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

[comicjel]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:18 PM, sledgehammer said:

The lack of other items sold recently, and items available now, really make the ASM 194 look like an attempt to dump the book, even if by consignment.

I'm sure whatever graded books they had in their possession are being consigned ASAP - of course some are likely the real 9.8s. 

[toro]

I haven't read through the 300+ pages, but do you think the seller may have sent in a few legitimate copies too of lower or if he had 9.8s for the new labels.  That way a few would look legit and not draw as much suspicion.

[bc]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:27 PM, toro said:

I haven't read through the 300+ pages, but do you think the seller may have sent in a few legitimate copies too of lower or if he had 9.8s for the new labels.  That way a few would look legit and not draw as much suspicion.

The scammer likely worked his way up, testing the waters (that's what I would have done).

Think that's why many are asking for the account's total submission list.

-bc

[comicjel]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:27 PM, toro said:

I haven't read through the 300+ pages, but do you think the seller may have sent in a few legitimate copies too of lower or if he had 9.8s for the new labels.  That way a few would look legit and not draw as much suspicion.

I have not read through either, but it seems to me that if he was switching lower grade / restored / qualified books by keeping them in their inner wells when being sent in to get reholdered, then when he purchased a good lower grade candidate that was in an older holder, he would need to get those books graded first to get them into the correct "newer" inner well before switching into the outer 9.8 holder - so it would make sense to have some lower grade books periodically being graded - and as you say, it had the side benefit of providing some cover.  

[NewWorldOrder]

On 1/8/2024 at 1:41 PM, comicjel said:

I have not read through either, but it seems to me that if he was switching lower grade / restored / qualified books by keeping them in their inner wells when being sent in to get reholdered, then when he purchased a good lower grade candidate that was in an older holder, he would need to get those books graded first to get them into the correct "newer" inner well before switching into the outer 9.8 holder - so it would make sense to have some lower grade books periodically being graded - and as you say, it had the side benefit of providing some cover.  

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:59 PM, NewWorldOrder said:

[NewWorldOrder]

On 1/8/2024 at 2:10 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 1/8/2024 at 5:11 PM, NewWorldOrder said:

[BrashL]

On 1/8/2024 at 2:18 PM, mjoeyoung said:

The bottom corners look "normal."

 

Good catch. There’s no question at this point he was swapping books without resubmitting. How many and who else was doing this? We’ll probably never know

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 1/8/2024 at 5:45 PM, BrashL said:

There’s no question at this point he was swapping books without resubmitting.

[wiparker824]

On 1/8/2024 at 1:05 PM, topcat54 said:

Here's an AMAZING SPIDERMAN 194 on the list seller is in BROOKLYN NY

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204582913705?hash=item2fa21786a9:g:bFAAAOSwDNVlfeNL&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8Iwe6b3Xzy06UV2zKvk%2FnKdf7eIhpJJp1IPygWpxnw03z28pvYSPjo75atracR2kLn735npvFfaQb71OpDVL5jsHA1ux9QQAt7h6%2FFp2sVGAyOjCdRILA6GyfRhUcxw9CZW2hM%2Fkc1mnDi3HOUKOpMSOvcdjOAkmHFccXJob747g59RAvz%2Bhfc%2Ba63bLy26PwS9z91pv44Tan4bx%2FYpvahEezjEz6lNgxZ6R0uOMP8na36ltnkYPBCP6HXMSlIPggfz%2BWreoVx9wafjxZ0PHonEanf5OwqHowWqGjKrKFPnpiLNg9wvDtzwPnjS2Uo%2FUAg%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4ie06qdYw

This auction got pulled. Not sure if it was eBay or the seller, but it was ended thankfully. Good work.

[360flip]

On 1/8/2024 at 1:18 PM, mjoeyoung said:

The bottom corners look "normal."

 

 

On 1/8/2024 at 2:45 PM, BrashL said:

Good catch. There’s no question at this point he was swapping books without resubmitting. How many and who else was doing this? We’ll probably never know

You're seeing differences between the auction and what's here?

[jokersup]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:06 PM, wiparker824 said:

This auction got pulled. Not sure if it was eBay or the seller, but it was ended thankfully. Good work.

Pulled all their comics.   Highly suspicious. 

[wiparker824]

On 1/8/2024 at 2:15 PM, topcat54 said:

Here is the Journey Into Mystery #85 CGC 8.0 SS 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166385782772?hash=item26bd5d8ff4:g:SsYAAOSwlnZih2oT&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAABAIEFNrRfw%2BTKECAVCmt5yLLE1Gq%2BPSYC9yGiGjNVg8yP1WFifZqwEQciGZFQUzZR3psJOSH33FRe07udyFVFlcuKb1C31uX41iOAEX3OPrI09uU%2FQlWILc9XMRplnOHCyBi0GCFfjjkrJqpK1G8A64wRMrnIAKXJfKXf%2B03MpeCaFcJezkLrqUNXrBaTfTXFw6fJqtt%2B7gduvRv9ffubeqaQxGWItp1fTBOyv4Wlwneh11qnOZ1IvTXCetUVS2Yl2neOW2BC%2BAKzSer2THR9g%2BnydL39DvXt%2FZcx5UGuOTMN7xxRyIWkwEGhHvHXCxv4%2BBa4GJqtaTqXTtfYgyZVqxo%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9D73K6dYw

I contacted the individual selling this book on eBay. We had further conversation, not included because they did go on to name the actual physical Comic Book shop in NY as the source they bought it from that many of us have already connected to the eBay sellers. @CGC Mike I told them to reach out directly to CGC, so they may be doing that now.

[wiparker824]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:18 PM, jokersup said:

Pulled all their comics.   Highly suspicious. 

They still have other books listed, just not that one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/204423657597?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=yanKPm_zRHi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=m-sadZNGSdW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[jokersup]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:26 PM, wiparker824 said:

They still have other books listed, just not that one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/204423657597?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=yanKPm_zRHi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=m-sadZNGSdW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Weird.  It showed that one before, but I’m not seeing it now until I click on your link.  Odd. 

[Buzzetta]

On 1/8/2024 at 6:23 PM, wiparker824 said:

I contacted the individual selling this book on eBay. We had further conversation, not included because they did go on to name the actual physical Comic Book shop in NY as the source they bought it from that many of us have already connected to the eBay sellers. @CGC Mike I told them to reach out directly to CGC, so they may be doing that now.

 Very few comic stores of that caliber in or near Brooklyn that would carry a JIM 85 8.0 SS.  I am hoping he is not confused and meant to say Queens because I would hope a certain store, which is near the border there has nothing to do with this or was not duped by the perpetrator of all of this.

[mjoeyoung]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:08 PM, 360flip said:

 

You're seeing differences between the auction and what's here?

To me, all four corners on your example look similar.  On the other 300 the top corners look more opaque than the bottom ones.  If all the corners are welded at the same time, is there a reason why the top corners would look different than the bottom ones?  I don't know.

[mjoeyoung]

The first "suspect" 300 top left corner and your example.  It could just be lighting or something, but it looks different, even though the books look similar. 

Edited January 8 by mjoeyoung

[mr_highgrade]

On 1/8/2024 at 6:23 PM, wiparker824 said:

I contacted the individual selling this book on eBay. We had further conversation, not included because they did go on to name the actual physical Comic Book shop in NY as the source they bought it from that many of us have already connected to the eBay sellers. @CGC Mike I told them to reach out directly to CGC, so they may be doing that now.

Was the shop in Brooklyn?