Turnaround time hopes and dreams

[nik]

See all the fun you're missing

[FlamingCarrot]

I had some stuff already graded, but the books have not been shipped back to me yet because apparently it takes a few weeks to encapsulate??

[skybolt]

Just got back my moderns that were shipped to CGC on 5/18. At least another month to go for my economies shipped on the same date

 

I'm about to send another batch of economies for grading. I hope that since it's not convention season, that I'll get them back in 3 months.

 

Off the subject. Has anyone had a problem with the CGC slabs being curved like a banana. I spent 1 hour the other day trying to straighten one out, but to no avail.

[supapimp]

Has anyone had a problem with the CGC slabs being curved like a banana

 

you mean the slab was warped?

[Aces]

Has anyone had a problem with the CGC slabs being curved like a banana

 

you mean the slab was warped?

 

[fingfangfoom]

...Shipping books received 4/29

...5 months of tied up finances, books etc.

 

Then off to Baltimore, accept more on-site submissions then they can handle and drive the schedule back another week or two.

 

Rinse/Repeat for New York.

 

Disappointing when you want to utilize a companies service but they are unable to deliver the product because of internal issues that, at this point, are overdue in needing to be addressed.

 

Unless of course the goal is to force more submissions in through the pricey express tier.

[namisgr]

...Shipping books received 4/29

...5 months of tied up finances, books etc.

 

Then off to Baltimore, accept more on-site submissions then they can handle and drive the schedule back another week or two.

 

Rinse/Repeat for New York.

 

Disappointing when you want to utilize a companies service but they are unable to deliver the product because of internal issues that, at this point, are overdue in needing to be addressed.

 

Unless of course the goal is to force more submissions in through the pricey express tier.

 

Yes, the turnaround times are very disappointing, but hopefully they are also self-correcting. The large misses in the economy and standard tiers ought to discourage further submissions, which in turn ought to encourage decreased turnaround times going forward.

 

I enjoy and avail myself of the on-site grading opportunities, but wonder if the necessary travel and preparation might contribute to the slowing of the traditional, Sarasota-based process.

[nik]

 

Unless of course the goal is to force more submissions in through the pricey express tier.

 

[blowout]

Disappointing when you want to utilize a companies service but they are unable to deliver the product because of internal issues that, at this point, are overdue in needing to be addressed.

 

[BassGMan]

...Shipping books received 4/29

...5 months of tied up finances, books etc.

 

Then off to Baltimore, accept more on-site submissions then they can handle and drive the schedule back another week or two.

 

Rinse/Repeat for New York.

 

Disappointing when you want to utilize a companies service but they are unable to deliver the product because of internal issues that, at this point, are overdue in needing to be addressed.

 

Unless of course the goal is to force more submissions in through the pricey express tier.

 

The below response is a quote from Sborock on another thread a couple months back. This may answer some questions. ------Sid

 

 

 

 

 

The 2 people were let go because we over hired when we got behind (just like now) and we could not afford to pay them when submissions got back to normal. BTW, we kept them on and paid them for 4 months longer, just in case we did not have to let them go if/when submissions picked up, which they did not.

 

Right now, we are VERY busy and we have hired 8 people in the last 2 months, but training takes FOREVER. I will NOT let anyone handle your books unless Haspel and I are 100% sure that they can do it correctly and safely. I would hope that most of you feel good about that.

 

We will also (hopefully) have some news soon on a new grader, someone we are very excited about. Also, negotitations take a long time once we decide who we do want to hire.

 

As for Moderns, the hold up is NOT the pre-screens, it is the huge volume we get on direct submissions. Another one of the problems is that Shawn (the back bone of the Modern tier) got married and took a honeymoon.

 

Economys just take forever! We get all sorts of low grade Golden Age with restoration, missing pages, married back covers and married pages that need to be checked to make sure they are correct, you would be suprised how many restored comics are missing pages or have married pages/back covers from other books. Some books are hard to find copys of to compare, but we spend time on the phone calling dealers and collectors trying to find unrestored copys to check against if the information about the back cover is not already in our data base. Please remember CGC is a certification company, we actually check to make sure there is no restoration and that the book you get back from us is complete with the original pieces included. Most people don't even know the page count on Silver Age books let alone the crazy page counts on Golden Age books. If you are looking for a grade for the hell of it, send your book somewhere other than CGC. If you are looking for a proffesional opinion, you are looking at the only expert, third party, independent company in the business that is trusted by the top collector's in our hobby. There is a reason the top collector's send us their books and we are so busy, we actually care about the book we put in our holder, because we care about the industry and hobby as well as making a profit.

 

Speaking of profit and hires, we could do this very easily; we can raise prices. We do not want to do this. I don't think anyone else wants us to either.

 

I missed last nights company party. NGC, NCS, CGC throws a 2 hour party for the employees every summer, but I was here until 9pm and I am spending the entire day here today. Almost every grader worked yesterday and Paul is here again today.

 

All personal days and vacations days are on hold until at least September, (unless a family matter arises, we are not heartless).

 

Giving out coupons for free submissions, while it sounds good in theory, will hinder turn times even more and cut into the small profit we are making. It will also take the money away from all the charity work we do for the hobby and the money we spend to promote independent books like Astounding Space Thrills and 3 Geeks. The best we can do is work as hard and as fast as we can, but we will not cut corners, we take way too much pride in the PROFESSIONAL job we do here, if that is going to cost us a little money and send business elsewhere, so be it. And don't forget, pvc costs a lot less than Barex

 

Anyway, we hope to be caught up soon, but I did not want our "slience to be deafening" Now, let me get back to grading

[fingfangfoom]

Yes Sid, I recall the thread and I believe I posted in it. Statements were/have been made that noticeable improvements in turnaround times would become a reality. Obviously they have not. I even attempted to circumvent the delay by flying out to Chicago for the on-site opportunity at WizardCon and although I provided CGC the books immediately upon the doors opening Saturday morning, I had to fly home without them.

 

Namisgr-Yes, I agree, but at this rate the next 'wave' of submissions will result in yet another delay