflow. The Certified Collectibles Group, of which CGC is part, now occupies more than 108,000 square feet in the Sarasota, Florida, area.

Importantly, CGC has also taken a number of steps to ensure an adequate supply of holder parts while many companies struggle with supply chain disruptions. This includes investments in additional holder production capabilities and paying premiums for expedited shipments.

With CGC’s optimized workflow, submissions now travel a shorter distance around CGC’s facility, with fewer transfers between rooms and minimized unboxing and reboxing. These improvements have resulted in less handling, more communication between team members and greater accountability for quality. Over the next few months, these efforts are also expected to lead to faster turnaround times.

Some customers have noticed that select submissions have been completed faster than CGC’s posted turnaround times. These submissions were put through the optimized workflow and, by December 2021, all operations will have fully transitioned to the optimized workflow. CGC apologizes that some submissions were completed faster than others received at earlier dates during the rollout of this optimized workflow. Our intent is to complete submissions on a first-in, first-out basis within each grading tier, and every effort will be made to do so going forward. Fast Track submissions will continue to be prioritized.

While expanding and enhancing its operations, CGC remains fully focused on maintaining the quality and integrity of our services. While significant headway has been made, a lot more work remains. CGC will continue to be as transparent as possible with regards to how long it is taking to process submissions and where submissions are at in the process.

“We are grateful for the support and patience of the thousands of submitters who have entrusted CGC with their comics,” comments Michael Browne, COO of the Certified Collectibles Group. “I am also appreciative of the efforts of our outstanding team, which continues to work tirelessly to eliminate all delays throughout our grading process.”

Clearing the package backlog is the first step to improving turnaround times, and CGC is confident that submissions will be completed significantly faster in the near future. Current turnaround times can be found on the CGC Services & Fees page.

Like CGC, Classic Collectible Services® (CCS®), the world’s leading comic book pressing, restoration and restoration removal company, is hiring and pursuing best-in-class operational strategies to increase production while improving quality. With this expansion, CCS will also be better equipped to grow and meet demand.

 

 

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