Wagner Bought on eBay for under $200 (video)
 

I couldn't view the video...but congrats to the winner...you're rich! Way to go...shrewd purchase...only $170...what a deal!

This is newsworthy huh. Anyone know a tribe on a remote island far far away from civilization looking for a new hunterer gatherer...please let me know...i'll send my resume!

I would say buying a 350k+ card for $170 is newsworthy. The guy seems like a real nice guy in the video too.

anyone have the auction link? I heard the seller listed it as a repro.

Listing
 

I believe this to be the listing (note that it was listed as a reprint):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171439808784

which doesn't jive with the quote:
"I was just stressed, stressed going, 'Okay, this could be a reprint, this could be something different, this could be not what he saying,'" said Mars. "When I opened up the package open real slow like this and went, 'Oh my God, it is the real one. It's the real deal.'"

If this is the auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Collectible-...p2047675.l2557

It was listed as a reprint.

The seller has a new one for sale now too:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Collectible-...item54103ac0b9

Card stock looks too thick, perfectly rounded corners, doesn't look right . . .

screen grab from the video
 

screen grab from the video:

Thanks for posting the links guys, something about the story isn't adding up.

It adds up for me: 1 + 1 = 2.....reprints

That's sad. I used to work in Sparks and there are a lot of desperate "down on your luck" people there. Over 15% unemployment and crippling underemployment. Still don't understand why this is newsworthy.

And the story wouldn't be complete without three local experts looking at it and telling him it's real.

The news would have been better off waiting until it was confirmed by a reputable source instead of reporting on it without having a expert look at it. The guy didn't even have a single prewar card in any of the shots of his "50,000 cards" collection. What makes him the expert that it is real?

+1. Just doesn't look right. He's also selling a Sporting News Ruth, Sports Kings Ruth and a Fleer Jordan Rookie...

From the article:

The next step for Mars is getting the card verified by a professional service, which he will do in about a week


The horse....the cart

The forger who sold/made this card has got to be proud. Nothing like giving a crook a real boost of self confidence.

Stupid media people are stupid.

Tom C

Leon, do you think it's not a reprint?

I posted that comment ONLY from seeing the video and not a close up of the card. On further inspection after the links were posted, I don't think it's going to be a happy ending for the buyer. I hope I am wrong though.

another screen grab
 

another screen grab:

I hope that the publicity from this dose not cause folks to think that the Ruth Rookie "could be real" and overbid on that reprint as well. But seller can always point to the fact that he said it was a reprint. Caveat Emptor

He got to be on TV for $170 bucks. I know some people who would take that offer. Anyway, maybe he gets a job offer from the media exposure. Maybe PSA is hiring.

Don't be surprised if we find out that the ebay seller and the winning bidder are one in the same, or at least, know each other.

As bigfanNYStadium points out, the media exposure could boost the price of his other reprints. Sounds like a calculated plan to me.

[QUOTE=Leon;1322678]I would say buying a 350k+ card for $170 is newsworthy. The guy seems like a real nice guy in the video too.[/QUO

I would say that buying a t206 wagner reprint is not newsworthy...just stupidworthy!

Here are a couple of other listings from the source of the "find"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1933-Goudey-...item27ebaa9dd3

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Collectible-...item54103a93b7

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Collectible-...item54103ac0b9

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1933-Goudey-...item541064d3cf

Yikes !!

Beautifully matching rounded corners all the way around... -_-

Ricky Y

"Fool your friends! Fool your neighbors! Fool the local TV station!"

Tom C

It would be a pretty cool story if it were real.

It's not a horrible reprint though... Fake, but not blatant. Had it been a $15 common or even a $50 minor HOFer, it fools 9/10 people I think.

Brendan, once it's under a loupe, it's a fake in 3 seconds. If 9 out of 10 people don't use loupes for lithograph items that, if real, are quite valuable, then not only will 9 out of people be fooled, but 9 out of 10 people are fools.

If these two experts say it's real, then that's good enough for me.

http://www.blacknews.com/images/t206...agner_card.jpg

What do you mean ?

Scott, please RE-READ my post. You just said "quite valuable" while I referenced a common or a minor HOFer. Not everyone uses a loop to purchase a $15 Dots Miller common (for instance). I'm sure many people use a loop to purchase high end items though.

ouch!

Attachment 160863

I never used one on ebay before - I admit it. The ability of N54 members to pick out a fake is far greater than the general public's ability.
N54 members vs TPG's now....I don't know!

I have never used a loupe on ebay before either...most fakes are very easy to deduce. This one looks netter than most...but is still discernible as fake without extra magnification.

I have a friend who is a buyer of gold/silver and stones...and she carries a loupe on her keychain everywhere she goes. I'm considering doing the same...I may have to buy a man purse!

It's not a purse, it's European,

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1...0/seinfeld.jpg

Exactly!

national news now
 

made it's way to the NBCNews homepage:

http://www.nbcnews.com/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...rd-200-n204511

No need, I actually quoted it. My post was an extension of your thoughts...I thought.

Has anyone contacted the seller and asked if he personally made the reprint? I was going to but then realized he may have already had that question many times by now.

I don't know. I'd guess if the seller sees the story, he just let out an "uh-oh!", because he knows the sh*tstorm that's about to follow will probably not treat him kindly.

I know you guys are all brilliant, but even if you think you have eagle-eyes like Paul's, if you are thinking about buying a valuable card and you have any doubt whatsoever, my own personal opinion is that you should take out your loupe and waste 3 seconds verifying the veracity of your peepers. With lithos it's a very easy test.

I doubt anyone here would buy a Wagner without seeing it in person, so my loupe idea is probably do-able. The guy who won this Wagner obviously didn't have that option, but the card was advertised as a 'reprint'. That was enough for me to move on when I saw the listing - since the scan looked like a real card, I assumed that the seller had printed off a photo of a real Wagner and roughed it up. I still think that's what he did - it would take some work, but it wouldn't be too hard to glue good front and back photos to a thin piece of cardboard and rough it up.

Spending $177 on that card was like buying a lottery ticket for a lottery that was over.

the seller did nothing wrong...he/she said it was fake!

Here's hoping the guy who bought this and the two guys from Cincinnati never meet.

do any of the news stories mention the card was advertised as a reprint?

Not that I have seen. They are all recycled versions of the original.

My only point was: Had this guy used the same quality reprints, and posted them on the BST board, and listed them for $12, he sells them all day. At first glance it was a pretty good reprint. Only because it was a Wagner did we all look closer.

because then there'd be no story!

I may be inclined to agree with you, but looking at all his closed auctions shows a pretty devious pattern of the guy sneaking in reprint stuff with legit stuff. I'd forgive the seller more if he was using the phrase "Reprint" in the title, rather then just the description.

Doesn't let the buyer off the hook, but he didn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, and probably just looked at the title and didn't read the description.

Love the news guy's pronunciation of Honus as "Hannus". Super sad story all around with the down on his luck guy thinking he won the lottery. He's probably already spent the money in his mind a hundred times over....