ASM #252 CGC 9.8 Record Sale - something fishy going on? - Holder Tampering Incident confirmed by CGC 50 50

[Point Five]

On 12/27/2023 at 12:37 PM, Steven Valdez said:

From now on, I'll only be buying single pages in slabs. At least you can see both sides.

If I want an ASM #300 as slabbed single pages, I'm going to need a LOT more storage space. But damn it, the peace of mind is just worth it!

 

[drotto]

Combine the opening method in the video with a set of these from Amazon, and the chance of damaging the case goes way down.  I have used these to replace a radio in a car dashboard and they work as advertised. 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by drotto

[skybolt]

On 12/27/2023 at 11:37 AM, Steven Valdez said:

From now on, I'll only be buying single pages in slabs. At least you can see both sides.

Make sure to check that the illustration is not someone's 5-year old kid retracing the panels. CGC will not offer that service for you.

[Heronext]

On 12/27/2023 at 12:37 PM, Steven Valdez said:

From now on, I'll only be buying single pages in slabs. At least you can see both sides.

 

[Steven Valdez]

If this tampering can't be done with CBCS cases, those guys are in for a major windfall.

[agamoto]

On 12/27/2023 at 9:44 AM, Heronext said:

 

You gotta start somewhere!

[Bo1983]

On 12/27/2023 at 12:44 PM, Heronext said:

 

Last page of Hulk 180!

[Bo1983]

Edited December 27, 2023 by Bo1983

[agamoto]

On 12/27/2023 at 9:45 AM, Steven Valdez said:

If this tampering can't be done with CBCS cases, those guys are in for a major windfall.

I dont know, they seem to be very good at stubbing their doinks inches from the endzone every single time they gain possession on a turnover. 

[Steven Valdez]

Joke as we may (and I do) but I don't see CGC recovering from this. They're done.

[AbsoluteCarnage]

On 12/27/2023 at 12:46 PM, agamoto said:

I dont know, they seem to be very good at stubbing their doinks inches from the endzone every single time they gain possession on a turnover. 

Who's keeping tabs on them though in reality? Sometimes not being #1 in grading might be a good thing. Not saying anything is amiss over there but I don't know too many people that will shell out unreasonable money on the competition books. I'm sure there are some though.

[jsilverjanet]

On 12/27/2023 at 10:05 AM, THE_BEYONDER said:

I doubt the scammer is using glue to seal the wells back together.   CGC has to be able to open these things to reholder them.

you have never seen an employee crack a slab? they don't inspect it, they pop it out like it was bubble gum (with little regard to the comic)

[agamoto]

On 12/27/2023 at 9:49 AM, Steven Valdez said:

Joke as we may (and I do) but I don't see CGC recovering from this. They're done.

Too many powerful players with too much money tied to the value of their encased books. I don't think they're done, but it sure as heck better at least level the playing field on resale value. Honestly, how is this any worse than CBCS losing a couple hundred submissions and grading from home or PGX and all their catalog of goof-ups?

[BrashL]

On 12/27/2023 at 11:19 AM, Point Five said:

Unless you regularly buy 4- and 5-figure slabbed copies of these exact keys, you're probably fine.

 

I don’t know how you can say that given what we know. For all we know all those 9.8s with 4 spine ticks people have been complaining about for years are all case switches. I think the books go into the thousands at the very least. 

[agamoto]

On 12/27/2023 at 9:51 AM, jsilverjanet said:

you have never seen an employee crack a slab? they don't inspect it, they pop it out like it was bubble gum (with little regard to the comic)

True story... And it aint glue anyway. The xylene literally melts the polycarbonate back together again. 

[AbsoluteCarnage]

On 12/27/2023 at 12:52 PM, BrashL said:

I don’t know how you can say that given what we know. For all we know all those 9.8s with 4 spine ticks people have been complaining about for years are all case switches. I think the books go into the thousands at the very least. 

Right but you would have to get your head examined if you bought a CGC 9.8 with 4 spine ticks in the first place.

[skybolt]

From now on I suggest that everyone wear head cams when you walk into an LCS, so you can visually record picking up the book yourself, packaging it when you get home, filling out the CGC form, recording your restroom breaks in the process, and getting a pair of video recording binoculars so you can spy on CGC handling your book in Sarasota. Moving forward we'll need to provide this this type of video proof to sell books on eBay.

[AbsoluteCarnage]

I do remember the good old days in the mid 2000s when cgc 9.8s had ZERO spine ticks.

[jsilverjanet]

On 12/27/2023 at 10:33 AM, namisgr said:

Xylene is used routinely in histology, the microscopic preparation and examination of cells and tissues.  I had 35 years of inhaling the stuff   , but in very, very small quantity since work with it was always performed and only allowed under a protective fume hood.  It's indeed a near-universal dehydrating agent and clears/dissolves plastics.

It's not what I would call 'sweet' smelling either.  It's unpleasant.  And besides the acute problems that exposure to it causes that you listed, it can also cause chronic problems, including damage to the liver, kidneys, and reproductive organs.

Nasty stuff, and long classified by OSHA as a biohazard.

Very familiar base structure to any chemist, and usually referred to as xylenes, since the stuff is commonly a mix of three different isomers:

[agamoto]

On 12/27/2023 at 9:52 AM, BrashL said:

I don’t know how you can say that given what we know. For all we know all those 9.8s with 4 spine ticks people have been complaining about for years are all case switches. I think the books go into the thousands at the very least. 

This... A million times this. It's now the most reasonable explanation for 9.8's that everyone objectively agrees aren't even close to a 9.8