There's no free lunch, can this possibly end well?
 

Wonder if anyone else saw this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/39354795501...2047675.l2557?

Let's see:

T206 Red Cobb PSA 2.5
Sells for $878.00
Significantly below recent sales approximating $4000.00
Seller resides in France
Seller has 5 feedbacks
Seller has no other cards for sale.

Odds this is a scam?

Dubious listings like this one remind of what PT Barnum was famous for saying.

When Barnum said that, the population of the US was about 1/5 of what it is today. Assuming fools as a percentage of the population have remained constant, then there is one born every 12 seconds now.

Quote (Obi-Wan Kenobi):

"Who's the bigger fool? The fool, or the fool who follows him?"

To many chances for many fools to get burned.

Ugh

I saw that and concluded that the answer is 100%.

Always nice to have a chance to drop a period Barnum card into a thread.

Nice

Thank you. It's not worth a whole lot, but it is one of my favorite cards in my collection. :) Barnum used to send out these cards to people who wrote to him (although the signature on the card is pre-printed).

Actually, I think it will end well. Someone got a deal. The fools are those that paid 4K. There was another very similar listing a couple of months ago, a PSA t205 Cobb for even less.

Wowser!
 

:eek:

To those who are convinced it is (was) a scam, how would the scam work? They send a fake card, or send nothing? Wouldn't ebay force a refund in either case?

Pre-printed or not, that’s a great card. Some of those 19th century and early 20th century CDVs and cabinets are fantastic. I’ve got a couple on my white whale wish list.

Yes.

Liquidate your PayPal account or close your bank account (now with managed payments) between receiving payment and claim. Disappear.

Thanks, Scott. I looked around for what Barnum cards were out there after reading Robert Wilson's 2019 biography on Barnum.

Just to clarify something from earlier in the thread, Barnum most likely never uttered the "...sucker born every minute" line that is so often attributed to him. Wilson also debunked that claim in his book.

https://www.eugeneloj.com/2009/11/th...ry-minute.html

I'd like to think that ebay has some safeguards against this, but maybe they don't? I suppose being in France would certainly make it easier to disappear...

Worst case, you get your money back. I personally have never had an eBay issue in 677 transactions. And I have bought things from foreign sellers with a minimal number of sales. I bought a very rare U.S. railroad timetable some years ago, from France (Michigan Central RR, 1899, really nice ads and graphics, someone traveled to the U.S.), seller had 6 transactions and it took forever to arrive, for far less money than any others I had seen, but it came and is a real beauty. Feedback is absolutely vital. I have only made 1 or 2 transactions with anyone less than 100%.

"This way to see the egress!" ?

There have also been a bunch of these sales lately for 1986 Fleer Jordans at well under $1000 in the PSA 4+ range. All from France, sellers with little to no feedback, and super cheap buy-it-now prices. Highly suspicious.

If it's too good to be true it probably is.

PT
 

wow, is that what he looked like ??.. that good looking actor Jackman played him in movie..wow !!

You should have seen P.T. in his prime...he made all the bearded ladies swoon.

Brian