2018 vs 2019 scandal stats...
 

So everyone, in 2018 most memorable hobby scandals that comes to mind is Candiman and the T-205 guy who was making cards in those T205 - Topps holders. Vintage on T-206 card fake autos...

So far in 2019 we have - Joltin Joe, The Dallas trimmers - on the other forum. Fake Jeter and other star auto's being pedaled in northeast on unsigned blanks from card companies....

Did I miss any memorable ones?

Is it me or is 2019 going to have way more scandals come to light? Its only March! :(:(:(

On the bright side we have not had as many shill bidding treads/accusations so far this year. I think it is because of 2 main reasons. 1) most shill bidders have changed how they do it. Looking for bid retractions doesn't work anymore. 2) more people are accepting it as people using it as a hidden reserve. I have seen this excuse used by many that have been caught doing it.

There are some sharp folks out there hunting down the scammers from the comfort of their own living room. I would not be surprised to see more busts this year than last.

New sport
 

I think we are all much better for the increasingly popular sport that has taken root here on Net54 - finding these scams via comparing cards slabbed and sold at auction and then re-slabbed and re-offered at auction. It's good that we have this sort of member who acts as "neighborhood watch" to perform citizens' arrests. It's also quite depressing to think of what it means to all of the slabbed and raw cards I have bought for my collection over the years.

Tony

The T206 autograph debacle was huge, so I'd say 2019 still has some catching up to do.

2018 opened the door for people to question the things on front of them that should be 100% ok. 2019 is off to an unfortunate start and I also believe there is more coming. This type of news hasn’t hit the hobby in general so I doubt that much of the collector base is aware. Most still don’t know about the T card autos. If they were - collector confidence would be shattered. If/when it gets out that the TPG are grading trimmed cards or that your “certified” Topps or Upper Deck Card is counterfeit or your tpg Auto is fake then people are not going to know what’s real and what isn’t.

I had a group of beautiful 1967 Topps cards graded and sold them last month - most between 7 and 9. They all came from PSA to me in new holders with almost sequential serial numbers. I did get a few questions about “this looks like it was opened”, “it looks like your 8 has a crease”. Questions you wouldn’t have gotten a year or 2 ago. So a few collectors are starting to question things. If this becomes widespread panic then people are just going to stop buying because they don’t know what they can trust.

In 2019 I predict that some prominent names in the hobby will become implicated/found to be guilty of nefarious behavior.

In other news, the sun rose, the sky is blue, and the food at the National will be abysmal.

au contraire punchy...I hear gordon ramsey is catering the national this year!!!!

Pete,

Check your spectacles. It was listed as "Gordon, Ramsey". ;)
Though the 'comma' could just be a variation. :cool:

ramsey gordon will be offering upside down cake

You forgot too expensive for the food

Then it will also be expensive.