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Certified Collectibles Group (CCG) Acquires Classics Incorporated
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1,496 posts in this topic

This is terrible news. I thought it was a joke at first.

 

Seems unethical. Does this mean that having my books pressed will now certainly promise a higher grade? In other words, if I throw them an extra $20 I can have all my 9.6 books magically upgrade?

 

Maybe so, maybe not...but that's how people are gonna look at it.

 

:(

 

Bad bad news for the integrity of the company because of the perception (or truth) that one can basically buy a higher grade now.

 

There have always been people who claim that CGC "favors" certain individuals and companies with gift grades - it's nothing new.

 

If someone chooses to believe that CGC is lying when they claim that the graders aren't aware of who owns the books they're grading, nothing CGC says or does will ever change that.

 

I, for one, just don't see what the big deal is here. Nelson has been pressing & submitting books to CGC for years - he has zero to do with the actual grading of the books, and nothing I've read so far indicates that that will change in the future.

 

CGC's reputation for impartiality is one of the cornerstones of their company - if it ever got out that books pressed by Classic Incorporated received preferential treatment, it would sink their business model & destroy the company. Why on earth would they risk that?

 

Umm they already are?

 

Show some proof, then.

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I wish both CGC and Classics would come on board and let us know exactly what is going on so all this speculation would be put to rest.

 

Whatever they say, however they spin it - it will be purely for monetary motivations, so their statements about the topic are worthless. That's the problem here - objectivity about their product is now gone for good.

 

CGC graded books. That was it. What you brought to their door - in any condition - was purely your responsibility, and they had no stake in how things grade out, whatsoever.

 

Now it is incredibly convoluted with conflicts of interest, upselling technique, and all sorts of grey area about the ethics of preservation/restoration. They have muddied their own waters, opening up their position to be taken advantage of by competitors. And that is exactly what will happen.

 

This topic is going to go on and on and on because it's a hobby-wide concern. The one, single, reputable company who had a majority stake in grading impartiality has just butt:censored:ed themselves in front of everyone on this board.

 

THIS +100

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When the company you use to press also grades your books, there's an incentive to get submitters to go "all in" in terms of what services they make use of.

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This is terrible news. I thought it was a joke at first.

 

Seems unethical. Does this mean that having my books pressed will now certainly promise a higher grade? In other words, if I throw them an extra $20 I can have all my 9.6 books magically upgrade?

 

Maybe so, maybe not...but that's how people are gonna look at it.

 

:(

 

Bad bad news for the integrity of the company because of the perception (or truth) that one can basically buy a higher grade now.

 

There have always been people who claim that CGC "favors" certain individuals and companies with gift grades - it's nothing new.

 

If someone chooses to believe that CGC is lying when they claim that the graders aren't aware of who owns the books they're grading, nothing CGC says or does will ever change that.

 

I, for one, just don't see what the big deal is here. Nelson has been pressing & submitting books to CGC for years - he has zero to do with the actual grading of the books, and nothing I've read so far indicates that that will change in the future.

 

CGC's reputation for impartiality is one of the cornerstones of their company - if it ever got out that books pressed by Classic Incorporated received preferential treatment, it would sink their business model & destroy the company. Why on earth would they risk that?

 

Agree 100%. I'm actually more concerned with the fact that I no longer know who's grading GA books(other than Litch), or the fact that it doesn't appear that three sets of eyes look at every book anymore.

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Will CGC now refuse to accept books from other pressing companies?

If so,is that an illegal restraint of trade?

Before announcing this,a set of answers to the obvious questions would have been helpful.

If PGX had a brain - they would sell to an independant person.PGX would then rename and be top dog in 6 months.

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This topic is going to go on and on and on because it's a hobby-wide concern. The one, single, reputable company who had a majority stake in grading impartiality has just butted themselves in front of everyone on this board.

 

Collectors have short memories and long addictions, so there will be little if any actual fallout beyond this thread.

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This is terrible news. I thought it was a joke at first.

 

Seems unethical. Does this mean that having my books pressed will now certainly promise a higher grade? In other words, if I throw them an extra $20 I can have all my 9.6 books magically upgrade?

 

Maybe so, maybe not...but that's how people are gonna look at it.

 

:(

 

Bad bad news for the integrity of the company because of the perception (or truth) that one can basically buy a higher grade now.

 

There have always been people who claim that CGC "favors" certain individuals and companies with gift grades - it's nothing new.

 

If someone chooses to believe that CGC is lying when they claim that the graders aren't aware of who owns the books they're grading, nothing CGC says or does will ever change that.

 

I, for one, just don't see what the big deal is here. Nelson has been pressing & submitting books to CGC for years - he has zero to do with the actual grading of the books, and nothing I've read so far indicates that that will change in the future.

 

CGC's reputation for impartiality is one of the cornerstones of their company - if it ever got out that books pressed by Classic Incorporated received preferential treatment, it would sink their business model & destroy the company. Why on earth would they risk that?

 

Umm they already are?

 

Show some proof, then.

 

Not preferential treatment in grading. Preferential treatment in the respect that they own a stake in Classics now, so that's the pressing company they prefer.

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Will CGC now refuse to accept books from other pressing companies?

If so,is that an illegal restraint of trade?

Before announcing this,a set of answers to the obvious questions would have been helpful.

If PGX had a brain - they would sell to an independant person.PGX would then rename and be top dog in 6 months.

 

PGX is tarnished forever. Doesn't matter who owns it.

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JOEYPOST needs in on this!! CFP joint venture!

 

joey is just fine the way he is. Many of the new services CGC is touting I have offered to my customers for years (and for less).

 

:applause:

 

I may not submit often, but I can tell you that with this new turn, I'm even more motivated to send books to guys like Joeypost, KOR or the other guys who have similar services to ensure that when my books go to CGC, I've had an impartial expert looking at them first.

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Whatever they say, however they spin it - it will be purely for monetary motivations

Nope. Pretty sure altruism was the sole motivation.

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Will CGC now refuse to accept books from other pressing companies?

If so,is that an illegal restraint of trade?

Before announcing this,a set of answers to the obvious questions would have been helpful.

If PGX had a brain - they would sell to an independant person.PGX would then rename and be top dog in 6 months.

 

PGX is tarnished forever. Doesn't matter who owns it.

Thats why I said to change names.

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my first thought was "good for my buddy mattie."

 

Second was "the toolepath is gonna have his colon fall out his butt."

Your third thought should have been about your poor pal Bedrock blowing his colon out his butt from the force of his laughter.

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Will CGC now refuse to accept books from other pressing companies?

If so,is that an illegal restraint of trade?

Before announcing this,a set of answers to the obvious questions would have been helpful.

If PGX had a brain - they would sell to an independant person.PGX would then rename and be top dog in 6 months.

 

PGX is tarnished forever. Doesn't matter who owns it.

Thats why I said to change names.

 

Personally, I wouldn't be interested if I knew it had any ties to the old PGX

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This topic is going to go on and on and on because it's a hobby-wide concern. The one, single, reputable company who had a majority stake in grading impartiality has just butted themselves in front of everyone on this board.

 

Collectors have short memories and long addictions, so there will be little if any actual fallout beyond this thread.

 

exactly.

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