former ebay head Gonzalez purported said psa and jsa suck according to post.

[travrosty]

most people here dont want haulsofshame, autographnewslive, to operate. it exposes the hobby dark side, and they dont want that. the want things to remain the same. so they take it out on me. that's good. they need a punching bag. the hobby is changing, mastro might be singing, and people are scared. i am not an authenticator, a dealer, and i haven't made ten cents in the hobby but my credibility is somehow the focus of everybody.

wait until things change, and then they can't come after the people who have been sounding the warning bell for years.

i will be proven right, and then the defenders of the status quo will be quiet just like b. mastro defenders. where are they now? people are airbrushing mastro out of their photos figuratively speaking. boy i didn't know i was that powerful. post a link, and people spend a lot of time on me. nice. keep it rolling, boys. if heritage couldnt intimidate or bully me, then this is nothing. I didn't ask for anyones permission to investigate it either. I didn't ask the gatekeepers if it was alright to show people that heritage was doing something wrong in my view. nobody owns me in this hobby, period.

heritage changed the way they listed psa and jsa auction loa;s and pre-certs because i exposed it first and other people had enough and made enough noise they couldn't ignore it anymore, and I wrote the first article exposing this auction loa mess on a website called what?

autographnewslive.com not anywhere else.

i won.

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by travrosty

most people here dont want haulsofshame, autographnewslive, to operate. it exposes the hobby dark side, and they dont want that. the want things to remain the same. so they take it out on me. that's good. they need a punching bag. the hobby is changing, mastro might be singing, and people are scared. i am not an authenticator, a dealer, and i haven't made ten cents in the hobby but my credibility is somehow the focus of everybody.

wait until things change, and then they can't come after the people who have been sounding the warning bell for years.

i will be proven right, and then the defenders of the status quo will be quiet just like b. mastro defenders. where are they now? people are airbrushing mastro out of their photos figuratively speaking. boy i didn't know i was that powerful. post a link, and people spend a lot of time on me. nice. keep it rolling, boys. if heritage couldnt intimidate or bully me, then this is nothing.

heritage changed the way they listed psa and jsa auction loa;s and pre-certs because i exposed it first and other people had enough and made enough noise they couldn't ignore it anymore, and I wrote the first article exposing this auction loa mess on a website called what?

autographnewslive.com not anywhere else.

i won.

I just wanted to lock you into this quote Travis.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by thekingofclout

I just wanted to lock you into this quote Travis.

+1

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by travrosty

wait until things change, and then they can't come after the people who have been sounding the warning bell for years.

What "people." Travis? The cowards that hide behind psuedonyms and post anonymously? Are you the "spokesperson" for those that hide behind psuedonyms and post anonymously?

As for HaulsOfShame. com, at least Peter Nash doesn't hide behind a psuedonym. I respect that. I don't agree with everything he writes, but I can sure respect the fact that Mr. Nash doesn't hide behind a psuedonym or post anonymously.

And if, as you claim, the so-called "hammer" ever falls, I'm still going to be here, Travis. I'm still going to be posting under my name.

[earlywynnfan]

I was wondering what Koschal has been doing recently! I like how "they" single out PAAS as above reproach.

Chris, did you notice your name is in one of the posts? It's in French or something, though.

Ken

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

I was wondering what Koschal has been doing recently! I like how "they" single out PAAS as above reproach.

Chris, did you notice your name is in one of the posts? It's in French or something, though.

Ken

so is MORALESS, yet another reason that guy is jackity jackity jack ass.

I happen to be one who does agree with Travis that someday PSA will go the way of the Global /GAI bird: however, I strongly disagree at the way he goes about it with blinders on and supporting a complete mess like Koschal and his moronic ramblings of a mad man. He makes me look sane

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

so is MORALESS, yet another reason that guy is jackity jackity jack ass.

I happen to be one who does agree with Travis that someday PSA will go the way of the Global /GAI bird: however, I strongly disagree at the way he goes about it with blinders on and supporting a complete mess like Koschal and his moronic ramblings of a mad man. He makes me look sane

I think PSA going away is inevitable. Might take a while or might be tomorrow. When it happens, I'll be hobbying unless I no longer enjoy it. I don't own anything with a sticker on it; I'll just have to break out the pliers and crack me some slabs! I will stand by the authenticity of what I own just as I do now.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

I was wondering what Koschal has been doing recently! I like how "they" single out PAAS as above reproach.

Chris, did you notice your name is in one of the posts? It's in French or something, though.

Ken

That's what they do, Ken.

If they have nothing to hide, then why are they hiding?

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by travrosty

i won.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-lJZiqZaGA

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by thetruthisoutthere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-lJZiqZaGA

boy it's been along time since Dr. Demento!!! You laughed, you laughed I heard you laugh now that's funny!

[travrosty]

I know a lot of people want the bill mastro era to keep rolling along but its coming to an end so they will just have to adjust. going after me doesnt help their cause but it makes them look desperate. the side of the hobby that is exposing the fraud is advancing, and the defenders of the status quo have been losing ground and they hate it so they have to lash out.

i posted a link to a story, it's obviously a very powerful story or else people wouldnt be so mad and come after me. i didnt write the story, but its only the beginning of exposing the truths in the hobby that have been hidden and buried for a long time that many people do not want others to know but it cant be stopped anymore.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by travrosty

I know a lot of people want the bill mastro era to keep rolling along but its coming to an end so they will just have to adjust. going after me doesnt help their cause but it makes them look desperate. the side of the hobby that is exposing the fraud is advancing, and the defenders of the status quo have been losing ground and they hate it so they have to lash out.

i posted a link to a story, it's obviously a very powerful story or else people wouldnt be so mad and come after me. i didnt write the story, but its only the beginning of exposing the truths in the hobby that have been hidden and buried for a long time that many people do not want others to know but it cant be stopped anymore.

Travis- Don't flatter yourself, no one is going after you. We just don't care for people hiding behind keyboards and you don't seem to care. You posted a link with some erroneous information from an anonymous source. You like that, most others don't. Anonymous postings that are truthful, and show evidence, are given credence. Even though Peter Nash isn't one of my favorite hobbyists, a lot of what he says is substantiated facts. Him being the messenger, for me, makes it difficult to hear the message. And for the record I believe he has tried to crawl onto this board a few times, under the door so to speak.
No one on this board wants the hobby to be clean more than the folks you are lamenting. I have never read on this board where someone said, if anyone did anything wrong, they shouldn't be punished for it. It is no different than if you or I did something wrong, same thing. We all want to expose fraud in the hobby, not only you. Not too many folks in the hobby have done more than several people in this thread to try to rid the hobby of bad things. I think that is a wonderful thing and those folks, including yourself, have my support for that.

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by travrosty

going after me doesnt help their cause but it makes them look desperate

Leon is right, people here are not going after you, most are trying to show you why you are losing credibility in heedlessly pursuing a largely worthwhile cause.

And I myself have no cause. I like baseball autographs. I spend a lot of money on them. I'm apathetic about TPAs and find them more of an annoyance than anything else. They are a very large part of the hobby right now, for better or worse (and there are valid arguments on both sides). They may go away in the future. I'll deal with the new reality as it then sits. I'm not sure if it will be better or worse (meaning more or less fun for me, which is how I gauge my hobbies).

Does my apathy bother you, Travis?

Do you have fun in this hobby?

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by travrosty

i posted a link to a story, it's obviously a very powerful story or else people wouldnt be so mad and come after me.

Travis, it's not a powerful story. What bothers me, and numerous other members here, is the fact that you posted a link to an article/post in which the author did not sign his name to it.

The content is irrelevant, except, of course, that the coward who authored it, got it wrong about John G. leaving Ebay.

Don't you get it, Travis? It's not about the content.

Why didn't the author sign his name to it? What is he/she afraid of?

You're so flattering of yourself, that you can't see beyond your own skin.

It's not about the content, Travis.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by travrosty

I know a lot of people want the bill mastro era to keep rolling along but its coming to an end so they will just have to adjust. going after me doesnt help their cause but it makes them look desperate. the side of the hobby that is exposing the fraud is advancing, and the defenders of the status quo have been losing ground and they hate it so they have to lash out.

i posted a link to a story, it's obviously a very powerful story or else people wouldnt be so mad and come after me. i didnt write the story, but its only the beginning of exposing the truths in the hobby that have been hidden and buried for a long time that many people do not want others to know but it cant be stopped anymore.

Travis, I don't think that anyone is particularly mad at you? I certainly am not. I really think that it's just the complete and utter "tunnel vision" that you have that just really rubs people the wrong way and you are so infected with. I wonder if this rigidity carries over to other things in your life like interpersonal relationships and work endeavors? I know you don’t care and that’s cool. I always appreciate your spirit and you generally have so much to offer the hobby. I appreciate your balls to speak out on behalf of the jack asses behind the ANL’s every changing website, since you were kicked off the other one.

I still just find it so fascinating that people have such tunnel vision on things and just can’t understand normal thinking. You are strong in your convictions, but not being able to see 2 sides of a coin is really a personality defect. That’s only my opinion as a degreed Psychology major. If it makes you happy, that’s all that matters. I guess I’m just trying to get you to look at the “big picture” which you can’t seem to grasp. If it brings you peace, so be it.

Alexander Hamilton & Malcolm X once said (from Richard’s Website) “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”, so you’re in good company…but good god’s man, get a grip and take a reality pill and at least listen to what others are telling you. Try to deifier that it’s not a personal vendetta against you and we all want the same things for the hobby.

Flexibility in one’s thinking is never a bad thing Travis..

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

Travis, I don't think that anyone is particularly mad at you? I certainly am not. I really think that it's just the complete and utter "tunnel vision" that you have that just really rubs people the wrong way and you are so infected with. I wonder if this rigidity carries over to other things in your life like interpersonal relationships and work endeavors? I know you don’t care and that’s cool. I always appreciate your spirit and you generally have so much to offer the hobby. I appreciate your balls to speak out on behalf of the jack asses behind the ANL’s every changing website, since you were kicked off the other one.

I still just find it so fascinating that people have such tunnel vision on things and just can’t understand normal thinking. You are strong in your convictions, but not being able to see 2 sides of a coin is really a personality defect. That’s only my opinion as a degreed Psychology major. If it makes you happy, that’s all that matters. I guess I’m just trying to get you to look at the “big picture” which you can’t seem to grasp. If it brings you peace, so be it.

Alexander Hamilton & Malcolm X once said (from Richard’s Website) “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”, so you’re in good company…but good god’s man, get a grip and take a reality pill and at least listen to what others are telling you. Try to deifier that it’s not a personal vendetta against you and we all want the same things for the hobby.

Flexibility in one’s thinking is never a bad thing Travis..

Fuddj,,, here is the quote from my website:
"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything."
--Alexander Hamilton

I never gave any credit to Malcolm X for that statement.

[ibuysportsephemera]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

Fuddj,,, here is the quote from my website:
"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything."
--Alexander Hamilton

I never gave any credit to Malcolm X for that statement.

Maybe Malcolm X said it anonymously....would Travis then post it as breaking news?

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

Fuddj,,, here is the quote from my website:
"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything."
--Alexander Hamilton

I never gave any credit to Malcolm X for that statement.

I'm sorry Richard, somewhere I thought I remember that it was a quote from malcolm X as well, albeit not on your website

[markf31]

Originally Posted by travrosty

I know a lot of people want the bill mastro era to keep rolling along but its coming to an end so they will just have to adjust. going after me doesnt help their cause but it makes them look desperate. the side of the hobby that is exposing the fraud is advancing, and the defenders of the status quo have been losing ground and they hate it so they have to lash out.

i posted a link to a story, it's obviously a very powerful story or else people wouldnt be so mad and come after me. i didnt write the story, but its only the beginning of exposing the truths in the hobby that have been hidden and buried for a long time that many people do not want others to know but it cant be stopped anymore.

But the number of people who want to see good changes in the hobby, who want to eradicate the fraud, eliminate the forgeries and clean the hobby up greatly outnumber those who want to perpetuate the current wrong in the hobby, but they are too often the silent majority. Just because a handful of people are up on their soap boxes and yelling loudly does not mean they represent the majority of us collectors.

Too many casual collectors for the most part are not aware of the rampant evil imbedded in the hobby. And a large number of us in the hobby are not educated enough, skilled enough or knowledgeable enough to pursue this great hobby without the help from trusted and reputable authenticators. Unfortunately there never seems to be enough Richard Simon’s in the hobby to help us out.

If you eliminate TPAs, where does that leave the hobby?

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by markf31

If you eliminate TPAs, where does that leave the hobby?

In preparation for Travis' response, grab a big bowl of popcorn and pull up a comfy seat.

You will soon be regaled with a tale of a magical time before TPAs when everyone bought from 5 trusted dealers, everyone studied for months before they purchased every autograph and everything was much better.

The reality that is being denied is that the Internet fundamentally changed the way collectibles are bought and sold. It created a channel for collectors to easily and inexpensively sell to one another. No more having to consign or sell your collection to a dealer to sell it efficiently. The middle man was cut out of the equation. The next logical step is that an independent party emerges that provides a service so otherwise unknown collectors could sell items with some measure of credibility. It has happened in every single hobby where grading and/or authentication matters.

The irony is we continually see some people bashing the TPAs and promoting good dealers such as Richard or Jim. But when it is time for them to sell, they bypass selling it to a dealer and they use a TPA cert to sell it themselves. You can't have it both ways.

Any reasonable observer will admit no company is perfect and there is room for improvement and constructive feedback should be encouraged. But overall, I believe the TPAs have made buying safer. If you are looking to buy a Mantle, Williams, Jeter, Puhols, DiMaggio, Koufax and so forth, they get it right almost all the time.

Regrettably, there appears to be no middle ground with some people. If you are not bashing them all the time or give them credit for anything, you are "one of the insiders."

I think Travis could add to the hobby. Unfortunately there is no balance. When he was on Autograph Magazine Live, he had many opportunities to help collectors with his opinion on Boxing autographs, however not once did I ever see him help in a positive way or offer his opinion (unless it was to note an item a TPA got wrong in his opinion.) He derailed thread after thread with his rants and now loudly complains that he was banned because someone was trying to "silence" his message.

Sadly, there is so much anger that it has impaired all sense of reason, fairness and proportion.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a space consultant for JSA.

[alexautographs]

You are in many respect correct, Zip...but we dealers are paid for our expertise. If you hire a "plumber" on eBay and get the Three Stooges flooding your house (my favorite episode!), in a way you deserve what you get. Buying on eBay or at shows, if you haven't carefully checked out the seller, is like buying at a flea market - caveat emptor.

And at the risk of sounding snide...why should Travis, Richard, me or any other pro spend our valuable time vetting other people's material for free? My time is $200 an hour. I'll do it for the trade and for friends but professionals don't work for free. Ask Spence.

[alexautographs]

The problem is that by all accounts it appears that the TPAs are in some way in cahoots with their larger-volume clients. When that happens, the temptation to pass bad material or upgrade lesser material become significant.

The TPAs have pretty much taken over the baseball world. In my trade, historical autographs, except for RR auction they are non-entities but trying hard to make inroads. Customers still depend on the reputation and expertise of the DEALER, not the sales and marketing departments of the TPAs.

We also have the horrendous reputations of Morales, Drew Max, and other such $&)(;$$&@$$ who IMO are so inept they've poisoned the well for ALL TPAs.

Just my two bits.