My Dealings with Memory Lane...GREAT read :/

[forazzurri2axz]

Justin, While I understand your above response, I still tend to disagree with much of your opinion on this situation. I'll leave it at that. HOWEVER, you then added a previous reference to an M116 situation some time ago.

If I remember correctly, this was one of the all-time most responses on Net 54 and shows how perception is not often reality. Shortly prior to the auction and Net 54 accusations, I had purchased PRIVATELY a large number of M116's from Buddy Mason. He is from Virginia and we met in Atlanta for the transaction. And while I don't recall all of the details of the situation, I do recall the following.........................

Some people referred to Buddy Mason as "Buddy" implying he was not real and a "JP alias" or someone representing JP/ML

Some posters got pissed at Buddy for not responding immediately after he had responded numerous times and then was not at a computer for a while...His not answering immediately at times was not good enough for the Salem Witch Hunters of Net 54..............

Some questioned whether there was really a non paying bidder or just a shill for JP when it seemed obvious that this S...K person , the non-paying bidder had screwed fellow members in previous transactions. That history of screwing fellow collectors seems enough for me to realize he wasn't a shill for JP.

And while I apologize for not recalling the specific details, accusations were made, partly because of pop report assumptions, regarding specific cards which were TOTALLY FALSE because I was the owner of the cards questioned, having bought them from Buddy before this ML situation ever occured.

Buddy was even questioned as to why he didn't consign to another company when it was obvious from the beginning that he had gotten an advance for the consignment and that consigning to another auction house would have created major problems. Also, ML did nothing wrong with the auction; SK renegged--so why should he have consigned to someone else.

The ONLY thing IMHO that ML could have done differently was state that the M116's had been given another cert # and why; but the IMPORTANT THING HERE IS THAT YOU BRING UP AN OLD SITUATION REGARDING JP AS IF TO PROVE HIS DISHONESTY BUT THE DISHONESTY WAS THAT OF S...K AND OF THE FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF SO MANY POSTERS HERE AT NET 54!!

If you and others don't like what someone did in their past, don't do business with them....But to try and find fault/dishonesty in every subsequent situation regarding the auction house BECAUSE of the past is unfair on y'alls part.

hope everyone is safe from the storm....Peace

Bill Latzko

[Leon]

For the most part I agree with Bill Latzko here. What JP did outside of the hobby didn't affect anyone in the hobby as far as I am aware. If I am not incorrect he paid for his issues (I don't know all of the details). All of my dealings with JP and his company, while in the hobby, have been fine and I have never had an issue with him. I continue to do business with his company and have never felt I was taken advantage of.
He has an issue with me because of what goes on on the board, but that is not something I can help. I don't tell people what to say or not to say, I just try to make sure everyone puts their name by their post. I am not condoning any bad behavior either. I realize some folks will never get past JPs past and that is their prerogative. But to equate a current situation, and say it is bad, because of what happened outside of the hobby several years ago, is unfair in my mind. Everyone can jump on the pile now.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by forazzurri2axz

Salem Witch Hunters of Net 54..............

Nice

[barrysloate]

It's okay to forgive JP's past, and do business with him. It's also okay to choose not to do business with somebody whose ethics you question. Either of those is fine.

What's not okay is to berate somebody for his ethical standards, but still do business with him because he has a card you need. That is being a hypocrite.

And my post is directed at nobody in particular.

[Peter_Spaeth]

As stuff trumps all for (I am guessing) most people, it's pretty easy to rehabilitate oneself in the sportscard/memorabilia industry.

[drc]

I agree with Barry. Many (not all or even most) will criticize the ethics of an auction house, then buy from the auction house when it has something they need. Hypocrisy is a good word choice. Perhaps even worse, these buyers are helping keep in business an auction house that they claim is unethical-- hard to wash their hands of that.

I have no opinion on Mile High and have never bid in one of their auctions. Simply a case there are too many auction houses for me to follow closely. I have no opinion about and haven't bid in many auctions. Also I tend to find people go overboard in their criticism on chat boards, so I might take it as seriously as they wish me to. Not suggesting that they don't have a point.

[botn]

Originally Posted by drc

I have no opinion on Mile High and have never bid in one of their auctions. Simply a case there are too many auction houses for me to follow closely.

This thread is about Memory Lane and JP Cohen. Mile High is entirely different auction house.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

It's okay to forgive JP's past, and do business with him. It's also okay to choose not to do business with somebody whose ethics you question. Either of those is fine.

What's not okay is to berate somebody for his ethical standards, but still do business with him because he has a card you need. That is being a hypocrite.

And my post is directed at nobody in particular.

Actually, that would be blaming the victim. And here we go, around and around, with the same arguments I've heard on this board since 2006: 1) Charlie Manson never killed anyone in my family so he's okay in my book. 2) Auction houses are expected to commit fraud and if you choose to do business with a house you deem crooked then you are to blame. As Mastro's indictment does not include any bidders, just auction house executives, it would seem that the bad guys are alleged to be just the perpetrators of the fraud and not the victims.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by calvindog

Actually, that would be blaming the victim. And here we go, around and around, with the same arguments I've heard on this board since 2006: 1) Charlie Manson never killed anyone in my family so he's okay in my book. 2) Auction houses are expected to commit fraud and if you choose to do business with a house you deem crooked then you are to blame. As Mastro's indictment does not include any bidders, just auction house executives, it would seem that the bad guys are alleged to be just the perpetrators of the fraud and not the victims.

Jeff, I understand not doing business with auction houses that you think are crooked. But would you deal with someone who you knew bought from crooked auction houses? For instance, if I bought a rare Ty Cobb item that you wanted, from an auction house that you thought was crooked, and put it up for sale at a reasonable price, would you consider buying it? What if I sold it to one of your friends and he put it up for sale?

There was at least one person on the board who said they wouldn't sit down at a dinner table if someone who represented a 'crooked' auction house was there, so I was just wondering how far this goes.

[grundle20]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

It's okay to forgive JP's past, and do business with him. It's also okay to choose not to do business with somebody whose ethics you question. Either of those is fine.

What's not okay is to berate somebody for his ethical standards, but still do business with him because he has a card you need. That is being a hypocrite.

And my post is directed at nobody in particular.

I do value you weighing in, Barry.

However, the origin of the entire post was not even JP's past. It's JP's present. The whole point of bringing up his past was to accentuate how he runs his business today. His business ethics, while no longer illegal, haven't exactly pulled a 180 degree turn.

And I'd finally like to just point out that I'm not suggesting anyone do or not do business with Memory Lane. That's clearly your call. This isn't Romper Room. But if you guys had a bad experience with someone (see: Any hundreds of EBay users who we all talk about), honestly, I'd want you to tell me. I trust you guys way more than an ex-con salesperson. So that's why I told you.

The one point Barry made, though, I'd like to stand by loud and clear: It IS being a hypocrite to berate Memory Lane and still do business with them. That's why I'm just stating for the record that I'm not doing business with them...ever again. I don't care what card they have that I "need" (I never "need" anything in a hobby). My moral standards will always trump a PSA something-or-other (that Mastro probably photocopied...) for my collection.

[forazzurri2axz]

from grundle's post above......The one point Barry made, though, I'd like to stand by loud and clear: It IS being a hypocrite to berate Memory Lane and still do business with them. That's why I'm just stating for the record that I'm not doing business with them...ever again. I don't care what card they have that I "need" (I never "need" anything in a hobby). My moral standards will always trump a PSA something-or-other (that Mastro probably photocopied...) for my collection.
Last edited by grundle20; Today at 06:15 PM.

THEN WHY DID YOU ATTEMPT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AT ALL---DON'T FEED US THE LINE THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW OF HIS PAST BEFORE YOU INQUIRED INTO THE 48 LEAFS!! THE CARD(S) WAS AND WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR MORAL STANDARDS OBVIOUSLY-------You didn't get your way with daddy and came cryin' to mommy!
And YES I put cards ( plural) since you fail to mention the whole story this entire time .....you have been PARTIALLY up front with this entire Net 54 community , not completely, so you just may want to shut up and give this a rest!!!

Bill Latzko

[Kenny Cole]

Originally Posted by forazzurri2axz

from grundle's post above......The one point Barry made, though, I'd like to stand by loud and clear: It IS being a hypocrite to berate Memory Lane and still do business with them. That's why I'm just stating for the record that I'm not doing business with them...ever again. I don't care what card they have that I "need" (I never "need" anything in a hobby). My moral standards will always trump a PSA something-or-other (that Mastro probably photocopied...) for my collection.
Last edited by grundle20; Today at 06:15 PM.

THEN WHY DID YOU ATTEMPT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AT ALL---DON'T FEED US THE LINE THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW OF HIS PAST BEFORE YOU INQUIRED INTO THE 48 LEAFS!! THE CARD(S) WAS AND WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR MORAL STANDARDS OBVIOUSLY-------You didn't get your way with daddy and came cryin' to mommy!
And YES I put cards ( plural) since you fail to mention the whole story this entire time .....you have been PARTIALLY up front with this entire Net 54 community , not completely, so you just may want to shut up and give this a rest!!!

Bill Latzko

Um, maybe because he didn't know about their past until he tried to buy a card from them and got cheated? Maybe he didn't look at the seller's prior history until that occurred? Don't know, but it isn't real apparent to me that he put stuff over morals simply by trying to buy a card from someone who he might not have known had a history that might cause him to be cautious. Just sayin' ...

[grundle20]

Originally Posted by forazzurri2axz

THEN WHY DID YOU ATTEMPT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AT ALL---DON'T FEED US THE LINE THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW OF HIS PAST BEFORE YOU INQUIRED INTO THE 48 LEAFS!! THE CARD(S) WAS AND WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR MORAL STANDARDS OBVIOUSLY-------You didn't get your way with daddy and came cryin' to mommy!
And YES I put cards ( plural) since you fail to mention the whole story this entire time .....you have been PARTIALLY up front with this entire Net 54 community , not completely, so you just may want to shut up and give this a rest!!!

Thanks, Bill, for your wonderfully insightful post.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

It's okay to forgive JP's past, and do business with him. It's also okay to choose not to do business with somebody whose ethics you question. Either of those is fine.

What's not okay is to berate somebody for his ethical standards, but still do business with him because he has a card you need. That is being a hypocrite.

Yes, but

[FourStrikes]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Yes, but

GREAT post, Adam! gotta love the Fabulous - (and Furry!) - Freak Brothers!

DS