Somebody owes the people who got ripped off an explanation, whether it be the FBI, auction houses, grading companies or all of the above.
I'm angry about this, and with SGC. I had a pretty disturbing encounter with a grader from SGC on 11/5/18 which I wrote about on net54 -
[I]" I'm curious to know if any fellow net54 members have experienced similar issues dealing with SGC?
[I][I]
While attending Boston's 2018 Shriners Show, I went to SGC to get this 1921 National Caramel card that once belonged to Buck Barker authenticated. I had several letters of Buck's with me for verification. The kid next to me said that that was an option that could be done. However, the conversation went down hill from there because the guy next to him told me the exact opposite -that they don't authenticate cards like this -despite corroborating evidence like other known cards and a letter Barker wrote to Walt Corson for comparison. The guy told me that they don't do handwriting analysis and that any corroborating material has to come from family members. Say what? Carter's card came directly from Doug Allen.
I then showed him a card they graded from Lionel Carter's collection and asked him when that card was sent in (2-15-07). I asked him who sent it in and he said it was an auction house, that it wasn't Carter himself. They refused to tell me who the auction house was but I already knew. It was Bill Mastro and Doug Allen, and there is video of that by both men on youtube...so why at this point be evasive?
Is SGC favoring auction houses over dealers and schmucks such as myself (a question SGC refused to answer when I asked)? How much money is going in to the these grading companies from the auction houses in order to receive preferential treatment?
If I was at an auction house, then they would grade it? The grader at SGC said I needed evidence and I showed it to him and he still refused. Is the auction house's expertise any better or worse than mine? This sounds like it's pay to play and the auction houses send these grading companies a shit load of money. How is this a level playing field? I left so bullshit that I ate not one, but two of those lousy hotdogs at the concession stand!
If you haven't seen these threads yet, I suggest that you do so. I also suggest that we start cleaning up this hobby fast and start holding people accountable. As I am to understand, Bill Mastro and company signed an agreement through his lawyers that he's never to do business again in the hobby.
To put it mildly, I wasn't thrilled by many of the responses to my thread about this, but unfortunately I feel a little vindicated. This isn't something to feel good about and I know how much money is involved which is why some dealers are willing to look the other way. It's only when you screw over the wrong person that change starts to come.
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...=1#post1830616
In my opinion, not enough people question these companies practices. In the above case, I gave them letters from Buck Barker to another collector and the guy said that they didn't do handwriting analysis...what is autograph authentication if not handwriting analysis? This is probably why they're not in that business anymore and why so many forged T206 autographs "apparently slipped" through their fingers.
I asked him point blank if auction houses get preferential treatment? In my opinion the man felt pretty comfortable lying to my face until I showed him the evidence and then he tried to throw me out of the building when I raised my concerns.
Now on a much larger scale, they were authenticating cards by either A) what was legit or B) Looking the other way from what I mentioned above or C) The forgers had someone on the inside or paying someone off.
This "Hobby" needs to be cleaned up and collectors need to take a good look in the mirror if they want this Hobby to remain viable in the 21st Century. As I see it, its not like millennials are getting into vintage cards these days. Theres way too much money floating around and tied up for collectors to want to get this cleaned up until something like PWCC happens and the FBI sends out subpoenas...when that shoe hits the ground, it's going to force all of us to take a step back and analyse what is going on and what needs to change to remain a viable hobby.