Bluefear Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 (edited) I recently bought this New Mutants #98 CGC 9.8 on eBay. The label clearly looks like it's been tampered with. The inner plastic around the label on the inside of the case looks like it was pealed back and bent. The plastic pins along the top of the case also look like they've been popped. Has anyone else seen this type of tampering before? Is there a way I can report this seller to CGC? Any help or advice would be appreciated. Edited March 1 by Bluefear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougC Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 maybe i'm the one taking crazy pills but this just looks like a pre-2016 slab, the inner well used to angled at the corners as the label was loosely attached. Here is an example of the difference between pre-2016 and current slabs: namisgr, awakeintheashes, crazyhips and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCOComics Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 How did the book look? Does it look like a 9.8? I can't see anything from the pictures, but if the pins have been popped, it's possible someone tried to swap the label. Still - that label looks accurate to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluefear Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 The plastic on the inner well is bent in several places on the corners like it was folded. I don't see how the inner case could be bent after encapsulation. Is it possible CGC encapsulated it with the inner well corners bent? As far as the grade, it isn't the worst 9.8 I've ever seen. There are a couple small color breaking spine ticks. I can post scans once I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluefear Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 The seller also posted pics which avoided showing the bent inner well corners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyweaknesskryptonite Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tec-Tac-Toe Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsoluteCarnage Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 On 3/1/2024 at 5:40 AM, DougC said: maybe i'm the one taking crazy pills but this just looks like a pre-2016 slab, the inner well used to angled at the corners as the label was loosely attached. Here is an example of the difference between pre-2016 and current slabs: 2008 grading for the book in question so you'd be correct on that assumption. Personally I've had the labels bending out or folding weirdly inside well on some of those old books too and it annoyed me to the point that I'd sell them rather than waste double money on shipping back and forth just to fix a label that never should have been bending strangely in the case in the first place. Book looks like a 9.8 to me from front scan that was posted at any rate. crazyhips and Dr. Balls 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qalyar Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 On 3/1/2024 at 12:35 AM, Bluefear said: I recently bought this New Mutants #98 CGC 9.8 on eBay. The label clearly looks like it's been tampered with. The inner plastic around the label on the inside of the case looks like it was pealed back and bent. The plastic pins along the top of the case also look like they've been popped. Has anyone else seen this type of tampering before? Is there a way I can report this seller to CGC? Any help or advice would be appreciated. Based on the photos, I don't see anything that makes me deeply suspicious here. The case doesn't look like it has been compromised. The comic looks, as far as I can tell, like it matches the grade. That doesn't mean there's not a problem here, but I can't see it if there is. It does appear that either the corner of the label or the inner well around it may have gotten folded during or prior to encapsulation. Obviously, it would have been nice if QA had caught that. But honestly, I'm not sure that would even have qualified for mechanical error correction, especially since it only affects the label and not the comic or the comic well. This is hardly the only book from that era that has something wonky about label positioning. In general, there's a reason why they made changes in 2016. crazyhips 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JollyComics Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Contact CGC customer service. spideyfan68 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Balls Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 I've also had some of those 2nd gen labels get weird in the slabs. Curling, etc. I've had the same feelings as @AbsoluteCarnage - I didn't like how they displayed, but I wasn't going to bother sending them in. I just sold them off. This NM98 looks legit to me. WolverineX, crazyhips and AbsoluteCarnage 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awakeintheashes Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 On 3/1/2024 at 8:50 AM, Bluefear said: Is it possible CGC encapsulated it with the inner well corners bent? Have you ever visited this thread? Anything is possible. AbsoluteCarnage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsoluteCarnage Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 On 3/1/2024 at 12:31 PM, awakeintheashes said: Have you ever visited this thread? Anything is possible. The thread that keeps on giving or .... taking "ME"s awakeintheashes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolverineX Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 looks legit. Dr. Balls 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...