Really? How so? Are you talking quality? Or service/turn around times?
1 Like
yeah i should have specified that. i mean customer service and turnaround times. iâve always felt their grading quality to be really good iâm just frustrated with them about other stuff.
3 Likes
I really do wish there were more viable options in the grading industry.
If one were to place these 3 companies in an environment where there was true competition - i.e. multiple companies vying for your business - all 3 of them would be extinct by now.
But they control the hobby money, therefore people continue to go back to all 3 because no other options, and like in any other environment, itâs money that talks.
I long for the day that several more come into existence, and challenge these 3 to truly do better in all avenues of delivered product (Quality, consistency, damages (i.e. packaging R&D), customer service, Turnaround, etcâŠ).
In my business line if I had these problems continuing for this long, Iâd be let go. Deliver solutions guys; donât deliver excuses. - quickly and effectively.
1 Like
One problem here is not the companies but the consumers. If people just stuck to their guns and stop using them after X amount of bad experiences, then we might see more pop up. Iâm sure some have thought about entering into the competition against these grading companies but dare not. Itâs like CGC consumers have a bad case of âbattered consumer syndromeâ if there is such a thing. âOh my goodness, theyâve Fâd up my slab again, Iâll just keep sending it back for them to fixâ⊠â not a good thing, after the first time I would have asked for my money back and got another slab company to slab it.
3 Likes
In few other industries, can one purchase an item for a few bucks, ensure the condition is super high grade (which ainât all that hard tbh), send it off for a secondary operation, and have extraordinary returns.
The âdrawâ to owning a $100 comic with that magical 9.8 is so so strong in comparison with owning that $3.99 comic that is a likely magical 9.8 (obviously with at least 1 minute of observational assessment of the comic).
Itâs the dollars that continues to send people to these companies despite the headaches. And when the money is that good, Itâs actually understandable.
I believe youâre assuming in the face of competition they would be forced to be held accountable for bad service, bad product, etc., and they would not change.
This is likely not true, they would change their ways.
Money talks, and POYO is absolutely correct in that we, the consumer, are not talking loud enough with our wallets to enforce accountability. Itâs like they say, you teach people how to treat you.
The other side of the coin is that more competition requires more qualified personnel. These people have to be trained, and consistent comic grading is a skill that takes time under the watchful eyes of the experienced. So if someone wanted to start up a new grading company that might be the most difficult hurdleâŠand like CBCS you likely need to âstealâ that experience by luring the best from the competition to even have any credibility to get you toe in the door. That is likely a hefty investment up front.
But assume that happensâŠnow the other two (cgc and CBCS) lose talentâŠessentially their quality is likely going ti suffer, and the overall quality of the industry as well is now watered down.
What seems a bit ironic is that with cgc going âcorporateâ theyâve already gone down this path, cutting costs in terms of quality while raising pricesâŠand because the industry on a large level accepts it (whether it be stubbornness, denial, or âscaredâ of something different ) nothing changes.
But I think change is slowly happeningâŠIâve seen more people talk about trying CBCS (and even PGX) in the last year. Eventually these companies will expand more and experienced graders with the vision like Borrock will see the potential and there will be âanotherââŠand I think given the current state people are going to be willing to give an upstart a chance more than CBCS was given in its initial start up.
For now, Iâve given up 100% on CGC. If Iâm looking for a slab on eBay, Iâm typing in CBCS now. Im actually considering sending some things to PGX which I know wonât grade high at CGC or PGX, just to compare. Change is slow in the grading industry. But speaking with you wallet is the best way to make it happen.
WowâŠsorry about the wall of text.
2 Likes
Agree. My reference was an assessment of their current situation and if they were plopped down in the middle of a mythological competetive industry with many grading companies. Although I will say if they didnât all improve, then I stand by my assessment theyâd be extinct.
The second part is a bit more bothersome to me and that is the timing aspect. Itâs been 2 years⊠2 freakinâ years that theyâve been bombarded and, honestly, the situation has not changed. I find that unacceptable. 2 years of hearing âweâre doing this and weâre doing that and this and thatâ. I donât care. What I do care about is results and not excuses. Iâm willing to give the time to improve, but 2 years is not acceptable for either. Weâre talking about grading training and respectable customer service for chrissakes - not a new heart surgeon or a new automobile manufacturer. Itâs just entirely unacceptable to be hearing things are improving and theyâre getting worse. Thatâs where I disagree - the timeframe.
I love CGC. I will only use CGC. They are the industry leader. Their selling values are the best.
Now, with that said, I am not sending any books to them until the turnaround times goes back down to 30 days.
1 Like
So youâre no longer going to be using CGC?! I donât see times ever decreasing to that level. I mean their obviously rushing through grading and it hasnât seemed to make a difference.
LOLâŠIm pretty sure it will go back down to 30 days, might be a long time. I just dont have the patience to wait any longerâŠ
2 Likes
Probably all be dead by then⊠
6 Likes
All 3 need a serious kick in the ass and (I wish) a threat to the survival of their company to deal with.
Thatâs not going to happen when they control the majority profits for the industry; and we feed them.
As thus, my frustration level is off the charts with all of them.
Rome wasnât built in a day; but it wasnât 2 years either.
If it makes you feel any better I send none of my comics off to get graded. Iâm just a big believer in buying the book and keeping them raw⊠and never buy the slab (and thatâs even if I buy slabbed books with the small amount I own).
1 Like
It does 
Iâm someone who has never sent in a book to be graded by any companies yet. Iâm looking to do so in the future when turnaround time decreases as I have amassed a good inventory of modern books to be slabbed within the last few years. I have bought CGC slabbed books in the past, I got 2 copies of Saga 1 9.8s a few years back for $159 each. Even though it was graded at 9.8, there was a large quarter inch tear on the bottom front cover spine. No freaking way that shouldâve been a 9.8, I wouldâve been skittish to list this higher than a 9.0 if I was selling it raw on ebay.
After reading about all the quality control issues of CGC, their turnaround times and the recent price increases, I have decided to not use CGC and go exclusively with CBCS. I would estimate that I would be sending 1000-2000 books a year to a grading company. I would be keeping a lot of my slabs for the PC and sell the rest to fund it and pay for the hobby.
I just donât know why anyone would trust CGCâs grading when we keep hearing stories of getting back 9.8 slabs with multiple (3-4) spine ticks. So if anyone is wondering if all this bad press from CGC has turned away potential new customers, it has for sure done so to me.
The problem with CBCS is that they are equally as appalling with their customer service and turnaround times. I have sent them numerous emails asking questions about their service and getting started. I have yet to hear back from them. I donât know how a business can keep functioning without answering their emails from potential new customers. I joined the CBCS boards and Iâve been seeing the same problems from other users. They just put up with it. Itâs the only reason why itâs taken me this long to get my books slabbed. I wouldâve done it years ago.
I really wish a brand new company would come into the market and put these 2 companies out of business. No way can any other company run their business this way and have not gone extinct like someone mentioned earlier.
They are not the problem. The ones feeding the beast are the problem. Iâve ceased business with CGC because their product is horrendous at the moment (I had to send 5 slabs back twice to get damaged corrected). @monopolyjackson has ceased business until TATs turn around.
Thatâs called holding them accountable. We all have to do it.
3 Likes
Yup⊠CGC delivered product is atrocious more than I care to state.
On the flip, CBCS customer service is their achilles heal. That aspect fits in this discussion and customer service is, perhaps, the easiest aspect to correct. And yet here we have to reach out to Borock often to get our concerns addressed. Presidents shouldnât be routinely involved in customer service after 2 years of awful CS.
I canât think of anything dumber. 2 years. And still Borock to get things addressed often
Lol Iâm about to have another PGX order shipped with a 25 day turnaround time no fast pass.
2 Likes
Strictly CGC for me, for several reasons most of which were already covered.
Iâll add another though: collectors tend to have OCD about keeping things uniform. Most will want more CGC slabs to display with their others.
Also, if youâve ever called PGX or CBCS, that experience can be very off-putting.
2 Likes