Veterans Investment Group
 

Anybody ever heard of them?

From their eBay store: "The creation of Veterans Investment Group is intended to help Veterans realize the potential in diversifying assets for long and short term investment purposes by purchasing, collecting, and eventually selling sports cards. The sports cards that are listed in this eBay Store belong to a number of Vets from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom most of whom have been wounded in combat action. Honor, Commitment, Integrity, Dedication are just a few terms that are synonymous with the Marine Corps. As Marines those values that we embrace are more than words; they are a code that we live by. Our promise to you is to Honor our agreement! Our Commitment to you is to provide you with the best service possible! Our Integrity is passed on to you through honesty and morally conducting business in the most upright fashion! Our Dedication is to hold true to what we say and do while conducting business with you. We thank you for your support and patronage. Semper Fi! Joe"

http://www.ebay.com/sch/veterans_inv...p2047675.l2562

I hope the people who served our country have better ways to safeguard their money than this.

A lot of these programs are scams. I have been approached by a few to many to count. All I can say is do a lot of digging and research before ever investing in any of them

If anybody is considering doing business with these folks please drop me a pm. Thanks.

As a Marine and one of the men he refers to, I can only hope that he's the real deal. Will see what I can find out. Messing with the Corps and not being legit is always a bad move. There are a lot of frauds, but also a lot of passionate people helping vets so I will hold out some hope.

Hum... They have a '70 Reggie Jackson PSA 9 for sale.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-Topps-R...QAAOSwc1FXYMcr

The cert is the the same as one sold in January to i***1. The corners look different and the flip is missing an "i" in Reggie. But the one sold in January has sharp corners and the "i" is there. Interesting.....

I'm throwing the yellow flag with this seller.

I don't blame you. Can you remember if your card back was as off centre as this one is?

The missing "i" is something I can't see PSA missing/doing, but maybe similar stories exist?

I did buy a '70 PSA 9 Jackson this year, but neither of these (assuming these are two different cards with the same flip/cert). The one sold in January, that has this same cert number as this one for sale now, is sharp, and a card I would go after. But it doesn't appear to be the same card in the current sale.

I only saw this card because of this thread. I wanted to get a better look at it so I went to VCP and quickly found a prior sale for this same card. Corners are night and day different. And of course, the flip is missing and "i" in Reggie on one of them.

I'm now bringing out the red-card for an ejection.

Red all the way now for sure!

Sucks for this Veteran Group if they are on the up and up and got sucked into purchasing that card?
Hope it's not the other way around, especially if Veterans reply/depend on this Veterans Group group.

Three iron-clad indicators of eBay scams:

1. Invokes God

2. Claims to be selling for charity no one has heard of

3. Ohio domiciliary

See any of those three, follow Sir Robin's advice: Run away!

I support local charities...ones I can serve in person - that's the safest way (IMO)

Wonder if this one was legit.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-Topps-H...p2047675.l2557

Hope so, that is a great looking card.

Ink Running On Flip !!!
 

....home-made on his printer ??

..

I couldn't tell if the ink was running or if it was some type of scanner issue. The more I look at it, the more it looks like the ink is smeared. Even the bar code doesn't line up straight.

I have told at least 5 people in private messages what transpired with these folks this week with my eBay sale. I was going to keep it a private matter but this appears to be a snowball running downhill now.

I was selling a 49 Leaf Paige PSA 3 on eBay. Obviously a high ticket item. Decided to sell it to defray costs on some other purchases. They were the high bidder for 4 or 5 days at something like $11,300. About two hours before the auction was set to close midday Wednesday I get an email saying "please cancel our bid. Nice card but we don't have the money to pay for it." Obviously this could have caused me real problems. I did cancel it after considering for a while, and the winning bid moved up anyway.

Could this be an honest mistake in assessing the cash flow needs of a new investment group. I guess so. I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt having no prior experience. Sht happens as they say. However I won't do business with them in the future.

I hope they are well intentioned and on the up and up about the military service. There a place in hell for scumbags who deceive others about their service (particularly for commercial purposes).

Likely all the cards are frauds. 626 is Pasadena. Conveniently close to Mexico.

I've never seen a genuine PSA flip streak like that.

Veterans Investment Group
 

Good afternoon,

This thread was just brought to my attention by a buddy of mine out of concern for my reputation and the reputation of my eBay account Veterans_Investment_Group.

I'd like to put to rest some of the concerns that have been brought up by members of this thread in hopes that it may shed some light and transparency to my account and Veterans Investment Group.

First off let me introduce myself, my name is Joe and I do live in Los Angeles, California...more specifically Pasadena, California. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps from March, 2001 to May, 2005 and was Honorably Discharged upon completion of my Inactive Reserve Duty.

My deployment's included (2) Operation Enduring Freedom Tours and (1) Operation Iraqi Freedom Tour as part Operation Phantom Fury "Al Fajr" in Fallujah, Iraq (2004-2005) where I was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat action.

Veterans Investment Group as mentioned in my eBay store is quite simply put a group of vets who have pooled funds together and invested in sports cards. All of the cards that have been previously listed, that are listed now, and that will be listed in the future are cards that we have either purchased or have traded for.

I'd like to add that in no way are we a registered not for profit organization nor are we a registered charity organization, and if I am not mistaken there is no statement or phrase in my eBay store that states or alludes to the contrary. Misleading or deceiving buyers is not a practice that anyone associated with Veterans Investment Group have nor will they ever engage in.

We are just veterans that have invested money into sports cards of various eras as a form of investment outside of conventional stocks, IRA's, Savings Accounts and the like.

There was an instance where I was bidding on an item listed by Snapolit1 that I requested for him to cancel my high bid, this was a miscalculation of funds on my part at that time which prompted me to cancel the bid and I accept full responsibility for that.

I'd also like to address the cards that were previously listed and had old PSA flips which were questionable. These cards were cards that one veteran owned for many years, some of which were received in trade prior to the large influx of counterfeit cards coming to market. Those cards have either been newly encapsulated or have been sold as is with a 100% return policy guarantee.

One advantage of living in Pasadena, CA is that I am very close to PSA and can very easily have cards re-holdered if there is any question as to the authenticity or legitimacy of the card.

It has become quite clear to me that given my low feedback despite being 100% positive coupled with my eBay ID: Veterans_Investment_Group referencing military, investment, and group; some collector's have decided that 1. my eBay account is a scam and 2. the cards that I am listing are not legitimate.

In hopes of "clearing" my name and addressing the concerns in this thread, I encourage ANYONE who has any questions about me, Veterans Investment Group, or the cards that we own to reach out to me directly and verify our bonafides.

Lastly, we do deal in some very valuable cards and we understand that there are a lot of scammers, counterfeit cards, and "fake" encapsulations floating around, therefore we encourage everyone to do their due diligence and put our cards to the test. We will go out of our way to authenticate or re-encapsulate ANY card that raises ANY doubt or "Red Flags" in a buyers mind.

Semper Fi!
Joe
Sgt./USMC Ret.

Welcome to the boards Joe and if your story is true, I want to send my deepest respect and gratitude.

IMO, there are a couple things you can to do earn the trust of the collecting community. First, what is your last name, and second, address the apparent discrepancy of the '70 Reggie Jackson as described in this thread.

Veterans Group
 

I've purchased a very high end card with this seller.
Buying from Joe was a very easy transaction and I would certainly buy again from him.
In fact, I always get my old holders reholdered because I too have had concerns with fakes in PSA holders. The card I purchased from Joe needed to be reholdered so I sent it into PSA and had no issue whatsoever.
Joe, you are a first class eBay seller.
I also agree that eBay is flawed a bit, someone like Joe who sells $5,000 plus cards with not grow his feedback at the same pace as someone selling $25 dollar cards. I've always said that eBay needs to correct that. It's really not fair.

Good afternoon,

Unfortunately I am unable to upload high definition scans of the '70 Jackson PSA 9 that I have scans of due to size restrictions but I was able to look at the January sale that you referenced.

The card that I had has since been sold, but the card that you mentioned in January is the same card that I scanned. The buyer of the card in January is the same seller that I listed the card for.

The cards are identical, different scanners but identical cards...I will say that for some reason when I scanned some of the cards in the past the "I" was deleted from the scan, mostly in "MINT" but clearly in the "Reggie" as well which I did not notice.

I have since gotten a new scanner and have not encountered that problem since. Hopefully this sheds some light on the issue that you have brought to the attention of this board.

Semper Fi!
Joe

John,

First, thank you for your appreciation and gratitude...second, everything that I have previously stated about myself and Veterans Investment Group is a fact and I take allegations of "Stolen Valor" very seriously.

I'm typically not the type of person to broadcast my personal information on a public thread, if anyone would like to contact me directly via PM or the phone number provided in any of my eBay listings I would welcome the introduction.

I have also attempted to address the '70 Reggie Jackson concerns in a reply to the OP.

Semper Fi!
Joe

You a have a Mario Lemieux PSA 9 for sale. With mention of a potentail PSA 10 in the title. If you think so why not resend to maximize your "investment"? What is your last name?

Good afternoon,

As a collector you must realize that while a card has the potential for a grade bump, grading is subjective and it is ultimately up to the grader who is reviewing the card whether it will receive it or not.

It is not feasible to send every card that I list to PSA/SGC/BGS/BVG for a potential grade bump, that is why I reference in my opinion that a card has the potential for a bump so that the buyer can submit the card if he chooses to and reap the benefits/rewards of getting it.

If he/she does not get the bump, that does not necessarily mean that the card was overstated or non-deserving of the bump; it is simply the politics of the grading company. The "review game" is something that I rarely partake in.

Regarding my last name, I addressed that in a previous thread but I will also address it here. I am not in the habit of posting my personal information on a public thread, if you or anyone else would like a proper introduction feel free to contact me via PM or the phone number provided in any of my eBay listings.

Semper Fi!
Joe

If I was defending myself I would probably put my full name next to my statement, without even getting into board rules.

Good afternoon,

Leon, to be perfectly honest with you...I am addressing the concerns brought up in this thread adequately. Not giving my personal information has nothing to do with board rules, it is simply my choice.

As far as defending goes, I really have nothing to defend...I am writing on this thread as a courtesy. I have done absolutely nothing wrong that requires "defending" therefore it is purely out of choice.

Semper Fi!
Joe

I am not accusing you of anything, but try and look at this through a potential buyer's eyes. If you stand behind everything and are completely above board why WOULDN'T you want your name out there? Many users of these boards alter letters (use a "3" for an "E" or an "@" for an "a") so they can't be searched and spammed or trolled or whatever else people worry might happen to them. Frankly I want my name on all my posts. I feel it instills confidence in my buyers and anyone else with whom I do business who are members here.

What Scott said
 

+1. Obviously I am not trying to hide who I am.

+2. As long as no opinions are given of other people or companies then all is good. IF "Joe" does those things (gives opinions), or gets into any heated debates, his full name will be in his post. Semper Fi.....(0352 - '79-'82)

++
And my name is T:eek:m.

Saw this thread and felt I needed to post. Joe does not know I am on this board nor does he know I am making this post. I know this board has seen its share of clowns and the hobby has seen endless amounts of scammers so I understand people’s skepticism when someone like Joe pops up but Joe happens to be a friend of mine (hi Joe…I know I owe you a call) and I can tell you he is anything but a clown or a scammer. One conversation with him and you will know he is a passionate, incredibly friendly and genuine guy who does not have a single bad intention.

Joe jumped into the hobby full speed ahead and not too long ago and hit the ground running. Most, if not all, of the high profile dealers and houses know him as does PSA and pretty sure SGC does as well. If people want to offer constructive criticism I know he would greatly appreciate it otherwise cut the guy a little slack and save the interrogation for someone who has earned it. This is a man who served our country and risked his life protecting us. I think he deserves and is entitled to much better treatment than he has gotten so far.

Agreed. Joe is a great guy and definitely deserves better treatment than he has gotten so far.

I know Joe personally and he is a stand up guy.

-Nick

Good morning,

To the gentlemen who know me and have come to my defense, it is greatly appreciated and truly a stand up thing to do; you all have my sincerest gratitude!

Those of you who have never spoken to me or have never done business with me, I would encourage you to reach out at some point and do so before passing judgement.

There is clearly a reason that I will not and do not publish my personal information on public blogs, should you take the time to get to know me as John, Greg, and Nick have done; I believe you will understand that reason.

In the short time that I have been active in the hobby I have come to realize that there are an obscene amount of scammers and this hobby is plagued by them.

Fortunately I have met some great folks who have helped me along the way and guided me towards making good decisions and staying away from the undesirables.

Semper Fi!
Joe

Having good guys vouch for you should address any reasonable concerns.

Welcome to the forum Joe. You made it through the forum's hazing process and now you are initiated. Hope you decide to spend some time on here. Glad to have you.

Rob M.

Rob,

Thank you for the "warm" welcome, it is easy for people to be TOUGH and haze in a blog thread...fortunately this is not the "real world" otherwise the conversation would have likely taken on a different tone and went in a different direction.

As much as it pains me to credit the hazers, I understand that this hobby is filled with folks who's sole goal is to manipulate and defraud collector's so the vetting process here and elsewhere is somewhat warranted.

Look forward to getting to know and doing business with some of you guys in the future.

Semper Fi!
Joe

I think the main reason people questioned your account on eBay was because the first couple of cards you/your team bought seemed to be awful investments, and they were worried that you were going to bankrupt a military charity. The pattern of buying and selling seemed schizophrenic and from a low feedback eBay seller buying and selling cards with such high values, it really looked like a scam.
Glad to know you've joined our board. Welcome!

I consider my words quite carefully, and make a very concerted effort to comport myself the same online as I would in person. I think I was very respectful and businesslike in my message. I made no accusations and certainly didn't question anyone's integrity even by implication. My tone if you and I, Joe, were standing two feet from each other, would not have changed one iota. I merely was asking you to look at the situation from the perspective of someone who DOESN'T know you, which I think to some degree you have done.

I'll take your word for it that there is some reason you can't share your full name (though why you insist on calling it your "personal information" is beyond me) and the fact that you have long-time reputable members standing up for you obviously means a lot. I wish you the best of luck in your hobby endeavors

Well, Joe, I think you'd face the same reactions face to face as here. As a professional cynic (attorney) and amateur misanthrope I want to explain to you why I read an intro like yours on eBay and the alarm bells go off immediately.

First of all there are the myriad fraud and scam sellers who cloak their activities in asinine stories about grampy's attic find that is always a Wagner or Lajoie yet never a Clyde Klutz. They have no hobby credibility and no eBay experience yet they expect big money from people they don't know. An auction house called Coaches Corner built its entire business on defrauding the gullible with big ticket fake autographs.

Then there are the sellers who sell fake stuff with the tag line God Bless. Never seen one yet invoking the Lord in commerce who wasn't a crook.

Finally there are the sellers who cloak their commerce in charity or service to country. That is how you came across on eBay.

You are a vet. Good for you. A grateful nation salutes your service in many ways and contexts. Using your status as an effort to bypass developing real credibility on eBay or in the hobby doesn't play for many here who are too polite or afraid of self-righteous backlash to say it outright. I have no such qualms. In the context of an eBay seller, I don't care what you did or did not do: I don't know you and your accomplishments outside the hobby are irrelevant, unprovable and anonymous, especially when you are asking strangers for money. I've seen and sued too many con artists to take what you or anyone else says on its face before handing over the cheddar. You may not have considered this but your marketing appears to many to be a crass effort to monetize your military service.

Please consider the above in the context of an open and frank discussion of the reaction your eBay listings provoked.

+1. I appreciate vets and thank them. I don't like seeing it monetized as a business factor. My dad was a vet and a hero police officer and he was the last person to mention either of them. And my alarm bells go off real high when someone wants to use veteran status for some commercial or as a prestige factor and then refuses to provide their real name like most people on this board have. My experience in life is that the true heroes are people who never bring it up, and the people who bring it it up nonstop are more often than not working some kind of angle.
Joe could be a real nice guy and a good guy to deal with and the veteran thing could still be a complete crock. Guess no one will know any more than that.

Hey joe,

i totally understand the reason for this thread as your a "new" seller, selling high end cards with a ebay name a scammer would love to use.

But having respected members of net54 vouch for you is good enough for me.

Welcome to the board, hope to see you post in other threads besides this one lol

Thanks for your service

Perhaps instead of speculating that what Joe says could be a "crock" you could have taken him up on his invitation to message him (or call him) and make a more informed judgment (post 23). I did, and I believe him to be exactly who he says he is.

As for the propriety of mentioning his military background and the nature of his group, that's an individual judgment call, but personally I am willing to give a veteran the benefit of the doubt and I certainly would not impugn his motive.

Speak for yourself when you state, "Guess no one will know any more than that." There are many who know that Joe is totally on the up and up. And Joe did provide his real name. I assume you are implying that somehow he would have been more legit if he had provided a last name, which is not an obligation in order to post here. I know our minds tend to gravitate to the worst possible scenario but most of us are civilians and have not served in the military. Think for a moment that there might possibly be other reasons why Joe does not want to put his last name all over the internet. And As Peter suggested, you could have taken a few minutes to contact Joe directly which in all likelihood would have resolved your concerns. I know it is a lot more fun to speculate and act on those speculations but you invested enough time reading, following and contributing to the post, what harm would it be to make a quick call?

All veterans are heroes for sacrificing part(s) of their lives for this country. Lots of veterans wear their veteran hats in public, all of the time, because they are proud of their service. Are they working some kind of angle? Maybe Joe is stating that he's a veteran because he's proud of his service. Maybe he knows that some people simply like to promote/donate to/help veteran-operated organizations. I don't think that's a bad thing, as long as there is proof of the donations being used properly.

I don't mind a veteran using their military service to promote something. I mind a company using "patriotism" to promote/sell something. There's a difference.

Throughout this thread, Joe has been vouched for by some great members. Along with that, he's extended the offer for people to reach out to him directly with any concerns, questions, etc.That is pretty respectable in my eyes.

Joe, thank you very much for your service. God Bless you, yours, and America.

Joe and I traded messages today and his was very informative and civil. I really appreciated it. I confess I'm suspicious of people's motives when I hear them coming out of the box with testimonials to things like military record of service, but perhaps in the realms Joe operates in that is not unusual at all. I appreciated his message and based on what he told me wouldn't hesitate to do business with him.

Perhaps the wisest thing I heard this year was uttered by some retired DC politician (believe it or not). He was reflecting on a career in government and he said one thing he always cautions people about it is "judge someone by their actions . . . by what they do . . . don't judge them by what you think their motives were. Because you maybe totally 100% wrong in why you think someone acted the way they did." I've thought of that often and it's really true. Signed, Trying to be a better person in 2017.

I wish you the best Joe, thanks for your service.

You guys might consider changing the name and re-branding though. If I had never seen this thread, I would just see the name and assume it was a scammer's account (based on the name and low feedback). It's unfortunate that so many scammers have used military and religious taglines, but they have kind of poisoned the well in that regard. Of course once you build a solid reputation, first impressions will be less of an issue.

I have had some lengthy PM's and emails with Joe over a possible deal recently. He is pretty quick and responsive. I cant vouch for any sales, but seems to be a cool dude.

Chris, thank you for the kind words bud...much appreciated. Down the road I am sure we will be able to get something locked in.

To all of the Net54Baseball community, Happy Holiday's to you and your's!

Semper Fi!
Joe

There is a BST section on this forum. It is free so you could lower your prices from eBay and still put the same amount of $ in your pocket.

I do agree with others about changing your eBay name. Any time I see anything about a charity, military service, or religion I don't just walk away I run. I understand you are not a scammer but most are that claim being associated with the military. Good luck and welcome to the forum.:)