Delusional sellers
 

There is a gentleman who recently started listing a lot of T206s on eBay, none ever having a scan of the back. Since what I am interested in only shows up on the back, I contacted him to ask if he had any that might have Howe's stamp on the back. Right away, I hear back that yes, he has one left with the stamp after having sold at least 20 or 30 on eBay in the last couple of days that I must have missed. I asked for a scan, just to make sure it was what I was looking for, and asked if he would be listing or wanted to sell direct. He sent the scan, and asked for my best offer. Humm, common card, rounded corners, off center and with a rubber stamp on the back. I offered $50 and waited to hear back. I waited three weeks until today, when he responds that I must be crazy, they are selling in much worse condition on eBay right now for over $200. He provides a link and sure enough, there is one, with a BIN at $199, that has gone unsold for several listings. He claims his card is at least better than a 3, and there is no way he can sell for less than $200. Looking at completed listings, there was a SGC 7 that sold for $150 about a month ago, and none of any grade that have sold for over $60 in the last 90 days.

Reminds me of a young gentleman who contacted me about four years ago who had a Howe stamped card. He originally asked for $75, and I countered with $35. Then the stories started. He had gotten the card from an elderly gentleman in his apartment complex who was the son of Howe McCormick, and he couldn't part with it for less than $400. Then I was told he was the grandson of Howe McCormick, and he had two complete sets of T206s that his grandfather had collected, one with the ultra rare Red Hindu-backed Demmitt/St. Louis variation. He would only sell if I bought both sets for a total of $1.4 million.

Sent him several website addresses detailing fakes in the set, such as a Red Hindu backed Demmitt that couldn't exist, and PDFs including Howe's birth records, marriage license and listing of his only child from various census reports. Showed him that his mother died in 1981, which would mean if he was born the year she died at age 55, he was eight years older than he claimed to be and since Howe's daughter had never married, asked if he was indeed the bastard grandson of Howe.

About a week later, I got an email offering to sell the card for $20. Took a chance, and he did send it after about a four month wait.

I can't believe it is just me, so please share any stories of people who have a card you would like to purchase, but are just too nuts to deal with.

There are too many sellers on eBay that don't take pictures of the back.

Just last week I was looking at a T206 Delehanty portrait and there was no mention of the type of back. It wasn't in the title or the description. The BIN OBO auction had been going on for a few days, so I e-mail the seller and ask him to post the back pic; then 15 minutes later he e-mails me back having updated the listing. It was a Tolstoi back.

Not a big deal, but clearly an important omission.

Some years ago, after paying for a card that I had won on EBay, waiting several weeks for its arrival and getting no responses to my inquiring emails to the seller, I left him negative feedback. That evoked an immediate response. Seems his fiance had been in the hospital and his partner had been screwing up the shipping (as he had sold maybe a half dozen small ticket cards in the several months that had elapsed in the year, why a partner was necessary, I don't know, but that's another issue). Anyway, he apologized for the delay and said he would send along the card when I had removed the neg. I (more or less) patiently explained that since the reason for the neg was that I had not received the card, to remove the neg while still not having received the card, would make me something of a moron. Impressed by my logic, he sent the card along, but it's hard to forget when someone attempts to play you for such a schnuck.

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I bought two raw T206's around 2009-2010 with no back scan, separate auctions, both with Piedmont factory 42 backs. I probably bought 10-20 t206 raw commons during that time total. I think I remember one of the players (Reulbach I think), not sure about the other, but I have old scans somewhere.

So it could be to their advantage to add back scans

Is that a cross between a "shnook" and a "schmuck"?

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Speaking of back scans. Has anybody ever run across a decent two sided (duplex) flatbed scanner that doesn't cost a mint.

2 sided document scanners seem to be pretty common.

It would save a lot of work, but the price point I've seen on flatbeds seems a bit ridiculous.

if the scans are on your computer (usually in "my documents") then while you are posting you look below this white box and there is a little tab that says "manage attachments"....click on it and then you will click on another box that says "choose file"....then you choose your scan and upload it.....it's not difficult. There is a testing forum to try it out too....that forum is in the Postwar cards and Watercooler talk section.

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evers
 

Nice Score!

How I do it?
 

Scan the front, scan the back and then I create a collage (CD square) with Picasa, trim and then I have both front and back in a single image. Once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take that long, then you have the image forever. I pick a background color to compliment each card individually. Example courtesy of Iggy

Actually was meant to be "schmuck". I'll just consider "schnuck" my own neologism. Has a nice ring to it. No? :D

Thanks Iggy. I already scan fronts and backs of most items. Just looking for something to cut down the time involved. It adds up when you're doing 30-60 items at a time and have to readjust, pre-scan and crop every side you work on.

when I was scanning multiple items, I'd make a couple of marks on the glass with a grease pencil to mark where the corners should go and then just place one card after another onto that same spot with great results. Just preview scan one time, adjust the scanning to only scan inside of the marks. No need to readjust for every card, just place inside of the white corner marks and press scan. Helped me cut down a bit of time. Then when finished, just wipe the marks away with a clean tissue.

Similar idea: I used white-out to put a couple of tick-marks at the near corner of the scanner bed so that, if I line a card, photo, or other rectangular item up with those ticks, I get a 1/2" margin on those sides from the scan. That way, whenever I'm scanning anything rectangular, I just have to measure the dimensions (using a tape I have adhered to the edge of my desk) and add 1" to each, so that when I scan I get the full item with a 1/2" margin all the way around. Adding the margin also accounts for any slight misalignment of the item being scanned without unintentionally cropping off the corners.

That said though, I too would love to see an affordable flatbed duplex scanner (one that doesn't suck the item into its jaws for inevitable destruction with a sickening wrinkling/wadding/crunching sound as it snags on some internal wheel or gear). No matter how quick you are with combining separate front-back scans or doing any other adjustments, the first time you work with several thousand of anything that needs to be scanned, you will be looking for anything you can do to cut out unnecessary steps, even ones as simple as raising the lid and flipping the piece over.

Baker backs
 

Not to derail the thread but trying to find out what MK or stamps are on the back is almost impossible when the sellers refuse to list a back. It's frustrating. Shameless plug, looking for any and all F.F. Baker stamped backs. :)

There are a couple Bakers on eBay right now, Joe
 

Just saw them upon my return while looking for Howe's stamps. No mention of the stamp in description, but there are back scans. Listed within the last 24 hours. Good luck.