Posted By:
Josh EvansI would like to avoid getting down in the gutter with this one but I guess I need to set the record straight although I thought I had already done so with earlier posting regarding this issue
First of all I never sold this guy (James Runyan) this glove so to pay him a refund for something I sold over 10 years ago to someone else seems ludicrous
Dan Knoll and I (ironically Dave Bushing’s partner) sold this glove to Duane Garrett of Wolffer's (since decreased)
I bought a fresh Joe DiMaggio jersey (real) and sold it to Dan Knoll for somewhere in the $130,000 range
Dan Knoll then grouped the same jersey with a Joe DiMaggio bat (real but with light if any use), along with the glove in question and asked me to offer it to Duane Garrett with whom I did some business with and Dan did not
At the time I questioned Dan about the glove (it looked strange but I am not a glove expert) and he said it came from Tony Cocchi and had air tight provenance
However, in retrospective we now know that Cocchi is not a good guy and has been involved with some very shady stuff that I am personally aware of
But at the time both Dan and I trusted him
We sold the group of three DiMaggio pieces to Duane Garrett for $175,000 (I believe) and Dan and I split the profit
As best I can remember Dan put his cost on the bat at $15,000 and his cost on the glove at $10,000
I only put in these numbers to show how well I remember the situation
In those days pieces of this value and weight were not sold every day
Years later I was approached by a noted DiMaggio collector (who has since sold his collection and is now out of the hobby as far as I know) who told me he bought the DiMaggio glove from Duane Garrett and it was fake
He wanted a refund from me
I told him that was fine but he could not get the refund from me
He had to get the refund from Duane Garrett and Wolffer’s and I would refund Garrett
This is my policy on two levels
First, I would only be responsible for what I sold it to Garrett for, and second I never sold him anything
Paul did get his refund from Wolffer’s and I waited but Garrett never approached me
That shocked me a bit but what happened to the glove from there I did not know
Many years later (and some months ago) we were contacted by James Runyan (and later by Doug Allen of Mastronet acting in his steed) who told us he wanted his money back for this fake glove
Again, how do you refund someone for something you never sold them?
Should people go out there and try to find fake pieces I have made mistakes on to get third (or four or fifth or infinity) party refunds
Yes out of $100 million worth of stuff in my career that I have sold they are out there
And from 13 years ago?!?!
Time is merely a side issue but still a factor
I was then told by Doug Allen that this guy Runyan was going to list the piece on eBay or in a full page in SCD (did Krause see through this?) as being fake and coming from me
Please
First, I feel little threatened by having to stand up and be counted for selling something fake 13 years ago
We should all own up to our mistakes from time to time to keep us on the right track
Second, and more importantly I felt this was extortion
Interestingly, according to Dan Knoll he advised Doug Allen to pay James Runyan out of his Mastronet account (how much I do not know) to make this all go away
I advised Dan not to on my account (blood money)
According to Doug Allen (through Dan) James Runyan refused, saying it had to come from me not Dan
Hmmmm
Dan Knoll has also made efforts to get this pure smear removed from eBay
I told Dan not to on my account
I think it’s an apt symbol about what is wrong with our hobby
And what is right
Joshua Leland Evans
Chairman
Lelands.com