USA TODAY article regarding FBI subpoenas, doctoring, etc......

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by benjulmag

Clearly PSA has no incentive. Why would they want to create a method that if successful in detectng alterations would result in a flood of claims under their grading guarantee?

No, I mean no incentive to grade properly now. Their incompetence, or blind eye, or worse, are feeding the machine.

[benjulmag]

They're making money hand over fist. Why change if via their registry they are the main player in town? Not to mention that any change that doesn't introduce new technological methods to detect alterations will cost them on their bottom line via the need to spend more time examining each submission.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by benjulmag

They're making money hand over fist. Why change if via their registry they are the main player in town? Not to mention that any change that doesn't introduce new technological methods to detect alterations will cost them on their bottom line via the need to spend more time examining each submission.

Sadly it seems that everyone wins except the collectors who at the end of the day are left holding their bag of altered crap.

[benjulmag]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Sadly it seems that everyone wins except the collectors who at the end of the day are left holding their bag of altered crap.

Yes, and also no. Many of these "collectors" are slab collectors, not card collectors. So to some degree they have made their own bed. And the point applies double for registry collectors.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by benjulmag

Yes, and also no. Many of these "collectors" are slab collectors, not card collectors. So to some degree they have made their own bed. And the point applies double for registry collectors.

Amen.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by benjulmag

Yes, and also no. Many of these "collectors" are slab collectors, not card collectors. So to some degree they have made their own bed. And the point applies double for registry collectors.

Fair enough. And maybe, just maybe, some of the rabbits have stopped buying from PWCC, as if that alone is going to do much either for them or the hobby.

[Rhotchkiss]

Peter, who suddenly turned you into Eyor? Keep fighting the good fight. You and BODA are, and hopefully will continue, making a difference. What’s the worst that happens.... nothing changes. Thus, things can only get better and there is traction for that - FBI subpoenas, USA Today articles, some “rabbits” like me boycotting certain dealers, etc. And even if grassroot efforts cease, nothing good will come from the defeatist posts- that’s one way to embolden the wolves. Forward!! Or at least not backwards...

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Peter, who suddenly turned you into Eyor? Keep fighting the good fight. You and BODA are, and hopefully will continue, making a difference. What’s the worst that happens.... nothing changes. Thus, things can only get better and there is traction for that - FBI subpoenas, USA Today articles, some “rabbits” like me boycotting certain dealers, etc. And even if grassroot efforts cease, nothing good will come from the defeatist posts- that’s one way to embolden the wolves. Forward!! Or at least not backwards...

Ryan, Al's post today was a sobering reminder that I've been complaining about hobby fraud for more than a decade now and, as he rightly put it, zero has changed. Another tipping point was trying unsuccessfully to get an obviously cleaned card taken down from an active auction. I'm like, what's the use?

You're right, the negativity was counterproductive and too melodramatic, I regret calling attention to myself I was just extremely frustrated by it all and I guess like anyone who is passionate about something and makes a lot of effort, I have a bit of ego invested in it. I'll refrain from now on.

PS the rabbits reference was a bit over the top but I said it and it's been quoted anyway so I'll just leave it standing. Sorry if it offended, but if people don't want to spend their hard earned money on altered cards they really need to exercise some restraint and educate themselves, because the powers that be are not looking out for you.