The evidence against Barry Halper is mounting

[mcgwirecom]

Around the time of the Halper Auction ( I think it was a few months after) there was someone selling more of Halpers collection on Ebay. Mostly the cheaper items that didn't warrant a catalog auction. I definitely saw a bogus McGwire signed bat. The signature wasn't even close. It bothered me that a guy with a collection that valuable didn't bother to even check out the cheap stuff.

On a related note, when the travelling show of McGwire and Sosa items came through Philly I went to see it (at the Vet during a Phillies game). Todd McFarlane sent a lot of his Guernsey's Auction acquisitions on tour so people could take a look. In there along with all his homerun balls he had two bats, one signed by Mac and one signed by both Sosa and Mac. Both were horrible forgeries. Very strange.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by mcgwirecom

Around the time of the Halper Auction ( I think it was a few months after) there was someone selling more of Halpers collection on Ebay. Mostly the cheaper items that didn't warrant a catalog auction. I definitely saw a bogus McGwire signed bat. The signature wasn't even close. It bothered me that a guy with a collection that valuable didn't bother to even check out the cheap stuff.

On a related note, when the travelling show of McGwire and Sosa items came through Philly I went to see it (at the Vet during a Phillies game). Todd McFarlane sent a lot of his Guernsey's Auction acquisitions on tour so people could take a look. In there along with all his homerun balls he had two bats, one signed by Mac and one signed by both Sosa and Mac. Both were horrible forgeries. Very strange.

Randall,
Why do you think that Todd McFarlane paid as much as he did for all those McGwire and Sosa balls? Just because you have alot of money doesn't mean that you have alot of common sense. BTW, I wouldn't doubt if the prices realized on some of those balls weren't the result of some spirited shill bidding IMHO.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Randall,
Why do you think that Todd McFarlane paid as much as he did for all those McGwire and Sosa balls? Just because you have alot of money doesn't mean that you have alot of common sense. BTW, I wouldn't doubt if the prices realized on some of those balls weren't the result of some spirited shill bidding IMHO.

I was the sports consultant for Guernsey's during that auction and I can guarantee you that there was no shill bidding.

[HRBAKER]

I seem to recall a case where a Frank Chance jersey that was missing the Cubs patch on the breast somehow ended up with a Cubs patch from another jersey of a minor "no-name" guy. The leap of faith one has to take in the high dollar game used memorabilia hobby is not one I think I'd ever risk.

It was a "Bear" I believe off of a Jake Pfeister jersey that was added "after initial season usage."

[Vintagecatcher]

The hype regarding the Barry Halper collection, and now the fact that his collection seems to have had "questionable items" reminds me of a quote from the 1962 film by John Ford, "The Man That Shot Liberty Valance."

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

Patrick

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

I was the sports consultant for Guernsey's during that auction and I can guarantee you that there was no shill bidding.

Richard,
That's amazing considering where the prices went. Randall Hahn was at the live auction as a Mcgwire consultant and he told me today that the bids were all legit because he saw the live bidder bid all the way to the end. Incredible! I stand corrected...

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Richard,
That's amazing considering where the prices went. Randall Hahn was at the live auction as a Mcgwire consultant and he told me today that the bids were all legit because he saw the live bidder bid all the way to the end. Incredible! I stand corrected...

I was working the phones at the live auction and Todd McFarlane was on the phone with the person next to me. The live bidder in the crowd was a group of 3 people who hemmed and hawed as the bidding kept going higher. When it came to McFarlane he took 1/2 a second to bid. I knew he eventually would wear them down and be the winning bidder.
--

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

I was working the phones at the live auction and Todd McFarlane was on the phone with the person next to me. The live bidder in the crowd was a group of 3 people who hemmed and hawed as the bidding kept going higher. When it came to McFarlane he took 1/2 a second to bid. I knew he eventually would wear them down and be the winning bidder.
--

Spawn outlasted Stonehenge Ties.......

[packs]

This is terrible, and not only on Halper's side of the fence. I can't believe someone would authenticate an item for one auction house and then not stand behind his own authentication when it came to putting an item up for sale from his own auction house. I hope Lifson gave that man a refund. If not, that is troubling.

[springpin]

I ask this question out of genuine ignorance about uniforms. If these uniforms are not the real deal, where did they come from, or what exactly are they? Are they uniforms used in spring training that never made it to the big leagues? Are they total cut-and-stitch fakes made a month previous to "discovery"? Should we envision some 80-year old seamstress hunched over a sewing machine with orders from some criminal mind to fabricate (literally) a uniform that looks like one worn 70 years previously when she was a child? Is there a "uniform cartel" run by bad guys who just happen to be wickedly handy with a needle and thread? I accept the wisdom and opinions of experts on uniforms to believe their judgments---the uniforms are not what they are claimed to be. OK, but someone please explain where and how these fakes come into existence. Thanks.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by springpin

I ask this question out of genuine ignorance about uniforms. If these uniforms are not the real deal, where did they come from, or what exactly are they? Are they uniforms used in spring training that never made it to the big leagues? Are they total cut-and-stitch fakes made a month previous to "discovery"? Should we envision some 80-year old seamstress hunched over a sewing machine with orders from some criminal mind to fabricate (literally) a uniform that looks like one worn 70 years previously when she was a child? Is there a "uniform cartel" run by bad guys who just happen to be wickedly handy with a needle and thread? I accept the wisdom and opinions of experts on uniforms to believe their judgments---the uniforms are not what they are claimed to be. OK, but someone please explain where and how these fakes come into existence. Thanks.

The uniforms ARE vintage...the question is, are they legitimate. It's pretty easy to stitch a name into a uniform. According to the article the Joe Jax uniform has stitches that are not faded like the rest of the uniform, and that's only one problem among many with that jersey.

[springpin]

Dan,

Thanks. If I understand the meaning of your answer, a uniform is declared to be what someone says it is because of the name of a player stitched somewhere into the uniform. So a given uniform was legitimately from some notable team (e.g., 1919 White Sox), but the critical issue is whether it was actually worn by a particular player (e.g., Jackson)?

Paul

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by springpin

Dan,

Thanks. If I understand the meaning of your answer, a uniform is declared to be what someone says it is because of the name of a player stitched somewhere into the uniform. So a given uniform was legitimately from some notable team (e.g., 1919 White Sox), but the critical issue is whether it was actually worn by a particular player (e.g., Jackson)?

Paul

In the case of the Jackson jersey it appears to not even have been a White Sox jersey at all. Halper acquired the jersey prior to Mark Okkonen's work on the Uniform database when it would have been much easier to pass it off. Halper claims to have acquired it directly from Jackson's wife in the 1950s which has been disputed.

I seem to recall a case where a Frank Chance jersey that was missing the Cubs patch on the breast somehow ended up with a Cubs patch from another jersey of a minor "no-name" guy. The leap of faith one has to take in the high dollar game used memorabilia hobby is not one I think I'd ever risk.

[cobblove]

With this sad example. It makes me think of all those new cards with Game worn Ruth, Dimaggio,Mantle, Ect game used cut cards. now where is the evedence if they are in 1 cm cubes. LOL. Lots of fraud in the game used world.

[jthorn]

The one-cm rags and splinters illustrates what collectors are truly after: hope.

john thorn