The Opportunity

MULLINS5 · #1 06-16-2019, 07:57 AM

I agree that there should be more offered for higher end. I don't think, though, that PSA will offer more for the same price, and for the what they charge to authenticate and grade higher end I'd already expect a full report on the item.

I've read the high fees are for insurance reasons...but there's only about $800k in reserve for payouts. If that's the case, where's the money?

Fballguy · #2 06-16-2019, 09:36 AM

Do dealers want to be authenticators too?

Mark17 · #3 06-16-2019, 09:45 AM

GU dealers aren't shy about describing their items to the best of their knowledge and ability - and putting it in writing in the form of an LOA. Why not for cards, too?

1952boyntoncollector · #4 06-16-2019, 09:48 AM

The purple stickers is all that is needed.....are the purple stickers thus far untouched in this trimming scandal?

lowpopper · #5 06-16-2019, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

The purple stickers is all that is needed.....are the purple stickers thus far untouched in this trimming scandal?

Funny you ask because we have a few update
posts we will be making addressing some new
policies, assurances and business model. We
just hired someone to handle our social media
so you will hear from her/us in the very near
future.

And to answer your question, no unfortunately
Purple Label is not tangled in that mess.

bnorth · #6 06-16-2019, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowpopper

Funny you ask because we have a few update
posts we will be making addressing some new
policies, assurances and business model. We
just hired someone to handle our social media
so you will hear from her/us in the very near
future.

And to answer your question, no unfortunately
Purple Label is not tangled in that mess.

That is a strange point of view. Don't worry though you have the type of friends that can change that.

I am sure that was a typo and I am just being a smart a$$ so don't take it personal.

lowpopper · #7 06-16-2019, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnorth

That is a strange point of view. Don't worry though you have the type of friends that can change that.

I am sure that was a typo and I am just being a smart a$$ so don't take it personal.

Not a typo...just sorry I could not feed the public's ferocious appetite for scandal

On a serious note, we will be querying the public to find out exactly
what we can do to help the hobby. We already have a few things in
motion but we still want to hear directly from the people.

This is an important thread. There is definitely a void that Purple Label
can help fill.

Fballguy · #8 06-16-2019, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark17

GU dealers aren't shy about describing their items to the best of their knowledge and ability - and putting it in writing in the form of an LOA. Why not for cards, too?

Cards would be much more difficult. It's easy to tell if a jersey has a sewn repair. It's apparently VERY difficult to tell if a card has been doctored. Even the paid "experts" can't tell.

perezfan · #9 06-16-2019, 12:29 PM

I thought the same at first. But after seeing a ton of very obvious "misses" lately, I'm starting to believe those graders knew exactly what they were doing.

As for the OP's concept, I think it has some merit, and could potentially help to strengthen the hobby. With so many of us griping and complaining about PSA's incompetence, at least he is offering an alternative solution to the unskilled and possibly corrupt TPG graders.

Mark17 · #10 06-16-2019, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perezfan

As for the OP's concept, I think it has some merit, and could potentially help to strengthen the hobby. With so many of us griping and complaining about PSA's incompetence, at least he is offering an alternative solution to the unskilled and possibly corrupt TPG graders.

There ARE a lot of very knowledgeable, good, honest card dealers in this hobby, many in this forum. I would certainly trust them to inspect a card I was buying, and their desire to be accurate to build their good reputation, more than somebody working for a TPG company.

For one thing, a dealer will know where his cards are coming from, and if he gets suspicious, he can stop buying from that person. For another, the dealer will be doing his best to correctly assess cards before adding them to his inventory in the first place. And lastly, if an altered card does slip through once in awhile (which would be inevitable,) it would be an honest miss.

Bottom line: when we buy cards other than in person, we want someone to tell us if the card is problematic. So what I'm saying is, wouldn't the logical people to do that be the people who are already highly respected card dealers? And all of us would have our own lists of most trusted sellers whom we'd be most comfortable buying from.

oldjudge · #11 06-16-2019, 01:09 PM

This is an insurance policy. If dealers or auction houses do this they will have to incorporate the cost of this guarantee (money back I assume) into their product. How much are you willing to pay for an authenticity guarantee from a dealer? My guess is that it will add 15-25% to the cost of everything you buy.

steve B · #12 06-16-2019, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark17

GU dealers aren't shy about describing their items to the best of their knowledge and ability - and putting it in writing in the form of an LOA. Why not for cards, too?

It's most likely a matter of scale. How many game used items does a dealer typically handle in a year? A couple hundred?

How many cards does a dealer handle in a year... PWCC usually has a few thousand at all times, running lets say 4000 a week is 208,000 a year. Lets say someone handles 1/10 the volume. That's still close to 21,000 items a year. So they'd have to write 57 letters a day.

I believe accuracy would suffer.

I do think that a TPG that gathered the same information could do very well. But it's a hard thing to try to get started, with three major competitors.

Mark17 · #13 06-16-2019, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldjudge

This is an insurance policy. If dealers or auction houses do this they will have to incorporate the cost of this guarantee (money back I assume) into their product. How much are you willing to pay for an authenticity guarantee from a dealer? My guess is that it will add 15-25% to the cost of everything you buy.

How many problem TPG cards have been identified, and how much in claims have they paid out? In other words, what is this "insurance policy" you speak of?

The concept I am proposing could involve a disclaimer on the LOA that it is only an opinion. The producer of the LOA - the dealer - will have his reputation behind it, and a money-back guarantee, which reputable dealers already have.

And, for that matter, if a dealer has a better reputation than the TPG, and many do, they would save the money otherwise spent for that TPG service by doing it themselves.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

The great virtue of a market economy is that if dealers see an opportunity for profit in this, they will do it. Like Jay, I'm skeptical, but we'll see.

Exactly. Solutions can often be found by going back to the basics of the free market.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve B

It's most likely a matter of scale. How many game used items does a dealer typically handle in a year? A couple hundred?

How many cards does a dealer handle in a year... PWCC usually has a few thousand at all times, running lets say 4000 a week is 208,000 a year. Lets say someone handles 1/10 the volume. That's still close to 21,000 items a year. So they'd have to write 57 letters a day.

A dealer might just want to offer LOAs on the higher-end stuff, and something much simpler on low-end cards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve B

I do think that a TPG that gathered the same information could do very well. But it's a hard thing to try to get started, with three major competitors.

In theory, yes, but if the graders working at tables, grading card after card and just waiting for the weekend, miss an alteration, how much do they really care? The company cares, but does the guy who made the mistake have any vested interest? A dealer protecting his hard-earned good reputation sure does.

All good comments! Not saying I have the answer, just saying I trust some people more than others when it comes to assessing baseball cards.

itslarry · #14 06-16-2019, 03:46 PM

How would the general public know who to trust, just follow what some dudes on a forum say? Ive seen enough auctionbhouses gey called out on here, no wat id trust them.
The few people i do trust 100% (or as close as can), no eay they could do volume necessary.

Does coaches corner offer a coa?

oldjudge · #15 06-16-2019, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark17

How many problem TPG cards have been identified, and how much in claims have they paid out? In other words, what is this "insurance policy" you speak of?

The concept I am proposing could involve a disclaimer on the LOA that it is only an opinion. The producer of the LOA - the dealer - will have his reputation behind it, and a money-back guarantee, which reputable dealers already have.

And, for that matter, if a dealer has a better reputation than the TPG, and many do, they would save the money otherwise spent for that TPG service by doing it themselves.

Exactly. Solutions can often be found by going back to the basics of the free market.

A dealer might just want to offer LOAs on the higher-end stuff, and something much simpler on low-end cards.

In theory, yes, but if the graders working at tables, grading card after card and just waiting for the weekend, miss an alteration, how much do they really care? The company cares, but does the guy who made the mistake have any vested interest? A dealer protecting his hard-earned good reputation sure does.

All good comments! Not saying I have the answer, just saying I trust some people more than others when it comes to assessing baseball cards.

If you don�t think the dealers would honor their guarantee then why would you want one? The only auctioneer who I ever saw say a card was overgraded was Rob Lifson. He would be the only person whose opinion I would trust. Otherwise, I think dealers are either not knowledgeable enough or conflicted or both.

Promethius88 · #16 06-16-2019, 10:59 PM

Tommy:
Let's think about this for a sec, Ted, why do they put a guarantee on a box? Hmm, very interesting.

Ted:
I'm listening.

Tommy:
Here's how I see it. A guy puts a guarantee on the box 'cause he wants you to fell all warm and toasty inside.

Ted:
Yeah, makes a man feel good.

Tommy:
'Course it does. Ya think if you leave that box under your pillow at night, the Guarantee Fairy might come by and leave a quarter.

Ted:
What's your point?

Tommy:
The point is, how do you know the Guarantee Fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? "Building model airplanes" says the little fairy, but we're not buying it. Next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser and your daughter's knocked up, I seen it a hundred times.

Ted:
But why do they put a guarantee on the box then?

Tommy:
Because they know all they solda ya was a guaranteed piece of shit. That's all it is. Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for right now, for your sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality item from me.

Ted:
Hmm. Okay, I'll buy from you.

steve B · #17 06-17-2019, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark17

In theory, yes, but if the graders working at tables, grading card after card and just waiting for the weekend, miss an alteration, how much do they really care? The company cares, but does the guy who made the mistake have any vested interest? A dealer protecting his hard-earned good reputation sure does.

All good comments! Not saying I have the answer, just saying I trust some people more than others when it comes to assessing baseball cards.

In Stamps, the people doing the authentication/grading are experts, and are often dealers. They generally specialize in a particular area.
There is also some private expertization by respected dealers, although the most recent one in the US died a few years ago. He offered a really bare bones service, $5 for any stamp, and the certificate was a small printed piece of paper with the minimum required info.

In other countries the expertizers are experts in a narrow area, and may be dealers. They don't really do grading. The culture varies from one country to the next. At least once, the person considered to be THE expert on a single issue has turned out to also be the person forging the overprints. So all type II or ones of a particular color are now known to be fake, and he approved all of them - Of course he made them, so...

Overall, I think that having a service that's actually reliable, and that takes the time and is transparent about the information - No simple "A", but an "A" with a detailed explanation. is the way to go. I've debated giving it a try, but I'm very slow and hopelessly disorganized. I figure it would take a good deal of money and at least 3-4 people to even get started. And the chance of success compared to PSA where the registry is well developed and active is very small.
I'd have a registry that accepted cards from other graders, with varying weights. That's pretty much the only way I can see to make any headway in the registry area.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Consignment sale opportunity	GrayGhost	Baseball Memorabilia B/S/T	0	10-11-2017 06:35 PM
-OT-So much for the golden opportunity�.	wonkaticket	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	9	09-11-2012 07:10 PM
A Great Opportunity....	jgmp123	Autograph Forum- Primarily Sports	26	08-21-2012 07:49 AM
Your Type Of Opportunity	Archive	Tobacco (T) cards, except T206 B/S/T	2	01-04-2006 08:07 PM
Great opportunity	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	6	05-23-2003 01:21 PM