Ewert Exposed as Trimming Books: Redux

[chrisco37]

OK Folks....I'm going to attempt to do this. Please do not post in here until I'm done......

 

We'll kick it off with the post that started it all:

--------------------------------

Abrams:

Note: The link no longer works as Bob pulled the book and sent to CGC

 

 

Does this book look like the copy that was sold in the february Heritage auction? The only thing is that book was qualified.

 

Look at the FF 3

[chrisco37]

Stronguy:

 

Yep -- looks like the same book to me.

 

Bob's book...

 

Heritage book... Zoom Link

 

 

Bob?

[chrisco37]

Elvis:

 

Yes, 100% sure its the same book. Check out the very mild stain on top left edge just above the "F" . It can be seen on both books. What was the qualification?

 

Elvis

[chrisco37]

Abrams makes a stunning observation:

 

I suspect that this book has been slighty trimmed along the bottom edge. A blown up scan of Bob Storms copy would make it easier to detect.

[chrisco37]

Jefferykli backs it up:

 

Good call. If it's the same book, then the bottom edge has been trimmed. If you look at the small corner of the roof of the building directly below the top of the Torch's head, on the Qualified copy there is a little bit of a second box in the row of boxes that make up the roof. On the blue label book, that box is gone.

[chrisco37]

Bob Storms defends himself and says where he got the book:

 

I bought this book as a CGC 8.5 from Jason Ewert /Tom Brulato. I have long relationships with both of these sellers, long before CGC. I also have long relationships with a lot of other sellers. I do not have the time to go back and research where the book comes from or what has been done to it. So obviously now I have to make a phone call since the CGC forum police obviously have a bug up their .

[chrisco37]

Rip posts close-up views to show the trim job:

 

[chrisco37]

Redhook shows more proof that books are the same: Note the Stain above the "F" in Fantastic

 

 

 

Same book, 8.5 has been pressed. No big surprise. I'll look at the possible trim next. When are you guys gonna' learn? 8.5 on top. 9.0 on bottom.

 

[chrisco37]

Redhook provides more evidence of Trimming:

 

Basically did the same thing.......

 

 

 

Okay.....I'll be diplomatic. There "appears" to be less "image area" at the bottom of the "alleged" 8.5. Just making a comparison between 2 scans that were posted on the boards.

[chrisco37]

Joe Collector notes that CGC can find out who submitted the book:

 

Just you reading into my answer. I simply stated that there IS a way of finding out who submitted it, if needed, not that the gov't would descend on CGC HQ in black choppers.

 

If someone did perform some *work* on this book, then CGC definitely knows who submitted it the last time.

[chrisco37]

Redhook notes how and the "wheels go in motion":

 

Yes, that would be right.

 

And if you plug in the cert. # of the FF3 on Bob's site into the CGC search engine, you can find the other books that were submitted in the same order, by just advancing numerically forward and backward in sequence. I use this all the time for locating Green River pedigrees that haven't ever come up for auction. If I have the cert. # of one Green River, I've often found other GR submissions by using the technique described above.

[chrisco37]

sfliosa notes another trimmed book and the plot begins to thicken:

 

Interesting that the last book in the submission did come back "All three sides Trimmed".

 

It was a serious submission, but also interesting that one of the books was a Pacific Coast Daredevil #2 that came back CGC 9.4. That would make me believe that it was a resubmit also.

 

My guess (and this is just SPECULATION FOR THE FUN OF IT), was that most of this submission was for books that had been purchased (mostly likely already CGC'd) and then PRESSED.

[chrisco37]

tth chimes in and reveals another potential 'suspect book':

 

I didn`t mean to imply in my previous post that Doug was aware of any funny business with one of the books on his site. Apparently he has been taken advantage of by the same consignors that took advantage of Bob. The books below are from the same submission as the FF 3.

 

Red is too sick with revulsion right now to post this, so I`ll do it. Unlike the FF 3, this time there was a significant jump in grade, with clear evidence of pressing and worse, trimming. The trimming is very subtle, but compare the bottom edges.

 

Tom Brulato & Jason Ewert = Danny Dupchek

 

[chrisco37]

Redhook - It appears that both Bob and Doug (Pedigree) have been taken:

 

I did call Doug about a book on his site, that was from the same submission group as the FF3 that Bob had on his site. He was concerned (as was Bob) and has removed the book from his site for now, pending the answers to some calls he has put in. Doug and Bob are both very much on the up and up on this.

 

As I said to Doug....if we end up having to keep an eye out in order to safeguard our favorite dealers, so be it.

 

That's all I am going to say....if Doug wants to come on at some point and add more, I'll leave that up to him.

[chrisco37]

Skybolt echos forum sentiment and calls for CGC involvement:

 

CGC should draw the line and not accept anymore submissions from people who trim their books and try to pass them off as unrestored. If I owned a company and knew someone was using my business to perpetrate fraud, then that person would be banished (among other things). This is getting ridiculous......what's next, laser color touch and spine reinforcement?!

[chrisco37]

FFB has confidence that CGC will do the right thing:

 

Every time an instance of missed restoration has been brought up, CGC has investigated the matter and EVERY time, they've done what was necessary to make the injured buyer whole. I am sure they are doing this right now with respect to the FF#3 and FF#10.

 

While I accept that CGC might miss a call occasionally on resto detection, I have confidence that CGC will always make it right when they make a mistake.

[chrisco37]

DKB is on the right track:

 

I think it was a call for an investigation into the pattern of trimmed/restored books being submitted by the same person, not so much into these specific books. If its possible that an individual is purposefully attempting to represent known restored books as unrestored books, I think it worth looking into.

[chrisco37]

tth is getting angrier at the situation and Ewert and Brulato are in the middle of it:

 

CGC's culpability is the least of my concerns here. As you and others have pointed out, their ability to detect restoration is not infallible, although perhaps they need to start including a little research in their restoration detections techniques, in addition to just performing an inspection of the book.

 

My greater concern is that a well known, albeit controversial dealer, has now crossed the line from performing a method of improvement not considered restoration by CGC to systematically tampering with books using a method that is considered restoration by anyone associated with the hobby. Considering how many pages of threads the pressing accusations against Jason Ewert previously generated, and how many threads the accusations against Danny Dupcheck/Hammer previously generated, I'm kind of stunned by the almost complete absence of outrage directed here towards Ewert and his cohort in crime, Tom Brulato.

 

The thing I can't figure out is Brulato. The guy's collection has skyrocketed in value with the advent of CGC. And, he's clearly been able to turn it into a revenue generating business too. So he of all people has a vested interest in preserving the reputation of CGC. Why would he now intentionally set out to bring everything crashing down?

[chrisco37]

JiveTurkeyMoFo says "Not so fast":

 

I have a question here: why is there a blanket guilt laid at Jason Ewert's AND Tom Brulato's feet? While I am aware that one sells a great deal of items for the other through consignment or what have you, why are the names used so interchangably? Are we sure both are involved in this particular scenario or is it simply guilt by association?

[chrisco37]

Still no comments from Ewert, but Redhook provides an old email from Jason regarding book manipulation:

 

Hi Brad,

 

thanks for your email. Sorry for any delay in getting back to you as I just returned from out of town. I do not view or take part in discussions on the CGC forum and I am not an active member. On occasion, I have friends who are active members alert me about items for sale on the forum and allow me to use their login account names to respond to the sellers to purchase. However, I have no interest in viewing or taking part in discussions on any public forum with people who I don't know, can't identify, will never do business with, and with whose information cannot be verified. If someone wants to email me directly with a question, I will always be more than happy to answer.

The Daredevil #11 Green River was sold to a customer as a 9.4 who subsequently upgraded the book to a 9.6. The owner consigned it back to me to sell on Ebay and later gave instructions to end the auction early. I do not know the book's current whereabouts. I am unaware what, if anything was improved on the book to allow it to receive the 9.6 grade. I will pass the question onto the owner and let you know what he says or if he still has the book for sale.

I have no problem discussing the background or history of a book with someone emailing me if I know the background or history. This would be in situations where I directly had the book encapsulated myself. Many books I sell are consigned, and many books I buy are already slabbed. On these occasions, it would be impossible for me to know if a book has been professionally pressed prior to encapsulation. Whatever information the owner (when consigned) or prior owner (when bought already slabbed) provides me with on a slabbed book, I have no problem sharing with a potential new buyer. My recommendation to any potential buyer is to always be as informed as possible and call the CGC with the bar code number to get all the grading notes on the book and find out if the book has been professionally pressed. In other words, don't rely on the information of the seller to tell you information on a book. Call the independent, third-party grading and restoration experts at the CGC who graded the book who will give you truthful unbiased information.

Professionally pressing of comic books is an activity I know exists. This can be seen on high dollar books which were offered for sale in past Heritage Auctions at a lower grade, only to be offered at new higher grades with scans to show the before and after condition. I am no fool. If I saw an otherwise NM copy of Amazing Spiderman #1 with a 1" wave in the book, I would contact a professional comic book restorer to see if the book could be professionally pressed flat to receive an unrestored, blue CGC label higher grade. The book value difference might go from $4000.00 to $60,000.00. However, I do not have the time, inclination, desire to spend additional $, or desire to tie up books for a longer periods of time to get them professionally pressed in order to get a "hopeful" higher grade, with a "hopeful" blue label (untampered with) which could occur a small percentage of the time. I would rather turn my inventory as quickly as possible by buying it, slabbing it, and selling it - in other words "get it in and get it out". My only hope is to provide a quality product to someone and deliver it with outstanding service so they will continue to come back for more. If I am able to do this, I will succeed in accomplishing my goal.

Let me know if there is anything else you need.

 

thanks,

 

Jason