Posted By:
Plastic DogPete,
Of course it was a screw-up. I'm not trying to justify what happened - no way this lot should have made it into the auction. But previous posts by MW were making it sound like Mastro doesn't know how to authenticate a bat. Maybe so, but I doubt it. I can't imaging that 3 experienced people looked at the thing and thought it was real (with the English "gamer" etc.) I think the thing just never really got authenticated. That poses a whole different set of concerns, like how many other lots have slipped through in the past without full scrutiny? But like I said, I would really like to know if they discovered the error internally and took corrective action, or whether this was brought to their attention from outside. (This has implications for whether or not this was an isolated error of not following the normal correct procedures, or whether the procedures themselves are flawed.) Anyway, if I'm right and the bat was never truly authenticated, then this is a serious procedural error which is very problematic for past auction lots, but which could be corrected in the future. If I'm wrong and 3 experts did authenticate the bat in error, then every autograph and the provenance of every "game-used" piece of memorabilia that they sell in the future would be in question (how could we ever be certain of their claims with their skill in doubt)? Bottom line is there is no excuse for what happened, but the "why" is important because of the different ramifications for future lots.
MW, thanks for the explanation of XXX-Post Fakkto - but I think I figured it out on my own. I was only questioning your typical use of $10 words/phrases when a simple 5 cent alternative would have sufficed.