Farewell 7 7

[ganni]

On 8/1/2024 at 4:14 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

I suspect that many will understand where you're coming from here, SO25C. Sometimes, it's hard to ignore what is going on with the company and how it may fall short of your own standards and expectations. But the community here are very separate to the company whose name is above the door. This forum is made up of the people that frequent it - not the company that owns it. We, the members, are what is important. Many of them will share your views and standards. Indeed, there will be CGC employees who share those standards. Stick with those people, would be my advice - the people who have made your experience here enjoyable over the last five years. If you can, block out the name over the door and carry on rubbing along with your fellow collectors and enthusiasts. You don't have to engage with the forum owners to do that 

[Ken Aldred]

On 8/1/2024 at 9:14 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

I suspect that many will understand where you're coming from here, SO25C. Sometimes, it's hard to ignore what is going on with the company and how it may fall short of your own standards and expectations. But the community here are very separate to the company whose name is above the door. This forum is made up of the people that frequent it - not the company that owns it. We, the members, are what is important. Many of them will share your views and standards. Indeed, there will be CGC employees who share those standards. Stick with those people, would be my advice - the people who have made your experience here enjoyable over the last five years. If you can, block out the name over the door and carry on rubbing along with your fellow collectors and enthusiasts. You don't have to engage with the forum owners to do that 

You’re not alone in getting a bit emotionally overloaded and thinking about distancing as an option.

Been there myself, but glad I kept ties to the board community.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 8/2/2024 at 11:32 AM, Ken Aldred said:

You’re not alone in getting a bit emotionally overloaded and thinking about distancing as an option.

Been there myself, but glad I kept ties to the board community.

That's what's important to me Paul, the people and friends I've made here, of which you are one. Many of us come here daily, for a bit of fun, a sense of community and to share our love of comics. It's easy to get distracted by all the wider controversies, which sometimes are difficult to avoid, and which can be both disappointing and exasperating, but maintaining contact with my online friends trumps that, and always will 

[Dr. Balls]

On 8/2/2024 at 4:32 AM, Ken Aldred said:

You’re not alone in getting a bit emotionally overloaded and thinking about distancing as an option.

Been there myself, but glad I kept ties to the board community.

Agreed. I, myself, had a loss of faith in the service and this area of the hobby - so much that my comic collection is 99% gone now - but I still enjoy being part of this community because it's full of really good people, and I love comics and comic art in it's basic form, and I try to enjoy it in that way. I hope OP can come back after awhile and participate again.

[RockMyAmadeus]

On 8/2/2024 at 8:31 AM, Dr. Balls said:

 - but I still enjoy being part of this community because it's full of really good people, 

[Cman429]

As someone who gets 1 out his every 3 comments on yahoo rejected for “community standards” I’m very used to the online companies stifling and censoring speech. I still use their mail tho. I see a lot of people post here that they haven’t submitted a comic in x number of years - I think in the last grading contest one of the previous winners even put his prize up as consolation bc he had no interest in using it.

Which is all to say if you enjoy these boards and this community you shouldn’t let the company that hosts it affect that.

[Buzzetta]

On 8/1/2024 at 3:17 AM, StillOnly25Cents said:

gonna keep it short

I’ve only been here on the boards since late 2019 but wanted to thank a great community of people here I’ve had brief interactions with over that short time either by posts or the few purchases I made.

I grew up (child of the late 60’s) loving comic books which were a great escape and after many detours in life like many only came back around to the hobby in a more proactive way within the last 5 or so years

i just came to noticed my post regarding beachbum comics was deleted by CGC.  There is still some discussion of it I came to find buried in the following post (at least for now) in another less active sub-forum

If I wanted additional stress I have plenty of other avenues for that than what should be a fun hobby … anyhow, good to have spent some fun time together

Moderation would never say it.  However, when Mike closed the discussion about this in the subthread he used the word, "I was told."  At least to me, it does not sound like moderation was too pleased about it at worst, or at the least want to make sure we are aware that it was not by choice. 

Sadly, this has happened before.    When it was revealed how "someone" from a certain comic facilitator was defrauding or trying to defraud members here that thread was also pulled after the facilitator laughed about the thread on Facebook and said that all it would take is one phone call to "someone" at CGC and he would have the thread pulled. 

What happened?

The thread was pulled.  Under the old moderation leaders, they also voiced that they were not too pleased about it.  (I save screenshots of certain things... just saying.). That thread was pulled without going through moderation.

Sometimes there are certain vendors and facilitators and even dealers who have defrauded and have outright stolen from CGC members and comic collectors.  CGC for whatever reasons either through threat of litigation or in some cases as bragged about to ME, through friendship, will protect the image and reputation of that individual.

Don't know much about Beachbum and I never even considered using them and that is not because of anything bad I have ever heard but because I don't need a 9.8 of each month's latest issue of the one book I buy.  However, CGC had not vested interest in stopping discussion about Hero Restoration from the beginning but did put the stop to talk about Beachbum.  

Anyone stop to think about why?  Could it be because there is no vested interest in protecting the reputation of a competitor of CCS that runs afoul of the comic community, while Beachbum drives business toward CGC and deserves that protection? 

 

 

 

 

[Stefan_W]

CGC was slapped with $10 M for damage done to a different business in part from comments made on these boards, and the thread in question was pulled from above a couple of days after that verdict. The situation was different in that in the 10 M case a person working for CGC made comments on these boards, but at the end of the day I am not in the least surprised to see the company gun shy over allowing critiques about businesses here. I wouldn't be surprised if legal council, or even the insurance companies covering such things, asked that the thread be pulled.

I hate to see anyone go, but from a business perspective the people who are disgruntled over it are not the ones who may be faced with massive lawsuits later nor do they pay the bill when settlements are reached. 

It is what it is. 

[Buzzetta]

On 8/2/2024 at 4:54 PM, Stefan_W said:

CGC was slapped with $10 M for damage done to a different business in part from comments made on these boards, and the thread in question was pulled from above a couple of days after that verdict. The situation was different in that in the 10 M case a person working for CGC made comments on these boards, but at the end of the day I am not in the least surprised to see the company gun shy over allowing critiques about businesses here. I wouldn't be surprised if legal council, or even the insurance companies covering such things, asked that the thread be pulled.

I hate to see anyone go, but from a business perspective the people who are disgruntled over it are not the ones who may be faced with massive lawsuits later nor do they pay the bill when settlements are reached. 

It is what it is. 

Very true.

However, it is undeniable that certain people previous to the latest lawsuit have bragged about doing whatever they want and then calling CGC to have something removed because of how much business they bring them.

[AlterEgo2024]

There has always been a "small circle of friends" who could get favors from CGC. This goes back to the very beginning of the company, or at least to the S. Borock era.

[wombat]

Its not surprising is it. They don't care. At all. 

[Chip Cataldo]

The answer to all of your questions is money.

It applies to CGC just as it applies to life. Money rules all and the flag of the USA should be green instead of red, white & blue.

[Buzzetta]

On 8/2/2024 at 8:38 PM, AlterEgo2024 said:

There has always been a "small circle of friends" who could get favors from CGC. This goes back to the very beginning of the company, or at least to the S. Borock era.

 

Long time no see. 

[justafan]

On 8/1/2024 at 11:58 AM, Number 6 said:

Which means, among other things, there won't be a venue here for people to pool resources and information if things should go full Heroes' Restoration...as things seem to be heading.

IMO there's still too many doing the "well...I'll send them yet another strongly worded email and impatiently tap my foot while I await a response".

My suggestion is you need to stop holding out hope that somehow you might still get the cool books and start doing whatever you can to get your money back.  Otherwise, I think there's a pretty good chance you'll end up with neither. 

I found a recent thread on reddit under r/cgccomics with a post title of Beachbum comics where some folks have posted on issues with them as recently as 6 days ago so it's an option for full discussion there.  Would  someone mind filling me in on the details of the situation privately?

[Strange-Avatar]

On 8/2/2024 at 8:38 PM, AlterEgo2024 said:

There has always been a "small circle of friends" who could get favors from CGC. This goes back to the very beginning of the company, or at least to the S. Borock era.

On 8/2/2024 at 10:44 PM, Chip Cataldo said:

The answer to all of your questions is money.

It applies to CGC just as it applies to life. Money rules all and the flag of the USA should be green instead of red, white & blue.

 

Meanwhile @ WIZARD HQ :

 

[Sensei Ryan]

@StillOnly25Cents It saddens me to see you leave over this but I understand the disappointment in hypocrisy over how some businesses can be discussed but not the ones with friends who are clearly higher ups. To me, if I were the higher up who is protecting my friend, I would care more about the company I work for and about protecting their reputation (in a time that it is so desperately needed) and to not affiliate myself with someone who makes my employer look bad. The good news is, the Better Business Bureau is impartial and if you do a quick Google search you can see you're not alone in the disappointment of how you are being treated by who took your money but didn't deliver on their product (not CGC but the business in question who took your money and we aren't allowed to name, for clarity). Shady business practices deserve to be outed, regardless of who the shady dealers are friends with here.

I personally love CGC and will continue to showcase my collections with them and only them over any other grading company and if I worked for them would do my best to expunge/weed out any bad apples that would be giving them negative publicity. 

Surely I'm not crazy in thinking that it would better serve them to do this, right? 

[mattn792]

On 8/13/2024 at 11:00 AM, Sensei Ryan said:

@StillOnly25Cents It saddens me to see you leave over this but I understand the disappointment in hypocrisy over how some businesses can be discussed but not the ones with friends who are clearly higher ups. To me, if I were the higher up who is protecting my friend, I would care more about the company I work for and about protecting their reputation (in a time that it is so desperately needed) and to not affiliate myself with someone who makes my employer look bad. The good news is, the Better Business Bureau is impartial and if you do a quick Google search you can see you're not alone in the disappointment of how you are being treated by who took your money but didn't deliver on their product (not CGC but the business in question who took your money and we aren't allowed to name, for clarity). Shady business practices deserve to be outed, regardless of who the shady dealers are friends with here.

I personally love CGC and will continue to showcase my collections with them and only them over any other grading company and if I worked for them would do my best to expunge/weed out any bad apples that would be giving them negative publicity. 

Surely I'm not crazy in thinking that it would better serve them to do this, right? 

It would better serve CGC, sure, but the game changed with the purchase by Blackstone.  While I was initially willing to give Blackstone the benefit of the doubt, it’s beyond obvious now that CGG and all of its components are solely expected to make their expected contribution to the quarterly EPS.  Customers and quality be damned.  Turning a blind eye to authorized dealer malfeasance is to be expected when they’re in bed with a sleazy investment management company.

[newshane]

The CGC's actions in this regard are absolutely immoral and reprehensible. 

[MedicAR]

He's out of business?  Fine.  Maybe he should quit sending solicitation emails.