by Daniel C. Markel
e-mail address:
dan_markel@sbcglobal.net
eBay ID: danmarkel
The Markel Report, also officially known as
“The Report to the Collectors of Graded
Baseball Cards of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Trimming and
Other Aesthetically Enhancing Alteration Methods by Sellers of Graded Baseball Cards”
is now released for public viewing.
Executive Summary:
A massive three year probe by a group of concerned collectors has concluded
that misrepresentation and fraud are significant problems in the graded sportscard
collecting hobby – especially among registry set collectors. An extensive investigation
has revealed that lower grade-quality common cards that would be considered
“low pop” or scarce in high grades are being purchased, then “aesthetically enhanced”
by unscrupulous alteration methods, submitted and graded by a third party grading company
and sold to unsuspecting collectors for premium prices.
Report Recommendations:
1. Third party grading companies should not tolerate dealers who continuously
submit invoices with high percentages of altered cards.
2. Third party grading companies need to be audited by an independent group to
test the accuracy and reliability of their grading services.
3. Sellers need to be educated to understand that deliberate fraud and
misrepresentation by means of the use of electronic communication, also known
as wire fraud, is a felony.
4. Sellers need to be educated to understand that deliberate fraud and misrepresentation
by means of the use of the mail system, also known as mail fraud, is a felony.
5. Sellers of raw cards should make “super-size” scans (full monitor size) of their
cards when selling them on-line and there should be a public database to archive
these scans.
6. Raw card sellers who continuously sell altered cards, even with no proof of
prior knowledge of these alterations should be banned from on-line venues.
7. A stronger emphasis on “buying the card, not the holder” needs to be indoctrinated
into the collecting community.
Current Status:
1. Criminal complaints through various law enforcement agencies have been filed
by a number of collectors who participated in the study who were defrauded by these
dealers.
2. Civil action against these same dealers is being organized. An extensive
electronic database with over a year’s worth of eBay auction records including
scans of the raw cards purchased by these nefarious sellers was compiled and
will be used to assist victims who believe they have been defrauded.
3. To the best of this investigative group’s knowledge, these sellers are still submitting
cards to a major third party grading service. A federal law enforcement agent has
come forward to assist in the banishment of these dealers from this grading company.
4. These dealers are still active on eBay. A strong campaign to have these dealers banned
to Non-Registered User status has now been initiated.
Below are some examples of card alterations perpetrated on the collecting community.