SCD, Coach's Corner & TS O'Connell

[base_ball]

Much as editors at alternative weeklies have had to endure those detestable "massage parlor" ads, TS O'Connell is surely vexed every time those odious Coach's Corner campaigns run in SCD. Sadly, these publications are in many ways dependent on such ads for their survival. I'm quite certain O'Connell will be at the forefront when the case against CC has the imprimatur of the law. Until then, he grins, bears it, and cranks out fine copy week after week.

[tinkereversandme]

I think it is deplorable what is going on and I appreciate, and I am entertained by this uprising of concern about the hobby. I do wish that these auction houses would simply say "no", and especially now that the periodical that has let us down for many, many years, is now competing with the advertisers who have kept them afloat.

I believe one forum member said it best (on another thread) about why we should support either venture and I wish that auction house heads would come forward and explain what their silence (and their continued support) actually means. I also hope that the day Coach's finally does get nailed (if that ever happens), that the periodical and what I assume will be down to fifteen pages (show ads), will make a comment about what has happened and TS can finally write something of value. For once.

I have enjoyed reading this forum and actually found it via someone sending me that amazing Christopher Morales thread from the old site.

As a vintage Cubs collector, that Frank Chance and 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson ball makes me sick to my stomach and is the very reason why I don't have a passion for autographs anymore, and have turned to being a cardboard collector.

Larry

[sports-rings]

I received a phone call today from Robert Lifson, president of Robert Edwards Auction. Yes, it was him, not an imposter as I had received a message and returned his call to his company headquarters.

He called to let me know that he saw my website blog at www.sports-rings.com and felt compelled to share his experiences and to inform me that my intuition was correct - advertisers are leaving SCD. Robert told me that he decided to cease advertising in SCD based upon SCD's relationship with CC. Unlike us, who do not have an opportunity to get upper management to communicate with us, Robert spoke to management at great length on this matter but could not get them to stop accepting advertisements from Coach's corner.

For now on, Robert Edwards auction will no longer support SCD through advertising in the publication. Robert left the door open, that maybe some day, they could be back, but not in the foreseeable future. This does hurt Robert Edwards auctions as Robert explained to me that the advertising helped the auction house increase consignments, however, they felt that they could not stand by and watch SCD pollute the hobby with garbage.

While the auction house is surprised and disappointed that SCD is now going into the auction business, this was not the reason they pulled their advertising.

As you know, REA is a class act with exceptionally high standards. It is not a coincidence that they get the highest prices in the industry.

If SCD is so intent on losing subscribers and advertisers, it makes you wonder what is really going on at SCD. Could the relationship between SCD and CC be closer than we ever imagined?

Let me know what you think,

thanks!

[aelefson]

Hi-
I posted this message on one of the thread titled, "I laughed so hard..." last week, but it looks like that thread is now buried so I figure I will post again here. Especially considering that REA decided to pull their advertising, perhaps what I propose below could be achieved. As stated below, I am a tiny fish in the sea of the hobby, so my impact would not be great, but perhaps some of the bigger fish will decide to do this as well.


Has anyone tried to organize a public protest against SCD at a major show? If they are at Shriner's in Wilmington next week, I would gladly help organize (or participate in) a protest at their booth. Granted, this might get folks kicked out of the show, but if we apply enough pressure wherever there are representatives of SCD perhaps we can convince them to change their mind.
Or, how about a boycott of all dealers who still advertise with that magazine? I realize there are probably still some good dealers who advertise with SCD, but maybe a boycott (or a letter writing campaign) would help pressure them to spend their advertising dollars elsewhere. I have not seen an SCD in years, so I have no idea who advertises in there nowadays.
These are just suggestions (and probably bad ones at that), but I would be interested in helping in any way I can (although I am a very small fish in the sea of the hobby).
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

[sports-rings]

great idea but I heard if you give them a hard time at a show, scd has had people ejected from shows.

[aelefson]

Yeah, I figured as much. Still, it couldn't hurt to at least complain to the show's management wherever they setup that they are allowing a corrupt enterprise (at least while there is still a relationship between SCD and CC) to have a booth at their show. If they are at Wilmington, I know I will at least do this, and encourage others to do so as well. I really appreciate yours (and other folks) efforts in publicizing these issues.
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

[Jay Wolt]

Kudos to Rob by taking a stand and not advertising w/ SCD due to its affiliation w/ CC.
As stated early I was a non stop subscriber since 1981 and stopped because of CC.
I doub't my $39 (or whatever the rate is) really hurts them.
But full page monthly ads by REA do indeed hurt the bottom line.

Looks like SCD will stay w/ CC as their ship sinks.

[Bob Lemke]

Originally Posted by sports-rings.com

great idea but I heard if you give them a hard time at a show, scd has had people ejected from shows.

Can you provide any specifics or has your rhetorical arsenal degenerated from opinion to wild-ass rumor mongering?

[shelly]

I agree that none of the authenticators will guarantee that the items are authentic. It is who you can trust. Someone that is 2 percent correct or someone who is 85 percent correc.That is why Bob will not answer the question why SCD is not using STAT or Morales.

[danc]

I will first of commend Rob Lifson and let's hope others follow. You need to crawl before you can walk and stating the above is a start.

The truth of the matter is that those who used to have full page ads, now have tiny ads. I suppose they find value in any association with what was once the "voice of the hobby". I do not know what the ad rates are now as they were not posted, but gave you a number of online advertising packages. Has anyone even been to the SCD Forum? SCD is a brand name and it's a ghost town, with tumble weeds.

And most of the advertisers in the magazine are card guys or show advertisements. There aren't all that many big time dealers with full page ads, outside of Quality Autographs, Les Wolff and The Miller Boys, from the issue I saw a few weeks back.

On "non-Coach's" weeks, the periodical is reduced to between 34-36 pages I am told. I'm sure those pages vary, and perhaps the well respected auction houses may go bigger to promote an upcoming auction. I just read my first SCD in some six years and it took me all of forty-five seconds to get through it all.

DanC

[barrysloate]

34-36 pages is amazingly small, as I can remember a time, circa 1990, when the magazine topped out at about 400 pages. Probably the best thing that anyone can do is contact the FBI and let them know exactly what is going on. My understanding is they already know about CC, but they do move slowly. In time CC will be gone, and hopefully prosecuted too.

[J.McMurry]

As I said in another post, I think the trick is that the FBI has to prove that CC is knowingly selling fakes before they can nail them.
They cant nail Stat or CM for being lousy authenticators,otherwise Don F. would be in year 8 of a life prison sentence.
I've always had a feeling that CC knows exactly how to play this game so as to stay just outside of the laws reach.

[tinkereversandme]

The person who wrote the above hit it the nail on the head.

There are over 1,000 page views for this forum thread and I wonder if the circulation rate of the one fine periodical mirrors that figure today. Does anyone know what the circulation rate is?

Larry