Bill Mastro and his crew are even worse than I thought
 

This appeared online today at the NY Daily News website.

Unbelievable what lowlifes Mastro and his crew are:

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/bill-mastro-accused-stealing-baseball-card-collection-blog-entry-1.2014089

About as Bad as it gets

If the poor guy couldn't sleep for a year, and being an attorney, why in the world didn't he file a lawsuit or threaten to expose them?

How could you consign a supposed $300k worth of cards without appropriate inventory? This letter also outs another huge issue in our hobby with TPG's.

This story has some credibility issues IMO.

D'ya think?

Well I was trying to be charitable.

Maybe not. Here are the Ruth card Evers references as it is the only fact I can check about his story.

And I believe it does checks out! Here are the two Ruth card lots:

December 2007 Lot 225 (the Ruth card is in the upper right corner of first photo (yellow background Ruth card graded VG-Ex by SGC):

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/Lot...entoryid=76592

Evers’ consignment lot #225 comprised of 108 cards including two Babe Ruths sold for $6,544.

And here is the same #53 Ruth card now graded PSA 6 in Mastro’s 5/1/2008 closing date auction Lot #459 (easy to identify due to flaws – look at unique mark in upper right as well as left border):

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/Lot...entoryid=80276
This ONE CARD all alone sold for $7,800!

No wonder he’s upset!!!!

So where's the conspiracy? Mastro got SGC to undergrade it so he could buy it and get it into the right holder?

The writer seems to fall on the crackpot side of the spectrum. I have no doubt that he feels something happened, but come on, what kind of moron accepts a random description of the lot? If Mastro's henchman doesn't have time to do a proper inventory, pick up your crap and walk out, counselor!

BTW, when I think of the Mastro offices now I always picture it tilted, like a criminal lair on the old Batman tv series.

http://www.bat-mania.co.uk/main/vill...ggheadlair.jpg

...

For a lawyer, that is one of the most childish, poorly written letters I have ever read. Not saying true/untrue, just sounds extremely odd the way it's presented.

Further, I am requesting a court order for $300,000 in restitution to be paid to me.

"I'm just a caveman. Your world frightens and confuses me." Keyrock. Just Keyrock.

https://screen.yahoo.com/unfrozen-ca...223412426.html

Hard to see for sure if it's the same Ruth card from the first SGC scan, but if it's the same card crossed over, it would have to have been graded by PSA when they still used their old grading flips (since the PSA 6 has the old pre half-point flip).

Does anyone know when they switched to the half-point flip style? I would've guessed it was prior to December 2007, so if they were using the half point flip style in the time frame from 12/2007 to 4/2008 (in between the two auctions), then either it's not the same card or something really weird is going on.

I'm pretty sure PSA switched much later than 2007 to the half point grades.

I think it was 08.

Maybe he wrote it himself instead of having his paralegal do it :D

Looking at the two scans of the Ruth cards (SGC and PSA graded), they appear to be the same card based on a couple unique characteristics of the card.

There have been a few credible hobby veterans that have also sent letters to the courts about Mastro and crew. I can't believe this guy just made up all of this stuff.

I guess a lot of the posters in this thread are arguing that Mastro and crew could not have done this to someone. Seriously? Are we to believe that everything being said in court is a huge lie and that these guys are "clean"?

Biggest hobby hoax - the PSA8 Wagner.... come on... I think it's common knowledge that the card was trimmed, does anybody dispute that? Are we to believe that anybody that would perpetrate such a fraud is honest in any sense of the word? Geesh....

...

I'm not saying Mastro or others involved with him are above anything. I just find the story strange to say the least. As Peter mentioned, what was the motive for the Ruth "swap"? Tell SGC to grade it low so you can scoop it at a low price (apparently keeping other bidders suppressed--the old anti-shill), get it re-graded and then make a profit?

An educated man then in his 40's relies on an Antique Roadshow and Antiques Trader to lead him to Mastro and apparently does little or no other research? Maybe for the old guy who doesn't know the first thing about some stash he found in the attic but this guy has been collecting since 1965, and has had a card graded seven years prior (why?). He knows of no other hobby resources? He doesn’t have the faculties to do a five or ten minute google search to better understand the market and other auction houses?

He has a Goudey Ruth and Lajoie but doesn’t want to pay $25 to have them graded --thankfully Mastro could have it done for $7, so that 's some sort of huge factor in his decision? Anyone want to show me a $39K Koufax rookie? Mastro employee Marren "examined" each of his 1500 cards--what is that a 5 hour or more process?-- but then only hurriedly scribbled a one-sentence reference on the consignment contract as to what was going to be auctioned, although there was a written "skeletal" inventory? The mysterious Mr. X "suddenly" shows up and the con is on? Really? They pressured you into not having better protection, or from giving them your own inventory for them to approve? And you're a lawyer? Sorry, IMO it just seems, um, strange. Bad cinema, actually.

Todd,

In a letter written by a BIG hobby veteran to the courts he indicated Mastro told him that "I would do anything to improve the appearance of any item or card".

The following is all speculation: The Ruth could have been submitted to SGC without being cleaned up. The card was shilled and not really sold by Mastro. The card gets cleaned up and submitted to PSA (as a preferential submitter) and the resulting grade netted a much larger bid than before. Tell me if any of that doesn't sound plausible, based on all we've been hearing. Pure speculation, but plausibe. It would be interesting to see WHO purchased that card when it was in the SGC holder.

Auction houses often submit cards for grading for their consigners, I don't find anything strange about that. I do feel the consignor was a bit naive (ok stupid) for 1 - not having an inventory list with him when he brought his cards, and 2 - a bit naive (ok stupid) for accepting a skeletal inventory list.

To me the grading is fishy and definitely odd but the difference in sale prices are irrelevant. Once you've sold your card, it doesn't matter what it sells for the next time.

Not sure I buy the rest of the story as it is depicted. This person was a collector and not an inheritor of a collection. I would never walk out of an office without proper paperwork for even my modest and low-budget collection. I would assume he'd be just as passionate about his expensive one.

Well, it does matter if the letter is true and Mastro and his goons concocted a scheme to not auction the cards properly, obtain the cards below market value due to fraud and then sell them at a profit.

I am not defending Mastro at all, he and his bunch will have a lot of time to think about what they did...and not much else to do while doing it.

That being said this guy's story sounds crazy to me.

While reading the story I believed there wasn't a lot of substantiating evidence, just a lot of emotion. If there was evidence than it wasn't very well articulated.

He does claim an FBI agent does know more about the case including a list, but if the gentleman writing the letter can't confirm ownership of the cards I don't see how he can expect restitution.

That said I can believe that what he claims happened is true, but I wouldn't find anybody guilty off this letter alone.

My 2 cents but I'll gladly let the lawyers speak to correct me. (assuming what the was in the letter was accurate)

I believe the fraud was committed on the purchase, not on the sale. The sale would not even had to have taken place in order for fraud to have been committed. My guess would be the sale only makes the intent to defraud more 'provable'.

Fraud would have been committed on the sale if the sellers purported the item to be something it was not, which I don't believe happened here (assuming card was unaltered, etc). So in this case, it doesn't matter what the card sold for. Nor would it at any re-sale of any item, assuming fraud is not involved in the actual SALE of the item itself.

Re: Bill Mastro and his crew are even worse than I thought
 

Count me among the dubious ones. The letter is incredibly poorly written, especially for an alleged attorney. Were there shenanegans going on at Mastro? Undoubtedly, but these allegations really stretch credibility.

+1
He left their offices without a detailed inventory??
Please,,,
He is a lawyer who trusted a big business????? :eek::confused:

Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

“The public regards lawyers with great distrust. They think lawyers are smarter than the average guy but use their intelligence deviously. Well, they're wrong. Usually they are not smarter.”
―F. Lee Bailey

Precisely my point. Just because Mastro is a crooked scumbag who should be locked up for as long as the cage is available doesn't mean he kidnapped the Lindbergh baby too. Judged on its own merits the story seems equal parts wishful and embellished, and the letter reads like an essay by a community college student who speaks English as a second language.

One thing is clear. If I ever need a workmen's comp lawyer in Naperville, IL, I will look elsewhere than the author.

Oh and another thing. If someone had REALLY defrauded me out of 300K, I probably would have filed a civil claim. Especially if I was a lawyer myself. Just sayin.

I always have to wonder why educated professionals who aren't easy to BS turn brain-dead when it involves cards. Look at the otherwise savvy collectors who become mindless company shills when it comes to PSA. And for what, a worthless certificate at a crappy luncheon handed out by a mannequin with a bad haircut? Honestly, it is just mind-boggling.

Adam, it's an ego thing, pure and simple. I think set registry awards raise testosterone levels as well.

Should tinkering Evers be given a chance?

Disregard, now I see what everyone is talking about.

A double play on words?

Third base!

http://www.phoenix5.org/humor/images/ACBaseball.jpg

Do the courts in Illinois have drive-thru windows for judgments on-demand?

I don't care who you are - that's funny!

The obvious reason for the court disclosing the letter was to demonstrate that Mastro and his cohorts caused an otherwise rational, successful, competent attorney to turn into an incoherent, traumatized victim.

LOL, this reminds me of: You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill.

Not sure if I believe this story.

Joe

This all sounds like part of the mafia's on going sports memorabilia conspiracy [emoji6]

I know a guy who used to live here in Lincoln (name given on request in PM) who sold his entire Nebraska football collection dating back in the 1890s with Mastro...Mastro buried the most valuable programs in lots. He tried to get Mastro to pull the lots, but they would not do it. I know the guy sells on ebay, I should send him a message that he may want to send his own letter to the judge.

And now for something completely different....

Did they ever catch the "Gypsies" that stole Lionel Carter's collection?

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=83250

The real crime here is the Ruth card in question ending up graded a 6. I mean, I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eatin' Funyuns, but that card is a homely lookin' EX-MT 6.

Dan--and the reason for that was? Are you suggesting that Bill won the lot and resold all the "valuable" Cornhusker programs himself? BTW, what is a valuable Cornhusker program? One from a game that Bo Pelini isn't ranting and raving on the sidelines, or one from a game where they have beaten the Badgers? LOL

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/...ps79bb8801.jpg

You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten. Where can you go from there? Where?

I don't know.

Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?

Put it up to eleven.

Eleven. Exactly.

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3a112fae.jpg

UH.......These go to eleven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3L4EZwmRrA

Need to go to about 50 second mark for the "11".....

I listened to the entire thing and realized you meant the 3:50 mark.

http://youtu.be/N3L4EZwmRrA?t=3m46s

I have no idea what went on there, I just know what the guy told me. And there are several Nebraska programs that bring over $1,000 each...the first game vs Oklahoma will bring more than $5,000...any of the programs vs Notre Dame from the 1920s....just last year on ebay two 1908 programs vs Carlisle each sold for more than $1,500.

Not sure why you felt it necessary to take a dig at the current program, but eh, whatever. Carry on. :rolleyes:

Nothing wrong with being 8-2 from the perspective of this disgusted Michigan alum. :D

I feel your pain...the Callahan years were not pretty. The Big Ten needs Michigan to make a strong comeback.

Getting back on topic, I thought it was interesting that Mastro and crew were helpful in "finding" Carter's cards, then sold them off in Mastro's auctions. I guess the theft was the thing that put poor Carter over the edge and into the security of Mastro's auctions. I don't think Carter lived a year after getting rid of the cards, not that mattered to Mastro.

Tom Reed

Selling broke his heart.

Sorry Dan. I'm a Badger fan. I always used to like the Huskers but having Pelini around degrades a great program. I remember class acts on the sideline like Tom Osborne and Bob Devaney. It's a pity to have to see a clown like Pelini there.

Yeah, he definitely has anger issues....he's Bobby Knight without any trophies. Wouldn't mind seeing a new coach here, but it's hard to fire a coach who has never won less than 9 games in every season (7). I would think Badger fans would like to see him stick around. :D

So when Mastro told me they accidentally lost the EXMT Loudermilk card from the complete set of T207s (during the photo shoot of top cards in the set) I sent for consignment in the mid 2000's I should suspect that they maybe they were fibbing :rolleyes:

Could be worse, they might have hired Bobby Petrino. We are still digging out from under that mess at Arkansas...

Holy smokes...did they make it right with you? Has the card ever resurfaced?

Yes they reimbursed me for what I thought was the value but I will always think that a high grade T207 set minus Lowdermilk (plus my reimbursed value) would not have sold for the same as a complete set.
The explanation was pretty funky, they figured someone probably knocked it in the trash during the photo process (????) It was a helluva card, red Cycle back.
I later missed the set so much I put together another T207 set and still have it.

Buckeye alum here, and I agree Michigan should strive to return to its lofty position as the second best program in the Big Ten.:D

That is incredibly sketchy story

In all the time that has passed since it fell in the garbage can, you would expect the card to show up somewhere if had actually been pocketed. I assume you've had an eye peeled for it.

I was in their office I think in 2005...it would not surprise me that something could get lost in there. I was pretty surprised to see memorabilia just laying around on the floor in piles here there and everywhere. The place was locked up like Fort Knox though so it wasn't like the public could get to it though.

The problem was locked in, not out. :D

LOL well, the guy who provided the story stole from everyone he came in contact with, lied to every friend he ever had, cheated on his wife, cooperated with the government against his friends and then obstructed justice. And you think his story might be sketchy?

Jeff,
Stop beating around the bush and tell us how you really feel about Bill Mastro :D:D:D.

Dan--I saw Pelini was fired. It has to be tough getting rid of a guy with a 67-27 coaching record, but I think it is a good move for the program. Hopefully, the next coach will be more like the class coaches from the past (but still lose to the Badgers)

Wisconsin football? Oh yeah, they do have a decent fight song. Of course, it can't touch Michigan's. :D

Does Michigan still have a football team?

Sadly, no. Lean times in A squared.

What, nobody likes the Brady Bunch.... or is he getting to be a bit hokey for everybody....

Badgers
 

I would think that programs from the games where Nebraska has beaten Wisconsin would be quit rare and valuable. :D

What happened to Bill Mastro and his cronies? Wasn't the original topic? Was anyone here in this forum scammed by him? Supposedly he did great for the card industry.

Off the field Pelini was a good guy. Team Jack, his players all graduate, he didn't put up with outlaw behavior like some of our previous coaches. But when he got on the sideline he just lost his mind at times and it was embarrassing.

I guess we have Wisconsin to thank for helping us get rid of Pelini. Our AD cut his teeth under Barry Alvarez too. :D

I'm a U of Wisconsin alum and know that Nebraska has a far more glorious football history than Wisconsin's. Nebraska's is better than Michigan's and Ohio State's.

Educate yourself, lad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michiga...rines_football

Certainly in the last 50 years Nebraska's football history is far superior to Michigan's. Now over the last 125 years it's pretty close to even, but Michigan had an 11 year head start on Nebraska in football.