Not sure anyone has seen this? ESPN counterfeiters video Greg Marino

[gashouse34]

Listening to Marino talk you get the impression he thinks he was a victim He just wanted to see people happy.

[mcgwirecom]

He was pretty good at most of them, but his McGwire was atrocious. I actually was authenticating for several auction houses in 1999 after the story broke because PSA/DNA had not started and JSA only did vintage players. I was called by one house and a few others joined in.

Before the story broke I was really mad because I had collected a lot of McGwire signed items and did an auction after the 1998 season. The prices I got were very low because people saw the cheap forgeries and would not bid over the forgery prices. I was selling signed balls for maybe $100 before the story broke. Then afterward... woohoo. I got as much as $1200 for a nice signed ball because people just wanted to know it was legit.

I like at the end when he says they put pride into it! LOL

[Mr. Zipper]

I actually appreciated watching him execute the forgeries.

For anyone who has wondered what "deliberate and drawn" means, there ya go.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

I actually appreciated watching him execute the forgeries.

For anyone who has wondered what "deliberate and drawn" means, there ya go.

+1

[seablaster]

Yeesh. I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

[RichardSimon]

The crooked ebay sellers who peddled this sh-- were way too many to count.
I can remember tangling with many of them, even an Army Lieutenant, and eventually had to sue one of them, who had slandered me, and beat him out of a nice sum of money.
A ton of Mantle and Williams and Joe D. stuff is still out there and is offered to me regularly by naive (?) owners.
Marino was very weak on the vintage stuff. Though many of those were also sold on ebay at "bargain" prices.

[Leon]

22 well spent minutes...thanks for posting the link to the video

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

I actually appreciated watching him execute the forgeries.

For anyone who has wondered what "deliberate and drawn" means, there ya go.

That was the part of the video that I found to be the most educational. Watching him sign 'Babe Ruth' and seeing the wavering results - just the final stroke of the 'R' was enough, but these balls still show up in the major auction houses repeatedly, with all the characteristics of a 'deliberate and drawn' autograph.

I don't know modern Mantles or Williams', but the 'B' in Ruth is horrible and the Gehrigs are also horrible. I have never understood why anyone bought either of these forgeries. The shellacked balls are equally horrible.

[tha-rock]

Both of these guys victimized hundreds of honest people out of their hard earned money and got slaps on the wrist for committing felonies. They made huge profits and lived large by ripping people off and I don't feel the least bit sorry for what happened to them. Thank you FBI for Operation Bullpen otherwise these criminals would still be in operation.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by tha-rock

Both of these guys victimized hundreds of honest people out of their hard earned money and got slaps on the wrist for committing felonies. They made huge profits and lived large by ripping people off and I don't feel the least bit sorry for what happened to them. Thank you FBI for Operation Bullpen otherwise these criminals would still be in operation.

Thank you Tim Fitzsimmons for heading the Operation Bullpen.
I have talked with Tim on many occasions. He has retired from the FBI.
Tim and I and a couple of the members here are very unhappy with the way the government has dropped the ball on a major recent case.

[rjackson44]

how about coaches corner ???

[EYECOLLECTVINTAGE]

I could honestly watch this stuff all day. Such a great video. Wish it was longer though.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by rjackson44

how about coaches corner ???

Clearly the forgeries have not stopped, but I don't think they are or may never again be at the same level the Marino operation operated at. I'm not sure how Coaches Corner continues to quite obviously offer up that crap and still skate. How long can you hide behind an "opinion" when it's rather obvious they are either making these items or they know who is doing it? There are smart people at the FBI, even they know that Matty, Josh Gibson and Joe Jackson weren't prolific signers.

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

Clearly the forgeries have not stopped, but I don't think they are or may never again be at the same level the Marino operation operated at....

In my opinion, the situation is worse and fakes are more prolific now.

The "Florida" forgery operation has pumped out huge quantities that dwarf what Marino did.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

In my opinion, the situation is worse and fakes are more prolific now.

The "Florida" forgery operation has pumped out huge quantities that dwarf what Marino did.

+1 for sure!!!!

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

In my opinion, the situation is worse and fakes are more prolific now.

The "Florida" forgery operation has pumped out huge quantities that dwarf what Marino did.

Are these the people selling the crap in Vegas and other tourist trap areas?