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C2E2 Variant Drama
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Started by fastballspecial,

4,556 posts in this topic

Gary Strange

Gary Strange

Posted
Posted
On 8/9/2022 at 2:09 PM, Flanders82 said:

You forgot to mention the recent fiasco prior to C2E2:

  • Omits crucial information from labels (such as tape on cover, staples added, etc.) despite the overwhelming opposition from collectors. 

Also, this info in not in the graders notes for any of the c2e2 exclusives Ive checked.

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TTony

TTony

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Posted (edited)
On 8/9/2022 at 11:17 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

Yup. If I have Alex Ross paint a different cover for Kingdom Come #4, and I staple it on, it's getting a Qualified label. These acetate covers on the UF4 reprint is no different. It's unverified artwork added after the manufacturing process and not witnessed by CGC.

To CGC: It's not a variant cover.

This is not a publisher manufactured or approved book.  CGC, are you saying retailers can now publish their own books outside of publisher approvals and get blue labels?  

On 8/9/2022 at 11:23 AM, SkOw said:

Exactly. What’s the process for the rest of us to mutilate dollar books and staple on covers?  We all want a piece of the action. 

Can I just go and get a business license (or work with an existing retailer), hire an artist, buy some acetate and staples, and then contact you to get my own 10.0 and 9.9's?  Can I wrap books that are CGC 1.0's in acetate and get the same 10.0 and 9.9's?  I've submitted several hundred books last year and no 9.9's or 10's, this is greatly impacting my view of the legitimacy of the grades.

Like Black Flag has a line for collectors and a separate line for influencers/resellers... this is the approach that CGC appears to be taking.  Two separate tiers of service.

On 8/9/2022 at 11:58 AM, Red84 said:

I’m more concerned with how half the graded books got a 9.9 or 10. 
Are we really to believe that previously made books were handled, had 2 extra staples added to them and are still 9.9 and 10? Would the books before the extra cover was added have gotten a 9.9 or 10? It is not just the cover that determines the grade. Are we to believe these were 9.9 and 10s before?  Come on. Not believable. 

I'm guessing CGC only grades the acetate cover itself, not the underlying book.  I would expect there is NO discernible difference between the 9.8, 9.9 and 10.0.  It appears those grades were bought and paid for by Black Flag.  Are there any graders notes?

Again, my faith in CGC as impartial grading company is shaken.

On 8/9/2022 at 12:07 PM, FFB said:

 What I do care about is the leading certification company putting its imprimatur on this tactic.  This is obviously just a cash grab by CGC and it makes no sense.  The damage to the brand has to outweigh whatever grading fees they got from these books.  But as bad as this decision is, it's not the most troubling aspect of this situation.  The convenient coincidence that the current release and future releases have exactly one 10, 3 9.9s, and 6 9.8s suggests to me that there may be some kind of collusion between CGC and the retailer.  As much as I dislike the idea of certifying the acetate add-on versions to begin with, the fact that they are apparently agreeing in advance that a certain number of books will get a 10 or 9.9 is much worse than the decision to certify them in the first place.  It suggests that high grades can be for sale.  Definitely more transparency is needed here.  Do I think we'll get it?  Probably not because the answer might be worse than just keeping quiet about it.  

I am feeling that the high grades are for sale.  But what is also (more?) concerning is the CGC position that they can do no wrong and whatever they say or do is correct, no matter what it is.  

Edited by TTony
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OJ Pimpson

OJ Pimpson

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On 8/9/2022 at 12:05 PM, Willbert said:

The Stray Dogs Acetate was manufactured by the publisher, Image, whereas the UF4 was altered by Black Flag. The Stray Dogs Acetate has a unique barcode and a $12.99 cover price versus the Stray Dogs cover A price of $3.99. The UF4 is an admitted recycled facsimile book from 2021. Outside of having 4 staples there is nothing, I repeat, nothing similar about the origins of these books.

But set all that aside, can someone explain to me how 274 copies of Stray Dogs Acetate can be on the census and there is not a single 10.0 or 9.9? But Black Flag can submit 30 books, known so far, and have 3x10.0s, 11x9.9s among the 3 titles? So 0 out of 274 for a legit published book to grade above 9.8 but 14 out of 30 for retailer altered books.

9.9s and 10s are basically Retailer Incentives at this point. They are not available to the public 

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NewWorldOrder

NewWorldOrder

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After years of pointless and down right lame threads here.  We finally have a winner already for 2022!

(This might give some of the old "is pressing restoration?" threads a run for the money) 

image.thumb.png.70b09de35db905948b3deaa387d32fb0.png

Edited by NewWorldOrder
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jaxcomics

jaxcomics

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On 8/9/2022 at 4:34 PM, NewWorldOrder said:

After years of pointless and down right lame threads here.  We finally have a winner already for 2022!

(This might give some of the old "is pressing restoration?" a run for the money) 

image.thumb.png.70b09de35db905948b3deaa387d32fb0.pngA

Agreed, I spent more time reading this thread today that I have all other threads on the forum in the past month.

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NewWorldOrder

NewWorldOrder

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On 8/9/2022 at 1:35 PM, jaxcomics said:

Agreed, I spent more time reading this thread today that I have all other threads on the forum in the past month.

Past month?  Past 5 years haha

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NewWorldOrder

NewWorldOrder

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Posted
On 8/7/2022 at 9:09 PM, captainzombie said:

This bothers me and I like his content too. Gem acts like this is no big deal. He is getting some of his fanbase turning on him in the comments.

 

Assuming then he took it down?

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mattn792

mattn792

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On 8/9/2022 at 3:34 PM, toro said:

The only way I see this coming out okay for CGC and Black Flag is that all the profit from this _____show is donated to a veterans group.  It makes both look okay and maybe Disney/Marvel doesn't go after either of them.

It would be a nice gesture on their part, but CGC has a much bigger problem on their hands as they’ve once again demonstrated that grades are for sale.  Credibility in the toilet.  It’s going to take them a hell of a lot of time to put that genie back in the bottle.

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NewWorldOrder

NewWorldOrder

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Posted
On 8/9/2022 at 1:40 PM, mattn792 said:

It would be a nice gesture on their part, but CGC has a much bigger problem on their hands as they’ve once again demonstrated that grades are for sale.  Credibility in the toilet.  It’s going to take them a hell of a lot of time to put that genie back in the bottle.

Honestly not really. 

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