PWCC Follow Up – 1998 Gem Masters Jordan 1/1 Masterpiece

[Brent Huigens]

Collectors,

We rarely post on the message boards as we feel collector-based venues deserve the freedom to discuss matters without the influence of auction house intervention. However this is a unique matter which most of the modern-basketball card community is well aware of, and we felt it best to update everyone on the status of things.

Ultimately it has been determined that the Gem Masters 1/1 Jordan BGS 8 we were about to offer at auction is indeed a factory produced, original card. However, the foil stamping on the back of the card has been determined to vary from the exact font and styling of period-correct Fleer stamps from the late 1990s. It is our belief that this card was the “production duplicate” to the original pack issued 1/1, and as such it received the same production at the same time as the true 1/1, but never received the final foil stamping. For those collectors unfamiliar with this practice, card producers often made back-up cards for low serial number productions in case the original ever got lost, damaged, etc. It is out belief that Fleer retained this production duplicate up until their bankruptcy in 2007 where this card (and many other factory duplicates/back-ups) were re-released into the hobby.
The inaccuracy of the foil stamp, as well as the source of the consignment has led us to definitively conclude these findings. While the card in question remains a highly desired, highly valued item, it was not the true pack issued 1/1. As part of our effort to protect the hobby from any impropriety, we flew to Dallas to visit Beckett. In collaboration we had card removed from the BGS slab and population report corrected. To further protect the hobby, we worked somewhat tirelessly to acquire this card from our consignor and prevent it from floating around the hobby to potentially deceive a unknowing collection. We have successfully placed this card into the only collection we trust to handle it properly… the owner of the true pack pulled 1/1. Both cards are now united.

Jeromy Murray and the Beckett team have been highly cooperative and helpful in addressing the hobby’s concerns on this matter. It’s obvious they take their brand extremely seriously. Select the following link for a statement from Jeromy Murray, the director of Beckett Grading. Beckett Statement

In closing, I want to personally thank the constructive members of this message board for their dedicated oversight of the hobby. The message boards are a vital check-and-balance that the hobby relies on for accuracy and education. While not all posts are equally constructive , the overall positive effects are immeasurable. Thank you.

Brent Huigens
Owner, PWCC Auctions
brent@pwccauctions.com

[swarmee]

Thanks. Did you post this on the PSA message board? That's where I saw the discussion of this card being a "back-doored" bankruptcy card. I like your solution and am pleased you worked quickly to remove the card from your auction. Other auction houses would fail at being that circumspect.