Assumptions about TPG

[Throttlesteer]

The recent rise in fraud involving reholdered cards got me thinking (I know, I do a lot of it) whether PSA is risking its market share. Yes, they're the big player on the block with the most to lose. Fake Mantles, Cobbs, Ruths, etc..all put back together with little to no evidence of tampering. Most of these appear to be older-style holders. But, is PSA potentially leaving themselves wide open for a competitor to steal their lunch? If someone were able to introduce a technology that could make it nearly impossible to pull off this kind of fraud, could it be a Kodak moment for PSA?

Don't get me wrong, I still like their product and they haven't completely lost me with increased fees and slower turnaround times. I just wonder if they're leaving themselves wide open and creating the perfect storm. No holder will ever be completely fraud-proof, as the mouse always figures out the better mouse trap. It just seems to be getting a little out of hand lately.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Throttlesteer

The recent rise in fraud involving reholdered cards got me thinking (I know, I do a lot of it) whether PSA is risking its market share. Yes, they're the big player on the block with the most to lose. Fake Mantles, Cobbs, Ruths, etc..all put back together with little to no evidence of tampering. Most of these appear to be older-style holders. But, is PSA potentially leaving themselves wide open for a competitor to steal their lunch? If someone were able to introduce a technology that could make it nearly impossible to pull off this kind of fraud, could it be a Kodak moment for PSA?

Don't get me wrong, I still like their product and they haven't completely lost me with increased fees and slower turnaround times. I just wonder if they're leaving themselves wide open and creating the perfect storm. No holder will ever be completely fraud-proof, as the mouse always figures out the better mouse trap. It just seems to be getting a little out of hand lately.

I don't know why you think this is anything new. Bad cards in what appear to be PSA holders have been around for many years, there are plenty of threads about it stretching back for years, and PSA has continued to dominate the market. Just because you may be recently aware of it doesn't mean it's a new issue.

[Throttlesteer]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I don't know why you think this is anything new. Bad cards in what appear to be PSA holders have been around for many years, there are plenty of threads about it stretching back for years, and PSA has continued to dominate the market. Just because you may be recently aware of it doesn't mean it's a new issue.

Peter, I didn't say it was new...just on the rise. We had a board member bid $6000 on a Mantle that a respected AH had for sale. It took PSA to review to sniff it out. That's a little different than my experience over the years. But, I could be less in tune than others to the trend.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Throttlesteer

Peter, I didn't say it was new...just on the rise. We had a board member bid $6000 on a Mantle that a respected AH had for sale. It took PSA to review to sniff it out. That's a little different than my experience over the years. But, I could be less in tune than others to the trend.

IMO it's not on the rise, it's been a constant issue. There was a much higher profile bad Mantle in an auction a while back, Goodwin maybe. And people wanting a Mantle should educate themselves as to the basics of how to spot a fake. It isn't foolproof, but people don't seem to know even the basics about the two variations, the distinctive marks of a genuine one, missing pixels, alignment of the back text, etc.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

people don't seem to know even the basics about the two variations, the distinctive marks of a genuine one, missing pixels, alignment of the back text, etc.

Theoretically, in a respectable slab, they shouldn't need to.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by conor912

Theoretically, in a respectable slab, they shouldn't need to.

In a world where people are putting fakes into real looking slabs, and people are getting burned constantly, they do need to. Or buy blindly and hope it works out.