Collector frustration

[55koufax]

Like many old guard collectors, the modernization these days has me shaking my head at almost every turn. I thought I'd seen it all. Recently I won a nice PSA 9 slab on eBay for a fair price as an upgrade to my '64 Phil FB set. Won from GM Cards who is typically a solid seller. Never had a problem and I have consigned much with him in 2023. Anyway, the card was about $80. I paid little attention to the fine print details. Unbenounced to me, the listing said "eBay vault". (Since when did GM start listing eBay vault cards?). From the point I paid my 80 bucks the card took almost TWO weeks to arrive. Never mind I live 8 miles from Greg Morris' office. It seems the card went to PSA to be authenticated from eBay, I guess because it was an eBay vault item, as at $80 it is not near the normal eBay authenticate threshold. It was delivered to me via Fedex, so the card went to Memphis before being delivered to me back in Socal.

For $80 this card was such an overkill in the "modern" system of collecting and selling. It could have and should have traveled 8 miles to me in a day or so, instead of going 4000+ miles and taking a couple of weeks.

I wish it was 1980 again...

[MikeGarcia]

. How does an $80 card deserve space in a vault ? Thanks,.

..

[G1911]

You are not alone. A corrupt or incompetent (pick one) 3rd party corporation getting veto power over a consensual deal between myself and a seller on a different company's platform is rather silly to me. I get that this program is helpful for people who do not know what they are buying and cannot authenticate cards or slabs themselves, but it's made me reduce my eBay buying by about a quarter because I am not a child that needs my hand held by corporate. I'm taking more and more deals off any platform I would have previously done on eBay because it's just easier and there's less crap to deal with. Seller shows item, I pay seller, seller ships me card, we are both happy. This doesn't need to get complicated. Vaults are the furthest thing from collecting I could possibly imagine.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I've lost two sales now to the authenticator. One, they claimed a slab was scratched -- it wasn't. Two, they claimed the card was "not a trading card," whatever that means. If they meant it wasn't authentic, it absolutely was -- and it was in a BGS slab.

[Fuddjcal]

I bought a 64 Topps stand up from ole Greg Morris cards on July 31st. Listed as VG-EX. Instead of it being shipped down the street to Irvine PSA for Authentication it was shipped to Sarasota, FL. 10 days later, I'm advised the card has 2 major McDivots you can't see in the original picture, a crease through and through and it's been recolored. If I thought GM was a crook, I might have taken closer look.

But it was Authentic, they said and asked me if I still wanted it. LOLOLOLOLOL.
I cancelled the sale and it's now being sent back to GM and I will have my refund in 5-7 days if I'm lucky. Only 3 weeks spinning in the wind. Only 350 and I'll get my money back eventually.

GM doesn't give a Sh** anymore. Maybe a G-VG (CREASED, Altered) on a good day!!!!!Used to love buying from them but won't bid again...and they have now been removed from the circle of trust, even being down the street. Too big for his britches to find a simple color job. The pictures the authentication company sent were clear as day. The photos they use don't show the entire story....

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

I bought a 64 Topps stand up from ole Greg Morris cards on July 31st. Listed as VG-EX. Instead of it being shipped down the street to Irvine PSA for Authentication it was shipped to Sarasota, FL.

PSA only authenticates slabbed cards for eBay, while CGC (formerly CSG) authenticates raw cards. So it went to the proper place.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by swarmee

PSA only authenticates slabbed cards for eBay, while CGC (formerly CSG) authenticates raw cards. So it went to the proper place.

Thanks for the info John, appreciate that.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by swarmee

PSA only authenticates slabbed cards for eBay, while CGC (formerly CSG) authenticates raw cards. So it went to the proper place.

CGC? Since when?

[RhodeyRhode]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I've lost two sales now to the authenticator. One, they claimed a slab was scratched -- it wasn't. Two, they claimed the card was "not a trading card," whatever that means. If they meant it wasn't authentic, it absolutely was -- and it was in a BGS slab.

Had this same thing happened where they said slab had a scratch and would not pass authentication. They were high res images the buyer knew exactly what it looked like. SMH ebay authenticators have gone to crap

[rhettyeakley]

Has anyone tried using ebay's SEARCH FUNCTION lately?

What an unholy mess!

The more terms you add the more items it sends your way (should be the other way around). It is like searching on Amazon (don't even get me started)

They are killing what is left of their brand.

[philliesfan]

Yes that function is horrible! When you key in something specific like 1957 Brooks Robinson, you get everything with 1957 in it, everything with Brooks in it....including brooks and streams, and everything Robinson, including Robinson Caruso and whatever. What a freaking mess!

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

Has anyone tried using ebay's SEARCH FUNCTION lately?

What an unholy mess!

The more terms you add the more items it sends your way (should be the other way around). It is like searching on Amazon (don't even get me started)

They are killing what is left of their brand.

The saved search function, though, is pretty accurate in my experience. In other words, when I get notices, they're usually on point. Not sure what the difference is.

[sonnyu2]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I've lost two sales now to the authenticator. One, they claimed a slab was scratched -- it wasn't. Two, they claimed the card was "not a trading card," whatever that means. If they meant it wasn't authentic, it absolutely was -- and it was in a BGS slab.

Just had authentication reject an $850 sale due to them deeming a freshly graded PSA card as being "not a trading card" as well. Ha! I was very confused as it is clearly a "trading card".

It was a 1996 Topps Michael Jordan Finest Reprints Refractor. These were inserts in 1996 Topps Stadium Club packs. PSA correctly labels it as a "Reprint - Refractor" on their label (as that is what the insert set is called), but according to eBay after I inquired why it failed, all "reprints" are not eligible for authentication and will fail the process.

I told the eBay rep that makes zero sense as the card is a pack-issued insert officially produced by Topps - and it was graded by PSA very recently. The rep could offer no other explanation and just said they would pass along my feedback. if eBay can find a way to be incompetent, they will...

[kcohen]

Originally Posted by 55koufax

Like many old guard collectors, the modernization these days has me shaking my head at almost every turn. I thought I'd seen it all. Recently I won a nice PSA 9 slab on eBay for a fair price as an upgrade to my '64 Phil FB set. Won from GM Cards who is typically a solid seller. Never had a problem and I have consigned much with him in 2023. Anyway, the card was about $80. I paid little attention to the fine print details. Unbenounced to me, the listing said "eBay vault". (Since when did GM start listing eBay vault cards?). From the point I paid my 80 bucks the card took almost TWO weeks to arrive. Never mind I live 8 miles from Greg Morris' office. It seems the card went to PSA to be authenticated from eBay, I guess because it was an eBay vault item, as at $80 it is not near the normal eBay authenticate threshold. It was delivered to me via Fedex, so the card went to Memphis before being delivered to me back in Socal.

For $80 this card was such an overkill in the "modern" system of collecting and selling. It could have and should have traveled 8 miles to me in a day or so, instead of going 4000+ miles and taking a couple of weeks.

I wish it was 1980 again...

Almost rivals the circuitous journey of “Large Ass” Herzog.