Whatever Happened To PCS?

[12c_Comic]

.

[batman_fan]

Although I don't necessarily care for the kind of treatments Matt Nelson is providing to certain books, I have to give him more credit than others for being public about it and for offering the service to everyone. Whether you disagree with him or not, and whether you chalk it up to honesty or arrogance, you know exactly where he's coming from and can choose to use his service or not.

 

Unlike PCS.

 

Also, with the knowledge gained from his ad, I can easily make the assumption that at least some, if not many of the books he offers on ebay may have received similar "massaging", and can simply cross him off my list of dealers I would buy from.

 

For someone who doesn't care about pressing, and who wants a nice highgrade book, and wanted to bid on Matt's books on the bay, that would be their personal choice.

 

What I am concerned about is the new collector or simply the collector that is not aware of the issues. When informed, they may very well go ahead and bid on or buy pressed books. Again, a personal choice. But what continues to bother me is non-disclosure up front.

 

I'm also concerned that new collectors with raw books will read an ad like this and believe that the "pursuit of potential" is a universally accepted practice within the hobby, which it most definitely is not.

 

Red

 

As usual, Red Hook is spot on!

[esquirecomics]

If anyone has or can get me a copy of the non-disclosure agreement I guarantee confidentiality.

[esquirecomics]

The biggest issue surrounding PCS/CGC/CGG to me is not the actual work they are conducting, though I certainly have views on those as well.

 

No, frankly, I think the real issue we should be focusing on is the inherent appearance, if not actual, conflict of interest in having a grading company manipulating books for the purpose of enhancing the grade. And the fact that it is being performed for a select clientele in secret makes it even worse.

 

The gag and smell test on this one is so beyond clear failure as to be putrid.

[awe4one]

The gag and smell test on this one is so beyond clear failure as to be putrid.

 

The whole thing smells Mark. From the start-up of the service to the veil of secrecy, every piece of this puzzle stinks to high heaven.

 

Jim

[nearmint]

Even worse, CNN just announced that PCS is going to be managing 6 U.S. ports.

 

Wait 'til Lou Dobbs hears about this.

[namisgr]

No, frankly, I think the real issue we should be focusing on is the inherent appearance, if not actual, conflict of interest in having a grading company manipulating books for the purpose of enhancing the grade. And the fact that it is being performed for a select clientele in secret makes it even worse.

 

Consider it your wakeup call. You've got an auction house that does not exclude its employees from bidding on their auctions, and has admitted to auctioning books that they own. Said auction house has offered countless slabbed books that have received one, two, or even three CGC upgrades over the years. Said auction house owns a stake in said grading company. Said auction house stands to profit not only from the buyers and sellers premiums they collect, and from their stake in the companies that make money from resubmissions (CGC) and the enhancements (PCS), but even more so from the additional fees paid by the buyers of books acquired by said auction house in one grade, and subsequently sold at a multiple of their acquisition price after receiving a higher grade.

 

Conflict of interest is a phrase that doesn't begin to describe what is going on...

[awe4one]

After re-reading the various threads concerning PCS over the last couple of days, it seems obvious to me CGC/CCG didn't expect, nor were prepared to deal with, the associated uproar when the service leaked out.

 

Since they're still silent after more than a year, it appears they still aren't prepared to address the question...

 

Jim

[mosconi]

Since they're still silent after more than a year, it appears they still aren't prepared to address the question

 

Their silence speaks volumes. Would you want to come forth and try to tackle these issues and dig yourself a deeper hole?? Just ignore the public's concerns and eventually it will be forgotten. They have more important matters at hand, such as getting back to those customer's 4.0's and transforming then into 9.0's and 9.2's with CGC's blue label blessings.

[blowout]

Since they're still silent after more than a year, it appears they still aren't prepared to address the question

 

Their silence speaks volumes. Would you want to come forth and try to tackle these issues and dig yourself a deeper hole?? Just ignore the public's concerns and eventually it will be forgotten.

 

I don't see that happening though do you?

 

The rampant speculation and outright criticsm, they are receiving ON THEIR OWN MESSAGE BOARD is doing them a great deal of harm.

I would think some sort of statement on these boards addressing the issue would be the best way for CGC to proceed if they want to maintian any sort of customer confidence.

The only way the can really be 'silent' on the issue, is to shut these message boards down.

[Davenport]

 

Their silence speaks volumes. Would you want to come forth and try to tackle these issues and dig yourself a deeper hole?? Just ignore the public's concerns and eventually it will be forgotten. They have more important matters at hand, such as getting back to those customer's 4.0's and transforming then into 9.0's and 9.2's with CGC's blue label blessings.

Relax. Enjoy some popcorn.

 

[mosconi]

 

We do it = conservation

You do it = restoration

 

Quite appropriate.

[The Black Hand ®]

Since they're still silent after more than a year, it appears they still aren't prepared to address the question

 

Their silence speaks volumes. Would you want to come forth and try to tackle these issues and dig yourself a deeper hole?? Just ignore the public's concerns and eventually it will be forgotten.

 

I don't see that happening though do you?

 

The rampant speculation and outright criticsm, they are receiving ON THEIR OWN MESSAGE BOARD is doing them a great deal of harm.

I would think some sort of statement on these boards addressing the issue would be the best way for CGC to proceed if they want to maintian any sort of customer confidence.

The only way the can really be 'silent' on the issue, is to shut these message boards down.

 

 

I think they know now that there are alternative message boards that people most likely would flock to if these boards were shut down. Better for them to keep everyone here where things can be monitored. They have plenty of schills and flacks and apologist, not to mention people who find nothing wrong with these practises, who could step in and weaken arguments,dilute dissent and cast doubt. They can selectively release bits of information and keep the waters calm for an indefinate period of time and as long as their bottom line isn't being harmed.So I don't think anything will come of this and I don't think there is anything that we can do about it.

[drbanner]

"it appears they still aren't prepared to address the question"

 

"Their silence speaks volumes. Would you want to come forth and try to tackle these issues and dig yourself a deeper hole??"

 

"The rampant speculation and outright criticsm, they are receiving ON THEIR OWN MESSAGE BOARD is doing them a great deal of harm."

 

"I would think some sort of statement on these boards addressing the issue would be the best way for CGC to proceed if they want to maintian any sort of customer confidence."

It's pretty obvious that CGC feels there is nothing more to disclose, nothing more to discuss, and nothing more to share with the collecting community regarding PCS. PCS is up and running, it's only offered to an exclusive club of dealers, and unfortunately, one can only assume every book coming out of Sarasota these days has been pressed, dry cleaned, and whatever else Chris Friesen does to books that CGC turns a blind eye to. As far as their decision to proceed with this endeavour under a veil of secrecy causing them harm and affecting customer confidence, apparently they don't think it's that big a deal.

 

Any questions?

[sterlingcomics]

"it appears they still aren't prepared to address the question"

 

"Their silence speaks volumes. Would you want to come forth and try to tackle these issues and dig yourself a deeper hole??"

 

"The rampant speculation and outright criticsm, they are receiving ON THEIR OWN MESSAGE BOARD is doing them a great deal of harm."

 

"I would think some sort of statement on these boards addressing the issue would be the best way for CGC to proceed if they want to maintian any sort of customer confidence."

It's pretty obvious that CGC feels there is nothing more to disclose, nothing more to discuss, and nothing more to share with the collecting community regarding PCS. PCS is up and running, it's only offered to an exclusive club of dealers, and unfortunately, one can only assume every book coming out of Sarasota these days has been pressed, dry cleaned, and whatever else Chris Friesen does to books that CGC turns a blind eye to. As far as their decision to proceed with this endeavour under a veil of secrecy causing them harm and affecting customer confidence, apparently they don't think it's that big a deal.

 

Any questions?

 

Yes, what flavor is the Kool Aid?

[Davenport]

 

Any questions?

 

Yes, what flavor is the Kool Aid?

Minty, of course.

 

[drbanner]

"it appears they still aren't prepared to address the question"

 

"Their silence speaks volumes. Would you want to come forth and try to tackle these issues and dig yourself a deeper hole??"

 

"The rampant speculation and outright criticsm, they are receiving ON THEIR OWN MESSAGE BOARD is doing them a great deal of harm."

 

"I would think some sort of statement on these boards addressing the issue would be the best way for CGC to proceed if they want to maintian any sort of customer confidence."

It's pretty obvious that CGC feels there is nothing more to disclose, nothing more to discuss, and nothing more to share with the collecting community regarding PCS. PCS is up and running, it's only offered to an exclusive club of dealers, and unfortunately, one can only assume every book coming out of Sarasota these days has been pressed, dry cleaned, and whatever else Chris Friesen does to books that CGC turns a blind eye to. As far as their decision to proceed with this endeavour under a veil of secrecy causing them harm and affecting customer confidence, apparently they don't think it's that big a deal.

 

Any questions?

 

Yes, what flavor is the Kool Aid?

I wouldn't know, but I'm sure it's available in all flavors!

[Aman619]

I heard they were gonna cancel the slow selling plum, but its still on sale along with good old Lime, Lemon and their wildly popular Passionate Profit Blue.