Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

Tis' the season. Being careful to be aware of unsavory characters when shopping during the holiday season is something that is on peoples minds when they go off to the mall or the big city shopping areas to buy gifts for their loved ones. This is also something that should be considered when shopping online. Just becuase you are in the comfort and safety of your own home doesn't mean that you are safe from those who would gladly try and pick your pocket with their computer.

Internet thieves are next to impossible to track down once they take your money, they rely on lies and your genorousity in wanting give that special gift to try and take advantage of you at every turn. Don't give them the chance to ruin your holiday by being hasty and buying into their BS stories about finding this or that rare card at an "estate sale" or how a grandfather handed down a card and since I don't know anything about it I am selling it as is. If you don't know or are in anyway unsure don't bid walk away. The odds of finding a bargain basement price on vintage collectible trading cards of major stars are next to nill.

This week we bring you these cards of suspicious authenticity:

Seller: odieslilgirls Brings a nice story she says " For the age this card looks good... This is another card that was given to me by my grandfather. This card is centered good, corners look alittle worn,color is good this card is a little dirty looking. On the back some of the wording appears to be scuffed off at the end. I will make the best pitcures possible of this card. This card does have a crease at the bottom left hand corner that goes all the way threw. At the lower Right hand corner on the back seems to be a dirt smudge. I had to get the year of this card by looking at Ebay cards of Babe Ruth. Like all the old cards i am selling this card as is because i am new at this and can not verify anything about this card. I put this card in a hard card holder and it has only been taken out to make these pitcures." She is so new that her item title is worded well enough to include the BBV (Beckett Book Value) of $3000-$5000. She is so new that she has over 50 other cards listed for sale. Guess gramps opens a lot of modern wax, and used an eraser on the back of the 33 Goudey Ruth to erase the word reprint where it would normally be on one of the modern reproductions.

Update Items Removed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey #149 item# 8727138431
1951 Bowman Willie Mays #305 item #8725255773

Seller: dan_1981 This person well is almost sure the card is authentic, their quote " I would love to have this card graded but I dont have the time nor the money. I am almost 100% sure this card is authentic but since it has not been graded I have to sell as is"
Update Item Removed
1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig item# 8725950864

Seller: dmac0413 Not much to say but sellers ID's kept private and says " This card is ungraded and selling as is."
Update Items Removed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey #149 item# 8727077128

Seller: cardz88 Lots of fine print here but the important fact are he says" IT COULD COMMAND $500-$750? (SELLER IS NOT AN EXPERT IN GRADING). The terms "PSA" refer to the best judgement of the seller, without IT HAS NEVER BEEN GRADED. THE CARD IS AS SHOWN, AND SOLD "AS IS".
Update Item Removed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey item# 8726030847

Seller: khaotic187 This one quotes eBay policies that don't exist " I know very little about sports cards, I just sell them as I come by them. I apologize about the poor scans, it's my scanner's fault! If you require more pictures then please email me as I will do my best to accomodate your needs. The card is inside a soft plastic sleeve, and it is in a screw-down plastic case and that is how it will be shipped. As per eBay policy, I -MUST- sell these cards as-is with no guarantees other than my personal refund guarantee."
Update Items Removed
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 item # 8726877133
1954 TOPPS #128 HANK AARON item# 8726880258

Seller: 197edgar This seller provides a scan without the bottom portion of the rear of this card. Strangely enough that's where it would say TOPPS BASEBALL ARCHIVES.
1953 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE item# 8726651531

Seller: jlk0627 The seller needs Christmas money so I should trust them when in their response to a question they said:
Q: How can i know that it is authentic?
A: Pretty sure it is.The guy I aquired it from said he had it since he was a kid.
Update Item Removed
1953 Topps # 82 Mickey Mantle Ex item# 8726655567

Seller: nsantorelli Simply says" We do not do card grading so the authenticity of the card is unknown.CARD DOES NOT SAY REPRINT ANYWHERE ON THE CARD!!!! Because of ebay rules card is being sold as a reprint because it has not been graded by a reputable grading company such as BGS or PSA." I keep wondering where this mysterious eBay rule is.
Update Item Removed
MICHAEL JORDAN 1986-87 Fleer #57 item# 8725945456

Seller: mr_eville He has sold other graded Jordan cards in the last 30 days why not get this one graded. Do you really want to bid on this when he says" This card is ungraded so I couldn't tell you if it's real or not. I will let the pictures do the talking. All I know is that the word 'reprint' is not on the back of the card."
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57 Item# 8727073296

Seller: djprc5l
This one just thinks it's funny Header says Real or Reprint. Giving one the impression that it could possibly be the real deal then says" This auction is for a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card reprint #57. I have to list this card as a reprint. It doesn't say reprint anywhere on the card, but since it isn't graded i must list this card as a reprint."
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan reprint?real?item# 8727018875

Seller: maxnorman Sold a Fleer 86 Jordan on 11/18/06 and is coming back for seconds.On Nov-20-05 at 16:29:33 PST, seller added the following information: You buy the card as is.
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan item# 8725667279

Seller: coates663 The seller gives us this story " I purchased two full unopened cases of fleer basketball cards with each case containing 36 unopened factory sealed packs in each case.I opened all the packs and found three jordan rookies,and immediately placed them in card protectors.I sent two off to PSA and one was graded 9 and the other 10 gem mint.This card is in the same condtion as them.I am trying to get some money back That I payed for the cases by selling the third one." But on 11/9/05 he purchased a 1986 Fleer Jordan item# 8719934555 from seller hardrocker0826 who coincidently sold 2 more Jordans item number: 8717844158 and item number: 8717845885 to praiseband who we've written about in the past. He is also selling 1986 Topps Baseball wax packs claiming there maybe a Bonds Rookie inside. Well FYI the Bonds rookie is card number 11T from the traded set which only comes in a boxed set
Update Items Removed.
86 Fleer Michael Jordan item# 8725604482
86 Topps [4] unopened packs,Bonds RC item# 8725172006

Special thanks to timzcardz for the last report, for this week that's it. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday and remember our motto!
Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Catch Them In the Act

As much as we preach about doing research on sellers it seems folk's just don't get it. Ninety percent of the time a thief will give you a clue of some kind that will tip you off that what they have for sale is garbage. Most of the time this clue will be in the "Item Description" section of the auction. Here is a live example of what I mean.

Seller: themike3434 has listed these cards this week:
Update Items Removed Seller NARU ed
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 item # 8719048435 Item Description for this card is as follows "You are bidding on a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Rookie card. The card is number 311 out of the 1952 Topps set. I will start by saying that this card came from my father. I dont know much about baseball cards, other than the fact that they were passed down to me. They were in the attic for a few years and i came across them while moving. This card is not in the best shape. The corners are soft but there are no holes or creases in the card. It looks like there may be some minor fading or even stains on the card. Like i said i know these cards are very old, but i do not know much about them. This card does not mean much to me, as i am not a collector. So i figured that a true collector should have my fathers cards. Like i said i am not a collector so please use your judgement when bidding."
1933 Goudy Lou Gehrig #160 item# 8719049601 For this card item description reads "You are bidding on a 1933 Lou Gehrig card. This card is number 160 out of the 1933 Goudy set. This is a card i got from my father. I dont know much about these cards. I would like a real collector to have them as they were passed on to me and i do not have a use for them. The card has soft corners bud very good color and very good centering. Please use your best judgement when bidding."
1954 Bowman Willie Mays #89 item #: 8719051684 For this "You are bidding on a 1954 Bowman Willie Mays. This card is number 89 out of the 1954 bowman set. Tis card is in great shape except for a couple of bumps on the corners, very minor! This card would grade a min of 6 i would guess an 8. I had this card handed down from my father and i am not much of a collector so i am getting rid of these cards to a real collector who will enjoy them." Nice how he gives a grade and isn't a collector.
1956 Jackie Robinson #30 item# 8719056929 For this he now is changing up a little "You are bidding on a 1956 Topps Jackie robinson # 30. This card is in great shape. As you would ecpect for a card of this age the corners are slightly soft but thats it. The color is great and so is the centering. There are no holes or creases on the card"
So what are the clues?
1. "The corners are soft but there are no holes or creases " These are terms that non collectors wouldn't use in describing a card.
2. "This card would grade a min of 6 I would guess an 8" How does a non collector know anything about grading scales.
3. "The color is great and so is the centering" Yet another thing said that only collectors would look for in judging a card.
4. "Please use your best judgement when bidding." Using this term means one thing and one thing only the card is probably bogus.
5. And finally what the real lie in this whole scenario is . Our seller claims not to know much about cards or to be a collector yet if you do an advanced search on items he has bid on you will find that on :
11/3/05 1932 Babe Ruth Sanella Type 2 ExM PSA 6 item # 8715223167
11/2/05 Yogi Berra 1961 Topps #425 BVG Graded 7.5NM item# 8716446107
10/31/05 1967 Topps Roger Maris #45 Graded PSA NM/MT 8 item# 8713880968
10/29/05 1979 Topps Factory Set NM item# 8713694225
10/26/05 1958 TOPPS BASEBALL SET item# 8714608788

he purchased all these items, and of course there are the items he is currently bidding on like the 52 Bowman Graded Mays, the 1940 Playball Shoeless Joe Jackson, and the 1948 Bowman Yogi Berra. (which by the way the last 2 cards mentioned are bogus. ). For the sake of saving some time you can take a look at the dozens of cards which he has bid on in the last month yourself. Now tell me this guy is not a collector. Last note on this if you click our archives for February 2005 you'll find a report on seller themike34 who was NARUed back then for selling the same junk. Both ID's are registered in WA is this a coincedence?

So I guess the morale to this story is look before you bid it'll save you aggrevation. With that let us give you an Update on sellers you shoud be concerned about.

Seller: baseballcards1010 A -1 Feedback rating offering some graded vintage issues, so we know they know better. But offers us these ungraded bueauties.
Update Items Removed
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 item# 8719790781
1951 BOWMAN #253 MANTLE RC item# 8719804902
1933 GOUDEY #149 BABE RUTH item# 8719814913
1933 GOUDEY #53 BABE RUTH item# 8719823727

Seller: bmcd98 Sold this item a few days ago Topps #311 Mickey Mantle signed card item# 8717523490 and just happens to have these also:
Mickey Mantle Topps #311 item# 8719579447
1951 Willie Mays Bowman Card item# 8719586198

Keep checking out this blog for updates we will post new items as we find them, till then remember our motto!

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

As the Holidays quickly approach so will the amount of activity by fraudulent sellers on eBay and other auction sites. It is unfortunate that most of the people who will be duped , will be persons trying to buy that special collectable for a loved one. We ask readers of this blog to please report any suspicious looking auctions to the proper parties. On the right side of this page we have provided a direct link where you can report suspicious items directly to eBay. For newbie buyers please be very careful when purchasing high dollar items that are not graded by one of the major card grading companies like Professional Sports Authenticators/PSA, Beckett Grading Services/BGS/BVG, Sportcard Guaranty/SGC, Global Authentication/GAI, and KSA in Canada.

With that said we bring you our latest edition of "Sellers To Be Concerned About".

Seller: kiajdog On 11/01/05 the seller purhcased item# 8715190610 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey from seller schluba2002 who had this to say about the card " I am auctioning off my recently deceased grandfathers baseball cards, it is not graded and i can not prove the authenticity of the card due to not being graded." They now bring us the very same card with no disclaimer.
Update Item Removed Seller NARUed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey item #8717129139

Seller: schluba2002 Didn't we just mention them? Guess they have unlimited 33' Ruth Goudey's becuase this week they bring us the same scan and card the sold to the above seller. with the same discalimer and private feedback of 90.9% " I am auctioning off my recently deceased grandfathers baseball cards, it is not graded and i can not prove the authenticity of the card due to not being graded."
Update Item Removed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey item #8717688184

Seller: skitbatbo Sold someone a fake Mantle earlier this year and now brings us:
Lou Gehrig 1933 Goudey item #8716493244

Seller: coltun A powerseller who certainly should know better than to provide this discalimer: "This Card is being sold as is, I had a dealer look at it, and he didnt know if it was real; you be the judge"
Update Item Removed
1933 Goudey Baseball Card Lou Gehrig item #8712353142

Seller: mrsjohnson1942 Earlier in the week notonly did the seller not have private feed back but was also selling 5 Jordan Rookies that were removed by eBay. Supposedly her teenage son had collected them (24 to be exact) over the years and now she wants to sell them because at age 30 he lost interest in collecting basketball cards. If you dont buy the story once you get to the auction click on her website page where she is selling more of these bogus beauties.
Update Item Removed Seller NARUed
1986 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan item # 8717602436

Seller: distributionz Is selling a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan illeagal Reprint item #8716600383 yet has coincedently has these real one for sale:
Update Items Removed
1986 Fleer Micheal Jordan item #8716600239
1986 Fleer Micheal Jordan item #8716601052
1986 Fleer Micheal Jordan item #8716601226
1986 Fleer Micheal Jordan item #8716601275

Seller: jv168fish Another granpa's attic story with this to say "This auction is for what seems to be a 1953 Mickey Mantle Baseball card.I know this becasue of the tape across the front of the card, it says "1953 MANTLE".I got this card from my grandfathers attic and i know nothin about it. I dont know if the card is real or fake, but i dont know why he would keep it if it was a fake.I found it in a box with numerous other old baseball cards."
Update Item Removed
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle item #8715448564

Seller: ewickstrom2 Authenticity disclaimers and people still willing take the leap out seller says " This is a 1948 Bowman Yogi Berra Rookie Card. Card Is faded and has bends at the corners. I have not had this card looked at or graded in any way so im listing it as a reprint please bid accordingly."
Update Items Removed
1948 Bowman Yogi Berra item #8716779252
1940 Playball Shoeless Joe Jackson item #8718122449

Seller: miller6111 I wasn't aware that PSA graded a card with 2 creases and rounded corners as a NM MT 8 OC, seller has this to say " This is a great looking card.The corners are rounded a little.There are 2 creases both are about 1 inch long.There is no stains on this card.I don't know much about this card I own a pawn shop and it has made its way here.I will answer any questions I can.It has been graded so I Know it has to be an authentic"
Update Item Removed
Lou Gehrig Goudey NM/MT item #8718197394

Seller: truckparts69 As happens with most scammers they sell one fake and then get greedy and want to sell more. Who can blame them for the most part they go unchecked and are allowed to reach into your pocket. Clearly our seller here has unlimited Micheal Jordan Rookie Cards. On 11/2/05 they sold a bogus Jordan item # 8714687820 for $338.33. Nice that you can make a bunch of money selling bogus junk. This week they offer us:
1986 Michael Jordan item #8718418118

Well that's our story for this week till next time please remember our motto!

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!