Sports Memorabilia Auction Concerns & Knowledge

Sellers To Be Concerned About

2007-01-30T11:44:00.000-08:00

For a while the fraudsters had gone underground at eBay, it seems that they are starting to rear their ugly heads again. So once again we will be regularly posting to this blog in the efforts to warn potential bidders of shady cards and dealers. What we are reporting are cards that seem to be priced to well to be real and the reason why we think they are bogus. This week we bring you:

Seller: the_rock_2007 This seller appears to have a few ungraded Jordan cards that are all in Mint condition. A few to many to really make his story believable.

Previously sold:
Michael Jordan rookie 1986/87 Fleer: Item#: 260058619587
Michael Jordan rookie 1986/87 Fleer: Item#: 260054235747

Currently selling: Update item ended with a final price of $349.00
Michael Jordan rookie 1986/87 Fleer: Item#: 260081636426

Seller is back with 2 more Jordans:
Michael Jordan rookie 1986/87 Mint ! Item#:260082369788
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen rookies Item#:260082377763

Seller: 1996jennifer Another seller of Jordan rookies this time from Hong Kong the notorious land of reprint Jordan's. Just go and check ioffer and see how many come from there. Seller states "Please see the photo, I know there are reprints out there, but nowhere on this card is that stated."

Currently selling:
1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan RC #57 NM/Mint Item#: 300076260416
1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan RC #57 NM/Mint Item#: 300076260696

Seller: numberoneinstock 0 feedback high dollar item. Seller states "I usually deal about 98% with baseball and vintage baseball, so I really have no use for NBA cards and don't know that much about the specifics of them. I know there are reprints out there, but nowhere on this card is that stated. this card has vibrant strong colors, looks great." Need I say more.

Currently Selling: Update: ITEMS REMOVED BY eBay
1986 FLEER MICHAEL JORDAN RC NR MINT Item#: 200074402502
1986 FLEER MICHAEL JORDAN RC NR MINT Item#: 200074402617

Seller: williama7604 Another 0 feedback seller with yet another Jordan. This appears to have lost it's bottom. Has also left out any type of item Hype. Leads me to believe this seller has done this before and gotten caught.

Currently Selling: Update: ITEMS REMOVED BY eBay
Michael Jordan 1986-87 Fleer premier Item#: 120081216009

Seller: olebbstuff Been around for a while has sold several reprints. Click on the seller name and you will see the Negs taken from toolhaus.org. That should clarify things.

Currently Selling:
1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth NYY EX/MT Item#: 8722720851 1933
Goudey #160 Lou Gehrig NYY ex/mt Item#: 330057338876

Seller: dankmaster35 We missed this seller and my apologies to grewickedboy for not posting this in our original post. The seller purchased this card on 1/24/07 1941 playball 1941 Ted Williams item number 260075997335 (note: item has since been removed by eBay) from driver9212, who sells doctered up reprints. By docterd up we mean the seller makes them look aged. He now comes back and lists the item saying "THIS IS AN ORIGINAL 1941 PLAYBALL TED WILLIAMS #14! THERE IS CORNER WEAR AND THE BACK IS A LITTLE FADED, BUT WHATS NICE IS THERE AREN'T ANY CREASES!! THIS IS TEDS MOST COLLECTIBLE CARD AND ALSO BOOKS @$1500.00!!!!!!! " Since he first listed the item the seller has lowered the Buy It Now Price 5 times. You tell me you think this guy is looking for a sucker?

The Item:
1941 Play Ball Ted Williams #14 item number 22007677062

That is all for this edition Keep checking back for updates. Till then rememeber our motto!

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

SCAM ALERT!! Pre-Sale Cases and Boxes of Sportscards.

2006-12-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

This is a scam where you purchase pre-release date boxes and cases of unopened sports cards. Be sure you know who you are dealing with when buying unopened material before the release date. With the release of 2007 Topps Heritage near, I am reminded of this, and thought now was a good time to re-post this in hopes that it will find somebody who is unaware of this type of scam before it's too late for them.

About 2 years ago, I was involved in one of these types of scams. I was fortunate enough to get my money back. The following is what happened to me, and many other buyers who were not as fortunate as I.

I was in the market for 2 unopened factory cases of 2005 Topps Heritage baseball cards. Topps set a release date of February 16, 2005. The pre sell auctions began to appear on eBay in mid to late December of 2004. I purchased 2 cases from the same seller, and immediate payment was required through PayPal. So, I paid immediately. A few days after I had made my purchases, the seller began getting negative feedbacks from different buyers about non delivery of presell items of football card boxes. The negatives were for auctions that were over 2 months old, far too late to file for your money back with PayPal considering they only allow 45 days.

So, I contacted the seller about it, and all he told me was that my payment was received and my cases would be shipped ASAP. I didn't hear another word from him. At the end of January 2005, I checked for more negatives, and noticed the seller had been suspended from eBay. I immediately filed for my money back from PayPal, as it was nearing the end of my 45 day time limit to do so. I also sent an email to the seller that I had filed for my money back, and got a nasty response. He assured me that the police would be knocking at my door, and I would be suspended from eBay and PayPal. He tried to make me feel guilty. Needless to say, the police never arrived here, and I am still registered on eBay and PayPal. Anyhow, I got my money back from PayPal, and moved on.

I received an email from another buyer of this sellers, asking me if I had any luck with this seller. He also was getting no contact from the seller, and was a little concerned. It was on February 17, that I received the email from the buyer. One day after the release date. Then on February 23, 2005, he received an email from the seller that the cards were going to be released late, and he should have them by February 26, 2005. They would then be shipped to the buyers, and the buyers should email the seller for a tracking number. Why the buyer should have to ask for a tracking number is beyond me, the seller should just send it to the buyer. Anyway, then later in the day on February 23, 2005 this other buyer received a second email from this seller, stating that if his dealer does not get the cases to him by Monday February 28, 2005 refunds will be issued. The refund never came.

What happened here, is this seller needed some money and fast. I had heard of several different sellers doing this after this happened to me. They pre-sell cases of cards more than 45 days ahead of the release date. They sell them dirt cheap, so they move fast. Then, since the buyer is aware that the cards are not going to be released to the sellers until the release date, this gives the seller enough time that he/she does not have to worry about PayPal chargebacks, as PayPal only allows you 45 days from date of payment to file a claim. By the time the buyer realizes his/her cards are not coming, and no refund will be given it is too late.

The seller then fills the buyer with empty promises and excuses as to why they have not shipped the cards yet. Usual excuse is, "My supplier has not received his shipment yet, therefore I do not have the cards yet to send. As soon as my supplier releases these cards to me, I will send them right away to you. I will advise when the cards are coming." Or, "If we do not receive the cards from our supplier by xx/xx/xxxx, we will issue you a full refund. We are sorry for any inconveniences this may cause you." Something to the effect of that anyhow.

Then, they either dissappear completely, and you never hear from them again. Or a few weeks of empty promises and excuses later, you receive a full refund. I believe what they are doing, is borrowing money from buyers to pay bills. Or, they are borrowing money to order these products early, and then when they get the product they sell it for a much higher rate and send the buyers a refund. Only, they are not letting the buyer in on the secret, that they are actually the sellers interest free bank.

Either way, it is not fair to the buyer in either circumstance. When the buyer orders a product, they obviously expect it to show up at their door. It is very disappointing when it does not, I know first hand, and many of you probably know first hand how that feels.

eBay does not allow pre-sale items, unless they meet the following guidelines ; "eBay permits Pre-sale listings only on a limited basis. The seller must guarantee that the item will be available for shipping within 30 days from the date of purchase (i.e., the day the listing ends or the date the item is purchased from a store front listing). The seller must also clearly indicate within the listing the fact that the item is a pre-sale item with a delivery date that indicates the item will be shipped by the 30th day from the end date of the listing. Additionally, this text must be no less than the default font size of the eBay Sell-Your-Item form. Currently, the default font size is HTML font size 3." Typing in bold is taken right from eBay's policy on pre-sale items.

As of right now, there are 4 different auctions on eBay of pre-sale 2007 Topps Heritage cards. Today is December 24, 2006. This product is not due to be released until mid to late February 2007. That is more than the required 30 days per eBay, and against eBay policy to be listed. They have all been reported, yet eBay allows them to run. So, please be careful when purchasing pre-sale sports cards on eBay. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to do something about it, if the seller doesn't make good on their end of the deal.

Just thought I should add this to the list of scams to watch out for. There are probably many very good sellers of unopened material, but please be sure of who you are dealing with when you are shelling out several hundred dollars way before the release date. Always check the feedback, but that is not always a guarantee either. The seller I got burned by had over 900 positive feedbacks, with only one negative feedback at the time of my purchases. He was also a Power Seller. He went downhill fast.

Fool Me Once, Shame On Me, But Fool Me Twice …

2006-07-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

eBay Seller alangbaum offers this Michael Jordan RC:
Item number: 300003523984 - 1986-87 86 Michael Jordan Fleer Rookie Card RC Ungraded ITEM REMOVED FROM EBAY

In the description the following is stated:

“The card is in great condition with great centering and sharp corners. In my opinion this is a 9 or a 10. Please look at pictures. Since the card is not graded, as per Ebay policies, the card must be listed as a reprint. I accept paypal, money order, cashiers check, or personal check. Payment must be received within 7 days of the end of the auction. If payment is not received within 7 days, negative feedback will be left, a non-paying bidder will be filed, and the item will be relisted. I will ship item once payment clears. No returns. Insured shipping will be $8.00. Please let me know if you have any questions.”

Well I have a question, and so should you. If this card is truly a 9 or a 10, then why not get it graded before selling it? One possible answer to consider could be that the card is a counterfeit.

I have one more question. Can someone show me the ebay policy that says if a card isn't graded then it must be listed as a reprint? That isn't a policy. What it is, is a disclaimer. "Hey, I sold it to you as a reprint, so why are you compaining that it is not the real card?"

Also note the “No returns” policy.

Remember that if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

Now let’s assume that the card is in fact “the real deal” and let’s continue to look on ebay for another one.

eBay Seller picolin2 is also offering a Jordan RC.
Item number: 270004128732 - 1986-87 86 Michael Jordan Fleer Rookie Card RC ITEM REMOVED FROM EBAY
[07/09/2006 UPDATE: After item was removed by ebay, seller immeidately relisted it as a one day auction. Sellers trying to avoid removal of their items by ebay will often use one day auctions over the weekend. Item number: 270005863434 ]

Now let’s look at how the seller describes it.
“You are bidding on the item pictured. This is a 1986 Fleer #57 Michael jordan. This is your chance to own an item of the greatest player! Put your bid in now!! Dont miss your chance to own this item!! .
The card is in great condition with great centering and sharp corners. In my opinion this is a 9 or a 10. Please look at pictures. Since the card is not graded, as per Ebay policies, the card must be listed as a reprint.
Payment must be received within 5 days of the end of the auction. If payment is not received within 5 days, negative feedback will be left, a non-paying bidder will be filed, and the item will be relisted.”
Notice the similarity, or should I say the exact duplication of the red bolded text. Apparently somebody copied someone else’s listing description. But what else may have been copied? How about the photos?

Notice that the images from this auction are identical to those of the first auction except that they have been cropped, including eliminating the original ebay watermark in the lower right corner that would be a sure sign of copying when the watermark showed up twice on the image. The lighting accents and reflections are identical. The seller here tells you to look at the pictures, but why? They are pictures taken from someone else’s auction. Now you need to ask yourself, does this seller even have any card at all, whether it is real or counterfeit?

Well actually, the seller just may have some counterfeits. Looking through the seller's recent feedback you can see that he recently bought 3 counterfeits here: Item number: 200003552782 - MICHAEL JORDAN 1986 FLEER ROOKIE X3 REPRINT

If you are going to spend the time to earn the money that is required to purchase a card like this, shouldn't you invest a little of your valuable time in doing some research?

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Authenticity Disclaimers – The Red Flag

2006-06-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

Ebay doesn’t allow it, you don’t want it, and yet there are sellers out there using it. Why? Because fraudulent sellers want to blame you for their misrepresentations and leave you holding a virtually worthless card to place in your now empty wallet. After all, you should have known better, and it is your fault that you bid $892 on a $2 counterfeit. Oh, wait a minute, they are calling it a “reprint.”

So what exactly does ebay have to say on this matter?

“Sellers may not disclaim knowledge of, or responsibility for, the authenticity or legality of the items offered in their listings. Sellers should take steps to ensure that their items are authentic before listing them on eBay. If a seller cannot verify the authenticity of an item, the seller is not permitted to list it.”

Ebay goes on to state:
“The following statements violate eBay's Authenticity Disclaimer Policy:
"I cannot guarantee the authenticity of this item, so please bid accordingly."
"Vintage Handbag Chanel???"
“Looks like it could be a Louis Vuitton bag”
“I believe this is painted by Degas, but can’t be sure.”

So why do we continue to see these disclaimers on ebay auctions for expensive vintage cards? BECAUSE THEY ARE PROFITABLE! Most go unreported and end with uneducated bidders “winning.” That win is short lived though. Sooner or later the winner finds out that the card is not the real deal, and in one short instant their heart sinks as they realize that they have been taken. It is a hard earned lesson that has deprived them of some, or a lot, of their hard earned money.

I don’t know about you, but I have to work hard for my money, so if someone else wants it, I expect them to work hard for it too! That means that if they are truly ignorant as to the authenticity of the card they are selling, then they should be going to someone else to have it authenticated before listing it.

So if sellers at best ignore, and at worst intentionally violate the rules, why would you want to do business with this person? If your answer is because IF the card is real then it is a great deal, then remember this, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2006-02-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

In our last post we warned you about Item number: 8758331903 from seller potofoldgold .The Renata Galasso reprint sold for $316.99.

Just listed this week is item number: 8763265403 a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #149 with a starting bid of $5.00 and a BIN of $1200.00. What is particularly interesting is upon looking at the scan provided by seller jeep4359 , it appears to have exactly the same flaws as the card above.

Not close not kind of but exactly. Is this a coincedence, or am I seeing things? You decide.

For the rest of our line up this week of sellers you should be concerned about we bring you.

Seller: renocustomgolfcart The item for sale is a 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle # 82 . They provide clear scans of the front and back . The back clearly shows it is a 1991 Topps Archives which was a reprint of the original 1953 set.

Our seller chose to answer and display a question, here is that excahnge.

Q: How much did you buy this card for? How long ago did you buy it?
A: These were My Recently Passed grandfather's Cards.I Don't Have any Knowledge When It Comes To the price he paid. I Just Know That He Bought These When He Was about 20 Yrs.Old, He Was 52 when he passed three months ago.

If indeed old grandad was 20 when he bought them that would have made him 34 when he passed away, since the card was printed in 1991.
UPDATE Mantle Listing Ended Early By Seller
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle item# 8762768915
1953 Topps Willie Mays item# 8762769937

Seller: bric-a-brac-baron Private auction, private feedback, all sales final, and selling 20 T206 tobacco cards that look like they came out of the pack yesterday. Has this to say " Ladies and Gents here I have an assortment of baseball cards. I will do my best to describe them accurately. Cards are not my 'cup of tea; of you will so this will be an all sales final auction! I have no idea when they were made or what Cigarette cards even are! Excellent with no restorations or damage, only slight discoloration from age , no bends or creases" Has no idea but knows enough to tell us the cards are not restored.

Collection of 20 Baseball Tobacco Cards item#8762758009

Seller: nickjhk States in their item description " Unfortunatley this is a AS IS auction meaning no returns are excepted. The reason for this is the large amount of counterfiets out there. " So the easy fix for this would be to get the card graded and realize maximum return.
UPDATE Card Removed /Seller NARUed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan item# 8763014659

Seller: trademart2004 Had this card removed last summer, I guess they think that a new year means no one is watching or remembers. If our report doesn't scare you this should, the seller says " If I wasnt needing money fast I would get these MANTLES graded but my hastiness is your gain. " Anyone saying that to me who is trying to sell me something of supposed value just lost the sale.

1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 item#8762583550

Seller: 123lycans Seller has this to say "1909 HONUS WAGNER CARD FAIR CONDITION HAD CARD FOR SOME TIME DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REAL YOU MAKE THE CALL FROM PICTURES DON'T ASK IF ITS REAL I DON'T KNOW I WILL LET EBAYER DESIDE IF IT'S REAL AS IS THANKS"
UPDATE Card Removed
1909 HONUS WAGNER {NICE} item # 8763546315

A special thanks for contributions from fdnyladder7 and timzcardz.

That's it for now we will Update as necessary, please remember our motto

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2006-01-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

As much information as there is available on the internet for the novice as well as the seasoned collector, we still constantly see people bidding on items that are cleverly marketed by sellers that appear to be something they are not. A clear example of this, are these next two items.

1933 Babe Ruth Goudey Gum Co. #149 Item#: 8758331903

Here the seller gives you a long story on the history of Babe Ruth, then cleverly words their disclaimer to draw attention away from the fact that they are selling a “Renata Glasso” reprint of a very high dollar card. Their disclaimer reads “ As always, all items sold "as discovered". This is a gently used item and appears to be in fine condition”.

Here is the first picture provided by the seller which clearly shows the reprint stamp.

The seller never claims the card to be an original but they also don’t tell you it is a reprint.

In this next example the seller clearly states in the item description that this is a “Topps Baseball Archives” card but there are still bidders on a card that can be readily purchased for between $5.00-$15.00. Now of course they don't tell you it was produced in 1991, but they have told you enough to at least do a search for a similar item.

1953 Topps Mickey Mantle item# 8756562730

We can't stress enough, know what you are looking at, do your homework before you bid. It is as easy as looking at other examples of the same card, or asking the seller a question.

This week our sellers to be concerned about include:
UPDATE Card Removed /Seller NARUed
Seller: twinstandj Is selling a Michael Jordan rookie that was removed last week because it was pointed out to eBay Trust and Safety that they had purchased an 86 reprint earlier in the year from seller newused2005 in a private auction. Of course there is the usual disclaimer " I am not a professional grader and the card is not graded, therefore I am selling this card as a reprint. Sorry, no returns accepted due to buyers switching cards upon the return."
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan item# 8758150051

Seller: donchaz2u Lowers the reserve on a 53 Topps Mantle and has this disclaimer in his item description" This card is ungraded and sold as is."
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle item# 8757336304

UPDATE Cards Removed
Seller: justizzle3 Sells other graded vintage cards, so knows the value of having items this rare authenticated. Yet brings to the table some very high dollar vintage cards.
1909 T206 TY Cobb item# 8757020029
1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig item# 8757021768
1939 Joe DiMaggio Playball item# 8757015226
1887 N28 Allen & Ginter John Montgomery Ward item# 8757013860

UPDATE Cards Removed

For the above post we have just found that seller justizzle3 is also selling
1909 Graded Authentic Ray Demmitt T206 item# 8757005178
1895 Mayo's Cut Plug Arlie Latham N300 SCG 50 item#8756111615

The only problem with these 2 items is that it seems they have stolen the scans from Marty's graded psa cards.com So unless izzle is Marty, well you know what I mean.

This story gets better, it seems item#8755841176 a set of 413 T206's is also a stolen scan from the T206 museum. Here is the current thread form the Vintage Baseball Card forum posted by the director of the museum. T206 Thread

That's it for now we will update as we find items so check back. Till then please remember our motto !

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-12-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

The home stretch for the Holiday buying season is here and many are looking for that special gift to give their special sports card collecting someone. Dealers are listing like mad and fair warning so are the thieves. The amount of 1 and 3 day listings that can be viewed during this time is uncanny. The scam artist will try to pawn off many of their bogus goods quickly in an effort to thwart being spotted by concerned collectors who will report them to auction sites Trust and Safety departments.

The folks over at eBay have their hands full since they are the number 1 site the scammers all try their tricks there. I am pleased to say that eBay has been very responsive to reports given to them about possible fraud and have reacted swiftly. Dozen's of cards have been reported and removed in the past few weeks but there are still those that slip through the cracks. It would be easy to say that it is the reponsibilty of the site to protect the consumer but with the thousands of auctions posted everyday that is nearly an impossible task.

It really is the responsibilty of the knowledgable collecting community to report bogus items when they spot them. It is also the responsibilty of the consumer not to act in haste, and be lured into buying something that is obviously to good to be true. Ask questions of the seller, ask questions of the collecting community. As we have said many times in the past there are numerous places where one can get free 1st hand advice from savy collectors. The eBay community discussion boards is one place and the PSA collecting forums is another. There are numerous other places so don't be lazy do a google and find place's to ask questions .

Sellers to be leary of this week include:

Seller: eaveslovesthetide With a feedback rating of 6 this sellers brings us 20 of the most sought after sports issues in the hobby. Saying "Up for auction is a 1955 Topps Hank Aaron card, this card is being listed as a REPRINT since it is an ungraded card, however at the present time I am going throught a divorce and need the money, and trust me the cards are the last thing to go." To make things worse they are all on 1 day auctions. No why would some one who needs money due to a divorce list 20 cards with a book value of well over $30,000 for one day and not recieve maxium exposure and bidding time?
1955 Topps Hank Aaron card Item# 8735027958
1954 Topps Hank Aaron RC Item# 8735029309
1963 Topps Pete Rose RC Item# 8735030170
1952 Topps Willie Mays RC Item# 8735032699
1968 Topps Nolan Ryan RC Item# 8735034667
1957 Topps Bart Starr RC Item# 8735036543
1949 Leaf Jackie Robinson RC Item# 8735038536
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 8735040506
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 8735041858
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 8735042700
1957 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 8735043159
1955 Bowman Mickey Mantle Item# 8735043796
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Item# 8735044790
1951 Bowman Willie Mays Item# 8735045549
1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig Item# 8735047767
1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan Item# 8735049647
1986-87 Patrick Roy O-Pee-Chee RC Item# 8735052370
1979-80 Wayne Gretzky O-Pee-Chee RC Item# 8735053200
1985-86 Mario Lemieux O-Pee-Chee RC Item# 8735054616
1966-67 Topps Bobby Orr RC Item# 8735055660

Seller: who--dey Tells us "This Is a 1933 goudey chewing gum card of lou gehrig this card is in soild condition and worth BIG BUCKS a very nice card to add to any collection" Yes it's a big card, in that condition why isn't it graded?
Lou Gehrig 1933 Goudey $4000 Item# 8734505083

Seller: scottbemo Buys a BCCG 86 Fleer Jordan on 12/5/05 but has this one for sale ungraded and the high bidder is from the same state as the seller, who has done only one tranaction on eBay with guess who? This seller of course and last month a seller from the state was NARU ed for selling ungraded Jordan's from where? The same state of course.
1986 FLEER MICHAEL JORDAN RC Item# 8735010413

Seller: da-bears45 This is a good one they tell us "I just bought these cards from seller e_s_p_n_3 here on e-bay and he gaurenteed me that they were real. I honestly dont know so I cannot make any gaurentees. So bid accordingly. I blew up the scans so you can decide for yourself. They are both in poor to fair condition. The Mickey Mantle has a crease in the top center making a downward v into his hat.Selling as reprints, No refunds" They don't know? '52 Topps Jackie Robinson #312/Mickey Mantle #311 Item# 8733938322

Seller: ronaldm1023 0 Feedback has sold within the last month a '52 Topps Mays , a '52 Topps Mantle , and another '52 Topps Mays . They all where purchased originally buy him in 1952. One would think that a collector who is that old would be smart enough to get these graded to get maxium dollars for his sales. This week he brings these to the table. Just how many of these do they have?
1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle #101 Item# 8732665323
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 Item# 8734253138

To all of you who read our blog please have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season. We will try to update as best we can. Please also remember our motto!

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-11-22T10:14:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

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!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-10-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

Fleer 1986 Michael Jordan Rookie card number 57. A sought after card by many collectors, a counterfeited card by many crooks. On any given day on most auction sites you can purchase this card in both graded and ungraded condition. Purchasing this card in an ungraded state is as risky as entering the World Series of Poker with no poker experience and expecting to win. Actually I think your odds would be better entering the World Series of Poker. Why both novice and savy collectors bid on this card ungraded for any amount of money is beyond me.

This past week alone we witnessed at least 50 unauthorized reproductions of this card being offered on eBay. Many of which had insinuations that the card my in fact be real. I am glad to say that most of them where removed by eBay's Trust and Safety thanks to the deligence in reporting these violations by a handful of concerned collectors and the cooperation of eBay. Recently the Upper Deck Company purchased the rights to the Fleer brand name , and have expressed their own concerns with the counterfeiting of this card. As such under eBay's VERO provision they have the right to have eBay pull any card that they deem to be in violation of their trademark rights.

How do these fake cards get into the marketplace? Easy there are people who actually print these and sell them as reprints to collectors. In this auction the seller ran multiple sales for this reproduced card for months on both eBay and IOffer.com Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Mint. They have since been stopped by both sites but who knows how many hundreds of these fakes are out there waiting to make their way back into the marketplace as real.

For those intrested in owning a fully graded issue they are readily available at very affordable prices. Recently a high grade PSA 8 sold for $535. This goes to show that a patient collector can in fact purchase high grade authenticated example of this card for a little more than what they may pay for a more than likely fradulent example. Here is a case where a buyer purchased a non graded issue for $480 !!! Now I ask you, who would you rather be the person who purchased the PSA 9 or the unsuspecting non graded buyer? These types of suspicious sales happen each and everyday again we remind you don't be in such a hurry to purchase any card that may come along because you simply want to own a high dollar collectible. There is always another card, and if you show patience you will wind up with high dollar authentic card where there is no question that what you have is the real thing.

With that we bring you this weeks " Sellers To Be Concerned About"

Seller: nochancegolf23 low feedback and has sold 2 Jordans in the last month item number 8709911189 for $256 and item number 8708946898 for $280. This week they offer
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57 Mint item# 8713213585

Seller: vidiaware low feedback and if you look at the picture provided it looks exactly the same as our previous sellers nochancegold123's picture. If you look at the scans you will notice they are exactly the same, there is a mark form the scanner backing on the upper right hand side above the R on the card back image and a little mark in the lower portion of the card in the center. Offers us:
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie item# 8712477179

Seller: rhare1 Selling a reprint of this card but says that you can fool your friends with it. Which insinuates you can try to pawn it off as real. This is an unlicensed reproduction.
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan RC Reprint item# 8713353025

Seller: bepbeprrrep Another low feedback seller with this story " I was fortunate to come across 3 of these cards while searching through my uncle's card collection that was handed down to me a couple years ago. I've been hanging onto them since then, but they are serving me no purpose anymore. I have bills to pay and mouths to feed. This card looks like it's in great shape. The corners are all very pointy, and it has great centering. And there are absolutely no creases. The card is not prefessionally graded, so under Ebay's rules I have to list it as a reprint. All sales are final." If you look at their buying for the last 2 months or so you will notice they have spent over $1500 in purchasing cards and autographs. I guess they donlt need to sell those to feed any mouths.
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan RC NR/MINT item# 8711619060

Seller rebound333 Again low feedback and says "This card is in excellent shape with no creases or bends The two right corners are a "little" imperfect, other than that great card. I have not had this card graded but I assure it's genuine" Well with a 1 FB rating I would be real comfortable buying this item. For another $20 I could buy PSA 4 in about the same condition.
Update Item Removed
Michael Jordan Rookie Card 1986 Fleer item# 8711115404

Seller: 32490 All the telltale signs of a bad deal. This is what they have to say " This card is being relisted. The last time it was put up for auction a lot of people asked me if it was real. I bought it on EBay earlier this year as authentic. I have purchased a card in better condition and for a lot more money then this one and that is why I'm selling this card. As far as I know it's real. IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE DON'T BID! I WILL NOT OFFER ANY GUARANTEES. IT IS BEING SOLD AS IS" Now the seller purchases cards of questionable authenticity as in item# 8701821326, yet we are supposed to believe the card offered is real?
Update Item Removed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey item# 8713316396
1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson item# 8713312931

Seller: pantyman_52 I won't comment on the name but has this to say "You are bidding on a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Card. Card has rounded corners, and a few scuff marks. Card looks to be real but I am unsure. This is a GREAT card to add to any collection. "
Update Item Removed
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle item# 8713442559

Seller: shizzle17 returns after having a 52 Mantle removed which we reported on in our September 7th edition now comes back to say " PLEASE READ!!! CARD WAS SENT IN TO PSA AND CAME BACK AS RECOLORED AND THEY WOULD NOT GRADE IT AND I AM SELLING IT AS SUCH. THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS ON THIS CARD AS I AM TELLING IT AS IT IS!" Well if PSA returned the card as recolored and ungradedable why isn't it slabbed that way with the description and PSA number? PSA does slab those cards.
1933 GOUDEY BABE RUTH # 149 PSA RECOLORED item# 8712706016

Seller: tristage After self removing the item last week they return with it again saying " You are bidding on a 1986 fleer #57 michael jordan rookie card. I am selling card as reprint .got card out of box that i bought at a yard sale.have no back ground on card thats why being sold as reprint.this card is in mint cond.card is sold as is,no returns"
Update Item Removed
Fleer 1986 Micheal Jordan Rookie item# 8713634658

Well for now that's it we will update as we find items of questionable authenticity till then please remember our motto.

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-10-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Warning signs that a card maybe bogus are there if you take the time to look. If you are prepared to spend money on purchasing a vintage card for your collection, then why is it that many buyers are not prepared to spend some time doing research into what they are buying. Too many collectors are mislead into thinking that they are getting in on the bargain of a lifetime and that is why most end up getting ripped off. Here is just one example of what I mean.

This week seller n3rds is bringing us this vintage 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey number 53 item# 8705938202 a very nice looking example of this rare specimen. In their item description they say "You are bidding on a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 this card is in great condition and BV is $6,000. it was given to me as a gift but it is time to sell it as times are tough with money. good luck". Well okay I can understand this everyone goes through money troubles in their lives. Now I am always curious to what sellers habits are so I do some simple searching. First I look at his profile and see that they have been very active purchasing items on eBay within the last few weeks. That is odd since they claim to be having money troubles. I come to find out that they have spent over $3000 in the last 2 months purchasing items on eBay. A further search reveals that they have bid on another Goudey Ruth (note: item bid on has been removed) from the same set, their last bid was $1045.00. Now I don't know about you, but this leads me to believe that the seller isn't a very honest person. If they are willing to lie about why they are selling a card are they not capable of lying as to it's authenticity? You decide.

This weeks list of questionable cards include:

Seller: loggersdoitinthewoods1 Another seller who sells legitimate graded cards but chooses to try and pass these off as maybe, could be, looks like. Well here is what they have to say "LOOKS LIKE A REPRINT BUT DOES NOT SAY REPRINT ANYWHERE ON THE CARD" Now I ask you how misleading is that? And why is it that in their other non graded vintgae listings that there are no disclaimers?
Update Item Removed
1900 Ty Cobb Baseball Card item# 8707213296
1952 Mickey Mantle item# 8707213370

Seller: beechoe Item description " You are bidding on a 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey baseball card #144 ungraded. This card was found in a lot of 1909 T206 baseball cards during an estate sale in Sun City Ca. I only collect T206 cards, so this card and others like it are being sold here on ebay as is. That is the only background I have on this card, sorry. Check the scans for the condition of the card yourself. Due to a high number of emails I am adding to the description of this card. This item has not been graded. I do not know if it is a reprint or the real thing. "
Update All Items Removed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey 144 item# 8706264483
1933 Lou Gehrig Goudey item# 8706266182
1938 Joe DiMaggio Goudey item# 8707554472
1957 Willie Mays Card 10 item# 8707992964
Babe Ruth American Carmel item# 8707557233
1959 Roger Maris item# 8707991600
1961 Roger Maris item# 8707992266
1957 Don Drysdale item# 8707993654

Seller: timetoliquidate Reported earlier this month for trying to sell off a bad Mantle. This person sells high end legeitmate collectibles and knows better. If you look at these fake Jordans being offered on ioffer.com you will notice the similarities.
Update Item Removed
(2) Michael Jordan 1956 Fleer item# 8707131573

Seller: fordlightningfast In the Q&A section of the auction the seller says " The card looks very real to me, I bought it at a card show 5 yrs ago for $255. Doesnt say reprint anywhere on it but im not an expert." Now if you look a little bit at his purchases you find that on 8/28/05 our seller purchased a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan item# 5233400073 for $202.50. Is this the same card being reoffered after it was found to be a fake?'
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57 item# 8707246512

Seller: tpbricky 0 Feedback a short 3day listing and this description should tell you all you need to know. "This is Michael Jordan's rookie card. It is the 1986 Fleer # 57. In price guides this card is very highly priced ($800US and up!). The card is in mint condition with no flaws that I can see. As you can see by the scan, the card is absolutely gorgeous. The corners are sharp, the centering is near perfect and the color is outstanding. It is because of these reason that I am selling the card as a reprint. It does not say reprint anywhere on the card. It is not out of focus like many of the reprints. However, since this came to me in a large collection, I cannot be sure it is real."
Update Item Removed
Michael Jordan 1986 Jordan Fleer item# 8707913030

Seller: geneuine-k Has this to say " This card is not a reprint and does not say reprint anywhere on it ALL SALES ARE FINAL"
Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer item# 8708140881

A special thanks to timzcardz for research done on this weeks items.

We will update as necessary for now that's a wrap please remember our motto:

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-10-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Fraudulent cards have been being removed on a consistant basis on eBay because many of the sellers where not aquainted with the rules concerning authenticity disclaimers. Unfortunately even when sellers items have been removed or the seller has had their account closed, there is nothing that can be done to stop them from returning under a new ID or relisting the card as authentic. It seems that is the case, since recently there has been a proliferation of ungraded material being listed without the usual authenticity disclaimers.

The only way to protect yourself from these scammers is to be very leary of what you are buying and insist that the seller provide some type of guarantee as to the cards history and authenticity. Don't hesitate to ask questions by contacting the seller. If they are in anyway leary about providing some sort of guarantee that the card will be recogonized as authentic by one of the major graders I'd would say to you walk away. Currently on eBay there is a 52 Topps Mantle Graded PSA 1 which has been bid to $1875 with 7 days left. This alone should tell you that purchasing an ungraded version of this card that a seller claims to be in Near Mint condition is more than likely a fake.

This weeks " Sellers To Be Concerned About" list includes:

Seller: cky720 1 Day listing private auction, low feedback should I continue? Oh yeah wait they say " Ok....first and foremost as per ebay rules....I am selling this card as a reprint since I have no idea if its real or not. It DOES NOT say reprint anywhere on the card. The reason I am parting with this card is bacuse since Hurracaine Katrina, money here in Slidell Louisana has been scarce. I am in need of money to survive on." So this gives you the right to try and rob somebody?
Update Item Removed
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle item# 8704459078

Seller: abreu53 Back in August our seller made a private purchase from 1stealinghome who we had reported in our August update for selling bad vintage cards including several 52' Topps Mantle's. Our seller clearly knows about grading services since if you check their current items you will notice a 62 Post Ceral Mantle Graded SGC 4 a 68 Topps Nolan Ryan RC Graded SGC NM7 and a 53 Topps Mantle that was returned color added by SGC.They currently also offering a 52 Mantle with this authenticity discalimer " The card is UNGRADED and by Ebay's bylaws I will be selling this card as a REPRINT. For any of you that have purchased off me before, I do send some of my cards to PSA and SGC for professional grading. However, I have heard far too many horror stories of people sending Mantles to be graded only to either get back a different card or mysteriously lose the card. So, I am not going to go down that road. That being said let me be upfront and honest with you in terms of what I DO KNOW about Mantles.As a reminder, being that this card is UNGRADED there are no guarantees in terms of authenticity. Please bear this in mind when bidding." Could it be the card that was purchased from 1stealinghome?
Update Item Removed
52' Topps Mantle item# 8702387447

Seller: collector992003 0 Feedback is offering a BGS graded Bonds Rookie but doesn't have the common sense to send in their 53' Mantle?
53" Topps Mantle item # 8703474135

Seller: eubyer244444 50% Feedback a comforting thought. Is Offering a graded 69 Mantle but offers this disclaimer on the 52' " This card was bought in a lot, I have no time to send for grading. Due to ebays policy of ungraded/unknown authenticity I must sell this card as a reprint, but please take a look at the pictures and make a decision for yourself. "
Update Item Removed
52' Topps Mantle item #8704080050

Seller: hrd2getkardz claims the 2 cards they sent into get graded buy PSA and GAI where returned due to trimming and where not slabbed. Now most sellers will provide a scan of the label from the grader, and PSA does in fact slab trimed cards they just label them authentic trimmed on the slab with no grade. A PSA authenticated trimmed 52' Mantle sold on eBay for $8200 recently.

51' Bowman Mantle item# 8702822458
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey item# 8702929333

Seller: steel$man Back in April made several purchases from NARUed seller starsforless who was a notorious provider of these cards.
Update Item Removed
52'Topps Mantle item #8701111016

That's it for this edition we will update as necessary. Thanks for reading and remember our motto

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-09-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

We have written about this type of scam before, but as fast as prices change in the hobby so does the memory of would be collectors trying to catch the brass ring. This weekend seller jankensells has decided to list a very rare Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle #311 graded PSA Gem Mint 10
Update Items Removed Seller NARUed

In his Q&A about the item he claims that the PSA Certification number is 02006104.

For those unfamiliar with Vintage cards there are two PSA Gem Mint 10's of this card . What the seller has not told us is that the PSA certifcation number on the card he claims to have purchased from a card dealing buddy belongs to the card owned by Marshall Fogel

Is this a coincedence? Or is this guy a close friend of Mr. Fogel? I would think that if this card was really being sold by Mr. Fogel it would make it's way to Soethby's, Mastronet, or one of the other fine and reputable auction houses in this world. Of note the seller claims " I am Not a Card Collector so I don't know much about Cards and this Card in General!" but a quick search of his other items shows that he is also selling these.
1952 Topps 311 Mickey Mantle Misprint
1952 Topps 311 Mickey Mantle Graded TCG
1962 Topps 537 Pete Rose PSA NM 8

The rest of our list includes:

Seller: blueleaf62 Earlier this week sold an 86 Jordan Item# 5249483471 for $599.00. Now comes back with this one and adds the usaual disclaimer "1986 FLEER MICHAEL JORDAN ROOKIE RC MINT POSSIBLE BGS 8.5 PSA 9 NO WORRIES ABOUT GETTING THE REAL DEAL HERE, CHECK THE SCANS AND KNOW YOU ARE GETTING WHAT YOU PAY FOR. ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO SELL AS A REPRINT TO ABIDE BY e-BAY's RULES THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT IT IS. JUDGE FOR YOURSELF !!!"
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Item# 5108330116

Seller: bbanks45 From their From their item description "I bought this card (as well as many others) as part of an estate buyout and am selling it as is. I can tell you that it does not say reprint anywhere on the item
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Item# 5275773414

Seller: stretch19820 Says " THIS IS A RARE 1986 FLEER MICHAEL JORDAN ROOKIE CARD # 57. THIS CARD HAS BEEN KEPT IN A GRADED CASE SINCE I GOT IT FROM MY DAD." Graded by who?
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Item# 5264738152

Seller: mushin42 Says to us " You are bidding on a 1952 topps mantle card.it is not it the best of condition about a good to very good.it has off centering and rounded corners.Also a one inch crease .Still an attractive card.will be sold as is.this card will be sold as a reprint even though it does not mention this anywhere.this card was purchased with a lot of of life magazines from an eastern ontario collection.it was and still is in a srew holder." I think what he means is that the holder of this card will get screwed.
Update Item Removed
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 5117904778

Seller: garies1 This seller buys and sells all kinds of cards but doesn't know if his Goudey's are real or not. He says" FOR SALE 1933 BABE RUTH GOUDEY GUM # 53. I THINK ITS A REPRINT. IF IT WAS REAL IT WOULD BE WORTH 6,000.00 DOLLARS. " Yeah okay I think? What does that mean?
Update Items Removed
Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey Item# 5124242283
Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey Item# 5124219944
Babe Ruth 1933 Sports Kings Item# 5124436893

Seller: timetoliquidate This is a seller who knows better, he buys and sells some very good merchandise. He item description reads " I am selling this card for a friend. I always guarantee my cards, but cannot guarantee this one because I don't know it's orgin and that's the only reason. I do know that this card is very old, very thick, and does not say reprint anywhere whatsoever. "

Update Item Removed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey Item# 5118048187

A special thanks goes out this week to texillini for the report on the fake Fogel PSA Mantle. We will update as we find questionable cardboard. Until then remember our "Motto"

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-09-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Protection from scammers on the internet is a concern shared by many collectors who purchase high dollar vintage cards. Even when purchasing a card which is graded by a reputable grading service a buyer is never sure until they have the item in their hands. Many types of scams can ouccur with graded cards, the most popular tpyes are the pirated scan scam and the empty box scam.

The first scam is simple and is generally tried by sellers with little or no feedback rating. In this scam the seller simply steals the scan of a completed auction an uses it as their own to represent that they are selling that particular card. The second is a little more involved but also simple. Here the seller will send out an empty package with delivery confirmation to the buyer. Since most buyers will use Paypal to make purchases in order to protect themselves, when they receive the empty package they file a complaint. What the purchaser doesn't realize is that when you file a complaint with Paypal for not receiving the item, in most cases Paypal will accept the delivery confirmation from the seller as proof of the buyer receiving the item and it's case closed.

The way to protect yourself against this type of fraud is simple, use the services of an escrow agent. There are many out there and although this will add about 3-4% to your final cost I think that spending the extra money to protect yourself against a scam is well worth it. Make sure that before you place a bid you contact the seller and make them aware that you intend to complete your transaction in this manner if you win the item, so that there are no misunderstandings. If they tell you they will not accept those terms our advice is not to bid, there will always be another card. Escrow.com is one of the companies Ebay recomends for use in transactions over $500.00.

Now for this weeks "Sellers To Be Concerned About"
Seller: poker_crazy This seller has been purchasing reprint 86' Fleer Jordan's for the past several months specifically items# 5214017001, and 5216566741 . I guess it is time for him to dump them on unsuspecting buyers since he now brings us:
86 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Item #5243909223
Please notice the the similarity to item number 5214017001 which was purchased on 7/4/05 from dollar_enterprises both cards are off center to the right. Is this a coincedence?
Special thanks to member timzcardz for this report

Seller: executive17 The private feedback should be enough to make you hit the back button on your brower. The seller has purchased cards in the past from bad sellers such as dearchicago. In his description he tells us this "1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE IT HAS NOT BEEN AUTHENTICATED BY A THIRD PARTY SO I MUST LIST THIS AS A REPRINT NO WHERE ON THE CARD DOES IT SAY REPRINT THIS IS VERY NICE I HAVE HAD THIS FOR MANY YEARS"
ITEMS REMOVED
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 Item# 5243791053
1951 Mickey Mantle 253 Bowman Item # 5243749951
T206 Honus Wagner Item # 5243745221
1953 Mickey Mantle 83 Topps Item # 5243792596
1963 Pete Rose #537 Topps Item# 5244163191

Seller: lube992003 Has a history of bidding on bad Mantle's if they have purchased one or several in the past it wouldn't surpirse us. He tells us this " This card is not graded, but does not look like a reprint. It is in decent condition considering the age of the card. You can see the condition of the front and back of the card in the pictures below. Sorry, the scan isn't very good. As per ebay policy, since it is not graded it is being sold as a reprint, but like I said, it doesn't look like one. "
Update Item Removed
1952 Topps Mantle Item # 5243457515
Relisted Card/Card Removed Seller NARU ed
1952-MICKEY-MANTLE-311-TOPPS Item#5259727602

Seller: mps45 This person has sold 2 Mantle's in the last month as well as other questionable vintage cards and continues to list more. Item description reads " I know that this card has been in the hands of a friend since the 1970's but, unfortuneatly, do not know the full history of this card, so I am listing it at a low price with no reserve. This card causes nothing but grief when it is listed, so I am listing it on a very short term basis."
Update Item Removed
1952 Topps NY Yankees Mickey Mantle Item# 5244937797

Seller: kelley3 The typical item descripition " I don't know much about baseball cards, but I think this is a reprint. There is a picture of the front and the back. You be the judge. I bought a box of cards at an estate sale."
ITEMS REMOVED
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Item # 5243136101
8 Tobacco Cards from 1900-1930? Item# 5242691373
6 Tobacco Cards from 1900-1930? Item #5242695257

Seller: nandone A powerseller dedicated to shafting people. Has sold 10 of these bad Mantle's in the last 30 days that we know of. Has this to say in his description " .THIS CARD LOOKS TOO GOOD, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY WHERE IN THE CARD THE WORLD *REPRINT* OR *REPLICA* OR *FAKE* BUT I THINK IT IS A REPRINT OF SOME KIND, NONETHELESS IS STILL A NICE LOOKING CARD"
Update Item Removed
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 5243480839

Well that's it for this week till next time ask questions and remember our motto:

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!

Update Seller To Be Concerned About

2005-09-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

A few additional postings that have been bought to our attention. We will add to these as we get them.

Seller: jvc1886 Update Item Removed Our seller claims to sell at the National and Sportsfest yet has this to say about one of the most sought after yet counterfeited cards around. " Now here's the bottom line: I cannot guarantee the authenticity of this card due to the fact that I purchased it as is and am selling it as is. I am almost certain that it is authentic but can make no guarantees. "
86-86 Fleer Michael Jordan RC Item#5239781761

Seller: lillybear001 Update Item RemovedThe usual disclaimer "As the card is not encapsulated or graded I can not guarantee the authenticity of the card" Won't get it graded because she says" I don't personally have time trust or patience". Will not accept paypal on bid-pay money orders.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle RC 311 Item# 5239836616

Seller: shizzle17 Relisted Correct Card Item Then Removed Using the recent catastrophe caused by Hurricane Katrina to try and move his junk and says to us " I am not a professional card grader, this card does not say reprint as some of the more recent cards do. Does this make it authentic no. All I can tell you for sure is that the card looks old." You know what and so is this scam ! The card shown is not even the correct card, he is showing us a 1953 Topps #82. Before you try to rip people off at least get your cards right!
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 Item# 5239555940

Seller: oldschool4498 FB rating 1 but guarantees the card to be authentic or your money back. Gives you 3 days to have it overnighted to your favorite grading service for authentication. 3 days too many for you to hide after the sale is more like it.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle 311 Item# 5239507932

Seller: lsdtpt Update Item RemovedNot the first itme this seller has made this list. What gets me is they know better. This person is a buyer and seller of graded cards. Yet chooses not to have this card graded and says "This card is being offered as is with no returns" In all their other auctions they do not use the private ID feature. Now who is trying to fool who?
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth Item# 5239199122

Always remember our motto

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-09-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

The "One Day Auction" is the way many fraudulent sellers evade detecton from watch groups and eBay Trust and Safety. This hit and run technique is becoming more popular among the sellers of bad card board. The first question you need to ask yourself is, why are these sellers choosing not to have the maximum amount of exposure for their rare vintage offerings? The reason is very simple. They are trying to make as much as they can as quickly as they can and avoid being reported. Here is a a great example of just such a person.

The seller diamondkings over the past 5 days has listed 30 vintage cards for sale all under one day auctions. He has managed to sell well over $2000 in merchandise that is at best questionable. Most notable are:
1909 T206 Honus Wagner item# 5237973473 fp $650.00
1915 Cracker Jack #15 Ty Cobb item#5237976054 fp $147.51
1933 Babe Ruth #149 Goudey item# 5237977791 fp $152.50

Every auction was private and has no refund policy, and a disclaimer stating that since the card has not been graded it is being sold as a reprint. Why would anyone bid on any of these items?

Here is another one which ended recently. Why would anyone sell a card that is worth well over $3000 for $81 common sense has to tell you something is fishy here but people still bid on this.
Seller: mps45 offered this item this last weekend.
Mickey Mantle Topps item# 5238375486 Here the seller states "All I can tell you about this Topps 1952 # 311 Mantle card is that it is old, the paper stock has been dated pre 1960, I was told by the person I received it from. I am only listing this for 1 day, because I do not want to put up with all the grief that goes with this listing. I can not tell you the card is authentic" Note that he does not mention in the Title that it is a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, this is done to not draw the attention of people who will report these types of cards. Yet they turn around and list this for 7 days.
1952 Bowman #218 WILLIE MAYS item# 5238108591
Now why does he mention the manufacturer and the year in the Mays and not the Mantle? Again reasons to be leary. Anyone who will let a card that potentially can be worth $2500 to well in the 5 figure range, if graded has got to have a reason, and as far as I know card sellers are not charitable organizations. Questions, questions, questions, that is the key to making sure you are protecting yourself as much as possible from fraud.
1. Question yourself , look over the listing and ask yourself why is this listed this way
2. Question the seller see what they have to say
3. Question other collectors, as mentioned in earlier posts there are plenty of places on the net where you can ask opinions.

Okay this weeks list of questonable cardboard includes:

Seller: michael55779 Update Seller Removed Item Our seller says "THIS CARD HAS BEEN IN A HARD PLASTIC DISPLAY PLACQUE FOR A LONG TIME AND SEEMS TO BE IN VERY GOOD CONDITION FOR A CARD THIS OLD. I HAVE INHERITED A COLLECTION FROM MY DAD AND HAVE ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT MANTLE CARDS TO SELL FROM IT. THIS CARD IS NOT GRADED BUT IF IT GETS GRADED WOULD BE WORTH A LOT. IM NO EXPERT OR EVEN A COLLECTOR SO I CANT AUTHENTICATE ANY OF THE CARDS"
1952 TOPPS MANTLE CARD item# 5238420649

I guess his dad sold it to him on eBay with this transaction from seller dearchicago53 on 8/21/05
1952 Topps Mantle item# 5232259958

Seller: mikestephanii Update Item Removed FB of 1 for buying a recipe, this is enough for me to walk away, but pepole insist on bidding. Our sellers says " I recieved it from my grandpa and am in desperate need of money from a car accident. Im sellin almost everything I own. Ive had it for nearly 3 years saved in a shoe box with some more 51 bowmans n 52 topps. The corners slightly tore but decent centering and good edges. As per ebay guidleines it hasnt been graded so i list online as authentic must list as a possible reprint, but if you look at the pictures it doesnt say reprint on it and i have held it to the light before like some other fakes and cannot see through." Now isn't it 2005? The seller keeps 52 Topps and 51 Bowmans in a shoebox? Not only this but in the title header they say BV is 10K, so this indicates they are not unaware of the value?
1952 topps Mickey Mantle item# 5238127014

Seller: rb33mk Update Item Removed Item description states" I bought this card with many other cards at a garage sale, and do not know if it is authentic." Now unless the person running that garage sale has been in a cave for the last 25 years I find it hard to believe they don't know who MJ is.
MICHAEL JORDAN 1986-87 FLEER item#5236838865

Seller: hedged_bet Update Seller NARUed Previously NARUed for selling bad Mantle rookies and is back for a return engagement.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 item#5237786720

Seller: world*of*trinkets Okay we can trust this one because the seller says " I bought this little gem at an Estate Sale some years back.The condition is poor but a card shop owner told me it is authentic."
1933 Goudey BABE RUTH #144 item# 5237270651

Well that's it for this week till next time ask questions and remember our motto:

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!

To anyone wanting to leave comments, you are welocme to do so but please refrain from leaving links with any offers. Any comments containing links will be removed Thank You.

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-08-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Old wax, something most of wish we had. Most of us who collect wish we had socked away an old wax pack or ten. Unfortunately we didn't and we would love to open some today, and find a pristine Jordan Rookie or whatever other sports superstar card we like to own. It is sad to say that some people will take advantage of this fact and put together their own wax. This is yet another reason the novice or any collector needs to do their homework before plunking down their cash. Here is a prime example of what I mean. Seller subrina111002 is selling 1986 Fleer Wax Packs Item# 5233844051 These packs sell anywhere between $150 - $250 ungraded. There is a good feedback rating of 99.8%, so on the surface there is a comfort level unless you start digging. After a little searching into what the seller has been buying we came up with this. On 6/21/05 subrina purchased a 1986 Fleer was Box item# 5209636500 empty! Now that in itself should raise a little bit of a red flag but upon further invstigation we found the seller had also purchased 1986 Fleer Wrappers With Gum item# 5171826992 on 3/10/05. She also happens to be selling 1986 Fleer Basketball cards 123/132 . Now is this all coincedence? I really find hard to believe that it is.

This type of activity is happening more and more each day and it is easy to find if you take the time and look into your seller and ask questions and opinions from informed parties. This will save you the agrevation of getting ripped off. Now without further delay we bring this you weeks "Sellers To Be Concerned About".

Seller: scalp2 They tell us "1933 Goudey Gum Co. Babe Ruth #181. Purchased Mar. 5, '05 From seller who earned 110 feedback score and positives 100%. There were 23 bids on the card, which sold for $504.99". Okay so now we need to go look at what seller he bought from on or near March 5th. Well we found this on March 28th scalp finished a transaction with garybev45 who was a known seller of this type of cardboard had 110 feedback rating and is now NARUed. Notice most of garybevs transactions where private listings.
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey #181 Item# 5233488343

Seller: brumleyman Brumley is a profesional ager. By that we mean he likes to age cards himself and sell them to the public. Were once purchased they make their way back to the market place as possibly authentic. So if you are looking at any pre war items and see his name in the sellers Feedback run. He also has a grading company grade some of his other cards, which upon further inspection we found out that their phone number was listed to a private residence in Long Island. This week he offers this
1933/1934 Goudey Sports Kings With Babe Ruth item# 5231768624

Seller: evilloki1 Says " I am not an expert or and authenticator so I have to sell as a reprint" Yet is selling a PSA OJ Simpson, PSA Jerry Rice , and a PSA Joe Montana RC .
Update Item Removed
Babe Ruth Goudey #144 item# 5233754915

Seller: chino975 Has this to tell us " I found this Jordan Rookie along with several other 86-87 Fleer basketball cards in my older brothers card collection he left behind when he moved out. I know very little about basketball and Football cards and I only collect baseball cards. So to follow ebay rules I have to list this card as reprint even though it doesnt say copy or reprint on it." But a quick look at the people he has purchased cards from will show that he has done numerous transactions with notorious sellers of bad Jordans. Noteable names like ripkenhof7 sold at least 8 Jordans we know of, these being the last ones 7/21/05, 8/17/05 before we had some removed through our reporting.
Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Jordan #57 Item# 5232745598

Seller: ksmnkdm Says "You are looking at a Mickey Mantle topps # 200.played for the NY Yankees in 1963.these cards are not graded.the card has a flaw in the left corner." The item has a flaw okay, but it's not the corner it's the back. Now what is wrong with this picture?

A little on the white side don't you think? Since 63' Topps Backs are this color

Mantle Topps 200/1963 item# 5233604831

Till next time please remember our motto

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-08-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

In our last post we emphasized the importance of doing your home work on sellers. With the amount of money you as a collector has at stake you need to be as sure as possible about what you are bidding on. This is why we highly suggest not buying any vintage cards that are not graded by the major card grading services. (BVG/BGS,PSA,SGC,GAI) Even when looking at items that have been slabbed by these graders please make sure that you check the certificate numbers with the grading company.

This weeks list of sellers you need to wary of include:

Seller: bscott703 Update Seller NARUedOur seller has this to say "I RECIEVED THIS CARD ALONG WITH MANY OTHER NICE CARDS , I DO NOT KNOW THE HISTORY ON THIS CARD, AND HAS NOT BEEN GRADED BY A GRADING COMPANY. THIS CARD LOOKS NICE IN MY OPINION,, BUT THAT DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU, ALL THAT COUNTS IS YOUR OPINION SO SEE THE PICTURES OF THE EXACT CARD YOU ARE BIDDING ON AND YOU BE THE JUDGE .PER EBAY POLICY I WILL BE SELLING THIS CARD AS A REPRINT EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARS TO BE AUTHENTIC. SOLD AS IS, NO RETURNS." If you did your homework you see that he has sold 3 1952 Topps Mantle's in the last month. Now how many of these can one collector have?
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 5231954418

Seller: jasta mom Our seller claims card "has never been displayed". Probably true, but if you have followed our blog you know that she more than likely got this card from a notorious seller of bad Jordan's outdasouth99who has had several 86 Fleer # 57 Jordan's removed and has now resorted to selling them in mystery boxes. Which he claims contain " FIRST HINT ONE CONTENT IS WORTH OVER $700.00 AND IS VERY FRAGILE AND COMES FROM 1986" So you decide if our evidence is coincedence . Update Item Removed
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57 Item# 5231740703

Seller: 10adaysportscards This seller claims this " I can not tell if this is a reprint or not, I have never seen one besides this. As for Ebay's Policy I am listing this as a reprint." But upon further review we find this BABE RUTH SPORTKING CARD purchased on 7/17/05 from cheapoldcards who is currently suspended from selling bogus cardboard till he shows up again in a different disguise. 10aday is that how many bogus items you are trying to sell per day?
Update Item Removed
Babe Ruth 1933 Sports Kings Item# 5231277332

Seller: lock6772 This seller is breaking my heart she says " This card belonged to my husbands father who passed away in 1993 due to throat cancer. I am not sure where his father got the card. We only know that if it meant something to him, then he made sure he took very good care of it. His father was a survivor of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and if you know what that is then you know how lucky his father was to even live to the year 1993. We have had this card since his father passed away and the only reason we are even attempting to sell it is the fact that we really just need the money. My husband is disabled and I have been trying to sell here on ebay for awhile but sales have not been that great during this summer, and with 3 kids and bills to pay, you have to do what you have to do." But then she is smart enough to buy PSA graded cards and needs money? Then why is she still bidding? She's made over $1000 in purchases in the last 2 months, and who are the girly mags for? I am sorry if I am ranting here, but this person is the worst type of slime, using all the tricks of the trade.
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey Item# 5230935567

Seller: mandorenee "SELLING BABE RUTH BASEBALL CARD FOR A FRIEND.DONT HAVE TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH BASEBALL CARDS,SELLING AS IS WITH NO RESERVE" Not sure? Then don't sell it till you are. Update Items Removed
1933 Babe Ruth Goudey Item# 5231964983
1954 TOPPS HANK AARON #128 Item# 5231952808
1909-1910 Wagner Carmel Item# 5231959138
Mayo Plug Cap Anson Item# 5231972361

Seller: prosellers1200 "I'M SELLING A VERY NICE 1952 MICKEY MANTLE ROOKIE CARD #311. I BOUGHT THIS CARD SEVERAL YEARS AGO AT AN ESTATE SALE. I'VE NEVER SENT IT OUT TO GET GRADED TO PROVE ITS AUTHENTICITY FOR FEAR OF POSSIBLY LOSING IT. I'M NOT AN EXPERT BUT TO ME THIS CARD LOOKS GOOD. IN ACCORDANCE WITH EBAYS RULES IT HAS TO BE SOLD AS A REPRINT?? SINCE IT IS BEING SOLD AS IS, ALL SALES WILL BE FINAL" If there isn't enough in that description to scare you off, then I don't know what will. So that we get a good handle on this guy he wouldn't send the Mantle to be graded but he sent this to PRO 86 Fleer Jordan
Update Item Removed
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 5232093857

Seller: !scooter! The usual item description " I found a bunch of older cards at a yard sale,so they will be sold as REPRINTS.I do not know the history of where the cards came from so there is no gaurantee they are real,so bid accordingly." That and the fact the he has purchased cards from usedmart , a NARU ed seller of bogus cards, gives you confidence in these items.Update Items Removed
1941 Playball Joe Dimaggio Item# 5230165949
1933 Goudey Lot Item# 5230169780
1909 T206 Lot Cobb LaJoie Item# 5230238389

That's it for now and remember ,

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!

Doing Your Homework

2005-08-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sellers of bogus material will tell you anything in their item description to have you bid on their bogus garbage. Seller hopenel Update Item Removed Seller NARU ed tells us this story on a 52' Mantle item# 5225574662 he sold on 8/5/05 " This card was bought on ebay 2 years ago I never had a chance to get it graded and since I just got married I'm selling my whole collection". Today he comes back with another '52 Mantle item#55282622001 and says "HELLO your bidding on a 1952 topps mantle this is the first one i owned it was bought at the monroeville expo mart in pittsburgh 4 years ago." On 7/27/05 he had another 52'Mantle removed for violations of eBay's authenticity disclaimer policy. Item #5224126883 and cliamed "this card was bought at a show in New York." Now how many 52' Mantle's can one seller have? This is why it is important for you the consummer to do your homework on sellers of Vintage Cards. One simple way is to do an advanced search for what your seller has been buying and selling over the last 30 days. Here is the step by step process:

Another way is to talk to collectors about what you intend to purchase, there are many boards on the net that have experienced collectors who will be glad to give advice and opinions on the card board in question. Here are a couple you might try:

Vintage Baseball Card Forum

Have fun and please remember our motto

"Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!!"

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-08-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Now that eBay has realized that there is a problem in the Vintage Card category it is up to the consumer more than ever to help try and stop fraudulent sellers . On the right hand side of this page there is a link for reporting possibly bogus items. When you spot one simply copy the item number and click the link, there is a reporting link on the eBay page where you can just paste the number and report the auction. Also of note eBay has announced plans to add a report feature to auction pages, this will, make the reporting of such items much easier.

The scammers mostly are stopped due to listing violations in the form of authenticity disclaimers. A few of the more popular ones are:

I cannot guarantee the authenticity of this item, so please bid accordingly
I am selling this card as a reprint but, not sure
Because it is not graded I can not gaurantee it to be authentic
This card is ungraded and sold as such
Per eBay rules this card is ungraded and must be sold as such

The last discalimer is probably the number one violation I see in most bogus auctions There is no such eBay rule. Also note that the scammers are getting smart to the rules and are now just plain saying that the card is authentic but implying no guarantee, so be careful what you bid on. That said, this weeks list includes:

Seller: vintage-exclusives Private Feedback and a list of cards we would all like to own. And to quote this seller" Card does not seem to be original but still looks great and is not labeled as a reproduction anywhere on the card. "
Update All Items Removed Seller NARUed
1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle item#5225369071
1986 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan item# 5224544162
1954 Topps #128 Henry Hank Aaron item# 5225370047
1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan ROOKIE item# 5225372395
1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle item# 5225373147

Seller: 1stealinghome Update Seller NARUedThis seller has had numerous items removed but continues to comeback with more. This week he brings us, "Another gorgeous card from a Farm Auction that I attended"
1933 Goudey (R319) Lou Gerhig #160 item# 522188300
1933 Goudey Napoleon (Larry) LaJoie #106 item# 5226188308
1940 Play Ball #225 "Shoeless" Joe Jackson item# 5226188328
1948 - 49 LEAF LeRoy (Satchel) Paige item# 5226188339
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle # 253 item# 5526188352
1959 Topps #564 Mickey Mantle All-Star item# 5526188391
1963 Pete Rose #537 RC item# 5526188410
1963 Topps # 200 Mickey Mantle item# 5226188424
1971-72 Topps Lew Alcindor Card #100 item# 5226188432
1971-72 Topps Wilt Chamberlain #70 item# 5226188452
1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card item# 5226191907

Seller: jimbom1234 Not the first time jim has graced out pages. Come to us with this disclaimer: "Card is ungraded and is being sold as is. No refunds will be issued on ungraded cards."
1956 Hank Aaron Topps #31 item# 5224245557

Seller: 19099 This one says " This card is in good condition. I am selling this card as a reprint but, not for sure, I bought the card from a Flea Market, No one knows."
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 + Lot of Extras item# 5226116638

Seller: manningrcs69 Owns a Jordan for 10 years and has not had it graded?
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie #57 item# 5225811033

Seller: maniasports123 0 Feedback and this says it all "All Sales Are FINAL!!!! NO EXCEPTIONS and No REFUNDS"
Update Item Removed Seller NARUed
Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer #57 item# 5224992026

Seller: alan223344 Says his card should be graded. Really? So why doesn't he get it graded?
Update Item Removed
Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie item# 5224910924

Seller: 520mamm This warms my heart let's teach the kids to be crooks!!!!! "This is for a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan basketball card number 57. I found a box of cards at a garage sale and gave them to my oldest son. He asked me to sell this one and told me it was worth a lot of money. So I am doing him a favor. I researched the card and found out that there are a lot of fake ones available. I have no idea how to tell what is real and what is fake." If you have no idea don't sell it!!!!!
Update Item Removed
Fleer 1986 Michael Jordan Basketball item# 5226039915

Seller: dt1289 Fresh off the press"This card is in excellent condition other than slight discoloration spot on bottom left hand corner that was created during printing."
Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer item# 5223835962

Seller: scooter8215 Update Items Removed Seller NARUedSold this 1952 Mantle it looks like to himself . Now comes back and says " DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT GRADING BUT ID SAY OH I GUESS MAYBE A 2 OR 3 ON THE GRADING SCALE."
1952 TOPPS # 311 MICKEY MANTLE item#5226002448

Seller: tonk98 Gives us this stained 52' Mantle.
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 item# 5225302899

Seller: trademart2004 This guy owns a gaming store but has no clue to get this card graded? Yeah okay tell me another one.
1953 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE YANKEES item# 5224956080

That's our line up for now. Please do your research and remember:

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge!!

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-07-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Update Sellers To be Concerned About

2005-07-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

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 !

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-07-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

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 !

Artificial Aging

2005-06-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

With vintage issues from tobacco cards to 50’s gum cards, counterfeiters are always looking for ways to make their product look more realistic. Most counterfeiters will use artificial aging techniques to try and dupe buyers into believing a card is real. This is usually an attempt to hide flaws in the printing.

The most common technique used by counterfeiters is “Staining”. This method involves using a solution of lemon juice, dirt, and exposure to the sun’s UV rays to imitate the natural aging process. Since aging is a natural process age marks that appear on a card should appear to be evenly brown. In most cases where a card is artificially aged the brown stain appears as if someone had spilled a drink on it. Stains of course are not always an indication of forgery because cards have had things spilled on them, but it is also not an indication of age.

A more resourceful version of artificial aging is a technique known as “Painting”. Here the forger will take a thin paintbrush and apply a very thin layer of brown or tan watercolor paint. This is done to try and tone all the areas of the card evenly. How well the deception appears is dependent on how talented the forger is at his nefarious craft. In most cases when the card is put under very bright light or under a black light the brush strokes will become evident.

Here are a couple of examples of possibly forged artificially aged cards.

My thanks to greywickedboy for these pictures. Everyone have a great weekend and

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-06-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Authenticity dislclaimers the grey area where scam artist's try and dupe you with their wares. Here is the rule according to eBay " Sellers may not disclaim knowledge of, or responsibility for, the authenticity or legality of the items offered in their listings.Sellers should take steps to ensure that their items are authentic before listing them on eBay. If a seller cannot verify the authenticity of an item, the seller is not permitted to list it."

This is the number one rule broken by sellers of unliscensed reprints. This is also the number one give away letting you know the card you may want to bid on is FAKE!!!! eBays own expample of such rule violation reads as "I cannot guarantee the authenticity of this item, so please bid accordingly."

Why does eBay have this policy? This is what eBay has to say " The sale of unauthorized replicas is illegal, as well as against eBay policy. Sellers who are unsure of the legality or authenticity of their items should not be selling these items on eBay. This policy helps protect buyers from purchasing counterfeit or fraudulent items, helps protect intellectual property rights owners against infringement and helps create a safer marketplace."

I was one who screamed for a long time about how eBay did not protect the buyer, how they made it easy for the scammer to sell fraudulent items. In reality we as consumers also need to take responsibility for educating ourselves to the rules of the playing field. A hasty buyer is as guilty as the scammer selling bad merchandise. The reason most scam artist's get away with selling their wares is simple, greed. To many buyers are out there hoping to land that magical buy that will net them a huge profit. The scammers know this and they use it to their full advantage. Again I remind you educate yourself, it is not difficult to do. There is plenty of support and informaton available to you on the net before you bid.

Our list this week is as follows:

Seller: blclawncare Seller NARUED 0 Feedback unauthenticated card and autograph, seller says"Card has never been authenticated since obtained in late 90's and is sold as is & as pictured/described guaranteed". What exactly is he guarantying? Gee 2 for the price of one.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Signed item#5211110965

Seller: hoss4321 is not a new face to our blog. He has had several items removed in the past. He has stayed low for a while and now is back offering:
ITEMS REMOVED
1909 honus wagner T-206 item# 5210486139
1956 topps mickey mantle #135 item# 5210487187
Sellers dissclaimer "I make no guarantees and this is sold as is all sales are final."

Seller: partypokerchampion a new seller who claims to be offering you over $7000 woth of Hockey's hardest issues. A few days into his auction he has added this " HI JUST TO UPDATE THINGS, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE ORR AND GRETZKY ROOKIE MIGHT BE A REPRINT, SO I AM SELLING THOSE TWO AS REPRINT SINCE THEY ARE NOT GRADED BY ANY LARGE GRADING COMPANY TO COMPLY TO EBAY POLICIES. THANK YOU"
ITEMS REMOVED
GREATEST HOCKEY COLLECTION item# 5209307224

Seller: kelticharmony1114 Not much to say here except according to the seller "This Card is worth Thousands." Such original inuendo.
1953 topps Mickey Mantle item# 5209688064

Seller: blazer4220 Seller NARUED Had this item removed last week and is back with it again.
Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle item# 5210106406

Seller: krsnik33 Seller NARUED 0 Feedback lots of vintage cards. Sellers dislcaimer " The card is ungraded and sold as is."
ITEM 52 MANTLE REMOVED
1952 TOPPS #311 MICKEY MANTLE item# 5200423032
1951 BOWMAN MICKEY MANTLE item# 5210424038
1956 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE item# 52104255172
1909 TY COBB BAT ON THE SHOULDER item# 5210426107
1951 BOWMAN WHITTY FORD CARD item# 5210427305
ITEM 1933 RUTH REMOVED
1933 GOUDEY BABE RUTH item# 5210428440
ITEM RE LISTED
1952 TOPPS #311 MICKEY MANTLE
and for good measure he also adds this unique item valued at better than 30K if real:
First Edition Superman Vol 1 item# 6541001489

Seller: 16gary1472 Another newbie to the vintage market with the same old disclaimer " THIS CARD HAS NOT BEEN GRADED BY A GRADING COMPANY AND WILL BE SOLD AS A REPRINT/UNGRADED. TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCAN AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF. BATTER UP"
ITEMS REMOVED
1933 GOUDEY BABE RUTH item# 5210684949
1953 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE item# 5210680405

Have fun and please remember,

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

BOGUS AUCTION WITH PIRATED SCAN

2005-06-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Seller NARU ed

Here is a clever way for someone to take a collectors hard earned money.
Seller: asldude Is claiming to have inherited this card from his dad who passed away several months ago.
1966 Topps #35 Bobby Orr Rookie PSA 7 NM

This card was sold on May 25, 2005 at the Mile High Spring Auction :

Mile High Lot 536 1966 Topps #35 Bobby Orr Rookie PSA 7 NM

He claims "I know basically nothing about it, because it was my dad's and he passed away a few months ago." Now if his Father passed a few months ago how is it that he bid on this card? For that matter how about these?
1971 Topps #20 Reggie Jackson GAI 9 MINT
1948 Bowman #24 Leo Klier PSA 10 GEM MINT
1969 Topps #60 Willis Reed PSA 9 MINT
1911 Imperial Tobacco #31 Arthur Ross PSA 7 NM
1958 Topps #66 Bobby Hull Rookie PSA 6 EX/MT

Mile High Lot 533 Bobby Hull Rookie PSA 6
Mile High Lot 463 #24 Leo Klier PSA 10 GEM MINT
Mile High Lot 473 1969 Topps #60 Willis Reed PSA 9 MINT
Mile High Lot 297 1971 Topps #20 Reggie Jackson GAI 9 MINT

This guy has pirated every scan from Mile High Auctions and is attempting to defraud the public using a one day auction. Not only is he selling dirty laundry but bogus cards as well. Special thanks to the members at the Sports Collectors Universe Board for this valuable information.

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-06-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me how many vintage cards of Ruth, Mantle, Cobb, Koufax, etc. seem to be around. Where are these cards when the major auction houses have their auctions? Why aren't they in those auction catolgues? If you are a new collector you need to understand that these types of cards when you see them offered are probably counterfeits, if not graded by one of these reputable companies. (PSA, BGS/BVG, GAI, SGC) A little common sense goes a long way here. The real only question you need to ask yourself when looking at one of these bogus cards is, why is the seller offering a card worth in many cases tens of thousands of dollars for such a low price? Don't let the greed factor dull your senses, if it looks to good to be true 99.9% of the time it's because it's not.
With that said our weekly hunt of suspicious cardboard includes:

Seller: jimbom1234 A powerseller selling bogus cardboard? An old story but what makes this seller interesting is that he has purchased in the past, cards from tandaexpresscardshoppe one of the largest sellers of bogus vintage material we've seen in the past, who is now NARUed.
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle item#5169851413
1968 Topps Nolan Ryan item#5206449628

Seller: valsdiscounts (1) A new seller with low feedback rating and three very large cards, and of course the usual authenticity disclaimer. "The card has not been graded by a grading company and will be sold as such. Please review the scans and judge for yourself and please bid accordingly."
Sandy Koufax Baseball Card item#5208155915
Mickey Mantle Baseball Card item#5208155892
Babe Ruth Baseball Card item#5208155869

Seller: keller 70 We have spoken of them before and in the last month they have sold over $2000 in vintage material with the same disclaimer. "The card has not been graded by any grading company and will be sold as such. Take a look at the scan and decide for yourself."
1933 Goudy Babe Ruth #181 item#5207852448
UPDATE ITEM REMOVED SELLER NARU ed
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle item#5209047407

Seller: menthol120ssmoker A card which he would not send to have graded becuase he was afraid not to get the same one back which his grandfather gave him. Yet with all that sentimental jargon he is willing to part with it.
UPDATE ITEM REMOVED
1952 TOPPS #311 MICKEY MANTLE item#5208252932
UPDATE ITEMS REMOVED
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE
1933 BABE RUTH GOUDEY CARD #181
UPDATE ITEMS REMOVED
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE ROOKIE item#5209761538
1933 BABE RUTH GOUDEY CARD #181 item#5209765614
This guy just doesn't want to go away and the high bidder on his latest Mantle is hedgedbet who has also gotten cards removed.

Seller: luvkittyhello Another Mantle more autheticity disclaimers but says "A must have for any true baseball card collector. The true holy grail of collecting. The Oklahoma Kid is one to be passed down generation to generation. Nowhere else will you finad an oppourtunity like this"
UPDATE ITEM REMOVED
1952 TOPPS Mickey Mantle item#5207541999

Seller: p-unit21 Well he bought this card becuase it looked old and it may have some value. I do believe that anyone with a pulse that has even heard of baseball has heard of Mickey Mantle. Our seller says "Today, you are bidding on a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 rookie card. I got this card from an old gentleman at a garage sale 5 years ago for good amount of money thinking of having some value because the card looked real old. "
UPDATE ITEM REMOVED
1952 52 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE item#5207710452

Seller: franz2428 Bad scan no feedback no description, just go ahead and bid.
1953 Micky Mantle Bowman item#5208509182

A special thanks to nightcrawler729, greywickedboy, and timzcardz for helping us weed out some of the bad guys. Have a great weekend everyone and remember our motto!!

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-06-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Things have been improving at the big E recently, it seems there has been more watch dogging being done by the eBay category managers. Kudos to them for starting to listen. I know it is an almost impossible job to try and keep track of all the bad sellers out there but at least some headway is being made. With that being said there are still scammers out there selling their junk, some familiar some new. Looks like there is a proliferation of low Feedback "new sellers" on the scene. Of course it could be the return of NARU ed users under different ID's

Seller: lsdtpt purchased 1951 Bowman Mantle item#5202751529 from jimf922 is now selling
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle item#5206543849
1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle item#5207239686
UPDATE ITEM REMOVED
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle item#5207244247

Seller: blazer4220 more authenticity disclaimers
UPDATE ITEM REMOVED
Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle

Seller: bubasteel One day private auctions, funny how a seller with the collection this guy has only wants exposure to this junk for one day. Of course there is the handy authenticity disclaimer "This card has not been graded by any grading company and will be sold as such. Take a look at the scan and decide for yourself" Need I say more?
UPDATE ITEMS REMOVED SELLER NARU ed
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle item#5207115717
1952 Topps Eddie Mathews item#5207122845
1954 Topps HANK AARON item#520719768
1955 Topps Sandy Koufax item#5207203846
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 item#5207257203
1961 Topps Mickey Mantle item#52072558889
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle item#52072606
1955 Topps Hank Aaron item#5207262819
1961 Topps Roger Maris item#5207262840
1955 Topps Jackie Robinson item#5207263218

Seller: tenholes as per the sellers discription "You are bidding on a 1933 GEORGE HERMAN (BABE) RUTH - Goudy #144 DP. This card has rounded corners and slight discoloration. It is encased in a protecive plastic cover. The sale of this card is FINAL. If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a a rare card that, sold mint, has a book value of $4,000.00."
BABE RUTH - 1933 Goudy #144 item#5206134179

Seller: skyewise FB score 1 nothing can be said here except, why isn't this card graded !!!.

Mickey Mantle 1953 Topps, #82 item# 5206427977

Seller: biggerbootie has pictures for all their other auctions but none for this?
1933 GOUDEY BABE RUTH item# 5204342902

Seller: greatcardshere Private auction with private FB run!!!! From the sellers description "This card was recently found with 4 other cards inside a Baseball fact and rule book dated from 1938 that was purchased from a garage sale! The card has great corners and centering, good color and some surface wear, see scans. THIS CARD MEASURES 2 3/8"W X 2 7/8"T AND IS PRINTED ON THICKER THAN NORMAL CARDBOARD STOCK. THIS CARD SEEMS TO BE AUTHENTIC BUT I'M NO EXPERT AT ALL ON THE 1933 SERIES!! YOU BE THE JUDGE! SEE SCANS BELOW!!"
UPDATE ALL ITEMS REMOVED

1933 GOUDEY BABE RUTH item#520156956
1949 LEAF BABE RUTH CARD item#5205172831

Seller: nicole_rc Private auction private FB of 83.3% and people still bidding!!!
UPDATE ALL ITEMS REMOVED SELLER NARUED
32 1932 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth item#5206058979
1909 Sweet Caporal Ty Cobb item#5206853618

Seller: pjpeosta another FB of 1 and a 52 Mantle which is they claim to be the "real deal" . Says the card in the scan is VG-VG+. Funny looks NM /oc to me.
UPDATE SELLER NARUED

1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE item#520399224

Seller: crowwwn This auction is over but worth viewing, because I know this joker will be back with more junk.
UPDATE SELLER NARUED
Construction Site Find Large Box Full of Old Cards Star item#5203141895

Seller: ruth4ever a new comer worth watching has sold $1500 in bogus cards in the last month.
Items Sold by ruth4ever (0)
Is currently selling
1909-11 TABACCO CARD,COBB item#5207089903
1909-11 TABACCO CARD,COBB item #5207090468
purchased these from junkmanbillyjoe
5 Tobacco Cards 4 Cobbs, 1 Plank item#5206425862
Ruth needs a spell checker....

Seller: hoss4321 Was NARU ed but now they are back and up to their old tricks.
UPDATE ALL ITEMS REMOVED
1956 topps mickey mantle #135 item#5205327186
1909-1910 TY COBB # 70 item#5205330449
1953 TOPPS WILLIE MAYS #244 item#5205322627
1952 EDDIE MATHEWS RC #407 item#5205320601

Seller: hedged_bet Back again with another 52' Mantle. What a surprise. since he sold one last month item#5194668906
UPDATE ITEM REMOVED
Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps item#52006859754

A special thanks to greywickedboy and nightcrawler729 for their help and support. To everyone else have a great weekend and

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-05-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

The hobby brings out the worst in people at times, and it is unfortunate to see just how easily unknowing newbie collectors can fall prey to the scam artist. With the reproduction of vintage sets meant to give the general public a chance at owning otherwise difficult to find cards, comes the theives who take advantage of the uneducated consumer.

Seller: genealogycat This person has 1954 Topps Archives cards listed as if they where the original thing. They give no indication that their cards are in fact reproductions from the 1994 Topps Archives Set.

1954 Topps#37 WHITEY FORD item# 5198331767

Archives Card 54 Topps Card
As you can see the 54 Topps issue has no white border at the top. Currently they have eight other Archives cards listed inculding:
1954 TOPPS #90 WILLIE MAYS Item# 5201385654

Seller: wyttygr A new player in the bogus vintage card market who mainly uses one and three day auctions to lure his prey and hide under the radar. This past month this person has sold

1952 TOPPS MANTLE item # 5201780751 final price $355.00
1952 TOPPS ROBINSON item# 5201248439 final price $127.50
1933 GOUDEY BABE RUTH item #5190844903 final price $169.50
1953 TOPPS MANTLE item# 5190843607 final price $ 223.50
Currently selling:
1952 TOPPS ROBINSON item# 5201248439 current price: $127.50

Seller: rkwk112997 Sells graded vintage cards but happened to purchase this ungraded card and is now trying to dump it.

1952 topps mickey mantle item# 5201184884

This person seems to have a shill ID in the name of alans1727 who happnes to have purchased over 16 cards at the original starting bid.

Seller: deal1st New dealer with the usual suspect cards.

Recently sold:
Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps item# 5200535218 final price: BIN $400.00
Currently Listed:
Babe Ruth Goudey - No. 144 item# 5200535742 BIN $250.00
Babe Ruth Goudey - No. 53 item# 5200535999 BIN $250.00
YOGI Berra 1948 item# 5200536511 BIN $250.00
Ty Cobb item# 5201661914 BIN $250.00
Ty Cobb item# 5201661609 BIN $250.00
Ty Cobb item# 5201662144 BIN $250.00

Seller: msmcollectibles Purchased a card on 3/11/05 from a known seller of bad Mantle's junkmanbillyjoe. Guess they are now trying to recoup their losses by duping someone else.

1952 Topps Mantle item# 5201208227
Topps 1953 Mickey Mantle item# 5201218834

Seller: antia2005 Bought this card 1964 Topps Mickey Mantle #50
sold 1964 Topps Mickey Mantle item# 5195724202 final price $67.00
Currently selling:
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig item # 52019735586

Seller: kurri89 I don't believe with a private feedback score of 50% this person sold this:
MICKEY MANTLE 1953 TOPPS final price $154.50

Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe Memorial Day weekend and remember

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-05-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well the auction of fake sports cards never ceases. Neither do we in our efforts to try and point out the potentially bogus cards out there. For your viewing pleasure:

Seller: Keller 70 on April 20 in a private transaction sporstcards 2002 sold 53 Mantle Item #5187562279.

Feedback was left for keller 70 on May 9th. Today up for auction from our seller is;
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 5196430749.
They also have listed;
1948-49 Leaf Babe Ruth Item #5196436743 .

Seller: vintagecardsltd has had an unusally high assortment of vintage cards on the auction block. Included are:

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Rookie Item# 5195991012
1938 Goudey Joe DiMaggio Item # 5196375057
1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig Item# 5196374255
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle Item# 5196351653
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth # 144 Item# 5196370518
1909 T206 Ty Cobb Tobacco Card Piedmont Item# 5196352863
There are more but you can go look for yourself.

Seller: papaeven A new player to the market. On April 13th this private acution Item # 5185768359 was made by skeebo73 a seller we discussed in our last post. Feedback was left for papaeven on May 5th. To bad we didn't catch this one sooner but I wonder where this card came from.

63 Pete Rose Rookie Item# 5194244870

To quote the seller " My son always liked Pete and I thought I would get him a rookie and now he needs some money to pay for a car and so we have decided to sell this card." I wonder if he told his son that the card is bogus?

Seller: bravesfanten Another new player, no current auctions up but has purchased cards from sportscards 2000 and his sales activities show $4700.00 in sales of vintage sports cards which include a 53' Topps Mantle, 51' Bowamn Mantle, 49' Leaf Robinson, 33' Goudey Ruth as well a many other of the top cards.

Seller: sportscards2000 A supplier who has sold over $2500 in vintage cards in the last 30 days which are now making their way back into the market. Currently selling:

1909 09 T206 Ty Cobb Sweet Caporal Item# 5195698413
1933 33 Goudey Babe Ruth Card # 181 Item# 5196384205

And finally a major supplier of vintage sports cards reproductions who has sold cards to some of the people listed on these pages.

Seller: messanine100 a look at her list of clients is like a who's who of bogus card sellers. Currently offering 17 vintage reproductions. To quote our seller "THESE CARDS LOOK AUTHENTIC AND VINTAGE.THEY HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SIZE ,THICKNESS CARD STOCK AND AGE IS APPROPRIATE.THEY SIMPLY LOOK BEAUTIFUL." Included in her cache are:

Item#5195228660 1949 Bowman George Milken
Item#5195228977 1948 Leaf Babe Ruth
Item#5195231566 1941 DIMAGGIO #71.PLAYBALL
Item#5195231798 1933 Delong Gehrig
Item#5195232096 1895 MAYOPLUG ANSON N300
Item#5195233279 1933 GOUDEY RUTH # 53
Item#5195233642 1939 PLAYBALL TED WILLIAMS
Item#5195234036 1939 PLAYBALL JOE DIMAGGIO
Item#5195234385 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson
Item#5195234680 1932 us caramel ruth
Item#5195235266 1934 Lou Gehrig Goudey
Item#5195237482 1933 GOUDEY RUTH 149
Item#5195239298 1933 Goudey Sport Kings Ruth
Item#5195239986 1938 GOUDEY DIMAGGIO
Item#5195243718 1933 GOUDEY LAJOIE
Item#5195307332 1933 GOUDEY RUTH 149
Item#5196405668 1915 cracker jack cobb

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Update Sellers To Concerned About

2005-05-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

New Players Same Old Scam

The baseball season is in full swing, so are the the sellers of fake sports cards. It seems there is a proliferation of new potential scammers to add to the eBay list of unlicensed reprint card dealers. Without further adieu our list includes:

Seller: charlie412 It seems charlie is selling off his collection of cards that he has bought over the last 20 years. He owns some of the most sought after cards in the hobby. He claims to have purhcased many of these items in large lots. He says he is not a sports card grader so he can't be sure of the authenticity of the items being sold. To quote charlie " This one is going to fool most people! Maybe even one of the weaker Grading companies out there you could send it to."

1951 BOWMAN MICKEY MANTLE Ite# 5193699175
1933 Goudey R319 BABE RUTH Item# 5192929508
1986 FLEER MICHAEL JORDAN Item# 5193706819
1952 BOWMAN MICKEY MANTLE Item# 5194556680

Seller: brainp619 Brain doesn't even bother to list the card as a reprint, clearly a violation of eBay policy, yet the card is still there.

1953 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #82 Item# 5195589691

Seller: hedged_bet To quote the seller " Although I think this card could be real, I am listing an old reprint. " Must have bet on Steinbrenner's horse to win the Kentucky Derby and is hedging his bet with this fine card.

Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps #311 Item# 5194668906

Seller: skeebo73 This person has sold 11, 1952 Mantle's within the last 30 days. Think they'll be back with more?

1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE Item# 5195290094

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

WHAT IS EBAY THINKING OR ARE THEY ?

2005-05-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

Buying legitmate vintage sports cards is hard enough, but now it seems that the biggest online auctioneer is allowing the sale of bogus vintage sports cards in tampered PSA holders. A perfect example is this card:

1952 Topps Mantle Rookie PSA 10 Novelty Item# 5194537303

The seller mkavy123 states " It is a reprint card (not marked reprint) in an altered psa case (label is not marked reprint either).THE SERIAL NUMBER DOES MATCH " The problem is not that a savy collector is going to buy this card, it is that some other scam artist will purchase it and try to sell it as the genuine article either online or ar a show.

Ebay with all it's talk of cracking down on counterfit cards is doing nothing to stop these people. A perfect example of their do nothing policy is this auction which ended on May 9th:

PSA LOT - 52 & 53 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE 51 BOWMAN + RUTH Item#5194432426

The seller kidcardboard openly tells prospective buyers that these cards are fake and fooled him as well as others. With the description alone Ebay should have pulled the auction but instead it allowed it to continue till a final sale was made. I know for fact that this auction was reported by many members of several collectable boards, yet Ebay chose to look the other way. Apparently according to the seller the cert numbers on these cards have been pulled by PSA but other holders with the same bogus cards and numbers exist. Those cards and numbers are:

1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 VG serial #11854306
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 2 Good serial #90331869
1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle PSA 3 VG serial #11854307
1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth PSA 3 VG serial #11854304

So buyers beware these cards are out there and apparently Ebay will do nothing to protect you .

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

1933 Babe Ruth Sports King Or Is It?

2005-04-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

On my weekly search of various sports cards I found that the seller eastcoastshark had a 1933 Babe Ruth Sports King. In the sellers description he states I bought this card from a guy who was hard up for money and I do not know anything else about the card.

BUT What's This?

That's right eastcoastshark purchased a 1933 Babe Ruth Sports King card that the seller clearly stated This auction is for an old reprint.

All anyone has to do is look at the above along with the scans from both auctions and it's pretty clear what's going on here. Clear for everyone except eBay as they at this time with all of the above evidence are still allowing this auction to continue.

Also eastcoastshark has purhased a 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 Reprint and a 1954 Topps Henry Aaron #128 Reprint from the NARU'ed seller efigures AKA erniefigures. So be forewarned that these cards will probably be sold by this seller as originals with the statement Due to the fact that this card has not been graded by a third party it is being sold as-is.

On a side note there was an auction yesterday (April 13th) for a supposed 1930's signed Yankees baseball with Babe Ruth. It looked as though someones 3 year old had signed it in purple crayon and was, like the above clearly a fake. The ball was pulled in a little over an hour but yet you can find auctions where sellers are clearly selling counterfeits and they are allowed to continue until some unknowing person buys them.

In closing it is up to you as the buyer to weigh the evidence that's provided and decide

REAL OR NOT?

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-03-31T12:35:00.000-08:00

Cards purchased as reprints making their way back to the auction block are common, many times you can trace the history of the card by looking at the buyers feedback from sellers. I also like to look at what the seller has been buying and selling, which can be done by doing an advanced search.

The thing that bothers me and other collectors most is the way eBay has it's rules set up. They allow sellers to imply that the card is authentic when in fact it was purchased as a reprint from another eBayer. They merely have to say that the card is not graded an so they are selling at as a reprint. However in the rest of their description they are allowed to say whatever they like. It was given to me by my grandfather, I found it cleaning my uncles attic, these are a few of the many stories you'll read when you see these cards. Again the first question anyone buying hard to find high grade vintage cards should ask themselves is " If the seller thinks the card maybe authentic then why aren't they getting it graded" . This alone should be enough to make you suspicious.

Seller: mccubb
1952 Mickey Mantle Card Item #5181133725
purchased similar card from bigchiefmike2000 on 4/13/05
1952 # 311 Mickey Mantle Item# 5174426495
Seller: honda2quick
New Update
1952 Mickey Mantle Topps #311 Item# 5181225220
1952 Mickey Mantle Topps #311 Item# 5181220275
Now claims the card passes a light test for authenticity!!!
1952 Mickey Mantle #311 Item# 5180904118
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Item# 5180903824
purchased similar cards from erniefigures on 4/3/05 and 4/5/05
52 Mickey Mantle #311 Item# 5171499978
51 Bowman Mickey Mantle Item # 5171866131
Seller: mrmet
Mickey Mantle Topps 1952 # 311 Item #: 5179896892

made a private purchase from Seller: hyekingdom in this month. Hyekingdom has sold 8 1952 Topps Mantle's so far in March.

Mickey Mantle Topps 1953 # 82 Item #: 5178470688
Mickey Mantle Bowman 1952 Item #:5178471187
purchased Topps 53 Mantle and 52 Bowman Mantle on March 16th from erniefigures
Seller: newcer claims these cards were bought at an Estate sale.
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 Item #:5179690901
1952 BOWMAN MICKEY MANTLE #101 Item #:5179692532
1952 BOWMAN WILLIE MAYS #218 Item #: 5179694655
purchased several cards from erniefigures including this 52 Topps Mantle

Seller: Sunnydays7799 has many Vintage Mantles for sale 1952 Topps and 1954 Dan Dee's The seller has this to say about these items. "PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CARD DOES NOT SAY REPRINT ON IT ANYWHERE AND CARD MEASURES 2 5/8 X 3 3/4 JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER 52 TOPPS CARDS" .

Coincidences? You decide.
Our thanks to nightcrawler729 for bringing newcer and mrmet to our attention.

Before You Bid, Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Update Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-03-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

This week brings a new tatctic to the way a card is being presented as authentic. In our weekly search to find out who is out there selling potentially bogus material I found this. This person is using a PSA label and a BVG grading sheet stuck to the back of a top loader to imply authenticity.
Seller: wierdos_collectibles (private)
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 Item: 5178407484

1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 Item: 5178331317

Also available from this seller are these great items:
1909 T206 HONUS WAGNER LOOK!! REAL CARD Item: 5178333395
1909 T206 HONUS WAGNER !! RARE!! Item: 5178329709
1951 BOWMAN MICKEY MANTLE ROOKIE Item 5178321922

To recap the seller owns 3 high quality Mantle rookies and 2 Wagner T206 which represent in stated condition over $100,000 worth of the most sought after cards in the hobby questionable? You decide.

Also out there are these fine merchants:

Seller: Update NARUed andrain (private)
1954 Topps JACKIE ROBINSON #10 Item: 5177464259
T206 Honus Wagner !!!Mangled Card!!! Item: 51779559551
purchases cards from a seller we have reported on earlier, erniefigures who has sold cards to several of our NARU ed merchants.
Seller: Update has changed name to d-lauction dleproperties (private)
1952 Topps MICKEY MANTLE No. 311 ROOKIE Item 5175970411
1948 Leaf BABE RUTH "His Last Card"!!! Item: 5173746090
1954 Topps HANK AARON RARE! Item: 5172466491
who does this person buy cards from? Give you a guess.... erniefigures.....
Seller: Update NARUed hollybeezay (private)
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE (ROOKIE) # 311
purchased card 1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE ROOKIE #311 from another of our favorite sellers starsforless on 03/04/05. Also has purchased cards from erniefigures.

Well thats our report to date be wary of these sellers and remember,

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Another One Bites The Dust

2005-03-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

As the lure for a fast buck compels more and more sellers another one has taken a fall.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Rookie #311 notice that this was cancelled and relisted of which that one is an Invalid Item.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Rookie
1951 Bowman Willie Mays Rookie

1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig. If not for the riveted holder the first impression that someone might get is that it could be legit. Why he even states "The card has very good color, i believe that it was kept in a scrap book over the years because there is a stain on the back."

BUT

A quick search of his buying habits show that this seller bought the following 1933 GOUDEY LOU GEHRIG and looks exactly like the one he was trying to auction off as being real.

Apparently that was enough evidence for eBay as they acted rather quick on this one and this seller was NARU'ed.

In my opinion this seller who by reading his feedback history is more than likely rather young and saw that others were doing this and just followed the crowd. I say that he is young by reading this neutral left "we rec email from the buyers father he said to relist son had no money to pay" and can only hope that a lesson has been learned.

UPDATE------------------------UPDATE---------------------------UPDATE

As of this writing alot of the people whom we have reported on this site have been NARU'ed

To date we have written about 15 bogus sellers with 10 gone. Some will probably come back under a different id but a least for now the following are gone.

1. akanugget
2. blaclabl
3. themike34 (Mentioned In The Above Article)
4. monty7198
5. hose4321
6. slycardbuyout
7. bigdaddyscard2005
8. bigchiefmike2004
9. bigchiefmike2005
10. tandexpresscardshoppe (One Of The Big Ones)

-----------And Still Another Seller Has Been NARU'ed------------

avidcollector555 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie #311!! Good deal!

Kudos to all of you for your insight and persistence.

CoWritten By alinchitown

Bogus Honus Sells For $10,000

2005-03-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately this week has seen the sale of several high priced bogus reproductions of Vintage cards. Most notably a T206 Wagner which was supposedly found at a Flea Market Estate Sale. In the bottom of trunk which contained an old cigar box with an old pack of cigarettes, containing the most sought after baseball card in Vintage collecting circles.
WAGNER TOBACCO CARD IN VINTAGE BOX OF CIGARETTES !
Item: 5174860303 Seller: ronnie8470 (6)

The item sold for $10,000 to a sniper in the last minute of the auction. Looking closely at this sale there were several things the buyer should have seen which would have tipped him off that this card is a fake.

1. The card was found in a pack of cigarettes called “London Life” which where made in Denmark. The original T206's where placed in packs of Piedmont and Old Caporal brand cigarettes. So how did this card make it’s way over to Denmark to be placed in this pack.
2. If the card came out of this unopened pack, which the seller states it did, it would be in NM/MT condition. So how is it that the corners where rounded?
3. If you look closely at the scans you will notice that the word “Pittsburgh” is printed in one font size. As in this example. A real Wagner would have the P in a larger font than the rest of the letters in the word. ie.
4. In all real T206’s the colored photo is surrounded by a solid black border. His reprint has none.
5. The seller states as an answer to one of the many questions, that he is in need of money. Clearly if you need money you want the maximum amount for your discovery. Then why didn’t he approach one of the many reputable auction houses that specialize in these types of sales? They would have had the card graded for him.

As you can see everything about this sale points to a very questionable transaction.

Our thanks go out to Korey who has bought a new seller of questionable merchandise to our attention
Seller: Bigdaddyscard2005
T206 Hugh Jennings Detroit Sweet Caporal Back Item: 5177026293
To quote Korey “the person selling this item, previously known as kimpossible1430, then kelseysattic, then bigchiefmike2004, then bigchiefmike2000 they are a fraud.”
“I found myself in yahoo chat and they were asking to buy Non marked reprints to sell for big bucks on ebay.”

Kimpossible1430 and Big chiefmike2000 have been busy selling a number of vintage cards on eBay all ID’s are registered in Ohio.

Korey thanks for the heads up and,

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Update Alert Sellers To Be Concerned About

2005-03-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

In our on going effort to keep you informed this is the current list of questionable auctions.

Seller: gpgcards 1952 Topss Mantle #311 item 5174863308
Seller: pgwillin65 1952 Topps Mantle #311 item 5173528840
pgwillin65 has sold 1 1952 Mantles in the last 2 weeks
Seller: hyekingdom 1952 Topps Mantle #311 item 517974072
Seller: hyekingdom 1952 Topps Mantle #311 item 5174974296
hyekingdom has sold 6 1952 Mantle's in the last 2 weeks
Seller: rjs2005 1952 Topps Mantle #311 item 5173992468
rjs2005 has sold 1 1952 Mantle in the last 30 Days
Seller: mccubb 1952 Topps Mantle #311 item 5174488872
Seller: slycardbuyout 1933 GOUDEY BABE RUTH item 5174453398
Seller: slycardbuyout 1933 GOUDEY LOU GEHRIG item 5174450450
slycardbuyout has sold to 1 Gehrig in the last 2 weeks and many other questionable cards
Seller: davss1 Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey item 5174304047
Seller: tandaexpresscardshoppe 1954Topps Aaron #128 item 5174520710
tandaexpresscardshoppe has sold 7 1952 Mantles in the last 2 weeks and many other high dollar vintage cards Over $11,000 in questionable sales for this one seller.

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

Paperstock Cut Outs - If you buy oddball or unique vintage sports cards, READ THIS!

2005-03-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

Paperstock cut outs are clippings from old newspapers and magazines. There are a lot of sellers putting these up for auction on eBay, and making their descriptions very deceiving. They try to make you think what you are bidding on is a very old and unique Baseball card. Many of these sellers are creating their own bogus grading companies, and putting these clippings in a slab similar to a professionally graded sports card slab. Some of these seller's are very deceiving. Be sure you know what you are buying, before shelling out some hard earned money for one of these paper stock cut outs. One of the sellers that does this a lot is paradisenights

eBay has somewhat addressed this issue, but far from enough. They have created a category for listing these paper stock cut outs in, however many sellers of these still choose to sell these in the card categories. eBay does not really police their auctions very much, if at all. They depend on someone to report the problem before they will even consider doing anything about it, and most of the time they do nothing about it. You have to do your own homework.

paradisenights is one of the sellers who has made up their own grading companies. The most deceptive of which is PSA (Paradise Sports Authentication), but another one I know of is AAA (American Authentication Association). Please do not confuse the PSA mentioned above with the real PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), they are NOT one and the same. For more info about grading companies you can trust, and some of the ones you can't trust, see Not All 10's Are Created Equal .

I will add to this as new information is brought to my attention about these paper stock cut outs. If you know more about them, such as tell tale signs, or different ways of deception with these items, or you feel I left some very important info about them out, please let me know. I will be happy to add anything I missed, or don't know about yet. As many of you know this has been a serious problem on eBay for awhile, and needs to be brought to many new collector's attention before they are ripped off and get discouraged. We need to keep our great hobby growing, and make it safer for our fellow collector's. Any info or advice is greatly appreciated.

Not All 10’s Are Graded Equal

2005-03-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

Where to get your cards graded or what type of graded cards to buy, is a decision faced buy the new collector. In the new age of collecting the hobbyist is faced with an array choices. Unfortunately only a few of the choices are worth the plastic the card is bound in.

Non-reputable grading companies appear in the industry on a regular basis. A new collector purchasing a card whether modern or vintage, can be easily taken in by the disreputable dealer simply because they don’t know any better. They see a card issue listed as a GEM MINT 10 and they believe what is being purchased is graded to the highest standard. To make this article short and to the point the only companies that your prized cardboard should be seen in are:

1. BGS Beckett Grading Services - for modern issues 1980-present
2. BVG Beckett Vintage Grading - for vintage issues prior to 1981
3. PSA Professional Sports Authenticator
4. GAI Global Authentication Inc.
5. SGC Sportscard Guarantee Corp.
6. KSA If you collect Hockey you’ll see their holders

Note: BCCG is a division of Beckett, cards in these holders are simply that cards in a holder. BCCG provides a quick inexpensive way of slabbing a card with a general grade at best. Don’t confuse these grades with their premium service grades.

There are a handful of other companies out there, word of advice don’t buy anything in one of those holders, especially anything vintage. There are also a few very questionable concerns out there. The ones that come to mind are:

1. PSA Paradise Sports Authentication
2. VSA Vintage Sports Authority
3. AAA American Authentication Assoc.
4. Allstar Card Authenticators

If you see any of these run.

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

52 Mantle Sells For $4800 - Well Almost

2005-03-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

In my original "Sellers to be Concerned About" post I had reported that akanugget was attempting to sell a 52 Topps Mantle Rookie he had purchased from starsforless on 2/18/05. I'd been tracking the auction and noticed last night that it was up to $4800.00 with about an hour to go Needless to say I wasn't real happy seeing that. I managed to talk to a live help person, who at first told me she could do nothing about it.After giving her the auction numbers for both the current sale and the purchase, I asked her to please forward the information as soon as possible to the investigation team. I am happy to report that an hour later the auction and the seller were both gone.
Score one for the good guys!!!

The Most Commonly Counterfeited Cards

2005-03-04T15:48:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post we discussed the top four counterfeited cards in the hobby. They were the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner Tobacco card, the 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey #53, the 1933 Nap Lajoie Goudey #106, (note: this card was actually not in the original 1933 set, when collectors complained of not having a #106 for their sets Goudey produced the card and sent it to those who asked, the card has a 33' front and 34' back to date there are about 100 known examples) and the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Rookie #311.

Other cards to look out for are:

1. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth Cards #’s 144, 149, 181
2. 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig #160
3. 1933 Sport Kings Babe Ruth #2
4. 1948 Leaf Joe Dimaggio #1
5. 1948 Leaf Babe Ruth #3
6. 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson #50
7. 1951 Topps Willie Mays Rookie #305
8. 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie #253
9. 1952 Topps Willie Mays Rookie #251
10. 1953 Topps Jackie Robinson #1
11. 1954 Topps Hank Aaron Rookie #128
12. 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente Rookie #164
13. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123
14. 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan Rookie #177
15. 1968 Topps Bobby Orr Rookie (Hockey)
16. 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie #57 (Basketball)
17. 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie #18 (Hockey)

When looking to purchase these cards be very careful whom you are dealing with. If you can, purchase them in a graded condition.

A small update it was bought to my attention by one of our team members (cardcollector1677) that the following cards should be added to the list.

1. 1963 Topps #537 Pete Rose RC
2. 1969 Topps #250 Reggie Jackson RC
3. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson RC
4. 1982 Donruss #405 Cal Ripken Jr. RC
5. 1982 Topps #21 Cal Ripken Jr. RC
6. 1985 Topps #401 Mark McGwire RC

Thanks cc

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

UPDATE ALERT!!! Sellers To Be Concerned About LIST

2005-03-03T17:37:00.000-08:00

Seller: hyekingdom 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle RC #311 Item number 5171793839
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle RC #311 Item number 5171793625
Seller: rjse2055 1952 Topps #311 MICKEY MANTLE Item number 5171490219
Seller: executive17 1952 MICKEY MANTLE 311 TOPPS Item number 51714544141
Seller: brumleyman Old cigar box with "93"1933 Goudey cards, and Babe Ruth Item number 5169782704
purchased on Feb 26/05 Item number 5170063075

Coincidence?

UPDATE ALERT!!! Sellers To Be Concerned About LIST

2005-03-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

Seller: hose4321 Glad to report that this seller has also been NARUed a little late but, better late than never. Now that I've taken a closer look I believe hose4321 and monty 7198 where the same seller. both have a location of Bainbridge, Ohio.
Seller: monty7198 As of this writing this seller has been NARUed. For those who don't know what that means, it stands for Not A Registered User. eBay pulled the plug on this fraudulent seller before he sold his bogus goods. Kudos to eBay you need to be this vigilent more often. For everyone's info seller location was Bainbridge, Ohio, just incase he shows up under another ID.
Seller: blaclabl As of this writing this seller has been NARUed. For those who don't know what that means, it stands for Not A Registered User. It is to bad it did not happen prior to the selling of a 1952 Mantle for $1800, but he had several others that where being bid on when eBay pulled the plug. A word of warning, don't surprised to see them back under another name.

Well it didn't take long for this seller to get a full head of steam on. Earlier in the week his box from an old man down the street yielded a T206 Wagner and now these.
Seller: monty7198

55 TOPPS ROBERTO CLEMENTE #164 ROOKIE Item number:5170128775
52 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 ROOKIE Item number:5170133902

52 TOPPS WILLIE MAYS # 261 Item number:5170364161
53 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE # 82 Item number: 5170364861
55 BOWMAN MICKEY MANTLE #202 Item number:5170365367
56 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #135 Item: number5170365868

Book Value for these cards not including the Wagner is better than $30,000 in the stated condition. The T206 Wagner in the stated condition adds another $110,000. A similar condition PSA PR-FR 1 with the Sweet Caporal back sold at the Mastronet auction in 2004. Not a bad box of cards from the tooth fairy. Oh excuse me, an Old Man that was moving and didn't want anything to do with 140K...........

Thanks to greywickedboy for this report:
Seller: lupegrace
Babe Ruth Goudy No 181/Hank Bauer Bowman No 219 Item number:5169344293
purchased these items from: hose4321
1/24/05 1933 BABE RUTH #181 GOUDEY Item number:5160008961
1/10/05 1950 BOWMAN #219 HANK BAUER Item number:5153913692

Coincidence?

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

ALERT!!! Sellers To Be Concerned About LIST

2005-02-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

In our on going efforts to keep you informed of the questionable card board dealers out there, we will provide a list of the sellers offering dubious merchandise. Again to remind you, we are not making claims that the cards for sale, or that have been sold by these dealers are not genuine, but are very questionable. To further that effort we also provide the name of the buyer of closed auctions of this material so that if you run across it being resold you know to question it’s validity before bidding. This list will be updated as much as possible so check back…

1. Seller: starsforless
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 Item number: 5163171981
Buyer: greensleeves2003
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 Item number: 5163433092 Buyer: Private
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 Item number: 5164915579
Buyer: brewcrew90
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 Item number: 5165328246
Buyer: 516tommy
1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 Item number: 5165726404
Buyer: blaclabl
1933 GOUDEY BABE RUTH #53 Item number: 5166209603
Buyer: blaclabl
2. Seller: akanugget
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Item number: 5170311707
Purchased similar card from starsforless on 2/18/05 Item number 5167193527
3. Seller: blaclabl
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle RC #311 Item number: 5170276171
Purchased similar card from starsforless on 2/15/05 Item number: 5165726404
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 No Reserve Item number: 5170278230
Purchased similar card from starsforless 2/15/05 Item number: 5166209603
4. Seller: newcer
1954 HANK AARON ROOKIE Item number: 5169950978
Purchased similar card from starsforless on 2/22/05 Item number: 5168491416
5. Seller: themike34
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 Item number: 5168261414
Purchased a Gehrig card from starsforless on 2/24/05 Item number: 5169077159 Coincidence?
6. Seller: monty7198
1909 T206 HONUS WAGNER Item number 5170366854
He got it in a shoe box from an old man?
(Hint) There are 50-75 known original examples of this card

Before You Bid Arm Yourself With Knowledge !

last updated 2/27/05 @ 1.53pmCST

Vintage Reprints

2005-02-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

I'm an avid baseball card collector. As I have reported in the past, there seems to be an influx of counterfeit baseball cards being sold on eBay. These sellers are listing them as reprints and selling them cheap. There is no authorized reprint set for these cards. So what they are doing is coping the original card and then selling it on eBay as a reprint.

I realize the seller clearly states in his listing it is a reprint, but buyers could be buying these and selling them privately as the real thing. I feel that the seller should stamp the reprint/counterfeit as such. Then encapsulate it as such. Otherwise, they should not be able to list it on eBay.

One seller that comes to mind is "erniefigures". Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. All one day auctions with cheap encapsulated counterfeits. Their are several sellers like this one. I and others are really getting fed-up with these sellers getting away with selling these fakes. They encapsulate the card, making it difficult to open the case, and inspect the card. If you could open the card, you would find out it's just basicly thick paper. Not regular card stock paper!

Dave

A Study: Vintage Unsearched Wax Packs Coincidence?

2005-02-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

In one of the oldest scams in the hobby, some sleazy sellers elect to buy old wax wrappers and place commons in them re-seal them and pawn them off as “Vintage Unopened Wax Packs”. Snooping around last month one of our eBay board members found this seller, treasureseeker52296 and reported their activity. Upon further investigation this is what I found. Of course the person in question is no longer a registered eBay user under that name at least, but don’t be surprised if they resurface under another ID.

The following are the items that our seller purchased over the last 30 days.

[Link]1970’s Topps Baseball Wrappers
[Link] 1979 Topps Football Wrappers
[Link]1977-78 OPC Hockey Set Lot 320 Diff. + 7 Wax Wrappers
[Link]1977-78 Topps Hockey Set Lot of 1300 Mint Cards

These are the types of items they sold.

[Link]1978-79 Topps Basketball Unopened Wax Packs
[Link]1972 Topps Baseball Complete Unopened Wax Box
[Link] 1976-77 Topps Hockey Unopened Wax Box
[Link] 1971 Topps Football Unopened Wax Pack

Coincidence or questionable? You be the Judge.

Here is a classic case where the consumer by doing a little homework and researching the sellers recent activities, would have had a reasonable doubt as to weather or not to bid on unopened wax packs from this seller.

1986 FLEER MICHAEL JORDAN RC GEM MINT CONDITION THE REAL DEAL OR NOT?? YOU BE THE JUDGE

2005-02-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

Being that this is one of the most sold counterfeit cards on eBay it's almost a given that an ungraded card in Mint or Better condition will most likely be a fake.
So one of the first things that you as a buyer can do is check out the buying habits of the seller. Granted many sellers are smart in that they have two id's. One for buying and the other for selling but the following is a great example if the buyer had only checked into the sellers history before bidding.

Seller wins the following auction on Jan-17-05 Jordan Reprint

Than on Feb-10-05 starts an auction for a Jordan RC. Real Jordan?

Auction closes on Feb-13-05 to the tune of $330.00
Buyer than shows up on the CU board with the following thread.
(The Following Comments Are Of The Individual Posters And ARE NOT Necessarily The Views OR Opinions Of This Board)Got an obvious fake off ebay, what can I do/should I do?

To do a search of what a person has been buying is easy.
Click on advanced search. Then click on items by bidder. Enter bidder's name in the box and choose your options. I recommend that you include completed auctions and even if not the high bidder so that you can see every item that has been bid on. Unfortunately this only shows items of the past 30 days so you might have to go and check the sellers feedback, look for items they have bought and click away.

Also another overlooked thing by many buyers is that they don't check feedback left until after a problem arises. To save you potential problems use the following Negative/Neutral Feedback tool before you commit to hitting that bid or buy it now button.

SCAM ALERT! Pre sell cases and boxes of sports cards

2005-02-24T14:59:00.000-08:00

This is a scam where you purchase pre release date boxes and cases of unopened boxes of sports cards. Be sure you know who you are dealing with when buying unopened material before the release date.

I was just involved in one of these types of scams. I was fortunate enough to get my money back. The following is what happened to me, and many other buyers who were not as fortunate as I.

I was in the market for 2 unopened factory cases of 2005 Topps Heritage baseball cards. Topps set a release date of February 16, 2005. The pre sell auctions began to appear on eBay in mid to late December of 2004. I purchased 2 from the same seller, and immediate payment was required through PayPal. So, I paid immediately.

A few days after I had made my purchases, the seller began getting negative feedbacks from different buyers about non delivery of presell items from football boxes. The negatives were for over 2 month old auctions, far too late to file for your money back with PayPal considering they only allow 45 days. So, I contacted the seller about it, and all he told me was that my payment was received and my cases would be shipped ASAP. I never heard another word from him.

At the end of January 2005, I checked for more negatives, and noticed the seller had been suspended from eBay. I immediately filed for my money back from PayPal, as it was nearing the end of my 45 day time limit to do so. I also sent an email to the seller that I had filed for my money back, and got a nasty response. He assured me that the police would be knocking at my door, and I would be suspended from eBay and PayPal. He tried to make me feel guilty. Needless to say, the police never arrived here, and I am still registered on eBay and PayPal. Anyhow, I got my money back from PayPal, and moved on.

I received an email from another buyer of this sellers, asking me if I had any luck with this seller. He also was getting no contact from the seller, and was a little concerned. It was on February 17, that I received the email from the buyer. One day after the release date. Then on February 23, 2005, he received an email from the seller that the cards were going to be released late, and he should have them by February 26, 2005. They would then be shipped to the buyers, and the buyers should email the seller for a tracking number. Why the buyer should have to ask for a tracking number is beyond me, the seller should just send it to the buyer. Anyway, then later in the day on February 23, 2005 this other buyer received a second email from this seller, stating that if his dealer does not get the cases to him by Monday February 28, 2005 refunds will be issued.

What happened here, is this seller needed some money and fast. I have heard of several different sellers doing this of late. They pre sell cases of cards more than 45 days ahead of the release date. They sell them dirt cheap, so they move fast. Then, since the buyer is aware that the cards are not going to be released to the sellers until the release date, this gives the seller enough time that he/she does not have to worry about PayPal chargebacks. By the time the buyer realizes his/her cards are not coming it is too late.

The seller then fills the buyer with empty promises and excuses as to why they have not shipped the cards yet. Usual excuse is, "My supplier has not received his shipment yet, therefore I do not have the cards yet to send. As soon as my supplier releases these cards to me, I will send them right away to you. I will advise when the cards are coming." Or, "If we do not receive the cards from our supplier by xx/xx/xxxx, we will issue you a full refund. We are sorry for any inconveniences this may cause you." Something to the effect of that anyhow.

Then, they either dissappear completely, and you never hear from them again. Or a few weeks of empty promises and excuses later, you receive a full refund.

I believe what they are doing, is borrowing money from buyers to pay bills. Or, they are borrowing money to order these products early, and then when they get the product they sell it for a much higher rate and send the buyers a refund. Only, they are not letting the buyer in on the secret, that they are actually the sellers interest free bank.

Either way, it is not fair to the buyer in either circumstance. When the buyer orders a product, they obviously expect it to show up at their door. It is very disappointing when it does not, I know and many of you probably know first hand how that feels.

Just thought I should add this to the list of scams to watch out for. There are probably many very good sellers of unopened material, but please be sure of who you are dealing with when you are shelling out several hundred dollars way before the release date. Always check the feedback, but that is not always a guarantee either. The seller I got burned by had over 900 positive feedbacks, with only one negative feedback at the time of my purchases. He was also a Power Seller. He went downhill fast.

Vintage Sports Card Buying On The Net 101

2005-02-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post once a new card collector has gained a little experience and becomes hooked on this hobby, they usually turn their collecting interests towards “ Vintage Sports Cards”. The unfortunate part is that around every corner there are opportunists waiting to take their money. This is a wonderful hobby and the collecting of Vintage Sports Materials is a great way to own a piece of Americana. Don't let the scammers scare you away from the hobby, just take precautions and you'll be fine.

The cards that most commonly are counterfeited in the hobby include: 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie, T206 Honus Wagner, and the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. These cards represent the Holy Grail of Vintage card collecting and one should approach buying them on the net with extreme caution. They are offered on a daily basis all you have to do is a search. Here is a search I did for completed auctions for the (click following text to see results) 1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE #311 ROOKIE . As you can see over the last 30 days one seller has cornered the market on these. Can you explain to me how this person came to own this many Near Mint examples of a card that books for $18,000, and there is no news of it in any of the major sports collecting publications? If you happen to do a search on this seller you will also find that they have also sold several copies of the 33 Goudey Ruth and Lajoie. Makes a person wonder.

If you follow these simple rules before buying a Vintage Card on an internet auction you are likely not to get ripped off.

1. Never buy from a seller that has private Feedback. Why would an honest seller want to hide their feedback?
2. Never bid on an auction where the buyer’s ID is kept private. The other bidders are likely to be shills.
3. Never buy from a seller that does not have a return policy. Honest dealers will always stand behind their products.
4. If buying a graded card make sure it comes in one of these holders PSA, BGS, BVG, SGC, or GAI any other companies grading vintage cards just do not offer the expertise of the companies mentioned.
5. Research your seller do as much homework as you can on the seller you are buying from.
6. Seek a second opinion. There are plenty of discussion boards all over the net for people interested in collecting Vintage Cards.
7. If your not sure don’t buy there will always be another card.

T206 Nap Lajoie Graded 0 by Beckett's

2005-02-22T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here is another example of a questionable auction on eBay. Most people who enter the hobby start collecting modern era cards, be it of a favorite player or team. Eventually what happens is they learn a little and then find themselves wanting to collect vintage cards. The T206 Tobacco cards are the Rolls Royce of Vintage Cards along with the 1933 Goudey set, and the 1952 Topps set. Unfortunately these sets have been reproduced over the years and this fact gives liscense to many shady dealers to sell their junk to unsuspecting novice buyers.

In this auction 5166648717 the seller states that this card has been graded by BGS (Beckett) as 0, becuase of a pressed crease. A quick jump over to Beckett's would reveal that there is no such grade given by them. If Beckett's where to return the card as ungradeable it would be for simple reasons, the card in question is a fake or it is altered. Vintage cards are graded with creases and tears all the time, as in this example 5168458513

You be the judge, questionable?

What a great Seller

2005-02-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

Oldliz is the eBay Power Seller.....

I was shocked to see this person finally is going to get the ebay axe. She and her husband and son have been selling "autographed baseballs". I knew before buying from them it was going to be a forgery. Their M.O. was always the same, Private auctions, issue their own COA, NO PHOTOs and the cheapest prices on ebay (and many were the real hard ones that don't do signing shows). Because they used the USPS for delivery, my postmaster general called her's and she ended up in court, settled the case out of court for $3,000 fine and had to give me a real Frank Robinson signed baseball. Ebay was informed about the results of the court (by me) and took no action. They remained Power Sellers! Click on the title "What a great Seller" to see their awful feedback!

Looking at their recent feedback, surely this time they'll be gone!

Same Seller Different Card Same Scam?

2005-02-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

Well seems like our seller is busy here is another great card you can bid on.

(note) click the auction numbers below they are links to the auctions.

5167708135

Now who did he buy it from ?

5166209603

1952 Topps Mantle what do you think?

2005-02-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

Well it did'nt take long to find the first fishy auction. This seller is auctioning this 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie.

(note) click the auction numbers below they are links to the auctions.

5167702940

Now how is it that you own a card that is apparently in a very high grade condition and not send it off to PSA/BGS or any other reputable grader for grading? I'll tell you why. Could it be that on Feb 16,2005 he purchased this

5165726404
You tell me?

eBay fakes and fraud

2005-02-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the auction watch page for sports memorabilia. I have chosen to create this page because in eBay's infinite wisdom, we as consumers are not allowed to post what are obvious fraudulent auctions which are taking place on that site and others on a daily basis. If you do happen to post on the sports memorabilia board there you are subject, to having your post removed and possibly having your account suspended. I will remind anyone reading on this site that what is posted is an opinion and in no way represents that sellers of items posted are selling fakes. If you are a seller that is mentioned here you are more than welcome to defend your product offering and inform the readers what makes your product geniune.