[ctownboy]

Joe,

What you do is copy this thread and then take it to the manager or owner the next time the flea market is open. If the dealer is there with the same pieces at the same prices, you show him the copy of this thread.

That way they BOTH know that YOU know his pieces are fake and worthless. If the dealer doesn't remove the pieces or reduce the prices and list them as repros then you know the dealer is not to be trusted.

If the owner or manager doesn't make sure the dealer removes the pieces or sees that he marks them as repros then you know THEY are also not to be trusted.

In the early 1990's, I was at a flea market and there was a guy who was selling boxes of football cards for less than what you would expect them to sell for. I had some stuff (nothing great) that I was looking to sell or trade and he was VERY interested. He looked at my stuff and offered me a couple of these unopened boxes of football cards in trade.

Now, these football cards weren't that great BUT they at least gave me a chance to possibly get a rookie or insert card or whatever that MIGHT be something valuable that I could sell. So, I made the trade.

I took the boxes home and started opening the packs. Lo and behold, there were NO star players (or rookies or inserts) in these packs. Also, some of the packs didn't have as many cards in them as they were supposed to.

When I looked closer at these "unopened" packs, I saw that there was glue at the areas where they were originally sealed. Also, they smelled like model glue. So, I knew right then and there that the guy had opened these packs, took the good cards out and was selling them individually and then was pawning off the boxes of "unopened" packs (which were full of nothing but commons) for whatever he could get.

Even though it was a long drive back to the flea market, I went back the next day. I confronted the dealer and told him what I knew and that I was going to give him his boxes back and that I wanted my cards that I had traded him.

He denied doing anything wrong and said that he didn't have the cards I traded him. So I made a HUGE scene. I was yelling that this guy ripped me off and that you could still see and smell the glue on the packs that I hadn't opened.

The manager of the flea market (with security) came over to see what was going on. I explained the situation to him and he asked the dealer if this was true. The dealer himmed and hawed around. So, with that, the manager told him to pack up his stuff and get out. He then apologized to me and told me that that guy was not going to be allowed back at his flea market.

I don't know if that happened because I never went back to that flea market. But, at least, I caused a scene and that dealer was exposed as a scam artist and was booted out that day and lost whatever sales he might have had.

David