Sports Memorabilia Auction Concerns & Knowledge

Welcome to SMACK an Auction Watch Page. This page is meant to educate and warn buyers of possibly fraudelent memorabilia auctions listed on the internet everyday. You are welcome to have us review and post auctions so that others maybe warned. If you as a seller have been mentioned please feel free to defend yourself. Disclaimer: Anything posted here is an opinion and in no way represents that what is being offered for sale is fake, just questionable. Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

Well things in the Vintage Mantle category were quiet for a while, but this week brings a new influx of obvious reprints being pawned off as real. What amazes me more than anything is that people actually bid on these items without doing any research. They assume they are going to get a real 52' Topps Mantle in NR/MT condition for a song and a dance. It is no wonder the scammers out there just keep coming back with their bogus cards.

If there wasn't enough information out there available to the consumer I would say okay to the fact that people are getting dupped without having the ability to protect themselves. The fact is there is more than enough information available on the net so that a buyer can get a good sense as to what he may in fact be bidding on. If you are a first time reader of this page please if you are going to bid on any vintage cards talk to people who are educated in this field before you place a bid. A perfect example is the first auction which I am going to show you.

Seller: huskerbaseball1 The card in question does not exist in the PSA registry. A simple call to PSA clarified this. If the buyer of this card would have done that, they would saved themselves 3K.
Mickey Mantle 311 Topps PSA 2 item 5221937755

Seller: clarsond Update Items Removed Seller NARU ed A new seller who has bid on reprints of this card. Also provides this typical disclaimer: SINCE THIS CARD IS NOT GRADED BY A THIRD PARY; DUE TO EBAY'S POLICIES I AM LISTING IT AS A REPRINT. HOWEVER THIS CARD IS NOT MARKED REPRINT ANYWHERE ON IT.
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE item#5221865787
1952 BOWMAN MICKEY MANTLE item#5221890732

Seller: mikemoneyvi Low feedback big card ungraded. What else is new? Oh the disclaimer: I'm don't know much about cards, but this is near mint. It is a very sought after card as well.
Update Item Removed
1952 Topps MICKEY MANTLE item#5221774587

Seller:
julianna1224 Again low feedback big card, is also selling Nike MJ shoes. I wonder if the card was tucked in one of the shoe boxes. No wait they say : This card is 100% authentic and is in perfect condition. I pulled it from a pack myself many years ago. It has been in a protective case ever since
1986-1987 Fleer Michael Jordan item#5220501437

Seller: ericfunkcat Update Seller NARU ed Eric says: I have taken this card to Kyles House of Cards in Granite City Illinois (near St. Louis) where this card was verified that its the real deal. Kyle instructed me that, although this card IS authentic, its not a 1000 dollar card. He stated that I should have no problem getting 3 to 4 hundred for it (and offered close to the same for it).
michael jordan rookie card/ #57 item#5220962951

These few cards represent some of what you will find out there. Please as I said before, talk to someone before you bid on this stuff. And remember our motto:


Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!!

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Update Sellers To be Concerned About

Collecting vintage cards is a very costly hobby. For most owning a 52' Mantle or a 33' Goudey Ruth will always be a dream. It doesn't mean you can not own an example of these cards. Topps introduced the Archives series in 1991. This set gave the average collector an oppourtunity to own a fine example of the 1953 Topps Set. Along those lines they also released the 54' set and in 1996 also inserted reprints of their Mickey Mantle cards including a special redemption set which did not have the familiar gold foil commemorative stamp on the cards. If it's a 33 Goudey set you'd like to have, you can actually get a very nice reprint set at your local Target store, if they don't have one in stock they carry them online and can be had for $24.99.

When it comes to vintage reprints your choices are many but even here be leary of what you are buying many people have taken to making cheap copies on with their computers and these examples will leave you disappionted at best. Buying from established dealers who specialize in this type of merchandise will save you money and make your collecting experience much more enjoyable.

As normally is out habit we bring you this weeks list of sellers to be concerned about.

Seller: p_kowalski599 Using the cheapest ploy in the world to try and sell a card "I would try to keep this to my collection but my dad just died and my mom needs some money so we can pay rent and with my dads estate there tying to take everything that belonged to my dad and steal it from me and my 3 brothers and 1 sister so please bid on it to help my family please" This is the third time they are selling this card except that this time the current scan shows no BGS case or serial number.

1986 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan BGS 9 item#5218558525

Seller: 715rachel Update Item RemovedNow trying to selling this card again after it has already been removed 2X by eBay for authenticity disclaimers. "You are bidding on a Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card. It has four razor sharp corners. A sports card shop told me it was in fabulous condition, REAL, and that it was a condition sensitive card that books for $800 U.S. The card was my ex-boyfriends of 5 years. He has had it all his collecting life, until now! He picked it straight from the pack! I was offered $400.00 for it, so if someone can beat that it's yours! This card is not graded, so it is being sold as a reprint. All sales are final"

1986 Fleer Michael Jordan item#5218752476

Seller: arizona-agcat The usual disclaimer " This card has not been graded or authenticated by a third party grader so due to eBay listing rules this card must be sold as a reprint. Both myself and my local card dealer in Tucson have looked at this card and it appears to be indicative of the 1930's time period. " Also has made purchase from a known dealer of vintage reprints helios creed.

1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth item#
5218624278

Seller: mkharbar (private) Private feedback and this disclaimer "On older ungraded cards, I cannot make any guarantees since I was not the original owner or the one who pulled the card from the pack. I try to be careful when I purchase cards, but I am not an authority on all cards. So when you by an ungraded card please understand it's an "AS IS" purchase. And all ungraded card sales are final."

1986-87 MICHAEL JORDAN Fleer item#5218313357

Seller: biggtimesports A Powerseller should know better, to quote"MICHAEL JORDAN 1986 86 FLEER ROOKIE RC--AUTHENTICITY NOT GUARANTEED AT ALL---PROBABLY A REPRODUCTION."
MICHAEL JORDAN 1986 FLEER item#5217548385

Seller: yazman109w3 A Jordan rookie and an autograpgh all in one. No grading on the Fleer card and no COA on the signed plaque, not to mention that Jordan is under contract with UDA for such plaques.

JORDAN 86 FLEER & Autograph item#521676914

Well that's it for now till next time be well and,

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Friday, July 01, 2005

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

This little blog page has been in existence since 2/21/05 . I am proud to say that with the help of some of the best researchers I know in the field of spotting bogus Sports Cards, better than 95% of auctions and Sellers reported here for various violations have either had their bogus items removed or have been NARU ed. This is not to take credit for actually having these thieves removed, but our reporting of these activities by our contributors as well as other boards on the net have certainly helped in bringing to light and helping control the problem which eBay and sites like them face in trying to control these scammers who are ruining the hobby for collectors.

So without further adieu for this July 4th Weekend we bring you our list.

Seller: kelticharmony1114 returns with exactly the same card they had removed in our last edition of this report.
1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle item #5214589376

Seller: jimbom1234 has bought cards from the NARU ed tandaexpresscardshoppe who sold probably a few hundred Mantles before being removed, sold this card on 6/20/05
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie #253 item#5208574572
and now comes back with this
Item Removed
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie #253 item#5213571640

Seller: jeffstorm2005 SELLER NARUedprivate feedback and this disclaimer "To my knowledge, this card is 100% real, but since it is not graded and I want to be in accordance w/Ebay's policies, it is being sold as a reprint, due to a 3rd party company like PSA or BGS not having graded it."
MICHAEL JORDAN ROOKIE 86-87 FLEER item#5214288191

Seller:usedmart SELLER NARUedUsing powerseller status and the usual discalimer to sell questionable cardboard. "These cards have not been graded. So we will list all cards as "REPRINTS". Do not send us emails asking us to commit either way. Bid accordingly. 1933 Goudy No 41. Please look at the photos and ask any questions before you bid."
1933 Jim Browning Wrestling Sport Kings item#5212332418
Honus Wagner Pittsburg Pirates T206 item#5213694851

Seller: dsahywd has purchased similar item from a known dealer of vintage reproductions praizeban and gives us this original disclaimer "This card has not been submitted for offical grading so per eBay rules must be sold as a reprint, but it looks like the real thing to me. no guarentees or id have a much higher reserve. i bought it awhile back, but my finances are forcing me to sell it."
Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey #181 item#5214239245

Seller: plschiebel to quote our seller "HERE IS A WILLIE MAYS 1951 BOWMAN CARD #305,,,,PLEASE CHECK THE SCAN,,,,I AM SELLING THIS AS A REPRINT BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW"
Willie Mays 1951 Bowman item#5211810163
Jackie Robinson 1949 Bowman RC item#5211818053

Seller: sjd9d "To my knowledge and that of the dealer I bought it from, this card is 100% real. However, as it is not graded and I want to be in accordance w/Ebay's policies, I am selling it as a reprint. I am almost certain it is not a reprint, but I want to be honest. Please understand I am selling this card "AS IS" and all ungraded card sales are final."
Items Removed
Michael Jordan rookie, 86-87 Fleer item#5214568712
Michael Jordan rookie, 86-87 Fleer item#5214567984
Michael Jordan rookie, 86-87 Fleer item#5214569604

Seller: cardsforda "Not sure of Year,very old Ty Cobb Card Batting,IN rough shape.Back nice front ok was taped on a peice of old scrape book.Not graded so it has to sold as a reprint" A quick look at the completed auctions tells a whole different story. The only thing this person isn't sure of is if this item will sell.
Ty Cobb, Card, Batting item#5214089383

Seller: ball769 SELLER NARU "LOOK AT THIS AWESOME CARD!! THIS CARD WOULD LOOK AWESOME IN YOUR COLLECTION! THIS CARD WAS SOLD TO ME AS REAL!! IT LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE THE REAL DEAL IN EVERY WAY!! IT TURNED OUT TO BE A REPRINT..MY LOSS CAN BE YOUR GAIN!! THIS CARD FOOLED EVERY CARD SHOP AROUND HERE!! SOMEONE PUT ALOT OF EFFORT INTO MAKING THIS CARD LOOK LIKE IT WAS AGED..IT IS AN UNBELEIVABLE COPY!! IN EVERY WAY..NO ONE EXCEPT PSA THEMSELVES WILL BE ABLE TO TELL!"
MICKEY MANTLE 1952 BOWMAN item#5214003023
BABE RUTH 48-49 LEAF item#5213989965
EDDIE MATHEWS 1954 TOPPS item#5213995160

My thanks go out to the contributing members of this blog and The Smackzone Sports Lounge who put countless hours into doing this research so that you the consumer can be informed. From everyone here



Please celebrate safely and,

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !


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