What you don't want to see when you unpack a 9.8 0

[Jim M]

Hey Everyone, This is quite a fun one to come home to on a Friday night. I unpacked my CGC box looking to see my shiny new Shazam  1 9.8 and instead, here is what I found:

Anyone ever deal with a similar issue and have any recommendations on who is best at CGC to contact about it? I've been dealing with tons of horribly scuffed cases, crooked labels and all that lately, but this one is quite a bit worse. Not sure how something like this gets through QC. It appears to be an encapsulation issue and not a shipping issue from what I can tell.  It will be a fun long weekend wondering how they are going to rectify this situation. If anyone has any experience with this kind of issue I'd love to hear how it was resolved!

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Strange there's no serial number.

[Bomber-Bob]

First off, I feel your pain. Been there done that. I suspect it maybe happened in encapsulation or during shipping. They put a wedge on the left and 'rammed' the book all the way to the right. Now, either it happened while 'centering' it in the slab, pressing too hard on the right edge, or during shipping it was shoved against the right edge. CGC is very good about making things right. They will probably send your book to CCS and get it fixed and regraded. If it grades out, you get your original book back. If not, you may be offered some options. I have heard they will sometimes buy a comparable book on the secondary market to compensate but don't quote me on that. Call them Monday. Don't E-Mail, call. Good luck. 

[Bird]

I just got one back after having this happen. I emailed cgc through the customer service email on the site and they had me send some pics and then send it back. They got it back to the grade it was initially (9.4), took a few weeks.

[Jim M]

27 minutes ago, Bomber-Bob said:

First off, I feel your pain. Been there done that. I suspect it maybe happened in encapsulation or during shipping. They put a wedge on the left and 'rammed' the book all the way to the right. Now, either it happened while 'centering' it in the slab, pressing too hard on the right edge, or during shipping it was shoved against the right edge. CGC is very good about making things right. They will probably send your book to CCS and get it fixed and regraded. If it grades out, you get your original book back. If not, you may be offered some options. I have heard they will sometimes buy a comparable book on the secondary market to compensate but don't quote me on that. Call them Monday. Don't E-Mail, call. Good luck. 

Thanks Bob, I appreciate the advice. I know they are great about making things right. Just stinks when it is a 9.8.

[Jim M]

30 minutes ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

Strange there's no serial number.

Removed to protect the innocent. 🤣

[Jim M]

15 minutes ago, Bird said:

I just got one back after having this happen. I emailed cgc through the customer service email on the site and they had me send some pics and then send it back. They got it back to the grade it was initially (9.4), took a few weeks.

My worry is that it is a 9.8 so there is much less leeway. I'm not sure if it created a tiny rip or not. It's too hard to tell for sure. If it did 9.8 is out of the question.  I am also not at all a fan of CCS's work. I would not want them pressing my book. 

[Bomber-Bob]

1 hour ago, Jim M said:

My worry is that it is a 9.8 so there is much less leeway. I'm not sure if it created a tiny rip or not. It's too hard to tell for sure. If it did 9.8 is out of the question.  I am also not at all a fan of CCS's work. I would not want them pressing my book. 

Having this book in 9.8, without benefit of pressing, is very cool and I can understand your apprehension about giving it to CCS. You are correct about the leeway on a 9.8 . If there is no tear or color break, CCS can probably get it back to 9.8 but if that's not what you want I would stand by it and see what other alternatives they can offer. BTW, whether this happened during encapsulation or afterward, this is a bad example of encapsulation. No side of the book should be pushed against the edge like that. Make sure you point out that fact to them during your discussion.  Again, good luck.

[WolverineX]

5 hours ago, Jim M said:

Hey Everyone, This is quite a fun one to come home to on a Friday night. I unpacked my CGC box looking to see my shiny new Shazam  1 9.8 and instead, here is what I found:

Anyone ever deal with a similar issue and have any recommendations on who is best at CGC to contact about it? I've been dealing with tons of horribly scuffed cases, crooked labels and all that lately, but this one is quite a bit worse. Not sure how something like this gets through QC. It appears to be an encapsulation issue and not a shipping issue from what I can tell.  It will be a fun long weekend wondering how they are going to rectify this situation. If anyone has any experience with this kind of issue I'd love to hear how it was resolved!

Ouch!  

[dfx1]

Look at all that extra space inside that inner well. Tap tap tap that book center. What a range that thing can move. I find it disturbing that a comic could be more secure with just a board and sleeve mailing it across states then mailing in a slab.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

On November 10, 2018 at 4:28 PM, Bomber-Bob said:

First off, I feel your pain. Been there done that. I suspect it maybe happened in encapsulation or during shipping. They put a wedge on the left and 'rammed' the book all the way to the right. Now, either it happened while 'centering' it in the slab, pressing too hard on the right edge, or during shipping it was shoved against the right edge. CGC is very good about making things right. They will probably send your book to CCS and get it fixed and regraded. If it grades out, you get your original book back. If not, you may be offered some options. I have heard they will sometimes buy a comparable book on the secondary market to compensate but don't quote me on that. Call them Monday. Don't E-Mail, call. Good luck. 

I had a case--pun intended--years ago with a DD #168 that came back 9.6 WITH a fine spine split from the top edge about 3 inches in length. It wasn't there when I submitted it, nor when they graded it. Somehow it was torn afterwards. They bought me a replacement copy. I hope they do the same for the OP.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

1 hour ago, dfx1 said:

Look at all that extra space inside that inner well. Tap tap tap that book center. What a range that thing can move. I find it disturbing that a comic could be more secure with just a board and sleeve mailing it across states then mailing in a slab.

I keep telling people that CGC cases are NOT made to be protective devices. They're seals for the purpose of certification, not preservation.

[dfx1]

3 minutes ago, KEY ISSUES Comics said:

I keep telling people that CGC cases are NOT made to be protective devices. They're seals for the purpose of certification, not preservation.

How can people find that information? All I can find is "Once certified by CGC, a comic book is encapsulated in a state-of-the art, tamper-evident holder, providing superior protection and stability for long-term preservation."

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

28 minutes ago, dfx1 said:

How can people find that information? All I can find is "Once certified by CGC, a comic book is encapsulated in a state-of-the art, tamper-evident holder, providing superior protection and stability for long-term preservation."

That's just marketing. Does it provide a certain degree of protection? Yes. More so than not having a book in any sort of case or protective sleeve. But better than a combination of Mylite and Mylar/top loader with a fullback? Not in my opinion. Don't they suggest that a book be reholdered every x years? That suggests to me that it's not a long-term solution. The cases are fragile and books get damaged while inside them more often than we would like if they're not just stored somewhere and remain immobile. Shaken comic syndrome is real and I've seen so many books like the one posted here with dinged corners over the years from movement inside the case.

Not the best solution for "super protection." I like CGC. A lot in fact, but nothing is perfect. 

Edited November 17, 2018 by KEY ISSUES Comics

[dfx1]

10 minutes ago, KEY ISSUES Comics said:

That's just marketing. Does it provide a certain degree of protection? Yes. More so than not having in any sort of case or protective sleeve. But better than a combination of Mylite and Mylar/top loader with a fullback? Not in my opinion. Don't they suggest that a book be reholdered every x years? That suggests to me that it's not long-term solution. The cases are fragile and books get damaged while inside them more often than we would like if they're not just stored somewhere and remain immobile. Shaken comic syndrome is real and I've seen so many books like the one posted here with dinged corners over the years from movement inside the case.

Not the best solution for "super protection." I like CGC. A lot in fact, but nothing is perfect. 

I agree with most of what you're saying. They are not protected. I want to like CGC a lot but I can't write it off to just marketing. I want them to be a leader and provide what they say because I want that for some of my comics. Also they don't suggest a new holder every x years for new holder:

• Is it necessary to get my CGC book reholdered every 10 (or 7, or 12, etc.) years?
• No. The CGC holder is designed for long-term preservation and provides superior protection for your books. A properly handled and stored CGC-certified book can last for generations.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

1 minute ago, dfx1 said:

I agree with most of what you're saying. They are not protected. I want to like CGC a lot but I can't write it off to just marketing. I want them to be a leader and provide what they say because I want that for some of my comics. Also they don't suggest a new holder every x years for new holder:

• Is it necessary to get my CGC book reholdered every 10 (or 7, or 12, etc.) years?
• No. The CGC holder is designed for long-term preservation and provides superior protection for your books. A properly handled and stored CGC-certified book can last for generations.

That last part is good to know. But if memory serves me right they used to suggest reholdering every x years. I might be mistaken though. Can anyone confirm that out of curiosity? It would be nice to know that they once did but have since improved the product so that there is no longer a need to do so.

[Jim M]

42 minutes ago, KEY ISSUES Comics said:

That last part is good to know. But if memory serves me right they used to suggest reholdering every x years. I might be mistaken though. Can anyone confirm that out of curiosity? It would be nice to know that they once did but have since improved the product so that there is no longer a need to do so.

I thought this as well but I can't remember where I saw it. I can't remember If it was suggested by them or something recommended by other boardies at some point but I did see it somewhere. 

[Bomber-Bob]

6 hours ago, dfx1 said:

Look at all that extra space inside that inner well. Tap tap tap that book center. What a range that thing can move. I find it disturbing that a comic could be more secure with just a board and sleeve mailing it across states then mailing in a slab.

While I like to employ the gentle tap method of centering, in this case, it won't work. There is a wedge, on the back, visible from the front, that is holding it in place. With the wedge holding the book in place, tapping it may cause crinkling or stress on the staples. The staples get affected when the wedge holds the cover in place but the insides move. I like the wedge on my books but this was not applied correctly here.

[NP_Gresham]

There looks like there is quite a bit of over-hang on that cover?

Didn't CGC use to reject books with severe over-hang?

Now maybe we know why 

[Lazyboy]

9 hours ago, KEY ISSUES Comics said:

I keep telling people that CGC cases are NOT made to be protective devices. They're seals for the purpose of certification, not preservation.

 Comics were never meant to be subjected to the normal rigors of shipping in hard cases.

8 hours ago, KEY ISSUES Comics said:

That last part is good to know. But if memory serves me right they used to suggest reholdering every x years. I might be mistaken though. Can anyone confirm that out of curiosity? It would be nice to know that they once did but have since improved the product so that there is no longer a need to do so.

Early on, they weren't sure about the long-term effectiveness of the microchamber paper.