Mastro Auctions in the News

[sports-rings]

Wow, Bill Mastro is back in the news.

http://www.sportscollectingnews.com/home.htm

[DaveH]

I guess we'll hear from Jeff on this. Amazing result.

dh

[dallen]

I will speak to the Legendary Auction side of this.

All charges against Legendary Auctions and me personally were dropped. No compensation was paid or would ever have been paid to Dave Forman.

Since the liquidation of Mastro Auctions I safeguarded a trimmed and altered Babe Ruth Goudey card (as validated by letter from PSA who confirmed that this card had been cut from a sheet and did not have the attributes of a factory cut card) that Dave Forman had attempted to consign to Mastro to help extinguish a liability. Last week Attorneys for Mastro auctions requested the return of this card. I never owned or claimed to own this card and returned it as a result of this request. As for Formans claim that this is card has a value of $150,000 I just hope it doesn't end up in an SGC holder. I have utmost respect for Derek Grady and his team and will forward him an image of this card so they will know the origins.

If anyone has additional questions I would be happy to respond via email which is dallen@legendaryauctions.com

[TheSquire]

It's really sad and frightening not knowing if an auction you're bidding in is legitimate, regardless of who it is. Shill bidding is very difficult to prove because these auction houses can use anyone they trust to participate in the scam. And the higher value items are the most vulnerable.

[Leon]

It's really sad and frightening not knowing if an auction you're bidding in is legitimate, regardless of who it is. Shill bidding is very difficult to prove because these auction houses can use anyone they trust to participate in the scam. And the higher value items are the most vulnerable.

Just a bit more specific and you would be banned for this after having multiple warnings on the "having your whole name out here" issue.. Just letting you know. Now, if you want to put your whole name in your sig line you can say whatever you want to per the rules.

[calvindog]

Doug, everything that you say above and have said publicly and privately about your years of fraud you have committed at both Mastro and Legendary Auctions is a joke. You brought a simple collection matter, leaked it to the Daily News and then did all that you could to delay the litigation including moving for a change in the judge and ultimately abandoning the case on behalf of Ketap (Mastro successor company). As late as a few weeks ago Ketap was still demanding 300K from Dave to settle -- which was met with laughter. Furthermore, you made very clear that you believed the Goudey not to be trimmed and told Dave you would try to get it slabbed by PSA. In fact, Ketap (of which you are the President) tried to settle the case without giving the Goudey back--we were told you had lost it. When Ketap was told there would be no settlement without the card, it miraculously appeared and was returned. I would love to rifle through your sofa cushions and see what else turns up.

Furthermore, to suggest that you didn't pay any compensation to settle the case is absurd. You abandoned a 400K debt of Dave's -- OF WHICH WE PUBLICLY CLAIMED HE PARTIALLY OWED -- to settle the case. That's called compensation, Doug.

Finally, as we both know you have also engaged in serious fraud at Legendary while under criminal investigation in connection with Mastro Auctions. The chickens are coming home to roost -- and it could not happen to a more deserving guy.

[Piedmont Sport]

STAMP OUT AUTIONS AND THE SCUMBAGS WHO ALLOW THIS #$%^ TO GO ON. Every baseball show the room is filled with auction houses and very few dealers show up.I know CSA is putting on several collector shows - I hope all will come out to support his effort. At least he's not an aution house running another show. Shame on the services who grade all this garbage - I wouldn't want to break out any old PSA cards and try to regrade in fear their tampered with.

[gnaz01]

Is it just me or does Bill Mastro look like Tony Soprano in that picture :p

[Ringking]

It's really sad and frightening not knowing if an auction you're bidding in is legitimate, regardless of who it is. Shill bidding is very difficult to prove because these auction houses can use anyone they trust to participate in the scam. And the higher value items are the most vulnerable.

That's very true.

There is a auction house on the east coast.
They have a item that I wanted. I would place a bid, and within 5 mins I would be outbid. I would bid up to the amount that I was willing to pay and always, 5 mins after I bid, get outbid.

I would lose the auciton, and 2 months later, the same item is up for bid and the whole thing starts over again.

This goes on a lot more then people realize.