What Else You Missed at The National

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Posted By: Paul Muchinsky

www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2008/08/03/2008-08-03_feds_swarm_to_question_card_sharks_html

Sports memorabilia has become so popular it has become the institutional hobby of the FBI. They were handing out subpoenas Thursday and Friday, but saved Saturday for their most enthusiastic outpouring of interest. It seems one auction house in particular attracted the most attention. Looks like they might get a chance to take a few swings in front of a grand jury. I wonder who would win the intra-squad scrimmage at Club Fed if the Masterbatters played the Enroners?

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Posted By: Aaron M.

Wow, I can remember conversations I'd had with Doug Allen about four or five years ago warning him about some of his policies (allowing Mastro employees to bid on Mastro auctions, Mastro auctioining items it owned, Mastro auctioning items authenticated by the seller himself, etc.) which gve the appearance that shilling could be possible (among other misdeeds like conflict of interest), but even I was suprised when it was discovered during the FBI's investigation last year that Mastro was unable (or unwilling) to produce bidding records for previous auctions. That really gave the impression that Mastro was hiding something from the bidding process that makes shilling all the more likely to have occurred. The card doctoring issue has also been perculating for years as Mastro has made liberal use of this process prior to encapsulating and auctioning these cards.

I really got nowhere with Doug as good-natured as he was he was either too naieve, obtuse, or worse (depending on the outcome of these investiations) to agree with my concerns. Now, it doesn't look like he has a choice.

Edited to add:

Paul, check out this thread/article as well:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/153652/thread/1217948033/last-1217958308/Mastro+Being+Investigated+-+Article

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Posted By: Paul Muchinsky

The FBI appears not to be targeting just one company. It seems there is a web of possible deceipt involving the doctoring of memorabilia, grading, authenticating, and bidding. However, as the lawyers say, the truth is always your best defense. One company's website describes its level of ethics as second to none. I don't think the FBI can refute the truthfulness of that assertion. While this company does not stand alone, its level is, as advertised, second to none.