Quote:
Originally Posted by sports-rings
I have alerted many auction houses when I have discovered that a ring in their auction had issues.
Many are proactive and pull the ring immediately. Others are defiant but look into the matter and eventually pull the items.
I don't have an ego and am not a self-proclaimed ring expert. I ask the auction houses to get a 2nd opinion if they feel that my analysis may be incorrect.
I feel Heritage can and should sell these rings, they just need to modify the descriptions.
I hope that the Heritage investigation into these two rings continue. I see as of this morning that the listings have not been modified and I have not heard from Chris Ivy.
Two stories about auction houses and their willingness to modify listings.
Hunt auctions had a Chicago Bears championship ring two years ago in their super bowl auction. It was not mentioned in their auction that it was a smaller version that the players received. I notified them that they should change the listing but they refused. They claimed the bidder should know it was not a player-size ring by their inclusion of a lower than market value estimated final selling price.
We went round and round on net54 and they didn't budge. I am friends with an NFL official who oversees the auction. When I alerted him of this issue, he made sure they changed it.
The 2nd story involves Heritage. Three years ago they had player, Frederick Thurston's Green Bay Packer superbowl II ring for sale. It clearly was not his original ring since the original rings were marked "Josten" and made in 14K. The ring they were auctioning off was 10K and marked "Jostens". The mark means it was made much later on and not original. Thurston saved some money when he had the ring remade by purchasing a 10K version and not a 14K version.
Heritage refused to budge on the description and I remember having a shouting match with them at their booth during the National. I asked them to speak to other ring experts and finally, at the start of the bidding during the Platinum auction event at the National, they announced it was not the original ring.
The winning bidder with the juice paid $50,787. Although Thurston is in the packers Hall of fame, that seems like a lot of money for a non-Pro Footall Hall of Famer's non original ring. I hope the winning bidder knew what he was purchasing was not the original ring and of lesser gold content than what the team was intended to receive.
I hope the winning bidders of these two super bowl rings in their current auction know what they are buying, otherwise, down the road they will probably be quite upset.
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First I want to say I have no vested interest anywhere - I do not favor or believe any auction house to be beyond reproach nor do I collect rings. When purchasing items I do collect I follow the best advice I ever learned - Caveat Emptor (Buyer beware).
Second, I want to thank you for caring enough about the collecting community to go to the lengths you have to raise clearly relevant questions regarding rings that come up for auction.
My confusion is what appears to be your level of emotional investment in the outcome of the questions you raise. You have gone beyond a reasonable amount of effort in "getting the message out" to collectors. You have used your knowledge to act in a way that protects you (by not pursuing the rings). While I understand some frustration at not "feeling heard' or possibly not believed as a result of a particular party's (auction house's) lack of action to your information - a "shouting match" seems a bit out of proportion.