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CAL'S Column Early September 2011 Edition - Comics General
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Started by Calamerica,

481 posts in this topic

Calamerica

Calamerica

Posted
Posted

Hello CGC Forumites.

 

For now on, the CAL'S Column will be delivered in TWO Threads: The Water Cooler and here in Comics General.

 

I want to try something different this Column. Everyone has a Critic within him/her about most anything.Tonight, the Critic CAL will be asking the Performer CAL the Questions in this Q & A format. Have fun with this, I know I am.

 

Critic CAL ( Q) why are you putting out TWO Editions of CAL'S Corner for now on? Do you really have THAT MUCH to say????

 

CAL( A): Not really that much to say. Especially today, 9.11. But to answer your Q, I had three( 3) phone conversations with the people at CGC Headquarters over the last two weeks, and their discussions led me to do the CG and WC.

 

Q: Did CGC Brass TELL you to do this?

 

A: No they did not. They Eric D did "suggest" that I keep the NFL, Indy movie producing, UCLA Extension details, Las Vegas, Stock market Talks/Picks etc. over onthe Water Cooler. He asked me to try to keep the "Comic Book " related discussions here in Comics General.

 

Q: Cal, you're losing me here. You are saying that NO ONE at CGC told you to do this?

 

A: Call them yourself if you don't believe me. Look, it is THEIR chatboard. They can do whatever they want.

 

Q: What ever happened to this business of you getting your OWN thread?

 

A: They said no dice. But they DID sort of, well, thought that I was on a PATH, but not to THEIR best interests. They wished me luck if I still went through my plans to get my own chat board.

 

Q: But THREE( 3) calls? I'm surprised they even TAKE your calls, after what we see here on these Boards...

 

A: Yes they did take my calls. They always have taken my calls, except if the staff was out on a Comic grading site at a Con somewhere. They were very gracious and courteous to me, as always.

 

Q: You have a way of "hitting people's nerves" and even did it over onyour NFL Thread last week. Can you explain this?

 

A. Easy Q. The last batch of CAL "hitting peoples' spot/nerve or whatever, it stemmed from me defending someone who had received some extremely inappropriate PMs. Also last week I defended a Major Comic Book Dealer that I used to do business with.

 

Q. And your point is???

 

A. Excuse me, I'll finish my answer. I had suggested that CGC start their section for those who send comics to get graded be the only ones who post on the Comics Threads. Only a tiny minority saw the merits of this, and the larger, majority started grabbing their pitchforks.

 

Q. I take it you are not well-liked here, CAL?

 

A. I NEVER posted ANYWHERE anytime on any Forum, etc. that I was here solely to make friends. I have indicated that I WOULD LIKE to be a part of the Community, but also with the understanding that I am going to give as good OR BETTER than which I get. many not only do notn understand this, but have a serious problem with that and me.

 

Q. Can you "turn it around" to a more favorable position?

 

A. Highly unlikely.

 

Q. Pessimistic, are we?

 

A. I learned a very valuable lesson from the eBay Chat Wars in the early 2000's. The Internet posters today can be their truer personalities over a keyboard, and keep what information one may want to know about them to a comfortable minimum. What other Internet users can SEE are things like if they buy/sell on eBay, and here on the CGC Boards. Then others can deduce many things about that person, such as how they conduct business transactions, critical in our online society.

 

Q. I feel that your last A was incomplete...

 

A. OK, let me put it this way: Internet enemies are easily made if they want to be your enemy. They do NOT ever have to meet you face to face and the few times I DID meet them at the SD Con, as sincere as I was to them, they have posted HERE that they did not "buy it". One particular ebayer still has ill feelings of me, and has less than 50 posts, so this is verifiable.

 

Q. Alright, CAL. Direct point blank Q: Can you turn it around here, forgetting ebay?

 

A. No. I already forgot eBay chat, rarely go there, but many of them are now here.

 

Q. Meaning what, "they" being " here"?

 

A. It's ok that they are now here. Most of the time they are actually decent to me.

 

Q. Then what's the problem?

 

A. Probably my direct style. I don't PM behind their backs, I spell it out when I feel the need to right here and now.

 

Q. Can't you be more, "PC"?

 

A. Politically correct? let me put my next answer this way: If anyone has to ask anyone that Q, the cause is already lost. next Q, please?

 

Q. Do you have any Comics items to discuss today?

 

A. Oh, yes. The Comic Books. That is the ONE reason any of should be here for.

Without touching the "sensitive" nerves of many here on this Forum, let's close out this dumb Q & A and get to the real dael, shall we?

 

Q. One last Q, then the critic shall leave.

 

A. Only one more,because I have the power to shut this part of the segment down, understand?

 

Q. OK Cal, whatever you say. Here it is: what is your future here on the CGC Forums?

 

A. Easy Q. I will be here as long as I want. I am NOT going to get booted off, and I should have NEVER gotten that one strike. But hey, we all screw up from time to time. OK critic, go away.

 

Good Glad the Critic is gone. Now I can get to the little bit of Comic Book discussion, the reason I am here in the first place.

 

1) When you go to list comics on eBay, TWO (2) comic Categories have been "removed". I am sad to report that the two of the greatest Titles marvel everpublished are now gone. Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish. There is a part of me that may try to get that back. I had a lot of fun listing the comics in their particular category, now I need to specify who is on the cover only. At least those four choices are still there, for now.

 

2) I picked up MANY suggestions right here from MANY CGC Forumites about Selling comics on ebay. Some suggestions were actually helpful and I did incorporate them into my Selling practices. But ONE of those suggestions backfired on me last week. It was the FREE SHIPPING/INSURANCE when they bought a certain number from me. One Buyer destroyed my DSR's because he thought that he was going to get a CGC large 200-lb weight-withstand box for his 5 comics that weighed 9 ounces, including the four lightweight packing boards. He also had the NERVE to email me that he had a hard time getting the comics out of the bomb-proof packaging, but he was "expecting" much more in the form of a FREE ship than the way I have sent over 2,000 raw comics in shipment.

 

Moral of this story: Stop offerring FREE SHIP/Insurance. Give them a choice: Envelope shipping, or boxed shipping. Charge them a buck or two more for the box if that is what they really want. For some strange reason, even those who SELL comics don't get this: the Envelope shipping is treated like 1st Class - they are put inthe white BINS, sideways, treated as flat mail. The BOXES are put in the LARGE cart-bins, and can and do get crushed. I ahve had more Insurance claims on the boxed shipping than I EVER have on the Envelope shipping. And now I am going to have to raise the ship fee to cover the extra expense.

 

I hope this finds you fellow comic collectors well,and I hope that i was not too overbearing. But people don't change, such a Character Arc is for TV and the movies. I am sure I "offended" somebody here for something I posted. All I can say is to stay tuned for the next Edition of CAL'S CORNER and maybe I can do it again!

 

Viola!

 

CAL :hi:

 

 

 

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goldust40

goldust40

Posted
Posted
Hello CGC Forumites.

 

For now on, the CAL'S Column will be delivered in TWO Threads: The Water Cooler and here in Comics General.

 

I want to try something different this Column. Everyone has a Critic within him/her about most anything.Tonight, the Critic CAL will be asking the Performer CAL the Questions in this Q & A format. Have fun with this, I know I am.

 

Critic CAL ( Q) why are you putting out TWO Editions of CAL'S Corner for now on? Do you really have THAT MUCH to say????

 

CAL( A): Not really that much to say. Especially today, 9.11. But to answer your Q, I had three( 3) phone conversations with the people at CGC Headquarters over the last two weeks, and their discussions led me to do the CG and WC.

 

Q: Did CGC Brass TELL you to do this?

 

A: No they did not. They Eric D did "suggest" that I keep the NFL, Indy movie producing, UCLA Extension details, Las Vegas, Stock market Talks/Picks etc. over onthe Water Cooler. He asked me to try to keep the "Comic Book " related discussions here in Comics General.

 

Q: Cal, you're losing me here. You are saying that NO ONE at CGC told you to do this?

 

A: Call them yourself if you don't believe me. Look, it is THEIR chatboard. They can do whatever they want.

 

Q: What ever happened to this business of you getting your OWN thread?

 

A: They said no dice. But they DID sort of, well, thought that I was on a PATH, but not to THEIR best interests. They wished me luck if I still went through my plans to get my own chat board.

 

Q: But THREE( 3) calls? I'm surprised they even TAKE your calls, after what we see here on these Boards...

 

A: Yes they did take my calls. They always have taken my calls, except if the staff was out on a Comic grading site at a Con somewhere. They were very gracious and courteous to me, as always.

 

Q: You have a way of "hitting people's nerves" and even did it over onyour NFL Thread last week. Can you explain this?

 

A. Easy Q. The last batch of CAL "hitting peoples' spot/nerve or whatever, it stemmed from me defending someone who had received some extremely inappropriate PMs. Also last week I defended a Major Comic Book Dealer that I used to do business with.

 

Q. And your point is???

 

A. Excuse me, I'll finish my answer. I had suggested that CGC start their section for those who send comics to get graded be the only ones who post on the Comics Threads. Only a tiny minority saw the merits of this, and the larger, majority started grabbing their pitchforks.

 

Q. I take it you are not well-liked here, CAL?

 

A. I NEVER posted ANYWHERE anytime on any Forum, etc. that I was here solely to make friends. I have indicated that I WOULD LIKE to be a part of the Community, but also with the understanding that I am going to give as good OR BETTER than which I get. many not only do notn understand this, but have a serious problem with that and me.

 

Q. Can you "turn it around" to a more favorable position?

 

A. Highly unlikely.

 

Q. Pessimistic, are we?

 

A. I learned a very valuable lesson from the eBay Chat Wars in the early 2000's. The Internet posters today can be their truer personalities over a keyboard, and keep what information one may want to know about them to a comfortable minimum. What other Internet users can SEE are things like if they buy/sell on eBay, and here on the CGC Boards. Then others can deduce many things about that person, such as how they conduct business transactions, critical in our online society.

 

Q. I feel that your last A was incomplete...

 

A. OK, let me put it this way: Internet enemies are easily made if they want to be your enemy. They do NOT ever have to meet you face to face and the few times I DID meet them at the SD Con, as sincere as I was to them, they have posted HERE that they did not "buy it". One particular ebayer still has ill feelings of me, and has less than 50 posts, so this is verifiable.

 

Q. Alright, CAL. Direct point blank Q: Can you turn it around here, forgetting ebay?

 

A. No. I already forgot eBay chat, rarely go there, but many of them are now here.

 

Q. Meaning what, "they" being " here"?

 

A. It's ok that they are now here. Most of the time they are actually decent to me.

 

Q. Then what's the problem?

 

A. Probably my direct style. I don't PM behind their backs, I spell it out when I feel the need to right here and now.

 

Q. Can't you be more, "PC"?

 

A. Politically correct? let me put my next answer this way: If anyone has to ask anyone that Q, the cause is already lost. next Q, please?

 

Q. Do you have any Comics items to discuss today?

 

A. Oh, yes. The Comic Books. That is the ONE reason any of should be here for.

Without touching the "sensitive" nerves of many here on this Forum, let's close out this dumb Q & A and get to the real dael, shall we?

 

Q. One last Q, then the critic shall leave.

 

A. Only one more,because I have the power to shut this part of the segment down, understand?

 

Q. OK Cal, whatever you say. Here it is: what is your future here on the CGC Forums?

 

A. Easy Q. I will be here as long as I want. I am NOT going to get booted off, and I should have NEVER gotten that one strike. But hey, we all screw up from time to time. OK critic, go away.

 

Good Glad the Critic is gone. Now I can get to the little bit of Comic Book discussion, the reason I am here in the first place.

 

1) When you go to list comics on eBay, TWO (2) comic Categories have been "removed". I am sad to report that the two of the greatest Titles marvel everpublished are now gone. Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish. There is a part of me that may try to get that back. I had a lot of fun listing the comics in their particular category, now I need to specify who is on the cover only. At least those four choices are still there, for now.

 

2) I picked up MANY suggestions right here from MANY CGC Forumites about Selling comics on ebay. Some suggestions were actually helpful and I did incorporate them into my Selling practices. But ONE of those suggestions backfired on me last week. It was the FREE SHIPPING/INSURANCE when they bought a certain number from me. One Buyer destroyed my DSR's because he thought that he was going to get a CGC large 200-lb weight-withstand box for his 5 comics that weighed 9 ounces, including the four lightweight packing boards. He also had the NERVE to email me that he had a hard time getting the comics out of the bomb-proof packaging, but he was "expecting" much more in the form of a FREE ship than the way I have sent over 2,000 raw comics in shipment.

 

Moral of this story: Stop offerring FREE SHIP/Insurance. Give them a choice: Envelope shipping, or boxed shipping. Charge them a buck or two more for the box if that is what they really want. For some strange reason, even those who SELL comics don't get this: the Envelope shipping is treated like 1st Class - they are put inthe white BINS, sideways, treated as flat mail. The BOXES are put in the LARGE cart-bins, and can and do get crushed. I ahve had more Insurance claims on the boxed shipping than I EVER have on the Envelope shipping. And now I am going to have to raise the ship fee to cover the extra expense.

 

I hope this finds you fellow comic collectors well,and I hope that i was not too overbearing. But people don't change, such a Character Arc is for TV and the movies. I am sure I "offended" somebody here for something I posted. All I can say is to stay tuned for the next Edition of CAL'S CORNER and maybe I can do it again!

 

Viola!

 

CAL :hi:

 

 

You don't really need us, do you?

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