Please be on the look out for this t206! Help!!

AJR · #1 10-03-2014, 03:14 PM

Board members,

Please be on the lookout for a unique t206 Frank Chance portrait! Please contact me immediately if you have been offered the card or if you may have purchased it this week from someone in Illinois!

On this Tuesday night, Sept. 30, I purchased a t206 Frank Chance portrait (Red Background) from an ebay seller, edison89.

The card is unique in that the red background is faded to a nice bright orange. (see pictures below)

$_57-1.jpg

$_57-2.jpg

The sale was a BIN and I provided payment instantly, the seller within an hour marked the card shipped and I was excited to add this cool faded color variation to my collection.

However, this is not what has happened.

After several attempts to track the package on Wednesday, yesterday and today there was no update to the tracking information.

I tried to contact the seller to find out why the tracking information was not registering with USPS and did not get any response until just about 30 min ago (4:30pm EST on Friday).

I opened the email from the seller only to read an apology and a fantastic story about how several cars in his neighborhood of Bloomington, IL were burglarized on Wednesday night and of course my card was stolen.

I thought his story was more than a little fishy so I checked with the Bloomington, IL police department.

As I suspected there were no automobile break-ins, thefts or the like reported on Wednesday night or any other night this week...

Now, what has happened to the card?

My gut tells me that because I got a great deal on the card (maybe too low if you ask some people) that the seller was contacted privately by someone else offering more money.

Due to the lack of any police reported break-ins this week from anyone in Bloomington, IL, I can only assume that he welched on my sale in order to accept a higher offer outside of ebay.

So, I ask you all to be vigilant and please, please be on the lookout for a unique t206 Frank Chance red (orange) portrait! Please contact me immediately if you have been offered the card or if you may have purchased it this week from someone in Illinois!

Please note that the seller has refunded my money, but we all know this isn't about the money... I bought the card, we had a deal and now that deal has not gone through.

Thank you

Aaron

PS: if edison89 is a board member and this post is out of line/wrong and there really was a break-in please correct me but as of now according to the police there was no such crime or string of break-ins as has been claimed.

Jantz · #2 10-03-2014, 09:15 PM

Welcome to the Board!

I'll keep an eye out for this card.

Jantz

sreader3 · #3 10-03-2014, 09:23 PM

Great card. When I first started to scroll down on your OP I thought it was the yellow background Chance portrait. Good luck.

mrvster · #4 10-03-2014, 09:54 PM

we will keep an eye out! nice orange variation btw

the 'stache · #5 10-03-2014, 10:56 PM

We'll keep our eyes peeled for a Chance portrait with an orange background. Those tobacco stains on the back form a unique pattern, too, so if we were to come across a similarly faded background, the background picture will be the thing that makes for a positive identification.

This forum has a lot of eyes. If it's going up for sale anywhere, we'll find it. I'm going to check eBay right now for ya.

Bill

the 'stache · #6 10-03-2014, 11:12 PM

Here's a link to the original auction.

Something in the auction details caught my eye. It is listed as a graded card, though the pictures provided are clearly without any slab. I'm wondering if he sent the card off to a tpg, and when he got it back, it graded higher than he anticipated. He said "compare to a 3?"

If the card were sent off to PSA, and it came back as a 3.5, he might feel that he didn't get enough for the card. That's too bad, obviously, because he put it up for sale. But that would explain why he made up this whole story.

I would keep watching his auctions, and if you see the card up for sale, I would contact eBay. I don't know if they can, or would do anything. But I'm betting this card is up for sale again soon at a higher price.

mybuddyinc · #7 10-04-2014, 11:49 AM

Welcome, and that stinks. You're probably right, he pulled something, but at least was novel in his excuse:

Pregnant girlfriend -- used
Just diagnosed with ______ -- used
Dying grandmother -- used
Cousin suicide -- used
Car theft ring -- new, but added to list

Good luck in your collecting, Scott

AJR · #8 10-07-2014, 10:56 AM

Thank you to everyone for being on the lookout for this unique chance t206.

I have been in touch with both PSA and SGC about the card and they will notify me if it comes in for grading.

I will also be contacting the auction houses in case it is submitted to them for a future sale.

I really just wanted to thank you all for your responses and for working with me to keep this hobby honest and honorable.

If you see the card let me know!

Aaron

yanks12025 · #9 10-07-2014, 11:01 AM

Never mind.

chernieto · #10 10-07-2014, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AJR

Thank you to everyone for being on the lookout for this unique chance t206.

I have been in touch with both PSA and SGC about the card and they will notify me if it comes in for grading.

I will also be contacting the auction houses in case it is submitted to them for a future sale.

I really just wanted to thank you all for your responses and for working with me to keep this hobby honest and honorable.

If you see the card let me know!

Aaron

If the sale was cancelled and you got your money back perhaps contacting auction houses and TPG's is overkill? Just a thought.
I realize I might be missing something, but it looks like a Chance Yellow portrait to me.
Good luck
Paul

Luke · #11 10-07-2014, 11:47 AM

Chance yellow is a 350/460 subject. This is definitely a red portrait.

chipperhank44 · #12 10-07-2014, 11:55 AM

I'm not super familiar with all of Ebay's policies, but if the card does turn up, what are your next steps? Do you have a legitimate claim to the card at that point despite the refund, or do you confront the seller and hope he does the right thing?
I'm genuinely curious because this seems like something that happens fairly frequently when someone gets a good deal on Ebay.

AJR · #13 10-07-2014, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chernieto

If the sale was cancelled and you got your money back perhaps contacting auction houses and TPG's is overkill? Just a thought.
I realize I might be missing something, but it looks like a Chance Yellow portrait to me.
Good luck
Paul

It's not about the money, it's about the hobby.

The contacting of industry professionals is not overkill. I was informed by the seller that the card was stolen. Theft is illegal.

Auction houses and TPG's should be aware that this card is now stolen property.

The bigger reason to inform the community is that we all have to be watchdogs for the hobby.

If no one looks out for one another, if theft goes unreported and/or sellers are allowed to welch on honest deals then where does it stop? I'm sure Doug Allen and Bill Mastro might have some thoughts.