OT: 3.5 Million Dollar Scam - Pokemon Cards Certified by BBCE

25801wv · #1 01-13-2022, 08:46 PM

This would make me worried if I had high dollar unopened boxes that are BBCE wrapped. If he can�t authenticate it, then who can?

ALBB · #2 01-13-2022, 09:00 PM

maybe...but cant help that it looks a little staged ??

chriskim · #3 01-13-2022, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALBB

maybe...but cant help that it looks a little staged ??

There's no way BBCE Steve would have agreed to play a role if the whole thing was really staged. Steve is a 110% straight up guy!

vintagetoppsguy · #4 01-13-2022, 09:09 PM

BBCE has been involved in a number of scandals over the years, people just chose to turn a blind eye and not talk about it. As long as it's shrink wrapped with a BBCE label, what does it matter what's inside, right? Kinda like PSA and all the altered cards they slabbed that were brought to light a couple of years ago. It's not what's on the inside that counts; it's the authenticator's seal that gives it its value.

Eric72 · #5 01-13-2022, 09:10 PM

I get the feeling this will send ripples throughout the hobby. Either BBCE made a multi-million dollar mistake or someone is trying to make it look like they were the victim of multi-million dollar fraud.

shagrotn77 · #6 01-13-2022, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

I get the feeling this will send ripples throughout the hobby. Either BBCE made a multi-million dollar mistake or someone is trying to make it look like they were the victim of multi-million dollar fraud.

Given all that's occurred and been forgotten about over the years, I'm quite certain nothing will ever send ripples throughout the hobby. It's apparently bulletproof.

Peter_Spaeth · #7 01-13-2022, 10:30 PM

Two threads going at once on this.

Dead-Ball-Hitter · #8 01-13-2022, 10:44 PM

Unopened material has always been a crap shoot. I believe the best way to invest in any sports card is to 1) research the characteristics of the original card, and 2) buy commons from the same set, if possible, and examine them closely. This later step, buying commons, is immensely helpful. I�d personally never buy unopened material.

RCFire82 · #9 01-13-2022, 11:20 PM

GI Joe's are cooler than Pok�mon anyways.

maniac_73 · #10 01-13-2022, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALBB

maybe...but cant help that it looks a little staged ??

Definitely not staged. I�ve been following this one for a while and after Logan bought it a lot of ppl on the internet started questioning what they were seeing on the boxes. Steve had no experience with Pok�mon he should not have authenticated this box.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Santo10Fan · #11 01-14-2022, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maniac_73

Definitely not staged. I�ve been following this one for a while and after Logan bought it a lot of ppl on the internet started questioning what they were seeing on the boxes. Steve had no experience with Pok�mon he should not have authenticated this box.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have to agree. Logan is not a fourth dimensional chess player. Frankly, he trusted an authenticator many of us on Net54 also trust. But it's not that simple.

LP got ripped off because he didn't do his homework and also trusted some chump middlemen who had him marked. The chain of custody on the fugazi item is surprisingly clear and the original auction was for suckers only. So many red flags. That video is likely earning him $15K+ per day this week as long as it stays a top trending. So there's no way LP or his lawyers would let him risk owing Steve Hart millions in a lawsuit over it, negating any revenue from the content.

Steve really looks bad here and if he was branching out, it's clear he spread himself too thin. The only good news is that it was not a Topps/Fleer/etc vintage product. Hardly anyone on this site gives a crap about Pokemon product but people here have invested (or are invested) in Steve's reputation with sports cards.

swarmee · #12 01-14-2022, 06:02 AM

To the people making some inferences that this ordeal is a dramatic ruse, READ MORE THREADS. This has been going on for 2 years. I've been following it from the beginning, because the original flipper, meelypops has a store in Gainesville FL and I've seen him post about the original purchase in early 2020.

Steve tried to authenticate out of his knowledge base, was challenged by real experts in that specific field, and was exposed for certifying a fake. It's that easy. Don't build up straw men to try to explain it away. It happened.

You think this meelypops guy would make long videos about how he first purchased the case in Canada and then took it straight to BBCE for their blessing if he knew it was fraudulent? Because people normally play a long con where they incriminate themselves with million hit videos? Nope. He thought it was a true purchase of an undiscovered gem, and was burned along with Steve.
Will be interesting to see if anything happens with the original Canadian seller, who has a history of faking these types of items. Would require the Canadian authorities to intervene.
https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1500649

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1500869

https://forums.collectors.com/discus...m-pokeman-case

https://forums.collectors.com/discus...n-case-updates

mrreality68 · #13 01-14-2022, 06:55 AM

Update he got his money back see below link

https://www.ladbible.com/entertainme...20114.amp.html

vintagetoppsguy · #14 01-14-2022, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swarmee

Steve tried to authenticate out of his knowledge base, was challenged by real experts in that specific field, and was exposed for certifying a fake. It's that easy.[/URL]

This was my first thought as well but, after watching the video again, it's actually not that easy. Please listen to what I have to say objectively. If you will, you’ll realize it’s a lot more than that. I have used bold font for Steve’s exact words.

Steve says this is “What I looked for” as he begins to give his reasons for authenticating the case. ”This tape is aged onto this case. This label too. The same embedded lines of the cardboard from age are in that label.”

Someone starts to ask a question, “There’s no evidence of tampering…" (is interrupted by Steve) “One edge would look different” (finishes the question) "...in any way shape or form?”

Steve says, “I did my diligence just like I do for a sports case.” This is the part that I have a problem with. Yes, we can agree that the product was out of his knowledge base. But the way he examined the product was the same way he’s going to examine any unopened case (the product inside is irrelevant). He said the tape was aged onto the case. Well, obviously it wasn’t because it had been re-taped. So if he doesn’t know how to tell if tape is actually aged onto a case or not, how many cases has he authenticated that were tampered with? How many wax boxes has he authenticated that were supposedly FASC (from a sealed case)? It doesn’t matter if he’s authenticating a case of 1985 Topps or 2000 (or whatever the year is) Pokemon, the methods for authentication are still the same - he admits that.

Y'all can defend him if it makes you feel better about the situation, but he blew it and it didn’t have anything to do with the product he was examining. It had everything to do with his examination methods.

chriskim · #15 01-13-2022, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 25801wv

This would make me worried if I had high dollar unopened boxes that are BBCE wrapped. If he can’t authenticate it, then who can?

I think unopened boxes are fine. People should worry about those UD Esq unopened cases (3 hobby boxes) that might pull LeBron RPA and sold for $1M. Those cases suddenly swim out from no where one by one and we have seen 3 so far on Goldin. The next one in line would be the 86 Fleer case that sold last yr but it has solid evidence of where it came from, so not much of an issue.

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