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Anyone else lately getting grader notes that include "finger bends to cover"?
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86 posts in this topic

Yeah, I got 7 Moderns a few weeks back with bends and dents. They were pressed by a premier presser and then submitted by them. One of the greatest offenses was a Spotlight #32 that the entire bottom was filled with bends due to how the book was encapsulated. Releasing it from the slab removed the bends and revealed a nice smooth bottom edge and that the ugliness was indeed caused by CGC.

I am expecting three pre-1975 books today and pray they are being looked at by a more experienced group of individuals.

spotlight 32 - back bottom bends.png

Edited by PovertyRow
32, not 2 - my Spotlight 2 is a Voldy 8
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My next few batches are likely going to the competition for grading. I'd rather see a slight reduction in value than grades getting knocked down because quality control seems to be at an all time low and books are being damaged by the very same group that is responsible for preserving them. 

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On 6/18/2022 at 1:54 PM, PovertyRow said:

Yeah, I got 7 Moderns a few weeks back with bends and dents. They were pressed by a premier presser and then submitted by them. One of the greatest offenses was a Spotlight #32 that the entire bottom was filled with bends due to how the book was encapsulated. Releasing it from the slab removed the bends and revealed a nice smooth bottom edge and that the ugliness was indeed caused by CGC.

I am expecting three pre-1975 books today and pray they are being looked at by a more experienced group of individuals.

spotlight 32 - back bottom bends.png

I am seeing more and more of this. Used to be a top of the inner well issue. Seems both edges are getting this “rippling” affect. Did you notice how close the edges of the inner well were to the comic? 

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So, am I right in thinking there are 2 different issues with finger bends?  The one's that have finger bends in the graders notes didn't happen during encapsulation.  The example that @PovertyRow posted seems to have occurred during encapsulation.  

When this thread first popped up, I mentioned to the new QC manager that people were getting a lot of books that had finger bends in the graders notes, and asked him to check into the page counting step of the grading process.  I went on to say that many of these books were pressed by professionals, and in many cases, they were hand delivered to CGC.  It appears that I need to bring up the encapsulation issue as well.  I'm going to swipe the image that Pov posted, and am interested in any other comments that people have about this.  

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On 6/18/2022 at 5:34 PM, CGC Mike said:

So, am I right in thinking there are 2 different issues with finger bends?  The one's that have finger bends in the graders notes didn't happen during encapsulation.  The example that @PovertyRow posted seems to have occurred during encapsulation.  

When this thread first popped up, I mentioned to the new QC manager that people were getting a lot of books that had finger bends in the graders notes, and asked him to check into the page counting step of the grading process.  I went on to say that many of these books were pressed by professionals, and in many cases, they were hand delivered to CGC.  It appears that I need to bring up the encapsulation issue as well.  I'm going to swipe the image that Pov posted, and am interested in any other comments that people have about this.  

Thanks Mike. As Joeypost mentioned above, this is not uncommon now.

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On 6/18/2022 at 12:54 PM, PovertyRow said:

Yeah, I got 7 Moderns a few weeks back with bends and dents. They were pressed by a premier presser and then submitted by them. One of the greatest offenses was a Spotlight #32 that the entire bottom was filled with bends due to how the book was encapsulated. Releasing it from the slab removed the bends and revealed a nice smooth bottom edge and that the ugliness was indeed caused by CGC.

I am expecting three pre-1975 books today and pray they are being looked at by a more experienced group of individuals.

spotlight 32 - back bottom bends.png

This looks like an example of the inner well being to tight causing accordion type waves to the lower edge of the book.  The opposite of a book floating to loose in the inner well where it can shift and possibly get shaken comic syndrome and impact damage.  Each book needs to land in the inner well with a sweet spot of tolerances that isn’t to tight or loose.  

Edited by Topnotchman
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Just got back three books earlier today. All were pressed by the premier presser and sent by them to CGC so minimal back and forth. Any light creasing or finger bends would have been taken out. A repeat of my Modern fiasco but these are all pre-1975 books so I was hoping for more care in handling. Grader notes as follows (I bolded the relevant text):

Marvel Spotlight #12 came back 8.5
Grader Notes:
light creasing to cover
light finger bends on cover

light spine stress lines to cover

Marvel Tales #1 (1964) came back 7.5
Grader Notes:
light creasing to cover
light finger bends on cover

light spine stress lines to cover

Strange Tales #169 Came back 7.5
light creasing to cover
light spine stress lines to cover

Regarding the ST 169 I had posted it in Can You Spare A Grade several years ago and the general consensus was certainly higher than 7.5. I put it in a Mylite 2 with Fullback and never touched it until I sub's it this time around. Still trying to find my PGM post but this new software search is useless and even Google Advanced Search can't find it. 

Edited by PovertyRow
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On 6/20/2022 at 8:37 PM, PovertyRow said:

Regarding the ST 169 I had posted it in Can You Spare A Grade several years ago and the general consensus was around 9.0 or 9.2. I put it in a Mylite 2 with Fullback and never touched it until I sub's it this time around. Still trying to find my PGM post but this new software search is useless and even Google Advanced Search can't find it. 

I took a look.  If it was posted way back, I am guessing there wasn't a spare a grade section.  Also, several of your threads asking for grades didn't mention what book.

image.png

Anyhow, here is a link to all of the threads you started.  

https://boards.cgccomics.com/profile/367-povertyrow/content/?type=forums_topic

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On 4/24/2022 at 9:37 PM, buttock said:

@CGC Mike  This is becoming a common enough complaint to justify looking into.  

Please! I’m avoiding Sig Series completely now. Very careful to send 9.8s. Getting them back as bent up 9.0s to 9.4s, making the moderns worthless in this climate. I’m taking losses every time. I still have 26 books out and dread their return. Also, many low grades don’t even have grader notes. A complete disaster for me. I took out a loan to invest in SS. I’ll never be able to pay it back. Maybe CGC just assumes we are all millionaires.

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On 5/26/2022 at 9:38 PM, RedKryptoniteSuperman said:

At least you're getting "Grader notes"  I had a book rated 9.0 with zero notes as to explain why it was graded that way. CGC just doesn't seem to care anymore. 

 

-RKSM  

Me too. Lousy grades on books sent in at 9.8–maybe 9.6 with an explanation. Returned damaged in slab. No grader notes, and multiple scratches on cases.

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On 6/8/2022 at 12:15 PM, Sand1man said:

Absolutely Yes.  I've sent in 26 books - 8 have returned - all 8 have "finger bends!"  I am seriously reconsidering my grading options as this was the "least" of my "concerns" in re grading and book handling!  Plus, "finger bends" come in Light, Moderate, Heavy and Extreme LEVELS from what I am seeing with my returns and other collectors returns - with whom I compare with all the time!  Maybe "visible-light reflections" will be next?  Its to the point that no one can really tell what a potential grade "may be" because the criteria are becoming so vague, inconsistent and erroneous, that its just a shoot!  Lots of room for improvement here...not mention the $$$ loss due to this ....well...you know...

Somebody has no idea what they are doing.

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On 6/8/2022 at 7:57 PM, Sand1man said:

I take all my books to other trusted collectors for review and analysis.  Every precaution is taken:  gloves, temperature, no book stacking, etc.  We compare prior graded books, newer graded books, grader notes, before/after submission photos, and even examples from this chat board!  The conclusions are clear, CGC is NOT what it was when it comes to quality and accuracy - and that's a shame.  One of my books was reported to have "tape removed" from the cover (in the grader notes) - but CGC was not interested in my pre-sumsission photos that showed NO TAPE on the book !!!  I was hoping with CGC's new ownership and increased numbers of graders that things would improve.  Still, I know some folks, where CGC has treated them fairly, even "more than fairly" with no major conflicts of any kind.  But I would never send an expensive book to CGC for grading, etc., - once-bitten-twice-shy.  I thought I could trust them - I was wrong!  My advice would be to execute private trades/sales of raw books - if you can.

Definitely have to find alternatives.

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On 6/18/2022 at 8:34 PM, CGC Mike said:

So, am I right in thinking there are 2 different issues with finger bends?  The one's that have finger bends in the graders notes didn't happen during encapsulation.  The example that @PovertyRow posted seems to have occurred during encapsulation.  

When this thread first popped up, I mentioned to the new QC manager that people were getting a lot of books that had finger bends in the graders notes, and asked him to check into the page counting step of the grading process.  I went on to say that many of these books were pressed by professionals, and in many cases, they were hand delivered to CGC.  It appears that I need to bring up the encapsulation issue as well.  I'm going to swipe the image that Pov posted, and am interested in any other comments that people have about this.  

It appears that their response is to just not give grader notes at all. I can’t even get the online grades for the last 3 books l received back. They aren’t even listed as having been graded (?) And no, l didn’t accidentally send them elsewhere. I’ve used only CGC since 2013.

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