No Graders Notes on a 9.6 1 1

[comicdonna]

9 hours ago, The Lions Den said:

I certainly can expand on this. I've had invoices that took hours to get through. Invoices where every book was not only difficult to grade, but each book had missing pages, restoration, pieces cut out, tape, detached covers, etc. So not only do all those notes have to be entered into the system, they also have to be put on the label as well, and then double checked by a restoration expert to make sure all the restoration information is entered correctly (and spelled correctly, too). It's mentally exhausting. I remember one book (I believe it was a Famous Monsters Yearbook) where the first 16 pages were printed twice and the remaining pages were omitted; that one took quite some time to figure out, and required the help of another senior grader. So you see, grading comics isn't all fun and games...it's a lot of work.      

Do you work for CGC?  

[Topnotchman]

On 4/26/2019 at 10:58 AM, The Lions Den said:

I understand completely.  

But please try to understand it from the grader's point of view. They're strongly encouraged to keep their numbers up (it's a volume driven operation) and a typical day in their life is anything but predictable. Everything can be going like clockwork and then you get a box of books that completely derails your day. So when a grader gets to grade something a little easier (like high grade modern books) they tend to take fewer notes because there are fewer flaws. And many modern books fall into the 9.4 - 9.6 range, which means they have a dent or two, or a spine stress line or two, or something else that keeps them from 9.8 or higher. These are flaws that are so common they're generally not even worth taking the time to enter into the system, because from a grader's point of view, it's all about time. 

So if I had a book that I thought was a 9.8 and it didn't reach that level, I'd look it over again. I've done this with a number of 9.6's, and sure enough, there's usually a reason that's pretty easy to spot. If you really want to achieve the lofty status of 9.8 or higher, inspect the books thoroughly, take photos and notes of your own, and do everything possible to ensure their safe arrival to CGC. I would also suggest placing them in clean, sturdy mylar bags with large backing boards so they're not damaged as they make their way through the CGC system. 

Even doing all this, there are probably still going to be times when you'll be disappointed. As with so many things in life, you win some, you lose some...  

 

I used to work in manufacturing management for a fortune 500 company many years ago.  When managing a company you create what we called standard operating procedures for employee's.  The decision to indicate graders notes should not be the graders decision, its a management decision.  The reason you do this is because you are creating a consistent product.   I submit books to CGC weekly and I get some orders with full graders notes on 9.6 and lower moderns, some orders absent of any notes.    Building the CGC brand is all about producing a consistent product.  You either require employees to put notes on books or you don't, leaving it up to the interpretation on how the day is going by the grader is opening up the door to inconsistency.  

[The Lions Den]

14 hours ago, comicdonna said:

Do you work for CGC?  

I worked for them for 4 years. I was their magazine specialist and finalizer, but at CGC you do whatever you can to help out. I worked in shipping and quality control as well...

[Bomber-Bob]

1 hour ago, The Lions Den said:

I worked for them for 4 years. I was their magazine specialist and finalizer, but at CGC you do whatever you can to help out. I worked in shipping and quality control as well...

The Lion knows his stuff. He's one of the few ex CGC employees that is active on the Boards. He especially likes to help us with the tough questions. You can learn a lot by simply following his posts.

[The Lions Den]

7 hours ago, Bomber-Bob said:

The Lion knows his stuff. He's one of the few ex CGC employees that is active on the Boards. He especially likes to help us with the tough questions. You can learn a lot by simply following his posts.

Thanks Bob. You're a scholar and a gentleman...  

[comicdonna]

9 hours ago, The Lions Den said:

I worked for them for 4 years. I was their magazine specialist and finalizer, but at CGC you do whatever you can to help out. I worked in shipping and quality control as well...

Awesome!   You are a great asset to the forum!  

[BlowUpTheMoon]

On 4/27/2019 at 9:43 PM, The Lions Den said:

On 4/27/2019 at 11:44 AM, BlowUpTheMoon said:

Could you expand on this?  What sort of box of books could derail your day? 

I certainly can expand on this. I've had invoices that took hours to get through. Invoices where every book was not only difficult to grade, but each book had missing pages, restoration, pieces cut out, tape, detached covers, etc. So not only do all those notes have to be entered into the system, they also have to be put on the label as well, and then double checked by a restoration expert to make sure all the restoration information is entered correctly (and spelled correctly, too). It's mentally exhausting. I remember one book (I believe it was a Famous Monsters Yearbook) where the first 16 pages were printed twice and the remaining pages were omitted; that one took quite some time to figure out, and required the help of another senior grader. So you see, grading comics isn't all fun and games...it's a lot of work.      

Thanks for taking the time to type that out.  The manufacturing error book you referenced sounds like a book I would submit.  Sorry  
Have you thought about entering one (or both) of grading contests here on the Boards? 

[The Lions Den]

1 hour ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

Thanks for taking the time to type that out.  The manufacturing error book you referenced sounds like a book I would submit.  Sorry  
Have you thought about entering one (or both) of grading contests here on the Boards? 

 You're welcome! Always happy to help...