Do you some of you guys even ENJOY collecting?!!
It sounds like a stupid question, but after reading a few pages of this thread, I have to wonder if some of you are truly getting any enjoyment out of this hobby.
With regards to Brent, I have both consigned and won cards from his auctions, and have been satisfied with both. None of the cards I've consigned with him look like they were altered in any way. In fact, I recently consigned a 55 Topps Jackie Robinson PSA 8--very nice card, no doubt, but there was a small black print mark on his chin that is noticeable. When the auction went live, guess what? The print mark was still there. It had not been altered.
As far as prices goes, yes, his auctions usually command premium prices. But so do high-end AH's like REA, Mile High, or Memory Lane, and he has high-end material every month that in many cases can match them, so not only are his auctions going to attract more buyers, but more buyers with deeper pockets.
Does any of this prove he's 100% not a cheat? No, it doesn't. We both live in the SF Bay area, and I did have the chance to meet Brent and his wife once while dropping off a consignment, and both of them seem like down-to-earth, level-headed people... But who knows? They could really be Bonnie and Clyde...lol
What I do know is this: if you spend the majority of your time and energy worrying and complaining about the hobby, what good is it to even be in the hobby in the first place? I'm sure most of you are well-intentioned in trying to preserve the integrity of the hobby, and I commend you for that, but don't let in consume you to the point it no longer becomes fun.
Sorry to chime in--just giving my two cents worth. I'm going to get back to what I love doing--admiring my T3 Turkey Reds. Peace, guys! And enjoy your collections!
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