Look at this CROC of S#@T on EBay ...

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Posted By: MW

The bottom line is that Libertyforall is adversely affecting other, legitimate auctions. At first glance, it may seem that only those who are completely uninformed about vintage cards would bid on some of the NASA graded crap that is being offered. Instead, I have received several e-mails from concerned buyers and another letter from a “winning” bidder was published in a recent issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly. Unfortunately there ARE some novice vintage collectors out there who are buying this stuff, and in some cases, paying many hundreds of dollars for something that is nearly or completely worthless.

Examples:

(1) Scraps cut from Spalding Baseball Guides
Many items that are sold by Libertyforall are not baseball cards. Instead, they are scrap pieces of paper that are cut from 1910-1920s Spalding Baseball Guides. The seller is attempting to deceive bidders while luring them to bid on items they (the bidders) believe are legitimate baseball cards. Instead, the winning bidders are left with worthless scraps of paper – nothing more.

(2) Pages pulled from Flip Books
These items are not baseball cards and should not be listed in the category of “Singles: Pre-1950” Instead, they are “pages” torn from a 1938 Goudey Big League Baseball Movies Flip Book. They have little or no value in this form. Among the “players” sold are Mel Ott and Joe DiMaggio (incorrectly labeled as a rookie card).

There are certainly repercussions for allowing sellers like Libertyforall to continue his fraudulent activities. First, potential bidders may be turned off to our great hobby. Second, the perception that there is a great quantity of fake and forged items for sale will be extenuated. Third, collectors are being ripped off. Finally, it gives the entire hobby a bad name by perpetuating the myth that “70% of the stuff that is out there is fake.” Interestingly, when some of the winning bidders have contacted NASA, they have been told that the items they have won are quite rare and that they could be classified as baseball memorabilia. I know there are many knowledgeable and insightful contributors to this board. Any suggestions/comments?