"WHAT'S MY LINE" BY ROBERT PLANCICH

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Posted By: Robert Plancich

The purpose of this writing is,in part, in repsonse to a post by "LEON" as well as other's questions regarding my "credentials", "what's my angle", "how do I plan to benefit from this", "how am I getting paid", etc., etc., etc.

First of all, I am no expert, at least with respect to game-used memorabilia, baseball cards and the like, so to speak. My "credentials" are comprised solely based up the common sense, reason, logical deduction coupled with the facts/truth and available supporting documentation as it relates to these bits and pieces of our National pastime. Now while I feel this is an honest answer I get the feeling that Leon and the some of the other members would characterize this answer as vague, evasive and/or self-serving, so in an effort to avoid such chacterization I will provide additional details into who I am but in no way do I consider this additional information pertinent, relavent and/or a component (in whole or in part) as my "credentials".

I have a B.S. in accounting and spent numerous years doing fraud audits and other litagation work (such as bankruptcy, dissolution of marriage) that would be submitted to the court and would be accepted, relied upon and used as testimony from an "expert witness". As I have mentioned previously, according to a Supreme Court ruling an expert's opinion, and that goes for any expert and/or one that uses such designation even though he/she may not have the necessary and/or required credentials (such as a James Spence of PSA/DNA)must be based in scientific fact. What this means is that if I value a medical doctor's pracrice pursuant to to divorce proceeding and I come up with a value of $2.5 mil and provide to the court and/or a jury (if applicable) my methodology, factual based assumptions about economic events, appraisals, formulas, etc. then the court and or the Jury (if applicable) would be able to come up with that exact valuation that I calculated. This is not to say that the $2.5 mil value that I placed on the good doctor's practice is set in stone and for that matter accurate and/or correct because you could change any one of the many variables in my calculation and arrive at a different value. What it does demonstrate is a substantiated, documented and verifiable procedure and/or method in which my opinion (of value in this case) is expressed and based upon. It demonstrates and therfore proves that I didn't pull this number out of a hat and it also demonstrates and lends credibility to the opinion expressed. For example, anyone can say that an item or an autograph is good or bad, authentic or not, game-used, etc. that's the easy part and you have a 50/50 chance of being correct or incorrect. The real work is how did you arrive at that answer, what exemplars and how many did you examine, from what time period, are the exemplars that you used actual undisputed verifiable exemplars or are they autographs that the person has deemed to be authentic and now he/she is using them as exemplars. What is the method and/or thought process that you used to determine that the autograph is, in fact, real or the item is authentic and/or game-used. Mr. Bushing's LOA on the Ty Cobb game-used decal bat states that he/SCDA performed a "forensic examination" on this bat.According to Webster's New World Dictionary of American English (3rd College Edition) the definition of the word "forensic" means "charactetristic of, or suitable for a law court, public debate, or formal argumentation. Specializing in or having to do with the application of scientific knowledge." For example, Mr. Bushing states that based upon his "forensic examination" this bat is made of "professional grade ash, and is comprised of "professional grain" based upon his "Grain examination". He also states that the bat exhibits "heavy" game-use and yet there are no "visible ball or stitch marks due to the hardness of the wood". He also states under the "Player Characteristics (Positive) heading that there are "several Cobb style scattered cleat marks". I would like to know how, as the "world's foremost" and "virtually only respected authority" Mr. Bushing is able to determine and/or distinguish between Cobb's cleat marks and those of a 12 year old little leaguer. What exactly are the steps and/or "forensic" tests that he performed and the results of such tests that he has based his opinion that this is a game-used bat used by Ty Cobb and not merely a "souvenir" retail/store model bat that some kid stepped on while wearing cleats. It is my understanding (based upon the article that was recently published in the New York Daily News) that Mr. Busjhing isn't saying that this bat was used by Ty Cobb; quite the contrary, Mr. Bushing is saying that this is a Ty Cobb bat that was used, by whom he doesn't know. It could possibly have been used by Ty Cobb and then again it could have been used by Corn on the Cobb!However, this bat is currently at a bid of $40,000.00 and I belive that the eventual winning bidder thinks that he/she is buy a "real and authentic" bat used by Cobb in a regular and/or postseason game.

Before I conclude my feelings on this topic of "credentials" I would like to say this - It doesn't matter that one went to college or not when it comes to game-used memorabilia authentication because there is no formal educational requirements to become such an expert; unlike that for handwritting/autograph authentication wherein there is a formal aducational process and cirriculum, just ask the FBI or Department of Justice. However, Mr. Bushing's SCD ad's and his "credentials" boast that he has a Masters degree and I would suggest that you inquire into this statement fact as I have and let me know what you come up with.

Several questions have been raised reagrding "what's my angle" and/or "what am getting out of it or how am I getting paid" basically saying why am I saying the things that I am saying and what's in it for me. I don't get paid for the stories that are published or for appearing on ESPN. My organization, CARDS, was not formed with the idea of paying members and/or members at all. I look at these people as "contributors" in the strict sense of contributing information, facts or documents that is used to prove or disprove an item's authenticity. I received a response from one of the network's members that said that I was going after the wrong people and that if I continue on the path that I am currently on that the auction houses will be damaged and that all that we will be left with is EBAY. To I would like to respond by saying that there are many items that are ppurchased off of EBAY by some of these so-called "experts" and they immediately affix their hologram and/or LOA/COA on this EBAY item and place it in one of these "prestigious" auctions and magically you now have an item with "impeccable and/or ironclad provenance" that is a valuable, historically significant piece of baseball memorabilia. Many, many times the only difference between the item on EBAY and an auction house item is the beautiful and impressive coffe table style catalog and the LOA/COA. There's a saying in marketable equities security industry that goes something like this "let's put some lipstick on the pig and get out there and sell it." IMHO, no matter how much lipstick you put on that pig the fact remains that it's still a pig.

To be perfectly blunt and to the point I am not looking and/or interested in members because as I have stated on several occassions if you are associated with me or my organization or if you mention me or my organization, the current state of affairs and the powers to be that control the grading, authentication and/or sale of baseball cards and memorabilia will make sure that you will never sell anything again and/or your collection as well as your reputation will be mud. So I will say right now that you should get as far away from me as you can because as a line from a Warren Zevon song says "send lawyers, guns and money because the s t has hit the fan. Members of the Nework 54 Forum/Board - Please allow me to introduce myself - I am the fan!

Finally, I received an email from a member by the name of Jay Miller and basically he said that he knows the people at MastroNet both personally and professionally and that they are the finest people that he knows. I don't know anyone of them personally or professionally, but I have had an occassion to email/talk with Mr. Bushing and Doug Allen, president of MastroNet. In fact, not too long ago when I was corresponding with Mr. Allen (before he decided to block my emails) regarding the fake Joe DiMaggio glove that was authenticated by Mr. Bushing for a third time and that was sold in MastroNet's August 2002 (the focus of the ESPN/OTL show that aired in October of this year) auction I received an email from Doug stating that he had been warned by several collectors and/or bidders in his auction and that they had told him that, and I qoute "I steal from my mother and do other despicable things to her". For the record, I do live with my mother for the sole purpose of taking care of her after my father died (they were married for over 50 years) and because she is in remission of cancer. I am not looking for sympathy as I am sure any of you would do exactly the same if faced with my situation. I just thought it important to say because I have heard of the attacks on me and my credibility from numerous and varied sources.

As usual, I thank the oard" for allowing me the opportunity to address and discuss these matters that several of you have brought to my attention and/or have expressed concerns about. I hope that this is some way answers your questions and if not then please feel free to contact me via email.