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Hero Restoration, Anyone know the latest?
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Started by Cantina201,

1,343 posts in this topic

mephistopheles

mephistopheles

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Regarding this con-artist selling books, has anyone been combing through the auctions to see if any of their books with distinctive characteristics (date stamp etc...) have turned up. I would assume he is selling them at a good discount to fmv and some would have popped up for resale by someone trying to flip for a quick buck. 

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KCOComics

KCOComics

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On 12/17/2023 at 10:25 AM, mephistopheles said:

Regarding this con-artist selling books, has anyone been combing through the auctions to see if any of their books with distinctive characteristics (date stamp etc...) have turned up. I would assume he is selling them at a good discount to fmv and some would have popped up for resale by someone trying to flip for a quick buck. 

If he is selling them,  I worry he's been at this long enough to know how to cover his tracks. Sell common books raw without distinct features to identify them. 

The Flash 1 he's had for 10 years will get attention. But other books like ASM129 and Hulk181 can probably slip through detection. 

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The Lions Den

The Lions Den

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On 12/16/2023 at 10:13 AM, Mr. Zipper said:

Some may recall that Mike, for many years, was a well regarded member of the community, a respected restoration expert with a thriving business, and someone who had great passion for the hobby. And now his life has come apart at the seams. As someone who has chatted with him casually on and off for 15 years, the situation is unreal and shocking. I was hoping against hope that Mike would pull it together and all the outstanding issues would be resolved.

I’m not excusing or defending any of his actions, and I have great empathy for the people who lost money and may lose their books. This is a tragedy. There is nothing to celebrate or joke about. The most recent developments only reduce the chances that the victims will be made whole.

While I agree that this is a tragedy, it's a tragedy that likely could have been avoided. Apparently, all he had to do here is take responsibility for his actions. I have little sympathy for people that make unethical business decisions and then expect other folks to shoulder the resulting fallout. Personally, I'd save my sympathy for the real victims...

 

 

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Sauce Dog

Sauce Dog

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On 12/17/2023 at 11:25 AM, KCOComics said:

If he is selling them,  I worry he's been at this long enough to know how to cover his tracks. Sell common books raw without distinct features to identify them. 

The Flash 1 he's had for 10 years will get attention. But other books like ASM129 and Hulk181 can probably slip through detection. 

Yeah, I am hoping the people who contacted me might be able to point towards a specific issue or two that would make confirming this easier - I was very uneasy about sharing such a big claim publicly, but felt it necessary based on where it came from (they sought me out due to a concern for the harm being done to the community, and otherwise nobody would have known the other side business! Even our fellow board member here who volunteered to help Mike move his stuff into this new storefront didn't know what that location would be - most certainly just assumed it was going to be Hero Restoration's new location). 

I hope this development spurs people into taking action if they have been waiting, or had been hoping to wait things out for Hero Restoration to make things right (which is still possible! I've left an email for Mike once he gets out that outlines what he can do - simply put, make it a priority to return the books to those who filled out the online survey as they are the most vocal members of the community and have all pretty much accepted the loss of the fees paid and only want their property back. Appease them and it would take lots of pressure off him to figure everything else out)

Edited by Sauce Dog
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thehumantorch

thehumantorch

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On 12/16/2023 at 11:17 AM, Cat said:

"Anything else you'd like to say?" 

"I have nothing but contempt for this court." 

"That's the 15th time you've said that." 

More likely he was ordered to follow a court order, make payments like alimony or attend classes or submit documents, and he repeatedly failed to do so.  It suggests that his latest brush with the law may not have been his first.  Or perhaps the judge gave him books to restore and he failed to do so.

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KCOComics

KCOComics

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On 12/18/2023 at 11:06 PM, thehumantorch said:

More likely he was ordered to follow a court order, make payments like alimony or attend classes or submit documents, and he repeatedly failed to do so.  It suggests that his latest brush with the law may not have been his first.  Or perhaps the judge gave him books to restore and he failed to do so.

Wait wait wait,  your accusing him of having commitments and responsibilities and failing to follow through?? 

Based on everything I've read,  that seems very out of character! 

It was obviously due to the judge's lack of understanding! 

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shadroch

shadroch

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I'll remind people that Gollum was once a valued member of his community.  

As there appear to be expensive books in his possession for ten years, that he was soliciting work until recently, and his criminal record, how much more rope do we need to give him?

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CAHokie

CAHokie

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On 12/19/2023 at 7:29 AM, shadroch said:

I'll remind people that Gollum was once a valued member of his community.  

As there appear to be expensive books in his possession for ten years, that he was soliciting work until recently, and his criminal record, how much more rope do we need to give him?

I will never understand the 10 year thing. It’s not like he was growing and raising a new Flash like it was a Baby Groot. 

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