Ashamed - Topps T206 Buy Back Fraud

[iwantitiwinit]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

No doubt. But what about trimmed cards that do reside in PSA, SGC, and BVG holders? Does the fact that they made it into the holder of a reputable TPG absolve the seller from disclosing that the card is trimmed/tampered with?

A while back I bought a very high end t206 HOFer with a rare back from a "well respected" broker. The card sat in a BVG flip. Once I received it, in person, it looked a bit short to me. I tried to to cross it to SGC and they would not give it the minimum requested grade of 80 (6) (a down grade), so it was returned to me in the BVG flip. I brought it to several shows and many t206 old timers and some auction houses all said the same thing - "it must stay in this holder", which I took as code that the card was trimmed (none directly said it was trimmed). I grew to despise the card but I could not bring myself to try to sell it without disclosing my experiences - even though it sat plain as day in a BVG flip- which would have resulted in me taking a massive loss. So I ended up contacting the broker who did accept my offer to repurchase it for $2500 less than I bought it from him for. I was happy to take the loss and glad to be rid of that card. All that said, I could have consigned it to an eBay or smaller auction house or sold it myself and merely advertised it as a BVG graded card.... Would that have been wrong? Caveat emptor?

It would be interesting to see if that broker re-offered it and at what price and with what description.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by iwantitiwinit

It would be interesting to see if that broker re-offered it and at what price and with what description.

At a $2,500 discount, he can sub it to PWCC and not think twice about it.

[Gradedcardman]

Is it still not up to us as the buyers to inspect these cards ? I bought a Chappie Charles BVG 7 at a National knowing full well that this was a $600 gamble. The gamble did not payoff. I cracked it and re-subbed as my experience when sending with the slab was not good. Live and learn. This is not a business of collectors selling to collectors anymore. You have to be the one that polices your buys.

[Rhotchkiss]

I dont blame anyone but myself -- I am a big boy buying big boy cards, so it is what it is. That's my perspective as buyer. As a seller (and rarely sell anything), I have a different perspective; I like to sleep at night and would rather make friends not enemies in this industry. That said, like another poster stated - would it have been "wrong" to have just sent the card to PWCC or Probstein or some smaller AH and had them simply list and sell it as what it is "a _____ in a BVG flip"? By giving it over to an AH I am effectively laundering the card ethically, as its now the AH selling and advertising it, not me. I fought with this a long time, because this was a 5-figure card, but ultimately could not bring myself to pawn the thing off to an AH, so I just took the loss and walked. I guess its a dog eat dog world, and thats fine. However, I dont like the taste of dog.