Trim JIM in Heritage Auction

[Captain Tripps]

Alan,

 

I appreciate you trying to come to some closure on this JIM 92 trim/Heritage thing. I faxed the documents to Brad since I did not myself know how to post them electronically. I wanted to show you that I was indeed at CGC on Sept. 12th when I dropped the JIM 92 off to be resubmitted and wasn't there again until October 24th, when I had picked it up. I did not, however, ask or sanction Brad or you to print the entire statement or my clients' names. I apologize to Brad if there was any misunderstanding to that effect but I am sure you would agree the other portions of the statements have no bearing on the JIM 92 issue. I probably did not convey this clearly to Brad, although I did mention to him to call me before posting the statements so I could make sure the unnecessary portions were redacted or omitted, etc. To that extent, I am going to call CGC to see if they themselves could redact those portions not dealing with my trips to the CGC in Sarasota.

 

On a more important note, and as I had explained to Brad last night, the book was indeed "submitted" on October 6th. But I did not physically go to Sarasota as the book had been dropped off on Sept. 12, with many other books and magazines to be graded. I always call CGC’s customer service people in advance of my next visit so I can let them know I am coming and then they can start to send the books through for certification, specifically walk throughs and expresses. Out of fairness, I call at least 3 weeks or so in advance so they won’t have to rush it. I only have them grade books right away if I am going to be there long enough to bring them back with me during that visit. I do not have them grade the books if they are only going to be sitting around for an extended period of time. These guys are busy enough and I do not ask them to needlessly rush on my books if I’m not going to get them back till next month anyway. For moderns and economies, they are submitted on the spot as it will usually take as long as the interval between that and my following visit (usually 5 or 6 weeks) for those books to be graded. Those books are “submitted” on the spot.

 

Please confirm this with any person from the CGC, specifically from customer service (Scott Talmedge, etc.) or with Harshen Patel. I bring many, many books with me on my trips to the CGC, and the customer service reps help me fill out the forms. The walk throughs and expresses and any other books I want them to hold are kept in the CGC safe in my “Schmell” box until I call and indicate that I am coming in 3 weeks or so so they can start the process. That is why the submission form for the JIM 92 is not in my hand writing. I called CGC in early October and asked them to have any of my expresses and walk throughs done as I was going to be there within 3 weeks. As it turned out, I had to go a few days later than intended due to Hurricane Wilma. I was contemplating going on Monday the 24th but wisely stayed home!!

 

Alan, you also question payment and why that is not mentioned on the AMEX statement, etc. CGC does not bill my credit card everytime a book on my account is submitted. I submit too many and as a practice they cyclically bill my Amex at the end of the moth or the very beginning of the following month. Please confirm this with Harshen Patel, who automatically bills my Amex account. You will never find isolated charges on my Amex statement. They are bulk charges (usually between $3,000 -$5,000) at the very end, or beginning, of the month.

 

I hope this puts this whole thread to bed. I know you feel I did something wrong or surreptitious here but that is not the case. The arrangement I have with the CGC is only due to the fact that I live 3 hours away and do not have to rely on having books shipped back and forth (making frequent trips there negates that process). If you feel like allotting the CGC 3-5 weeks to do your expresses I’m sure they wouldn’t have a problem with that, either!

 

Doug

[Captain Tripps]

Rob,

 

They were playing the YANKEES!! Final score was 17-3 Yanks, btw.

 

Doug

[Aman619]

Flemings is a great steak restaurant. One of the best in my opinion.

 

...and Doug's a pretty good tipper! $41 on a $200 bill.

[Captain Tripps]

Brent,

 

After Heritage shipped that book back to me I shipped it right away to Tom who refunded my full $3,500. I have no clue where that book is now.

[qualitycomix]

Brent,

 

After Heritage shipped that book back to me I shipped it right away to Tom who refunded my full $3,500. I have no clue where that book is now.

 

Thanks Doug. I wonder what Tom is going to do with all of those trimmed books?

[Red Hook]

Doug, I'm really sorry about the misunderstanding...totally my fault..it may be a little late, but I've obscured the parts of the of the statements that are irrelevant. Please refresh your browsers everyone.

 

Brad

[divad]

Brent,

 

After Heritage shipped that book back to me I shipped it right away to Tom who refunded my full $3,500. I have no clue where that book is now.

 

Thanks Doug. I wonder what Tom is going to do with all of those trimmed books?

 

I suppose one could just stash the goods until the heat is off . . .

[divad]

I know Doug and Steve are good friends, but doesn't this seem just a tad preferential to anyone?

 

I always call CGC’s customer service people in advance of my next visit so I can let them know I am coming and then they can start to send the books through for certification, specifically walk throughs and expresses. Out of fairness, I call at least 3 weeks or so in advance so they won’t have to rush it. I only have them grade books right away if I am going to be there long enough to bring them back with me during that visit. . . .

 

Please confirm this with any person from the CGC, specifically from customer service (Scott Talmedge, etc.) or with Harshen Patel. I bring many, many books with me on my trips to the CGC, and the customer service reps help me fill out the forms. The walk throughs and expresses and any other books I want them to hold are kept in the CGC safe in my “Schmell” box until I call and indicate that I am coming in 3 weeks or so so they can start the process. . . .

 

CGC does not bill my credit card everytime a book on my account is submitted. I submit too many and as a practice they cyclically bill my Amex at the end of the moth or the very beginning of the following month. Please confirm this with Harshen Patel, who automatically bills my Amex account. You will never find isolated charges on my Amex statement. They are bulk charges (usually between $3,000 -$5,000) at the very end, or beginning, of the month. . . .

 

The arrangement I have with the CGC is only due to the fact that I live 3 hours away . . .

[Aman619]

its no big deal to me. Dougs local and a great customer. I suppose Dougs books could have caused other's books to be shipped late, but I just dont think Doug's enhanced status has wronged anyone. And name a business that DOESNT bend a rule or two for a high roller?

[Illiterati-migration]

its no big deal to me. Dougs local and a great customer. I suppose Dougs books could have caused other's books to be shipped late, but I just dont think Doug's enhanced status has wronged anyone. And name a business that DOESNT bend a rule or two for a high roller?

 

 

Oh [embarrassing lack of self control] it.

[shadroch]

Doug,

Every explanation you offer just begs more questions.

Accepting your explanation that the book was delivered mid-Sept and was sitting there until you called and said you would be there in a couple of weeks-How is it that you "forgot' the PM sent you on 10-5? Both FFB and Quality stated they informed you of this book on 10-5,yet by your own statements you proceed on 10-6 to call and ask for it to be submitted?

I believe FFB even posted the PM,didn't he?

Your explanation,at the time,was that weeks or months passed between you submitting the book and the PMs.

You also stated in early October that you had purged all the Ewert books from your site.

[divad]

its no big deal to me. Dougs local and a great customer. I suppose Dougs books could have caused other's books to be shipped late, but I just dont think Doug's enhanced status has wronged anyone. And name a business that DOESNT bend a rule or two for a high roller?

 

I wasn't speaking of how his submissions would make other people's subs late . . . do I need to spell it out for you?

[Red Hook]

I'm starting to get that ol' "endless loop" feeling about this thread.

 

I think at this point everyone has to make their own decision about what they've seen and just move on. Either you believe Doug or you don't. Your decision totally.

 

I still think that at worst, we are talking about a single case, not a pattern. Not making excuses for it, even if it was only an "isolated incident". But bigger, more important things are coming down the pipe that will make this look like the sideshow it was from the start.

 

Red

[divad]

I'm starting to get that ol' "endless loop" feeling about this thread.

 

I think at this point everyone has to make their own decision about what they've seen and just move on. Either you believe Doug or you don't. Your decision totally.

 

I still think that at worst, we are talking about a single case, not a pattern. Not making excuses for it, even if it was only an "isolated incident". But bigger, more important things are coming down the pipe that will make this look like the sideshow it was from the start.

 

Red

 

Quite true . . . I think the whole "hobby" is going to the dogs . . . WOOF!

[Red Hook]

In the end I think everyone's concerns about the timeline here were worth asking about. That JIM92 is going to end up more famous that the FF3 that started off the Ewert scandal.

 

I think Doug made a goodfaith effort to provide proof of his case. It may not be definitive enough to some, but I think everyone's made up their minds already on this one anyway, right?

[Aman619]

its no big deal to me. Dougs local and a great customer. I suppose Dougs books could have caused other's books to be shipped late, but I just dont think Doug's enhanced status has wronged anyone. And name a business that DOESNT bend a rule or two for a high roller?

 

I wasn't speaking of how his submissions would make other people's subs late . . . do I need to spell it out for you?

 

spell it out for me. cause thats EXACTLY what I thought you were talking about. If I lived near CGC, and did that much business with them, Id sure as helll want (and expect) a little harmless special treatment on turnaround times etc. darn tootin.

 

Unless you are saying Doug gets special grades too?? All I can say is if he WAS getting them before consistently, that window may be closed now.

[shadroch]

It certainly seems you have. I can't speak for the rest of us,as you apparently can,but I would like to get to the bottom of this.

If you feel like this is a closed chapter,then by all means move on.

Go back to bashing PGX,as if thats not a dead horse. Go post some more GR books,Move on if you choose to.

Allow those of us who don't think this is water under the bridge to do as we wish,just as we happily allow you to follow your paths.

Doug can spell out the timeline to everyones satisfaction,or not. His choice.

But if he thinks he's already cleared up this mystery,he's way off base.

[Red Hook]

Just some advice. If you are serious about getting answers, then it would probably be quicker and more effective if you just called Doug, got the answers directly from him and posted them. You've obviously got more invested in this than a lot of other people here. And lets try be civil.

 

Actually, I think PGX, PCS and the biz practices of CGC are far more important than this thread, at this time. You are literally beating a dead horse and are going to go around in circles, unless you actually go to the source.

 

Good luck. I hope you find the answers you are seeking pilgrim.

[Flaming_Telepath]

its no big deal to me. Dougs local and a great customer. I suppose Dougs books could have caused other's books to be shipped late, but I just dont think Doug's enhanced status has wronged anyone. And name a business that DOESNT bend a rule or two for a high roller?

 

Which would be fine if we weren't talking about an independent, third-party grading company.

 

Or did that tag line go out of the window when they started doing in-house resto/in-house resto removal for select customers, having advised them of the 'potential' that could be unlocked in the book?

 

Oh, and then getting them to sign a disclaimer to keep schtum to the rest of the great unwashed?

 

Yeah, I think 'independent' took a wrong turn somewhere.

[PedigreeMan]

(I feel like I need to go back to my Patrick "The Bulldog" Fitzgerald avatar for this.)

 

One thing bothers me about Doug's explanation; namely when he says "the book had been dropped off on Sept. 12, with many other books and magazines." See, in my mind, if that were the case wouldn't there be other books on this submission form? Why is there but one lone book in this submission? Is every book done separately? Why was this book singled out, and why was it done (coincidence or no) one day after a damning message about it being trimmed?

 

Also, while there is little reason to doubt Doug's claim about CGC's billing, the absence of pages from the Amex receipt that would show any charges during the first half of October elicits some amount of suspicion of duplicitousness.

 

It is unfortunate that this matter still has not been cleared with any amount of satisfaction.