Mr. Mint -- Alan Rosen

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Posted By: leonl

I don't know Mr. Mint as I have never dealt with him or met him ( I don't think ). I feel he is probably getting treated exactly the way he deserves to be treated. Some good, quite a bit not so good. The only thing I'll say is that except for a general reference to his wife (and not specifically by name) I haven't seen her in the thread, except for you taking up for the situation..(which is fine and commendable). I certainly wouldn't let that kind of stuff on the forum. .regards

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Posted By: Tim James

I wasn't in the hobby in the 80's so I really haven't heard of this guy until following this thread.The majority of it,speaking of the thread,reminds me of being jealous of the kid around the block from me who had a better collection than I did.We are all grown-ups,but it seems that card collecting brings out the young boys and girls in us.Good,in the sense that our love for the hobby stays with us,and sometimes bad,when we look at what others have with distain.In addition,I have to admit,I hated that kid !!

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Posted By: LOL

alan rosenMay 11 2005, 1:17 PM

Does anyone really take him seriously?


starving hairdressers?

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Posted By: jay behrens

I will give Rosen his due for bringing the spotlight to the hobby in the 80s, but I always dreaded seeing him headed for my table. He constantly lowballed me and expected me to sell my best material for pennies on the dollar. I finally got pissed at him and told him that I'm not his wholesaler and never come back to again. He told me I'd never be able to sell anything for the prices I asked, lol.

My other Rosen story invovled offering him a complete run of 1930s Wheaties that were still complete boxes. He had run ad in SCD saying he was buying Wheaties, so I figured this would be a quick and easy way to flip them for a nice chunk of change. (this was long before I told him I wasn't his wholesaler) He did even bother to look at them. He jsut told that he had already bought all the Wheaties that he need. I was said "What? You have all the Wheaties you need already on complete boxes? This is probably the only complete run Wheaties on boxes in existance." He said, I don't care, I just need the cards, not entire boxes.

I figure his scam was that he bought a huge Wheaties collection on the cheap. Ran an ad in SCD looking to buy, then using those buy prices to justify his sell prices that were about 2-3 times book at the time.

You tell me, who in their right mind would pass up something so unique, other than a dealer that truely is clueless.

Jay

I like to sit outside drink beer and yell at people. If I did this at home I would be arrested, so I go to baseball games and fit right in.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Alan Rosen did a lot to popularize the hobby, and I think that may be both good and bad. But on a personal level, outside his entourage of people who make money and get material off him, he is rude, nasty, and obnoxious and I think his conduct is downright embarrassing. Is he the showman he is to promote the hobby or to line his own pockets? Does he really care about the industry, or is it just a means for him to make a good living? There are so many nice people in the hobby who treat everybody big and small with equal respect; conversely, I don't think I've met too many people who have been rude to more potential customers than Mr. Rosen. As such, I find it very difficult to think of him as a hobby good guy. He is good to those who help him get ahead, rude to anyone who gets in his way. He's only in it for the money, and don't for a minute think otherwise. All of these grandiose gestures like autographed pictures and bobblehead dolls and pictures handing people wads of hundred dollar bills- and on the front cover of SCD no less- do not reflect well on our hobby. If our industry has a reputation to the general public that it is all about money, look no further than Mr. Rosen. He's a little too slick and a little too unctuous for my tastes.

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Posted By: John Spencer

I recall about 5 or 6 years ago when I had set up at the Ft. Washington show, Rosen came striding across the floor like General George Patton racing across Germany. He stopped,looked at my cases and made me a ridiculous offer on 2 high grade Goudey Ruth's. After I politely declined his offer, we had a brief chat and I asked him how his show had been. He gave me sort of a sly smile and said he was still doing his damndest to screw unaware collectors and at this show he had reached the top of his game. It is one thing to take advantage of the uninformed but it is quite another to brag about it.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

Rosen may sell graded now--he has to to survive. But you can bet he doesn't like it. I bought one card from him, in the pre-slab days, and it was overgraded. And part of his shtick was denigrating the quality of the cards offered to him for sale.

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Posted By: dan mckee

Thanks Josh Evans for saying exactly what I was trying say about Al helping the hobby. Dan.

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Posted By: barrysloate

But Dan- how about all the dozens of other responses that offered a different point of view? How can you gloss over all of them and just thank Josh for agreeing with you? There's a lot of material in this post.

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Posted By: dan mckee

Barry, I am not glazing over them, and I understand the attitude/personality thing and the many problems with customers. I am just glad 1 other person saw the good Alan has done for the hobby. He has always been super to me so I have no horror story and I have done tons of transactions with him. What Josh stated was exactly what I was trying to say, but didn't do so very well obviously. Yes I am in the minority on this post but I will hold my ground on Alan's contributions to the hobby. As far as his treatment to customers, I can only comment on his treatment to me. My Best, dan.

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Posted By: Alan

I'm sorry I started this discussion. I didn't mean for it to get personal like this.

Alan

Jewish Sports Collector

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Posted By: barrysloate

I'm well aware your point of view is based on your own experience, I trust that he has been nice to you, and I respect your opinion. But let me ask you a question: as I understand you regularly set up at shows, and so I asume you have had many opportunities to watch Mr. Rosen conduct his business. Do you think he treats everyone as kindly as he treats you? No question he has people he can work with but how about the others? And would you dare treat your customers in the same manner he does his? I think not; you are too good a person for that. And I say that in friendship and with the utmost respect for you.

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Posted By: dan mckee

I have set up at many shows that he has set up at. Unfortunately, I am rarely by the front entrance which is where he is. I have spent time at his booth over the years with him and mainly with Dave and I have never seen a problem. Now I am not sitting there the entire time but I have seen people walk up with finds and he treats them just fine. I have seen nice large finds walk in and small kids with shiny sh$t and he has treated them all well. He has even refused stuff I have brought him but never with an attitude towards me. So to answer your fair question, yes, I would treat my customers the way he has treated me and the way I have seen him treat others (all good). He has purchased a TON of stuff over the years, you do not do that by crapping on everyone that comes up. Again I can see the potential for others to have problems with him, I just haven't witnessed any of it.



On another note, I wasn't particularly happy when he started in the hobby. Remember, alot of us survived shows back then by buying walk ins and not just selling. A successful show could have been a good purchase and no sales. Alan posting at the front door with Ben Franklins killed the little guy's walk ins. For years walk-ins would never make it past his booth. today I think people are smarter and shop their stuff more but many still go back to Alan.

Hey I love this board and most all of you guys, I don't mind getting beat up here. I was destroyed on the "uncataloged" thread. Damn that was almost fun!

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

Well said, during your previous two posts Mr. Sloate. I do not know Alan Rosen on a personal level. I do know who he is though, a showman, in for the ol' mighty dollar. NOT for the love of our hobby. Just for that, I really do not want too much to do with him.

Best Regards,

Adam J. Moraine

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Posted By: barrysloate

Dan- fair enough. If your experience has been nothing but positive, I accept that. But as you read the posts you understand that others have in fact not been treated well, and we're not talking about one or two people. I don't think we've had a thread with so many people chiming in. Obviously, Alan Rosen is a controversial figure- and I suspect that suits him fine.

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Posted By: Adam J. Moraine

I have a question: Is the "Alan" who started this thread, Mr. Mint, Alan Rosen, himself? (login jewishcollector)I am just curious!

Best Regards,

Adam J. Moraine

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Posted By: mike

On the plus side, Mr Mint was all good in SCD and SI, etc. He marketed his image and helped increase the flow into sports card collecting. His advice in his book on investing in baseball cards was true but laughable: buy the best you can afford in the classic series - mint T206, 50-60s hall-of-famers, and 1987 topps sets! One had to have known he was knee deep in T206s and 1987 Topps sets. The easiest way to have turned his opposition to 3rd party grading would have been to give him a stake in PSA.

If you were a teen during the mid-80s, then you remember Trump's Art of the Deal, and how teens (at least in flyover country) looked up to Trump. There were the writeups in SCD of his amazing finds of 52/54/55 Topps, and the vintage football cards, and whatever else he turned up. Like baseball cards, Mr Mint was a flash to white bread MidWestern teens. His pics of the grin and oddles of cash were backed up with a display case filled with $100s at shows and newpaper ads. Of course, meeting him (or not) was a different experience. (Sort of like, you see Yoko on TV all nice and thoughtful, and then there she is at the local fair get out of my face).

If he's buying $1000 cards for $150 or whatever and flipping those to buddies at $400 or whatever, then he's a great guy; If I was the one with my want list getting filled I'd be estatic. The transactions were all voluntary and he brokered cash and cards to everyone's advantage.

How come Mr Mint gets trashed here but not SCD? Aren't all the ex-coin dealers just as guilty as Mr Mint when it comes to their ads with the high buying prices listed for stars that never sell off the show tables, but then not buying cards offered?

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Posted By: dan mckee

No it isn't him. How funny would that be? Him posting and me defending him and him letting me go to the dogs! I kind of know the poster and it isn't the subject. Yes Barry, I have to agree that the majority here have had bad experiences and I truly do believe all of them as I know most of them very well. Dan.

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Posted By: Alan

Yes, that would be a good motive, but No, I'm not Alan Rosen. I can assure you that !!!

Alan
Jewish sports collector

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Posted By: Mike P.

I've never dealt with him but from what I am reading it seems for the most part he is unpleasant with other dealers(his competition) and more pleasant with the unwary collector looking to sell some cards.

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Posted By: tbob

Barry is right on the money, 100%. Sorry Dan, I think you're a great guy and you may have had a good relationship with him over the years but there is no frigging way Mr. Mint "saved" the hobby. He and Alan Hager are 1 and 1A as the biggest jerks I have known in this hobby...

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Posted By: dan mckee

No sweat Bob, your opinion is respected by me, though I really do not see how you can compare Rosen to Hager, one was downright criminal.

edited to correct grammar

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Posted By: warshawlaw

Rosen isn't unique vis a vis his interactions with smaller dealers. Many, perhaps even a majority, of large-scale dealers I dealt with when I used to set up at shows in the 1990-1994 period were nasty to me when they were going through my stuff looking for cards to scoop up for their inventories. I just took it as (1) part of the give and take of negotiation (see if he can intimidate me with his rep into selling cheap; little did he know I am a litigator ) and (2) evidence of their lack of class. The really good guys to deal with in the business (Terry Knouse and Andy Madec jump to mind right away) are invariably courteous and polite to the general public and to other, smaller dealers. Those are the types of guys you look to do business with over time. Now, if I had to pay off a gambling debt to keep from getting my thumbs broken and needed fast anonymous cash for my collection, Rosen would be my first call.

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

I'm an ex-customer of Mr. Poor, as of 2000. I had been a regular bidder in his auctions. I even bought items on which I was the underbidder and the winner had reneged, although Mr. Poor got pissy on the telephone once when I wanted a nanosecond to think it over.

After a series of problems with this guy, I complained to SCD. Mr. Poor is arguably SCD's biggest advertiser. Guess how far my complaint got?

So next time you see one of those Krause Customer Service Award logos, implying no complaints about an advertiser for 5, 10, 15 years, well . . . maybe not.

When Mr. Poor says, "If I say it's mint and you say it's mint, ain't it mint?" Well, maybe not . . .

And while we are talking about SCD . . .

I once won two lots in a large auction from Superior Sportscards. When I received them they were not as described. Not close.

When I complained to SCD they told me that, while the Superior auction ad appeared in SCD, THE TWO LOTS I WON WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN THE AD. This was a novel twist, but did not change the fact the lots were misrepresented in the catalog.

Superior, to their credit, ultimately decided that good customers are valuable, and we reached a fair settlement. I am still their customer.

Mr. Poor reached a different conclusion. I am no longer a customer.

SCD decided that extending my subscription 6 issues would placate me. Wrong answer.

P.S.Say what you want about Alan Hager, and I could say plenty, he always made things right when I complained.

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Posted By: barrysloate

If this thread turns into an indictment of Alan Hager, we will easily sail past 100 posts. Since I never dealt with him, I'll steer clear of this one. But I've heard things, I've heard things.

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Posted By: dan mckee

No more Hager posts please, just reference the 10 page article in a past VCBC by Purdy. Speaking of VCBC, any news? Dan.

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Posted By: barrysloate

It's good Dan that you changed the subject. I heard a rumor that Dennis Purdy was going to take the magazine back, but my gut is it is part of hobby history.

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Posted By: dan mckee

I think you are correct Barry. I wanted to advertise in it but Don told me I was too late. I emailed dennis and never heard back from him. Looks like old cardboard has taken over, ah but the plot thickens...... tune in later for more to come on vintage baseball magazines.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Old Cardboard is doing a great job with many more color pictures- and their profiling of collectors and attaching faces to names is great.

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Posted By: dan mckee

Yes! that is a class magazine with incredibly excellent articles and graphics! I hope it stays around forever. The only bad thing I ever saw in any of the first 3 issues was that brown ad in issue #1.

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Posted By: T206Collector

...before Mr. Mint takes out a full page ad in Old Cardboard. sigh

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Posted By: dan mckee

Great idea! I think I will call Al and see if I can sell a full page for Lyman, then everyone wins.

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Posted By: Ryan Christoff

Here is Rosen's REAL new look. The bald head and chic glasses were only a cover up for his new ultra-pink hue:




I noticed these while playing Candyland with my 3 year-old son. Above is from the box. Below is from the game board. I swear those are real. I did not make them up. My wife couldn't figure out how a game of Candyland could make a grown man laugh out loud. By the way, nice swing, Alan!



No need to go into detail about my Mr. Mint story since it's clear that everyone except Danny (kidding Dan) was treated the same way. I'll just say that it was the early 1980's, I was probably around 14 year-old, and I will never forget it. While the same could be said for me losing my virginity, this was an altogether different kind of screwing courtesy of Mr. Mint, himself.

It's too bad kids you get over on grow up and become adults, isn't it?

-Ryan

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Posted By: Julie

This is weird:

If you punch in "vcbc.com," all you will get it a list of all the articles that appeared in the magazine from issue 1 to 38.

If you punch in "donbetz@vcbc.com" you'll get a note saying our website address
has changed, click HERE. You click HERE, and you get the whole 9 yards, the cover of issue #38, the thing to click on to get the list of back issues to order, the ancient classifieds, etc.

I POISONALLY know someone who ordered issue number 1 this past week, and got confirmation. Whether he gets a magazine or not remains to be seen...some of those magazines were fantasatic.

Like Barry, I'm afraid it's all in the past,--except perhaps for ordering back issues! (Which, as i said, I can't guarentee.)

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I am a newcomer to this forum (only a month); and, at the risk
of alienating several friends (who have posted on this thread),
I have some positive comments to say regarding Mr Mint.

At one of the first shows that I set up, in the Summer of 1981,
Al Rosen was set up opposite me. He was a sort of brash with his
customers, but I figured every hobby has a "Howard Cosell" type
to fuel the "chattering types" amongst us. Other than buying a
complete 1949 Bowman PCL set from him (in 1984), I hadn't done
any other business with him until 1995.

That year he published his book "True Mint" and I found it very
interesting. What fascinated me was his most notable "Finds";
33 of them which are well documented. So, at the Philly Show
I sat down with him and had a great conversation regarding the
details of the 1952 Topps Hi# find, the Un-Opened 1949 Leaf
BB find, the Wayne Miller Tobacco deal, etc., etc. I was
quite impressed with his detailed insight over a wide spectrum
of card issues; from 19th Century to 1970's.

So, then I realized he is an alright guy, and since we have
had numerous deals; and, he has always been very fair with me.

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Posted By: barrysloate

To Ted- And I want the members of this board to know we have been the best of friends for the last twenty years- Alan has been nice to you mainly because you have been a source of good deals for him. You may have other mutual areas of interest, but if he couldn't make great deals with you that friendship very well may not have existed. Sorry to be so cynical, but I call them as I see them.

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Posted By: dan mckee

Holy cow Ryan, you lost your virginity at 14??? You beat me by a year! Hey no sweat, and no need to be kidding, you are correct, based on this thread, I seem to be the only one who has been treated well, plus Ted now. And at 14, you should have been treated in a way that would encourage you to collect, not leave a bad taste in your mouth after all of these years. I am very sorry for that, but am glad what ever he did didn't get you to quit. You have revolutionized the Cuban baseball arena. Dan.

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Posted By: Chris

I'd like to see Mr. Rosen and a certain individual from 707sportscards have a charity boxing match. We could promote it as the "Battle for Rude Supremacy". I'd love to see those two have at it. The winner would get to lowball me on my '33 Goudey PSA 8 Ruth.

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Posted By: painthistorian

To answer a point that was brought about many times, Mr.Rosen came on the "scene" way after some very key players made the hobby "better" and found tons of material, and were nice!..amongst them, Paul Gallagher who single handedly made the New York shows incredible and is now deceased, but not forgotton.,.. He was key in the early days and came up with a lot of rare material and Barry Halper who started paying real money for real quality items was inspirational to all those that were part of it back in the 70's and early 80's.....add to that a long list of others including Lifson, Mastro, L&R Card Co,Frank Nagy, Rob Bruce, Wayne Varner and so on...., Mr. Rosen has contributed a lot in finding material but the foundations of the hobby were well in place before him...and much great material came way before him and should be acknowledged for posterity.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Paul Gallagher was a great friend and always a source of neat material. He used to stop by my apartment often even to play chess and invited me to his cluttered house once, something I considered a real privilege. I remember picking up T206's off his floor. He was a real pioneer and along with his brother used to organize great shows in NYC. Those days are long gone.

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Posted By: Jim Clarke

Great idea having Levi and Mr.Poor get in a ring for a no holds bar match! I think charity would do really good on this one. I'm glad other people complained to the SCD about bad practices. Even though SCD did not do anything about my compliant.. I quickly did NOT renew my weekly newsprint with them.

From what I understand now is that the ONLY PEOPLE THAT LIKE MR. POOR ARE THE PEOPLE IN HIS DOWNLINE THAT HE FLIPS DEALS TO, FROM POOR INNOCENT PEOPLE HE CLUBS USING THE HARD NEW YORK STYLE CLOSING TECHNIQUE ON. Plus the people at SCD that he PAYS for them to do business with him. Does SCD even know they might get more respect if they filter out all the "Bad dealers" in the hobby?

I sure was glad to see him stop running auctions. I bet he is not as well off as he used to be... I think he hides behind SMOKE and MIRRORS.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I agree JC about the smoke and mirrors. Much of what you see is just an illusion, especially that same exact smile that appears in every one of his ads.

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Posted By: tim Mayer

two points..

as you all know, we are all contributing to his legacy and myth, as they say " any publicity is good publicity"

my second point is I am sure that there are some people who have a great relationship with Mr. Mint...
i love reading about famous people throughout history when neighbors and friends make comments about the serial killer, or murderer.." he was a great guy, played with my kids, gave them candy, was very nice" that type of stuff. As a fireman I believe in the adage " where there is smoke there is fire"

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Posted By: Julie

He's the Cheshire Cat that never disappears!

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Posted By: DJ

I think this thread is losing steam but I think the 'no such thing as bad publicity' only works if there is merit in your talent and you have something to offer to the general public. Talented people like Paris Hilton can get away with this but a baseball card dealer, I don't think so. What Rosen does is show the world this loveable money waving side and then when you meet him, he acts like you are intruding on his time by trading odors with him.

DJ

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Posted By: jackgoodman

Should we start telling Tony Galovich stories or is "out of sight, out of mind" the general consensus?

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Posted By: Rhys

Wow, and I thought the Mr. Mint has saved the hobby stuff was bad, but Paris Hilton talented? If there is a more worthless human being on this planet I would love to hear about him/her because as far as I am concerned every time I hear Paris or her friend open their mouths I am dumber for listening to what comes out.

Actually I guess they are very similar, Paris and Mr. Mint; they are both screw people, make money, and then make a big deal about it through self promotion.

Hopefully none of you Mr. Mint or Paris Hilton fans take offense to this, but like Paris, it was just way too easy.

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Posted By: DJ

Paris Hilton (or insert Ashley Simpson) is famous for...'being famous'. They do nothing well. Ashley can't sing and that's her job and Paris is good at being a 'rich girl' of which I would grade a PSA7 because she's too skinny.

We live in a society now where 'reality' stars are famous for being themselves and we the general public think they are celebrities.

The first time I saw Mr. Mint, I couldn't believe what I saw. Time stood still. Everyone seemed to drop what they were doing and look his way. People whispered 'Hey, there's Alan Rosen' and one person asked for an autograph.

DJ

P.S- We should really have an Alan Rosen Haiku competition on this board. Anyone have a bobble of him that they can give to the winner?

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Posted By: tbob

Paris Hilton is definitely a PSA 7 OC ST. Her only talent is displayed in a prone position. Sorry about that....

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Posted By: vetekbob

Although I have never dealt with Mr mint as many of you have, it was suggested that someone should write something and so I have. These words I have penned were an attempt to bring forth both the good and the bad of the man this thread was started about and to try and sum up in some small way the thoughts of some of you and what you had to say.

Mr Mint Mr Mint
With all your money and your flashy smile, you would think that such a man as you would have some style. Your garments are wrapped in green shiny bills. Your eyes search over the room like a hawk on her nest, they get too close to you, you simply smile at them and whisper, Dont you know Mint is the best? You come to us the collector seeking to barter and to sell and we would appreciate it if you wouldnt whine, stomp, and yell. You have paved the road for many of us and for that we gladly give you your due but one thing that seems to have been lost in all of this is the person of you. If by chance we should meet again in the sacred halls of cardsboard's keep, may you leave your dollar bills at the door and lay your heart of kindness and friendship gently at our feet.

basicgreatguy@hotmail.com