Posted By:
warshawlawThe following is cut and pasted from the Cardtarget web site. See how many times the words "share" "investment" "IPO" "value" and "marketplace" appear in this excerpt:
"Welcome to the new CardTarget Marketplace. We're not just eTopps anymore! Today we bring you a new and exciting marketplace that is a first in the collecting industry - the CardTarget partial shares marketplace! Now everybody can afford to purchase high quality investment grade memorabilia and trading cards regardless of your bankroll!
There are many fantastic pieces of sports history out there in private collections that never see the light of day. They are never shared and appreciated by the world because the price is too high for most collectors. We aim to change that by providing a community where, for a fraction of what it would normally cost, you can enjoy the ownership of these great pieces of history.
The new CardTarget "partial shares" marketplace community will purchase high end investment grade memorabilia, cards, autographs, and merchandise at the best possible prices and break them into "shares" at $10 each. Did you ever dream that you could own a Whitey Ford Rookie Graded PSA 9? Maybe you can't... but together as a community, WE can! By bringing together a community of buyers, we can all own sports collectables that DON'T drop in value immediately and will likely increase in value over time!
CardTarget prides itself on quick customer service, safe and transparent transactions, and ease of use. You will see every transaction that happens on the marketplace in real time. You will be able to follow your collection prices based on what you paid for each and every share and see how you're doing. You will be able to research shares, compare prices, read articles, recommend IPO purchases, and even bring your own item into the marketplace! Imagine your online investment account at a stock market broker, but instead of owning 10 shares in Microsoft, you own 10 shares of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Rookie Card graded near perfect by PSA!"
I'm sorry, but if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and has a bill and webbed feet, you can call it what you want but it is still a duck. The web site is touting for sale to the public "shares" of "investments" that it says "DON'T drop in value immediately and will likely increase in value over time". If that isn't a forward-looking statement soliciting an investment in a security, I am not sure what is, regardless of what you want to call it.