QES or CVA certs (stickers) on GA Books? 2 2

[tth2]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:56 AM, RareHighGrade said:

On the two occasions that I purchased books on Clink that had the CVA certification, once I had the books in hand, they appeared to be one to two grades higher than that assigned by CGC. 

Now I'm a bit confused as to what CVA is.  I thought they were basically a grader of eye appeal/QP, as opposed to a grader of structural defects (which is what CGC is supposed to be).  Are you saying that they are actually a grader of the grader and their primary role is to confirm the accuracy of CGC's grade?  If so, do they take the book out of the CGC slab to do this assessment? 

[RareHighGrade]

On 7/30/2023 at 8:45 PM, tth2 said:

Now I'm a bit confused as to what CVA is.  I thought they were basically a grader of eye appeal/QP, as opposed to a grader of structural defects (which is what CGC is supposed to be).  Are you saying that they are actually a grader of the grader and their primary role is to confirm the accuracy of CGC's grade?  If so, do they take the book out of the CGC slab to do this assessment? 

I'm not an expert on what CVA does, but my understanding is that, upon request (and for a fee), they will inspect a book that Clink has up for auction.  They don't take it out of the slab, but they evaluate whether the book looks better than its assigned grade.  At least one of the owners of CVA used to work at Clink.  Here's an example of a CVA certified book.  It looks like a 9.6 in hand.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by RareHighGrade

[RareHighGrade]

Edit.

Edited July 31, 2023 by RareHighGrade

[Cat-Man_America]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:39 PM, jimbo_7071 said:

 

The registration and colors are fantastic; I think you have a very good chance of landing a coveted CVA sticker!

As awesome as those stickers are, to me, the risk of damage in shipping would ever-so-slightly outweigh the never-ending euphoria that comes from owning a CVA sticker, but every collector has to weigh the risks and make that call for himself or herself.

I apologize for my earlier sarcasm; it was intended as a humorous reflection on my personal attitude toward these stickers.

Since I don't solicit forth party grading, I produce my own coveted sticker, then charge myself for the honor.  

[Professor K]

On 7/29/2023 at 10:33 PM, jimbo_7071 said:

I have 3 books with CVA stickers, and in no case did the sticker make any difference to me. The books have nice eye appeal, but I didn't need a sticker to tell me that. Do you have any idea how many defects can't be seen when a book is in a slab? The stickers are meaningless. (I didn't even notice the sticker on the Mystic until after I bought it; I had asked CLink for large scans, and the sticker wasn't on there yet in those pictures).

I still drink water from the tap a brew my coffee at home (in a pan on the stove because my coffee maker broke during the pandemic and I haven't gotten around to replacing it).

 

On 7/30/2023 at 1:05 PM, Cat-Man_America said:

Jimbo's CatMan  #31 is absolutely beautiful, graded over 20 years ago, reposted for benefit of this discussion.

The color registration is about 99% with very slight, inconsequential red shift to right, not perfect, but very close. 

The PQ can't be seen, but it's clearly noted on the label. Is that what makes this particular copy exceptional, ...or is it the sticker? 

  Reveal hidden contents

Here's another copy from another cat's collection: Same grade, but slight, noteworthy difference of opinion in respect to PQ on the label, and no sticker.

Alas, this poor unfortunate collector's trashy copy has a bit less writing on the cover, but lacks the revered sticker. 

  Reveal hidden contents

Note: None of this takes away from the awesomeness of Jimbo's stellar copy. It's a superb book with or without a CVA sticker!  

Wow, there are two 9.4's and you guys own 'em both!  

[Cat-Man_America]

On 7/31/2023 at 3:45 AM, Professor K said:

 

Wow, there are two 9.4's and you guys own 'em both!  

Thanks, they're both super nice copies. A scan of my copy was requested for the Black Light: The World of L.B. Cole flexi-bound book from 2015. Note: The Fantagraphics book is OOP but apparently still available on Kindle or through secondary sources at collector prices; it's still highly recommended. 

[Professor K]

On 7/31/2023 at 6:08 PM, Cat-Man_America said:

Thanks, they're both super nice copies. A scan of my copy was requested for the Black Light: The World of L.B. Cole flexi-bound book from 2015. Note: The Fantagraphics book is OOP but apparently still available on Kindle or through secondary sources at collector prices; it's still highly recommended. 

I have the Black Light Flexi. Got it cheap on e bay,  50 bucks in real nice condition, like new. So what happened? I thought the pic of Cat 31 they used was a Cole re-creation from the 80's or early 90's but maybe it's your 9.4? 

 

[Cat-Man_America]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:32 PM, Professor K said:

I have the Black Light Flexi. Got it cheap on e bay,  50 bucks in real nice condition, like new. So what happened? I thought the pic of Cat 31 they used was a Cole re-creation from the 80's or early 90's but maybe it's your 9.4? 

 

We sent in a high resolution image rather than a scan. I can't say for certain that this was actually used, but it looks like my copy and I received attribution and a copy of the book. Before going to press the publisher might've eliminated the very faint pencil mark in the title logo; I'm pretty sure this isn't a Cole recreation given the exactness of the image to the comic and inclusion of the "This Stands For Honorable Service..." insignia on the right side of the cover. Anyway, the oversized Cole coffee-table book is an exceptional Flexi. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by Cat-Man_America
Ale attributed!

[LDarkseid1]

My thoughts on this thread 😂

[Cat-Man_America]

On 7/31/2023 at 10:07 PM, LDarkseid1 said:

My thoughts on this thread 😂

 My thoughts on cans of worms: if they have eyes and a mouth those ain't worms, ...they may be snakes! Always be careful handlin' snakes, they may be deadly. 

[jimbo_7071]

On 7/31/2023 at 11:07 PM, LDarkseid1 said:

My thoughts on this thread 😂

To me the biggest question is, have any CVA submitters garnered preferential treatment for their books? I did not know until reading this thread that one of the owners used to work for CLink. It seems like that situation could create a conflict of interest with respect to books being submitted by CLink or by regular CLink submitters like Steve Ritter.

We know that CGC has some anonymity built into their process, although with very large submissions—like the Promise Collection—the graders must surely know who the customer is. Is there any anonymity built into CVA's process, or is it one guy who know which books come from CLink and which ones belong to important CLink submitters?

I have seen some CVA-sticker-adorned books that did not appear to be strictly graded but may have had good centering, registration, etc., so it's unclear what the criteria actually are or how things are weighted.

[LDarkseid1]

On 8/1/2023 at 6:06 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

To me the biggest question is, have any CVA submitters garnered preferential treatment for their books? I did not know until reading this thread that one of the owners used to work for CLink. It seems like that situation could create a conflict of interest with respect to books being submitted by CLink or by regular CLink submitters like Steve Ritter.

We know that CGC has some anonymity built into their process, although with very large submissions—like the Promise Collection—the graders must surely know who the customer is. Is there any anonymity built into CVA's process, or is it one guy who know which books come from CLink and which ones belong to important CLink submitters?

I have seen some CVA-sticker-adorned books that did not appear to be strictly graded but may have had good centering, registration, etc., so it's unclear what the criteria actually are or how things are weighted.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but as far as my books have gone I just get an update from my clink advisor when a book qualifies. It’s a pretty rare thing because I haven’t had many qualify. Maybe 1 book every few auctions or so. And then I have the choice to slap it on or not for the additional fee of course. I’ve generally found books with it do slightly better, so I usually agree to add it on. Would the book have done better without it on considering the nice presentation, maybe. Not denying they could still. I definitely don’t feel I’ve gotten preferential treatment though. I’ve actually felt there’s been times I submitted books for auctions that would get the sticker and didn’t and was mildly, just mildly disappointed 😁. But at the end of the day, I don’t really care too much about the process to be honest. Happy to take advantage of it I guess, but if I don’t get an update to add one doesn’t matter either way.

Edited August 1, 2023 by LDarkseid1

[jimbo_7071]

Here's an example of a 9.8 with the CVA sticker. The book has noticeably fanned pages (which to me suggests possible cover shrinkage from pressing), the staples are off-center on the back cover, and the coupon on the back cover makes it obvious that the book was cut slightly crooked. It may be a 9.8, but in what way is the book an exceptional 9.8? 

[fishbone]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:05 PM, Cat-Man_America said:

Jimbo's CatMan  #31 is absolutely beautiful, graded over 20 years ago, reposted for benefit of this discussion.

The color registration is about 99% with very slight, inconsequential red shift to right, not perfect, but very close. 

The PQ can't be seen, but it's clearly noted on the label. Is that what makes this particular copy exceptional, ...or is it the sticker? 

  Hide contents

Here's another copy from another cat's collection: Same grade, but slight, noteworthy difference of opinion in respect to PQ on the label, and no sticker.

Alas, this poor unfortunate collector's trashy copy has a bit less writing on the cover, but lacks the revered sticker. 

  Reveal hidden contents

Note: None of this takes away from the awesomeness of Jimbo's stellar copy. It's a superb book with or without a CVA sticker!  

Oh My !!!!   Spectacular, both !!  I give my stamp of approval ...

[956Ref]

Im pretty sure QES, or the company that handles QES is also owned by Metropolis.

[956Ref]

Im also curious as to how many people have sent their books in for QES or CVA stickers and then asked for their book to be returned so they could then have them auctioned at heritage instead.

[LDarkseid1]

On 8/1/2023 at 7:31 PM, 956Ref said:

Im also curious as to how many people have sent their books in for QES or CVA stickers and then asked for their book to be returned so they could then have them auctioned at heritage instead.

I would imagine very very few people, if anyone.

[LDarkseid1]

On 8/1/2023 at 8:23 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

Here's an example of a 9.8 with the CVA sticker. The book has noticeably fanned pages (which to me suggests possible cover shrinkage from pressing), the staples are off-center on the back cover, and the coupon on the back cover makes it obvious that the book was cut slightly crooked. It may be a 9.8, but in what way is the book an exceptional 9.8? 

The photos aren’t showing, at least not for me.

[jimbo_7071]

On 8/2/2023 at 5:04 AM, LDarkseid1 said:

The photos aren’t showing, at least not for me.

They're on the CLink. The CLink site is down right now, but you can see them on that site once it's back up. (They're still showing up for me.)

Edited August 2, 2023 by jimbo_7071

[lou_fine]

On 8/2/2023 at 2:03 AM, LDarkseid1 said:

On 8/1/2023 at 7:31 PM, 956Ref said:

Im also curious as to how many people have sent their books in for QES or CVA stickers and then asked for their book to be returned so they could then have them auctioned at heritage instead.

I would imagine very very few people, if anyone.

Definitely not the preferred route to take for consigning to Heritage since CVA is associated with CL while I believe QES is associated with CC.   

If you are going with Heritage, the best option to take is to send your books in raw and have Heritage submit them to CCS/CGC for the hopeful Promise of a more loveable and huggable number in the top left hand corner of your slabbed book.