Rick Probstein interviews Bill Mastro

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Snowman

...simply made a mistake. They have thousands of listings ending per day. Sometimes, they double post by mistake...

You did read the part explaining that they listed the card again a short time later, yes?

I guess they "found" it.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

Thanks for sharing the interview. Really enjoyed listening to Mastro's stories especially the Wagner deal. Wish Probstein would have stopped interrupting and talking over him. Could have listened to another hour about the early hobby days. Mastro comes off like he truly regrets his mistakes and has paid the ultimate price both with losing 18 months of life behind bars and his reputation, and I personally think everyone deserves a 2nd chance. Maybe Mastro gets one...I don't know. You might have a different opinion if you were the one financially harmed by his greed.

As an aside, the more I think about the ebay/PWCC debacle, I think ebay is just as culpable and should/could have done so much more to stop the shilling. The PWCC account termination feels more and more like retribution to PWCC's plans to build their own auction platform.

[Fred]

I've bid in Probstein auctions and won and never felt there was shill bidding. Like many, I've read about the accusations of impropriety in regard tp Probstein but I have no opinion on it because I don't have access to any evidence. If the stories are true then that's a shame.

I found the statement indicating (see around 23:30) "What I did was probably wrong" as a bit strange to hear but if that's how he feels, then it gives a little insight to his mindset. He did however say what he did was wrong at about the 25 minute mark so there's that. Mastro comments a little about the reason he went to prison for a year and a half. It was interesting to hear his insight to the wrong doing, but there was so much more to this interview that makes it worth listening to.

Mastro seems very genuine in the interview. What's nice about this interview is that it wasn't scripted, it was down to earth hobby talk from the early days of the hobby.

Definitely worth the time, even if you don't like either Probstein and/or Mastro.

I'd take the time to listen to another interview if they do another. It would be cool to see specific topics covered.

Interviews like this are good because they will be around many years from now when a lot of us are gone and new blood is in the hobby (if it survives that long).

[Peter_Spaeth]

I have heard that Bill refused to tell what he knew about other hobby players. Imagine if he had felt differently.

[clydepepper]

An A-Hole interviewing a crook...pass.

.

[Jeffrompa]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

An A-Hole interviewing a crook...pass.

.

I wouldn’t listen to this two if you paid me .

[drcy]

Whatever people think of him (them) and the accuracy of what he said, it was an interesting and entertaining interview.

Amongst many interesting stories of early collecting and the early hobby, he talks directly about the Gretzky T206 Wagner (It came with many T206s irregularly cut from a sheet or sheets and, after purchasing the lot for $25,000, he trimmed the oversized Wagner) and the nature of the wronging/illegalities at Mastro Auctions. It was obvious Mastro retains a love and interest in cards themselves.

He should write a book, as he has a lot of history of the early hobby.

It's true that Probstein sometimes interrupted him (People want to hear the answer not the question) and hurried him along. My impression is he had a time allotment for the story, and was doing time management. He could do a series.

[Bridwell]

In 1972, I bought a Ty Cobb T206 batting card from Irv Lerner at a Detroit card show for 40 cents. I picked out some other good ones for 10 cents each but he insisted on 40 cents for the Cobb. It had 2 light creases, and after 30 years it got a PSA 2. The most expensive card I saw that year was a Ruth Goudey card for $1.00.

A few years later, around 1980, I bought my Ty Cobb green portrait at a Detroit show for $10. I splurged on it because it was super nice. Some 25 years later, I got it graded PSA 5 and still have it.

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Eric72

You did read the part explaining that they listed the card again a short time later, yes?

I guess they "found" it.

The other listing probably just wasn't paid for. So they relisted it. After that buyer didn't pay, they probably didn't think to check to see if they happened to accidently dual list that card and see if you still wanted it. It's probably as simple as that. Dibble listed by accident. They canceled the second one (yours) and the original listing didn't get paid for, so it was relisted.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Snowman

The other listing probably just wasn't paid for. So they relisted it. After that buyer didn't pay, they probably didn't think to check to see if they happened to accidently dual list that card and see if you still wanted it. It's probably as simple as that. Dibble listed by accident. They canceled the second one (yours) and the original listing didn't get paid for, so it was relisted.

LOL

The first one was mine, not the second. Chronologically:

1. I win auction
2. I pay
3. They don't ship
4. They relist

Timeline make sense?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Eric72

LOL

The first one was mine, not the second. Chronologically:

1. I win auction
2. I pay
3. They don't ship
4. They relist

Timeline make sense?

Whatever your facts, an innocent explanation can be constructed. Why waste your time.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Whatever your facts, an innocent explanation can be constructed. Why waste your time.

Exchanging words with a snowman has entertainment value at the moment.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Exchanging words with a snowman has entertainment value at the moment.

You are easily entertained my friend.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

You are easily entertained my friend.

Quite. I embrace it, though. Simple things to amuse a simple mind.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Exchanging words with a snowman has entertainment value at the moment.

My favorite Bo Belinsky quote: "Never snow a snowman."

[samosa4u]

Thanks for uploading this.

Yeah, it was a bit annoying how Prob kept interrupting him, however, this wasn't some scripted interview or anything like that. It was a conversation between two card guys.

And like many of you on here said, Mastro paid his debt to society. Going to Federal prison is not a walk in the park. Who knows what he really went through while in there.

So, Mastro trimmed the Wagner and sold it for $110,000 USD? What about guys who have been trimming cards for ten or twenty-plus years and have made millions? What about the fraud going on in the other auction houses? Mastro gets locked up and all those other guys get to sit at home and count their money - makes sense.

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Eric72

LOL

The first one was mine, not the second. Chronologically:

1. I win auction
2. I pay
3. They don't ship
4. They relist

Timeline make sense?

You mentored above that Probstein's initial response to you was that it was dual listed due to an "ebay glitch". Did you check to see if there were in fact 2 listings if this card at that time? This is the "first" listing I was referring to.

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Whatever your facts, an innocent explanation can be constructed. Why waste your time.

Yes, I generally subscribe to Hanlon's razor - "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence".

[Peter_Spaeth]

Hanlon would have said no such thing if he knew the sportscards industry.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Snowman

You mentored above that Probstein's initial response to you was that it was dual listed due to an "ebay glitch". Did you check to see if there were in fact 2 listings if this card at that time? This is the "first" listing I was referring to.

Yes, I checked multiple times. The first time was when researching comparable sales.

The card had sold roughly 3 months prior. There were no other listings (for that card with that cert #) on eBay between then and my winning bid.

That is why their response, which I copied-and-pasted in quotes earlier, stood out to me.