IS this at all confusing?
 

I don't know but it took me a few minutes to figure this out. Seems a bit confusing (and maybe a bit lazy too).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1941-Play-Ba...#ht_1636wt_952


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If nothing else this will be interesting to see what people think.

I love guys who throw up roadblocks while trying to sell stuff

Burbank
 

Burbank and a few others that use stock photos made my list of "never doing business with them" vendors on my first day looking for cards when I got back in the hobby. I mean, come on, with technology today, scan the freakin card already. What is this 1978?:)

Buy it Now
 

Today's Gaibecks are tomorrow's Drum Backs.;)

What listings like this say to me is, "Hi Mr. Drum, we don't really need your business."

So if I bid on this card,it's not the card I'm gonna get.But if I ask him,he'll tel me what card I'm bidding on?? Makes sense to me!?!?

Before I got a chance to be thrown by the stock photo thing, I was thrown by the combo Beckett/GAI holder.

I love the "90% of the time, unique Jersey pieces shown in photos WILL NOT MATCH ACTUAL PRODUCT YOU WILL RECEIVE".

That is about all I need to know.

r/
Frank

Olympic Judge Grading
 

I'm sure its just a tip of the hat to the Olympics. In the Olympics you have a group of judges from different countries.

In this case its a group of graders from different companies. GAI graded the top half, Beckett the bottom half while PSA and SGC split grading chores on the back halves of the card.

You add up the grades, throw in a few style points, subtract a few deductions, convert it to a 16 point grading system and then plaster the results everywhere during the day to people that don't want to know them yet!

It's not confusing, because you know that is not the item your going to get, he also has cards listed on different auction sites simultaneously so you could end up winning the auction, but the card would have already been sold. He's smart because he got almost 45000 sales using this method.

Maybe, but he MIGHT have had 90000 sales....:D

I know, because that's only reviews he has received. But this is only as far as we definitely know.

When I was concentrating on the Topps/Bowman world I found myself stumbling on to a lot of his listings, hundreds probably. I bought none because of the stock photos. There is no feedback from me walking away with buying a thing. I know that I am not the only one to walk away:D

Click here for a recent thread on this topic

Best Regards and Happy Collecting :)
Craig

Sorry about that. I guess I just didn't remember that one. Interesting poll though. It kind of shows us that no matter what we think there will be opposing views. Kind of like trying to run this board and keep it between the lines. I have learned that even though I think something is a slam dunk it's not always that way. (not just this instance)

I'm ADD and made it thru three words of that stuff. "Next" is what my brain said.

Seller seems lazy and a bit deceitful. Why would somebody sell a baseball card online and not post a picture of the actual card? WHy would they post a picture of a card that is probably not the card that is available, have it in one company's slab and write another slabbing company's name over it?

There is no way I would ever buy whatever it is that is being sold.
JimB

You people are haters.

At first, I thought it was going to say 90% ARE the same card.

Burbankian to the core
 

If I remember correctly, this seller lists a ton of the more modern cards, where stock photos probably makes sense to some degree. Perhaps they should modify all the verbiage about stock photos on their vintage listings, because I imagine the vintage cards shown are the ones you will receive.

I vote definitely lazy, which doesn't bode well for me, as I was born and raised in Burbank.

Brian (too lazy to include my last name, but chipper enough to include all these extra words about not including my last name)

I think the Beckett logo comes from the Beckett eBay listing software that the seller uses. It's still incredibly confusing.

I was recently interested in two of their 41 playball cards recently, but before I hit the buy it now, I saw they use stock photos, I messaged them to ask for a description and still have not got back to me, the more I think about it the more I don't think I want to proceed. I really hate returning items, because I often have to eat the postage. From what I understand about this seller from seeing a thread in 2010, that they can be D***heads, and the owner is some crabby foreign guy. Not my type of people, I can't stand sellers with attitude.

I've bought multiple single cards from him, and have had no issues. I have messaged him requesting discounts on bulk items, again with no issues and he was happy to comply. I was very satisfied with what I got from him, and how fast it shipped

Guess I need my name. My name is Brent Nied.erman

Update
 

I just got this back from them as a response:

Hi,No, this is an actual photo. Our graded cards were scanned and uploaded.Thanks,

Eddie
Burbank Sportscards


So I guess some cards are stock photo others are actual photo; therefore, I change my vote that, yes, they are confusing as heck, but as long as I get what is pictured I will be alright. I will update how my purchase went. FYI just bought 41 Playball Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg BVG 2.

Fishy... fishy... run run run

They gave me free shipping for my combined orders, so that is a unexpected plus. :)

If I recall correctly, I stumbled onto some of their listings years back and there were NO scans or photos. Wasn't worth my time to delve any further so I just moved on. Haven't thought of these guys in years until this thread. They must not deal much in what I collect since I don't recall any of their items coming up in my saved Ebay searches.

Another POV
 

I've had many good dealings with Burbank. If you are looking for modern 1980+ commons to finish sets, they have everything. Too many items to scan, literally millions of commons. I've ordered from them many times. Two times I wasn't happy with a card's condition and I emailed them and they had replacements in the mail next day. No questions asked. They also ship quick and for free if you spend $50.

Would I buy an expensive vintage card from them sight unseen? Probably not, but that goes for any seller. But they fill a nice niche for many collectors, especially modern set builders. I have a good friend that's into in person autos and he loves them because they have an enormous collection of singles he can use for autos.

So they aren't lazy and their auctions aren't confusing is what you are saying?

I don't think the "stock photo" part included graded vintage. They have millions of 80s commons. Every listing has that general description. I'm sure they lose customers like that, but it's the commons that are their bread and butter anyway so I don't think they care.

I use to go to their shop all the time. It's probably one of the last shops where you could ask to see some '65 topps and get handed a 5000 count box of raw cards, not even penny sleeved, mostly NM.

They had a display case, probably 50 ft long, with vintage star cards. All Becket graded. (old Beckett, before bvg) They were in stacks by player/year. If you saw a stack of 5 cards with a 58 mantle on top, they were all the same card underneath. They also always had a case dedicated to pre-war. I've always found their prices fair.

That guy wakes up sorting cards and probably does it in his sleep too. That kind of thing doesn't happen overnight, so IMO, they're not lazy. Are they a-holes?... Yeah kinda.

There were cards made after 1969?:D

I haven't found them to be lazy in the past and I've had good service from them. Just wanted to offer that perspective. That said, clearly that auction is confusing. I've never bought a card via auction with them, only through their Beckett marketplace website. Their business model may not translate well to single card auctions. I would never bid on an auction like the one in question.

Bought 70s commons from them about 5 years ago. Great service and communication. Out of dozens of cards they sent one wrong one and immediately (and kindly) corrected.

True, it was stock photos but the cards were in conditions stated. I think it would be cost prohibitive to scan all these cheap cards. I can certainly appreciate not being able to view the card you are buying but that is just their business model (not lazy imo) and doubt they will change. It works best for more recent commons--wouldn't take a chance with a high priced item.

I would add that the above listing is confusing--if they are using stock photos for slabbed/prewar then I would see that as a problem.

Me to, my eyes glazed over somewhere in the middle of the second line......

125,000
 

Over 125,000 cards listed and you guys want individual scans of every one?! :D Prior to some of the ebay listing fee changes, I believe he had literally millions of card listings. Just not feasible to scan them all.

I know the owner well, and this shop has the largest organized inventory in the world. That being said, it tends to be mostly post-war so it might not be the seller for this board (although they certainly do have some pre-war). However, very trustworthy if you do choose to buy from Burbank.

My problem with the poll--
 

Granted, the listing is confusing.

But I wouldn't presume to say that the seller is smart or lazy [which is why I can't answer the poll]; it seems to me that there are too many other possibilities exclusive of smart or lazy.

They don't use actual scans but seem to have a "stock photo" of the exact card they are selling, exact grade by the correct TPG, doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Personally, I would never buy a card from someone that was posting something you wouldn't receive. Ordinarily, I'd say the sellers motivation would have to be to deceive but too many other posters here have had good/decent experiences with the seller to counter that argument.

Speaking as a guy who has been in hundreds of different card store all over the country back in the days when they were everywhere, Burbank used to be in my top three or four. There was a great place in Denver, another in Grand Rapids and my other favorite was in St Louis. There were dozens of cool stores scattered all over, but Burbank was very near, if not at, the top of the heap, back when they were at their previous location, and it was possible to look thru cards by hand. Then they moved, threw everything on the computer and asked the customer to use a computer to "search" for cards, and they would bring them out to you. As a variation collector, they made it clear to me that my business was not worth their time.

Oh well.

They were the place that I bought all of my supplies, and a good amount of cards, but no more.

I'm confident that many cards I need are sitting in their "Raiders Of The Lost Arc" warehouse, and I'm sure some day they will sell them. But, it won't be to me. I'm happy to continue my searching and occasional purchases with people and businesses who want me money.

Doug

I got my purchases this weekend from them, and I am satisfied, I got what was pictured and they shipped fast. Here are the pics after I got them and here are the listings for comparison.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310419928331

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140820297961