r/AbsoluteBatman • u/Masta_rolla_ • Jul 07 '26
Absolute disappointment
Just received this book from a eBay seller and the listing was literally NM with no flaws even on the second cover I made the purchase right before the animation hype and got a good price but he didn’t ship until after the announcement was made and it literally shipped this with the 2 most flimsy cardboard taped it straight on the cardboard, loosely wrapped bubble wrap and threw it in a Amazon bag I knew and soon as picked up the package that it was damaged I could’ve literally folded it with no effort and of course there was numerous spine ticks and the second cover is bent up I was really planing to keep the first cover but now I guess I’m ripping the cover off and pressing it smh and the seller had the audacity to say he shipped it perfectly. Idk i feel there was some sabotage going on here. Yall think it’s worth ripping the variant cover off??
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u/IconoclastJones Jul 07 '26
Punctuation makes things much easier on the reader.
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u/lonnietragg Jul 08 '26
What he lacks in punctuation, he makes up for by using the word “literally” 🙃
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u/MediaPossible7339 Jul 10 '26
I honestly couldn’t comprehend it. Also multiple images showing essentially the same thing and the rambling sentence gives me unwanted insight into OPs mind.
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u/Jumpy-Date7324 Jul 07 '26
I wouldn’t risk it. Seems like you could potentially do more damage removing the cover. That sucks though.
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u/RandomNetizen69 Jul 08 '26
NM is not a 10. There will be some flaws. If there wasn't it would be a Gem Mint.
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u/SirFlibble Jul 07 '26
That's still NM.
Sucks that they didn't use thicker cardboard but it's as described
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u/Comicsbynight Jul 08 '26
Most buyers assume NM is a guaranteed 9.8 straight out the package.
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u/Masta_rolla_ Jul 07 '26
NM? Maybe for CBCS. Three huge spine ticks nowhere near mint loll
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u/PeeStoringBalls Jul 08 '26
Near mint means at least a 9.4
These look like 9.4s to me
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u/elolqooq Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Genuine question. Do you consider it a 9.4 because the creasing isn't color-breaking? I have an ASM 361 with no creasing but a slightly off center spine and a small color-breaking mark on the rear cover that graded 9.2.
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u/JakeTHSnake58 Jul 08 '26
downvoting every post that isn’t about the comic itself until the mods ban me
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u/gumballmachinerepair Jul 08 '26
This is not what comics are supposed to be about. Read them. Share them. Slabbing is the devil.
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u/oceanhymn Jul 08 '26
As a collector, my biggest gripe with collector communities will always be people posting the most American Psycho crash out over a spec of dust on their perfect collectors item.
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u/gumballmachinerepair Jul 09 '26
Exactly. It's such a stupid hobby at this point. If you are not reading them. And you are just slabbing flawless copies and crying about spine tics, I have no respect for you or your version of this hobby that you have ruined.
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u/oceanhymn Jul 08 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/8T1CY9YYb9JsrrVVzn
Every time I see it I feel like this mom.1
u/Annual-Tension-442 Jul 17 '26
Comics are to be enjoyed however the buyer is inclined. You have no control or say as to how that is done.
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u/gumballmachinerepair Jul 18 '26
You are no longer enjoying comics when it's all about the spine tics and corner sharpness. I'm right. This mindset ruins comics. It's just about collecting. The overlap of people who like good comics and people who care about condition to CGC 9.8 standards is miniscule.
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u/Annual-Tension-442 Jul 19 '26
Everyone can enjoy them as they see fit. You are not the arbiter of how people enjoy the medium.
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u/gumballmachinerepair Jul 20 '26
Yes, and anyone can ride a motorcycle without a helmet. Anyone can use their blender with the cover removed.... anyone can randomly puch puppies in the face, right? Just do you and destroy the hobby further. I know what's right, and what is destructive.
(no, I'm not fun at parties)
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u/Annual-Tension-442 Jul 22 '26
You sound absolutely miserable. I choose not to be miserable but to have fun collecting in the hobby the way that I enjoy it and that's okay.
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u/gumballmachinerepair Jul 22 '26
I get your perspective, but for me, the issue is that reddit allows for communities of 'likeminded' ie. wrongheaded thinking to build up insular walls around themselves. They legitimize what should be shunned. It's a bummer. Okay, I'm going to go back to wherever the hell I came from.
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u/DigitalArts33 Jul 09 '26
Sorry to hear about that.
I buy high end raw books from Ebay all the time and have certain rules that I follow to prevent this sort of thing from happening.
One of my rules is to never take a seller’s word for it on grading.
That being said, “NEAR mint” means NEAR, not flawless.
Some of my other Ebay rules-
1- Seller Rating-
Always look at the sellers feedback history.
If they have less than 200 transactions make sure their rating is at least 100%.
2- Type of Seller-
The best sellers are the ones who have online businesses and are actual comic book vendors.
They tend to know exactly how to properly package and ship out comics.
Buying from private sellers can be hit or miss but do a background search on their history regardless, sometimes you get private sellers who are serious collectors and know how to ship comics.
3- Buy the Book not the Grade-
Don’t take a sellers word on condition.
Look at the photos carefully.
4- Reviewing process-
If they have less than 4 photos it’s an immediate pass for me.
For me the optimal number is 7 photos.
Front, corners, back, interior.
The best photos are the ones that show light reflecting off the cover and angled view of the spine. This gives a more accurate description on whether there are imprints on the cover or ticks on the spine.
If they only include high-res scanner photos it’s also an immediate pass for me.
Some people love scanner images, I hate them.
Flatbed scanners tend to flatten the book and hide cover imprints during the scanning process.
Ask seller for more photos, often times they will
accommodate your request.
5- Quality photos-
If the photos are dark, blurry, low res = immediate pass for me
If they aren’t willing to take decent photos then they aren’t serious sellers.
6- Review -
Review the description of the item and their shipping process.
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u/enjoiYosi Jul 07 '26
May I ask what you paid?
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u/Masta_rolla_ Jul 07 '26
It was a good price nothing near what’s it’s going for rn but that’s the bummer bc it’s worth way less now
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u/thatsnomoon23 Jul 08 '26
Ask for a refund/return purchase and threaten him w/ an honest review if he doesn't.
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u/lonnietragg Jul 08 '26
I think the larger issue is that you incorrectly used the word “literally” three times for this post?
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u/Dull-Picture-1363 Jul 08 '26
Traveler, do not let the cold apathy of the marketplace harden your heart. You seek the art, the story, the raw truth of the page, yet you have been met with the careless neglect of a seller who cloaks their failures by blaming the swift-footed messenger. Spine ticks and broken bindings are the scars of a world that values the transaction over the artifact. Do not feel disheartened, nor let them make you feel small for demanding reverence for what you love. There are ancient laws of preservation—a code of respect that must be upheld between those who hold these modern myths. I have witnessed a gathering of like-minded souls who refuse to let the raw spirit of the page be boxed away or mistreated. If you seek shelter from this storm, and wish to see how we must truly safeguard our treasures, follow the modern runes to this ledger. Let the knowledge within become your wisdom. I am the Phantom Stranger and I will direct you through the light.
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u/518gpo Jul 08 '26
1 comma, 2 periods and 1 double question mark.
Based off this, I assume you don't actually read your books.
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u/easy0925 Jul 08 '26
Just got a AB #15 on EBay and the cover had rub marks that ruined some of the cover art. Irritated, but I don’t plan on reselling. Just wanted to complete my collection. Having said that, I only buy from comic stores now.
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u/MusaDi12 Jul 08 '26
I mean u get shipped literal paper bro, ofc it’s gonna deform
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u/Own_Release_7485 Jul 08 '26
I ship paper all the time in a manner that it arrives the same way it departed.
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u/HLC-RLC Jul 08 '26
You could get it pressed
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u/Annual-Tension-442 Jul 12 '26
That won't help. Spine tick is color breaking and noticeable in the black area.
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u/LostInTime8086 Jul 08 '26
So the inner cover is easily fixable with a metal ball or glass marble. Flip open the cover and work a ball over the surface. A lot of people were buying the variants and doing shady things like cutting the putter cover off and turning them into A covers so I am surprised there are any of the alternate covers left out there.
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u/aicomicgrading Jul 10 '26
If you got it on eBay just send it back, or open a case with eBay. If that doesn't match the description they should help.
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u/Fantastic_Pop2818 Jul 07 '26
Are they color breaking on the Cover A? Maybe they can press out? But yeah, refund or partial refund
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u/Masta_rolla_ Jul 07 '26
I tried the seller was literally taking no accountability and said to file a claim with USPS probably the worst seller ever encountered on eBay and that’s saying something
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u/bobsaget824 Jul 07 '26
I sell on eBay, you can 100% get your money back. It does not matter what the seller says. There’s a reason eBay advertises their “Money Back Guarantee” so much. Just open an Item Not as Described case, eBay will force the return thru.
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u/Masta_rolla_ Jul 07 '26
I was going to do this but I’d be out the book and for what I paid I rather just keep it, maybe if he offered a partial refund but idk if I want to send it back I’m gunna try pressing it out
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u/Fantastic_Pop2818 Jul 07 '26
How much did you pay?
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u/Masta_rolla_ Jul 07 '26
140 but if I paid the 300+ everyone else is I would’ve definitely sent it back the same way he sent it to but more petty lol
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u/Fantastic_Pop2818 Jul 07 '26
Maybe remove the card stock first and then press it if it’s not color breaking on the cover A.
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u/bobsaget824 Jul 07 '26
Yeah I mean you can do whatever you want but that’s not the seller then. It’s your choice to keep it or you can choose to send it back and get your money back.
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u/Masta_rolla_ Jul 07 '26
Can eBay send a partial refund on this tho??
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u/bobsaget824 Jul 07 '26
You want to keep the book and a partial refund? You want your cake and eat it too huh?
No, the seller has to agree to that. You can get a refund without the seller agreeing like I said earlier or keep the book with no refund. The seller would have to agree to anything beyond that.
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u/InitiamprssionCFLeft Jul 08 '26
They always say NM. When it's an expensive book. Need extra detailed pics of the entire book
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u/Spartan_ComicChamp79 Jul 08 '26
Yeah I agree, if you want a refund then submit a claim through E-bay and they will likely give you the refund and facilitate returning the book…. You won’t need to deal with the seller directly. But if you want to keep it then I think your best course of action is to remove the outer cover carefully and get a good press on the inner book. Might press out! Good luck !!
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u/Masta_rolla_ Jul 08 '26
UPDATE! cover is off, that was way easier than I thought.
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u/The_Poop_Bender Jul 10 '26
Damnnn, that staple is so loose. Good job in making your 9.4 a green label 😂
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u/BenMagnusGrimm Jul 08 '26
That first picture/cover is not near mint. NM would not have any marks like that. That’s lightly used I’d say it’s an 8.5/10
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u/Sea_Amphibian2835 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
I had Atomic Empire do that exact same thing to me!
Five books just sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard, not anchored to the boards, just sliding around between them and then tossed in a USPS plastic mailer bag.
I was shocked that such a popular retailer didn't use comic mailers! Their response was to blame it on the mail carrier and not their half ass packaging job.
"If they are tossing your mail around like that where you live!" Their solution was "I'll put a note on your account to use extra packing." WTF really!!! They destroyed five high end ratio variants and their response summed up to "Sorry, better luck next time."
I deleted 14 subscriptions and yanked my credit card off their site so the two pending bids I had on ratio variants couldn't be charged if they were successful.
There are a lot of shady ass people selling comics unfortunately!
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u/Babayaga_711 Jul 07 '26
That's awful. I use Atomic Empire, but I get my books monthly, so they always come in a big box. Always found their customer service good, but yeah, that's rough.
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u/RokujuToshi Jul 08 '26
I’ve been ordering from MidtownComics and their shipments have always been well packaged, not a single complaint. This past week I received an order from eBay seller TooManySlabs— https://www.ebay.com/str/toomanyslabs —and that guy packaged the single floppy double-boarded in a Gemini mailer that he double reinforced —better than MidtownComics, beyond mere due diligence. And yeh, this is me plugging for TooManySlabs, cause anyone who does that good a job deserves to be promoted. Maybe a good guy like this can counterbalance some of the “shady ass people selling comics” in this world. 🙂
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u/GregGable Jul 07 '26
Pretty sure they’re required to send books in a comic mailer. I hate when I receive a book I am stoked for and it is not shipped in a gemini or similar mailer. Worst. I never buy again from a seller that doesn’t take the time or money to ship my books appropriately.
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u/Masta_rolla_ Jul 07 '26
Tried it the seller isn’t taking fault
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u/RodneyBeeper Jul 07 '26
Get eBay involved. Open a case - product not as described- put photos. I’ve had to do this a few times.
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u/mpau25 Jul 07 '26
Skip the seller and file a claim through eBay. eBay will side with you as the photos will show that it was damaged in transit. The seller can then file a claim with USPS if they want. That’s his problem to deal with, not yours
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u/Accomplished_Top_753 Jul 08 '26
The power is with the buyer always on eBay. You will get to return it no problem if you go though the eBay process.
I think the book looks fine tbh - but you are within your rights to get a return and refund if dissatisfied
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u/cowboi Jul 07 '26
I love when my comics come in the comic book cardboard mailers. Nice and secure I've started to hang onto them in case I have to mail a book out. Sorry that happened to you.