Forgeries On Ebay
 

I was curious if anyone else is still dismayed by Ebay's lack of enforcement on the forged autos? I just read Operation Bullpen and just for curiosity I searched "Angelo Marino Lithographs" and there in plain sight was an autographed Mickey Mantle the seller is trying to sell for $155! LOL. The COA is non other than the infamous "J.Dimaggio Co." the handiwork of Wayne Bray and Greg Marino. I asked the seller what the provenance of the item was and he/she got indignant with me and said it is from the JOE Dimaggio Co. After I pointed out all the facts of the case and the piece to the buyer and reported the item to Ebay THREE times there it still sits with a COA from a company Ebay itself has banned! Just for entertainment purposes only I submitted the item to PSA for a Quick Opinion and got back "likely not genuine!" Big shocker there! It is still on the page today go see for yourself! I urge any and all collectors to read "Operation Bullpen" if they haven't already. Any input is appreciated.

Operation Bullpen, for good or for bad, prevents me from ever buying a second-hand autograph of anyone...ever! The bottom line is, this is an industry that refuses to police itself. And until it does, fraud will be the norm, not the exception. Think China and India and you've pretty much got it. This website is the closest thing to a regulatory commission this hobby has. And for that, I'm grateful. But there could and should be so much more.

I'm curious: do you buy certified/slabbed autographs, or is it absolutely no second hand autographs?