Have you ever been ripped off when buying cards?

[V117collector]

Have you ever been ripped off when buying cards if so lets here the details!

I believe most of the collectors in our community are honest and trust worthy people. Now that being said we as community of collectors should fell some obligation to inform other collectors regarding fraud attempts.

As for me No I’ve never been ripped off or accused of fraud.

[packs]

When I was a kid, maybe 10 or 11, I went to my local card shop and bought a 1970 Topps Thurman Munson rookie card. Years later, after the grading boom, I went back into my old shoebox to look for it. Low and behold, on the back of the card, in tiny letters, was the word REPRINT.

[HRBAKER]

I've certainly never been ripped off by a member of our community, but as I have a few high grade slabbed cards I have probably been ripped a time or two unknowingly.

[GRock]

As a youngster(10-12yrs old) a few guys tried to make some swarmy card deals with me, but since I've reentered the hobby (20yrs. later) I haven't encountered any bad transactions. I've had super luck on ebay and several message boards. Thankfully here and elsewhere board members are very diligent in weeding out the bad seeds.

Bought a T201 Cobb/Crawford from a very reputable guy on Ebay and it was fake. Got us both. When I tried to return it he blocked me as a buyer and refuse a return. I tried everything I could and of course Ebay sided with him even with proof from GAI and SGC.

Went out on a limb and bought a T206 Cobb Green Background and made him and offer which he took. I talked to the guy on the phone about payment and all that Jazz. I mentioned what I'd like to get for my collection and he sold me a 51 Mantle and a 33 Goudey Ruth bat swinging yellow background. Got them for a few hundred less than Ebay and all the scans were high res so I could verify the cards as real right off. Sent him the money via Paypal and the cards came 2 days later. He had sent reprinted cards and the Mantle was still wet from where he smudged it to look like the real one. The Cobb was obvious and the Ruth even said reprint on it where the other didn't. It took 8 weeks of Paypal, and then had my lawyer involved. The only thing that saved me was the guy at the Post Office signed a letter stating that I opened the cards in the PO and realized they were fake and mailed back same day service insured immediatly. Still took 3 weeks after that to get my $1200 back.

Had $8k worth of vintage ungraded cards Stolen by a guy named Ryan Randles in Des Moines Iowa. Sold a large chunk of my collection to fund the new baby 2 yrs ago and he wrote me a check from his business for them. Check bounced. Tried to prossicute and his cousin turned out to be part of the DPD and inlaws in the law system and a father with some serious connections. I was pretty much screwed because I went up and took back what was left like I was told by the PD and that is what got me. NEVER RECOVER ANYTHING TILL HE IS PROSICUTED!!!! I got set up and he was set.

Anyone wonder why I am so thourough with my transactions. Just want to know I am getting what I paid for and where it is from you to me.

[GrayGhost]

Ive been gypped a few times over the years, especially w the old "screwdown" flattens out a crease deal. Remember those holders? The HUGE lucites w four screws?

Plus. Ive had cards stolen from me when I used to set up, and my car burglarized and my stuff stolen, which is why I dont do shows anymore. It wasnt much, but was all I had.

[Mark]

Back when most vintage cards at shows were not slabbed, I bought myself a trimmed Matty t206 and a trimmed McGrraw M116. I lost a few hundred dollars in each of those deals, but I have learned to be careful and to be grateful for the good cards that I bought back then, too.

[sox1903wschamp]

I am not sure if I would classify this as being "ripped off" but I took this with a grain of salt. Not pre-war but I purchased a fairly high grade 72 topps set a few years back from an auction house and the Clemente was described as "NMT". Well, when I checked the back, below is what it looked like . Looks like someone was keeping thier player profiles up to date in a morbid fashion.

A little upset at first but I gave the auction house a pass. The rest of the set was fine. And I might add, all of my deals have been fantastic in this community.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by sox1903wschamp

I am not sure if I would classify this as being "ripped off" but I took this with a grain of salt. Not pre-war but I purchased a fairly high grade 72 topps set a few years back from an auction house and the Clemente was described as "NMT". Well, when I checked the back, below is what it looked like . Looks like someone was keeping thier player profiles up to date in a morbid fashion.

A little upset at first but I gave the auction house a pass. The rest of the set was fine. And I might add, all of my deals have been fantastic in this community.

Mike - Financially that stinks, but thanks for the chuckle

[ethicsprof]

it's been a long time ,since i,in recent times, only buy from friends via B/S/T or from
auction 'houses' of friends.
this is the best way to go methinks.
so i must say any rip off is long gone from my consciousness.

best,
barry

Maybe Dick could get that out for ya

Originally Posted by sox1903wschamp

I am not sure if I would classify this as being "ripped off" but I took this with a grain of salt. Not pre-war but I purchased a fairly high grade 72 topps set a few years back from an auction house and the Clemente was described as "NMT". Well, when I checked the back, below is what it looked like . Looks like someone was keeping thier player profiles up to date in a morbid fashion.

A little upset at first but I gave the auction house a pass. The rest of the set was fine. And I might add, all of my deals have been fantastic in this community.

[batsballsbases]

Andrew,
Just what I was thinking! A little dip-it-tee-do from the dicker-rew! sorry Dick I couldnt resist!

[D. Bergin]

I remember back in the late 80's when Don Mattingly was super hot I set up at a show with a buddy. We were teenagers then and we decided to be partners, which didn't last long at all.

Anyways, we had a pretty good show but then my buddy goes off the deep end. It's the end of the show and this other guy at the show has a ton of 84Topps Rack Packs at an unbelievable price.

My buddy comes back to me and tells me we need to sink all our earnings into these packs. At the time we were selling Mattingly's for 25 bucks apiece and I think Darryl Strawberry was also selling for a bit to. They were easy sales. If you had them they would sell.

I had a funny feeling about this guy. I was pretty sure he'd been caught selling tampered packs before and I just didn't feel right about it. I tried to nix the deal but my buddy got pissed at me and went and made the deal anyways.

When we got home we opened all the packs and everything was obviously searched. No Mattingly's, No Strawberry's or anything else that might have been of value at the time. You could even see the fingernail marks on the back cards the guy used to find the pack patterns.

They aren't worth crap now but at the time it was pretty depressing opening up packs and packs of commons.

[E93]

I just noticed about a year or two ago that the '71 Steve Garvey rookie that I got in a trade back in '79 in junior high had been colored in with black marker around the corners and edges to appear better. And I thought this kind of shit only affected high-grade registry crowd.
JimB

[GrayGhost]

Dave Bergin's post hit home, as I know the same rip off dealer, and Dave had told me back then bout getting gypped. Luis the Lip as he was called, was a sequencer and a pack resealer, who burned many many people in CT over those years, esp w 84 and 85 topps racks and wax. When he was called out and exposed by a reputable legit dealer, who bought some 85 boxes on a fast turn over, w a lot of trust, his luck started to wane.

[zork1974]

There's a dealer that sets up at the Toronto Expo every year. He has amazing football and vintage baseball. Most of the stuff is raw and looks to be anywhere from a grade of 6 or more. Anyways, I bought a 52 Bowman Sammy Baugh a few years ago from him and sure enough, it came back from SCG as trimmed. $120 down the drain. In the spring, I went back to the guy's table and went through a ton of his stuff as a "possible buyer." Knowing what I know now (what to look for in trimmed cards), he had all sorts of trimmed stuff.

I didn't say anything. I'd like to but to me, the $120 hit was a great learning experience. I'll still buy unslabbed cards but I certainly know what to look for when it comes to ungraded material.

[Ladder7]

Oh Hell yea., One word Fro Joy.

[slantycouch]

Ugh - these stories make me cringe.

I bought a large lot of '33 Goudey commons a few years back and when shipped, the dealer switched about 20 of them with reprints. So odd because he had superb feedback and some great stuff. I was on the road when they arrived at home, and I didn't open them for a week or two. By that time, I figured it wasn't worth the fight. Tried a few times, but ultimately just left him negative feedback and moved on. Guess for the $200 or so it cost me in bad cards, it was a learning experience.

[GasHouseGang]

The resealed pack story reminded me of the time I got ripped off. The 1975 Topps minis were still hot around 1977. I thought it would be fun to buy some packs and open them. Some guy in SCD offered them at some special price so I bought something like 5 to 10 packs (can't remember). I actually bought them to open them. When they came, they looked like regular 1975 packs to me. I opened them, and they had minis, but absolutely no stars and most cards were miscuts. I didn't try to send them back. I couldn't prove they were opened, so I just kept them. Never wanted another mini after that or packs that weren't in sealed boxes.

[DaveH]

Steve,

That's 2 words

[jabiloxi]

I remember this one time at a local store in Elk Grove. I used to go to this store because there were pretty good prices and I was just getting back into card collecting. I noticed this gorgeous Patrick Ewing STAR RC which was priced around $100 I saved up and bought it.

Anyways, a couple weeks later as I am going through my newly acquired cards and marveling over their timeless essence and reliving childhood dreams, I come across my Ewing RC and notice on the back it says in tiny print that it is a reprint. I mean I thought I was pretty good at checking for these things and could have sworn that I had checked the card when I bough it but sure enough it was a reprint.

So, I go to the card shop pissed and tell the guys the situation and that I wanted a refund. It was awkward but I got it. I never went back again and soon after focused primarily on Ebay and graded material.

[Taxman]

The guy is currently a Realtor in New York should be a used car sales man.

Brookdodger55 aka Mike Wrenn sold me resealed wax packs and sold other board members trimmed cards on the old board. He has returned so I am giving everyone fair warning not to buy from him.

http://www.concentric.net/~Pkoster/F-BAD.HTM
http://www.network54.com/Forum/58070...aled+wax+packs

Thanks
Kirk

[deadballera]

A few years back, I bought about 10 T206's from a seller in Louisiana.

Sent the payment and never received the cards. I had some friends that were in the Collection Agency business. He was kind enough to send a couple of strongly written letters to either get the cards or a refund.

Never received either.....

[Doug]

I got ripped off for $1600 about 11 years ago buying a "gem mint" raw 1986 Fleer Jordan rookie on ebay from a seller in Phoenix that had about a dozen of them listed using the exact same scan. It had red flags all over it, but I was new to cards and ebay so I didn't think anything of it. I filed complaints with the FBI, ebay and postal inspectors and didn't get anywhere. Apparently the seller ripped off as many people as possible, filed bankruptcy and got off without a hitch. I only knew of one person that bought one of the Jordan rookies actually receiving a card.