Ethical Concerns Regarding Heritage?

[SAllen2556]

I read these threads about fraud and I always come back to the same thought: The collectibles industry - whether it’s sports cards or video games - is an industry that runs on anarchy. There is no governing body. You can use the term laissez faire but that implies self-regulation. This forum constitutes the closest attempt at a regulatory body, and to its credit, in my opinion, has made a difference at times in pointing out fraud and abuse. But has it made a significant difference? From all the blatant fraud pointed out on the Blowout forum, has anyone suffered any penalty for their fraudulent behavior?

There are basically no enforceable laws regulating the industry. There is no licensing or education requirement to participate in the industry. Anyone can call themselves a sports card dealer; anyone can open an auction house; and anyone can start their own grading company. The enticements for bad behavior have always far outweighed the penalties. What percent of criminals in this industry are ever actually caught and punished? I bet it’s way fewer than 1%.

I’ve often wondered why there isn’t some sort of national board of sports card dealers and/or auction houses who could at least attempt to self-govern the industry a bit. If there was more confidence in the industry wouldn't everyone make more money? The obvious answer is that dealers and auction houses do not see it in their best interests to self-regulate. So, let the anarchy continue!