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

[shadroch]

On 1/25/2024 at 1:36 PM, Nick Furious said:

I agree that the unusual amount of (generic and consistent) grader notes is the most unsettling piece in this puzzle.  It doesn't fit very well into a narrative that this was just a random guy pulling one over.  The grader notes wouldn't happen at reholdering, they would happen at initial grading.  It does lead one to wonder if someone on the inside was anticipating that whatever book was inside the case down the road might come under scrutiny.  The grader notes could be designed to give some reassurances to someone in the reholder department who had any hesitations about the book they were reholding.  Also would give some reassurances to a consignment house or eventual buyer who might have concerns.  

I don't know about all of that but something seems off. 

[grendel013]

On 1/25/2024 at 12:52 PM, Steven Valdez said:

Wait, so you've been the culprit all along?

My shenanigans would be more in the style of a Batman 66 episode. I'd be swapping legit books with homemade version done with my own pen and crayon. Leaving clues along the way for the caped crusader and boy wonder...

[wiparker824]

Here's a fun one I stumbled across...

First image from WP/eBay sale from 7/16/23 direct edition book, direct edition label for $760. 

Second image from listing on Grailz IG account on 8/15/23 for $2999 but what's this, magically there's a newsstand book inside. Side note - my man wastes no time getting books reholdered, got to say I struggle to even get CGC to open my box in 1 month this guy bought it from eBay got it shipped to him and reholdered, then relisted thru Grailz in 1 month. Impressive. 

Third image from CGC scans on verify tool. The 2nd custom label, which hey at least it's not a Spidey custom label on an X-Men book anymore, also got CGC to "fix" his label and notate the newsstand edition this time. 

[CJ Design]

On 1/25/2024 at 3:39 PM, wiparker824 said:

Here's a fun one I stumbled across...

First image from WP/eBay sale from 7/16/23 direct edition book, direct edition label for $760. 

Second image from listing on Grailz IG account on 8/15/23 for $2999 but what's this, magically there's a newsstand book inside. Side note - my man wastes no time getting books reholdered, got to say I struggle to even get CGC to open my box in 1 month this guy bought it from eBay got it shipped to him and reholdered, then relisted thru Grailz in 1 month. Impressive. 

Third image from CGC scans on verify tool. The 2nd custom label, which hey at least it's not a Spidey custom label on an X-Men book anymore, also got CGC to "fix" his label and notate the newsstand edition this time. 

Well geez...it's a magic case that brings on a white edge and makes it a newsstand! Cool.

[grendel013]

On 1/25/2024 at 4:39 PM, wiparker824 said:

Here's a fun one I stumbled across...

First image from WP/eBay sale from 7/16/23 direct edition book, direct edition label for $760. 

Second image from listing on Grailz IG account on 8/15/23 for $2999 but what's this, magically there's a newsstand book inside. Side note - my man wastes no time getting books reholdered, got to say I struggle to even get CGC to open my box in 1 month this guy bought it from eBay got it shipped to him and reholdered, then relisted thru Grailz in 1 month. Impressive. 

Third image from CGC scans on verify tool. The 2nd custom label, which hey at least it's not a Spidey custom label on an X-Men book anymore, also got CGC to "fix" his label and notate the newsstand edition this time. 

UN FUH KING BELIEVABLE.

[Spawnfreak]

On 1/24/2024 at 11:08 AM, BrashL said:

Multiple notes on a 9.8? What crazy multiverse did I fall into?

Just jumping in here: since when do 9.8 grades get ANY grader notes? Who got bribed there? I have never gotten notes on a 9.6, and have been p34456d about it.

[comicjel]

On 1/25/2024 at 4:39 PM, wiparker824 said:

Here's a fun one I stumbled across...

First image from WP/eBay sale from 7/16/23 direct edition book, direct edition label for $760. 

Second image from listing on Grailz IG account on 8/15/23 for $2999 but what's this, magically there's a newsstand book inside. Side note - my man wastes no time getting books reholdered, got to say I struggle to even get CGC to open my box in 1 month this guy bought it from eBay got it shipped to him and reholdered, then relisted thru Grailz in 1 month. Impressive. 

Third image from CGC scans on verify tool. The 2nd custom label, which hey at least it's not a Spidey custom label on an X-Men book anymore, also got CGC to "fix" his label and notate the newsstand edition this time. 

Also curious why the scammer would go to the trouble of getting the "2nd" reholder just to get the newsstand notation?? - can't imagine that he needed that notation to sell it at the newsstand price.

Edited January 25 by comicjel
fix typo

[grendel013]

On 1/25/2024 at 5:14 PM, comicjel said:

Also curious why the scammer would go to the trouble of getting the "2nd" reholder just to get the newstand notation?? - can't imagine that he needed that notation to sell it at the newstand price.

All the hard work is already done. 

[wiparker824]

On 1/25/2024 at 3:14 PM, comicjel said:

Also curious why the scammer would go to the trouble of getting the "2nd" reholder just to get the newsstand notation?? - can't imagine that he needed that notation to sell it at the newsstand price.

After looking thru the comments on Grailz post (middle picture) I saw “SOLD!” and I see an account stating claim. So, very likely it sold and the last image is actually the unfortunate buyer who wanted to reholder to a X-men label since a Spidey custom label made no sense.

[comicjel]

On 1/25/2024 at 5:19 PM, grendel013 said:

All the hard work is already done. 

True! - I guess since his main hustle has dried up, he may find a future at the CGC reholder department... rumor has it that they have an opening (pun intended).

[comicjel]

On 1/25/2024 at 5:24 PM, wiparker824 said:

After looking thru the comments on Grailz post (middle picture) I saw “SOLD!” and I see an account stating claim. So, very likely it sold and the last image is actually the unfortunate buyer who wanted to reholder to a X-men label since a Spidey custom label made no sense.

yes, makes sense!

[Nick Furious]

On 1/25/2024 at 3:39 PM, wiparker824 said:

Here's a fun one I stumbled across...

First image from WP/eBay sale from 7/16/23 direct edition book, direct edition label for $760. 

Second image from listing on Grailz IG account on 8/15/23 for $2999 but what's this, magically there's a newsstand book inside. Side note - my man wastes no time getting books reholdered, got to say I struggle to even get CGC to open my box in 1 month this guy bought it from eBay got it shipped to him and reholdered, then relisted thru Grailz in 1 month. Impressive. 

Third image from CGC scans on verify tool. The 2nd custom label, which hey at least it's not a Spidey custom label on an X-Men book anymore, also got CGC to "fix" his label and notate the newsstand edition this time. 

Was this book on the recall list?  

[wiparker824]

On 1/25/2024 at 3:54 PM, Nick Furious said:

Was this book on the recall list?  

Yep

[sledgehammer]

On 1/25/2024 at 4:05 PM, Spawnfreak said:

Just jumping in here: since when do 9.8 grades get ANY grader notes? Who got bribed there? I have never gotten notes on a 9.6, and have been p34456d about it.

this is carrying more, and more weight with me. There are so many submissions, where only one of the books is on the list, and the other books in the submission are 9.8, with that exact same graders note, of slight spine stress. 

that is exactly what that is doing, is leaving it open for a lower graded book to go into that slab, and it is seeming more and more likely that someone at CGC was helping make that possible.

it's really starting to smell bad.

[comicwiz]

On 1/25/2024 at 4:39 PM, wiparker824 said:

in 1 month. Impressive

I calculated 3 days on one of the Hulk 181's from the grade date to the time it sold. Which makes the change in grade date after examination even more frustrating, need to screenshot those certs for posterity and reference.

[grendel013]

On 1/25/2024 at 5:57 PM, sledgehammer said:

this is carrying more, and more weight with me. There are so many submissions, where only one of the books is on the list, and the other books in the submission are 9.8, with that exact same graders note, of slight spine stress. 

that is exactly what that is doing, is leaving it open for a lower graded book to go into that slab, and it is seeming more and more likely that someone at CGC was helping make that possible.

it's really starting to smell bad.

This.

[comicwiz]

On 1/25/2024 at 5:57 PM, sledgehammer said:

this is carrying more, and more weight with me.

why I was screenshoting the certs - we need to keep a reference before they get revised or removed.

[paqart]

On 1/25/2024 at 5:14 PM, comicjel said:

Also curious why the scammer would go to the trouble of getting the "2nd" reholder just to get the newsstand notation?? - can't imagine that he needed that notation to sell it at the newsstand price.

Because the newsstand isn't 9.8.

[wiparker824]

On 1/25/2024 at 4:08 PM, comicwiz said:

why I was screenshoting the certs - we need to keep a reference before they get revised or removed.

I’ve been collecting images of screenshots… not sure it will matter but also the place where the swap was sold thru consignment (Grailz) has a lot of the books on the list and has posted they are intentionally leaving the sold books up for transparency which I hope they do. I looked thru the last 6 months of their books skimming thru and counted 35 of the 350 books (10%) on this list on Grailz posts but there are likely more that I missed. This one was just one that I found that was particularly peculiar… and it wasn’t dissimilar to the book that’s started the whole thing (252 MJI also popped up on Grailz). I am wondering if the scammer moved to IG consignment sales for more of their recent scams to keep listings out of eBay/GPA trackability.

[comicjel]

On 1/25/2024 at 6:16 PM, paqart said:

Because the newsstand isn't 9.8.

?? - All 3 scans are 9.8

I know the replacement book was likely not a "true" 9.8, but it was in a 9.8 holder when it was reholdered for a 2nd time.

But, Nick already nailed it - it was likely resubbed the 2nd time by the dupped buyer, which explains it.