This is what happens when the EMR team is disbanded on ebay
 

This beauty of a Mel Ott signature sold for $650 in early January, 2015.
The buyer had a feedback score of over 10,000!!
If the EMR team had still been in operation then no way would it have been sold. But the EMR team was costing ebay money, so ,,,,,,,
poof,,, they are gone.

As is always the case, it's about the $$...that Ott drawing is disgusting

Hate to not show sympathy, but anyone who buys a Mel Ott that looks like that, really needs the learning lesson. When they realize they got screwed, perhaps they will start doing their research before throwing money away in the future.

I agree that this is a sad and sorry situation concerning the EMR team, and that this Ott is a very bad item;however , shouldn't the buyer have some fault for not doing his due diligence prior to bidding on or purchasing this item to start with . There are endless resources available to research autographs.

BINGO. I have learned the most important thing to do is research and due diligence and not rely on a "piece of paper". I thank people on here like Richard, Jim, Chris and others who try to tell people to do that. Any clown without cataracts or fading vision can see thats not close to an Ott. So, its not just the dealer or "10000 positive" feedback

I agree 100%. It's hard to have sympathy for someone who spends that much money on ebay without doing research, but an even worse problem is the major AH's. I used to think forum members were crazy when they stated that only a small % of vintage collectors read our forum, but I now completely believe it. How else can you explain the thousands of $ people shell out on autographs in major AH's, just because they have a LOA? It's craziness. Few people here will buy a forgery, or anything that looks close to one, but they sell like hotcakes in all of the major auctions. The only way to explain it is that most of the major AH's customers don't even know we exist.

With the amount of time people spend on the internet, it's mind-boggling that people will spend thousands of dollars on crap and never run across this site first. Very weird.

Leon - why don't you advertise in the AH catalogs? (maybe you do and I haven't been looking?)

FYI guys - the MB for this was $649.99, there was only one bidder. So perhaps most other interested collectors did do their due diligence, even though the winner obviously did not.

I've been saying that for years about buyers of crap like that!!!

Step back and look at that signature again. It's beautiful! Even pressure, smooth flow, clean background. I'm serious, it's a very nice signature. Much better than I could create.

But it came with an "8x10 iconic photo", which more than makes up for it.

While it is true that it takes two to tango, my contempt for the criminal vermin forgers and distributors is far stronger than my disappointment with uneducated buyers.

I agree with you Richard. It is possible that other bidders did their research, but also maybe this was the guy Barnum had in mind when he said, I believe, " There is a sucker born every minute"

I also agree with you Scott, but I tend to believe that most collectors still put more trust into a COA from the TPAs or AHs than they do the non printed ( on a certificate ), experienced and educated opinions on this forum from seasoned collectors.

Agreed - but my point is that the people buying the bad LOA stuff from AH's probably aren't even aware of this forum.

I will agree with you there, Mr. Zipper.

Joe Bessimer said those famous words not PT.
What did Ebay get from disbanding the group. Cash, Cash and more Cash :mad:

I have rarely advertised anywhere concerning net54baseball. Just don't care to do it.

I can only imagine the sh*t-storm that would result once some of the fish started showing up over here displaying their $10,000 pieces of garbage.

Probably best you continue your non-advertising policy.

It looks as if they started a Michael Jordan forgery then changed their mind.

I don't even think the AH's would even let Leon advertise in their catalogs. They know that the experts here are 100 times better then theirs. Can you imagine how much more attention to their ineptitude that would create.

That funny Matt, it does look like the start of a bogus Jordan :)