CGC Wizard Age?

[joe_collector]

I'm not sure if this has been covered yet, but when CGC first started up, did they really want to use "Wizard Age" on the red label books, instead of Modern Age?

 

I found this online:

 

"Gary Colombuano (Overstreet adviser) stated that while attending the Baltimore Overstreet conference last year, the CGC principals were introduced and got to do their sales pitch. They wished to refer to modern-age comics as "Wizard-Age" comics and have the term printed on their plastic holder. They were almost laughed out of the conference for it never occurred to them that it would be considered a negative to have Wizard's "seal of approval" on their plastic holders."

[Earl Davis]

Interesting story, not heard of that before. Good job they decided against it!

 

Earl.

[Stronguy]

I heard that too. Dunno if it's true but it's damn funny.

[joe_collector]

I heard that too. Dunno if it's true but it's damn funny.

 

I think it is true, but everyone at CGC is way too embarrassed to ever confirm it.

[valiantman]

I heard that too. Dunno if it's true but it's damn funny.

 

I think it is true, but everyone at CGC is way too embarrassed to ever confirm it.

 

My local shop-owner has been telling that story since 2000...

but I don't know if he heard it secondhand, or if he was there.

 

Then again, he's a CGC-basher because he can't sell his FN books at NM prices anymore.

[FlyingDonut]

I'm not sure if this has been covered yet, but when CGC first started up, did they really want to use "Wizard Age" on the red label books, instead of Modern Age?

 

I found this online:

 

"Gary Colombuano (Overstreet adviser) stated that while attending the Baltimore Overstreet conference last year, the CGC principals were introduced and got to do their sales pitch. They wished to refer to modern-age comics as "Wizard-Age" comics and have the term printed on their plastic holder. They were almost laughed out of the conference for it never occurred to them that it would be considered a negative to have Wizard's "seal of approval" on their plastic holders."

 

Instead of yet another rumor and innuendo thread , why not simply ask Moondog?

 

Gary - is this true?

 

There. Was that so hard?

[OldGuy]

[Moondog]

Wow, my last name gets butchered a lot, but this version was the worst...it's C-o-l-a-b-u-o-n-o...

 

Anyway...

 

This story is absolutely true. Everyone in attendance groaned when they heard it then all the snickering started. Guys were rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. All the credibility that these coin guys brought to this meeting suddenly evaporated in a heartbeat.

 

One of the funniest moments happened when a Diamond rep in the audience asked if he could get the license for Golden Age books so they could be called "Diamond Age" books. At this point the place just went up for grabs!

 

Needless to say, Wizard Age and Diamond Age never materialized.

 

Sometimes reality is MUCH stranger than fiction! It was a surreal moment.

[shrunkenhead]

I've heard this story a few times. I believe Unky Chuckles brought this up with Vincent on Comiczone, a few months back. Chuck told the tale, and said something along the lines of "having a Wizard age grade wasn't conducive to the way I want to live my life" (obviously paraphrasing here). Vincent tried to kinda apologize for Wizard, say something like "well, you can't blame them for trying," but Chuckie wasn't having it.

 

I know a lot of us critique Chuck's biz, but in this instance, I say right on, Chuck!

[joe_collector]

This story is absolutely true. Everyone in attendance groaned when they heard it then all the snickering started. Guys were rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

 

Thank you for confirming this.

 

Now Donut can go back to finding more brazen "rumor and innuendo" on the boards.