SCD, Coach's Corner & TS O'Connell
 

Hi everyone, I am a new member to this forum and this looks like a great place to learn and exchange ideas.

I am Mike, the ring guy and I have been a very vocal contributor over at TS O'Connell's blog and comment section at the SCD web site. Like so many others, I was disgusted and upset with Coach's Corner being allowed to advertise in Sports Collector's Digest. As many of you know, Coach's Corner sells counterfeit autographs that are authenticated by STAT and Christopher Morales. Well to make a long story short, TS O'Connell did not like the constant criticism he was receiving in the comments section of his blog and he had told some of us that there was nothing he could do. He continued not to ignore our questions and pleas for help on this matter and finally shut down the comments section of his blog last week. This outraged many of us in the hobby. I decided that we needed to be heard and needed to educate the hobby and keep pressure on these creeps. I took my existing web site www.sports-rings.com and put a blog on the web site to deal with the problems Coach's Corner is having on our hobby, and how SCD and TS O'Connell are making it worse.

Please help us get the word out to the hobby. Please check out and contribute your posts to my blog.

Another person who is also trying to make a difference is Tom Tresh. His video's at youtube are terrific.

Please check us out and voice your comments:

my site: www.sports-rings.com

tom's site: http://www.youtube.com/user/TomTresh2

SCD Coaches Corner
 

I just finished a lengthy email to Dean Listle publisher of SCD telling him that I will not be renewing my subscription to SCD when it runs out next month due in large part for ignoring all our fellow collectors and subscribers in trying to clear up this forgery game that Coaches Corner continues to run in their auctions. I told him that he has a responsibilty to help clean up the autograph forgery problem when one arises. I know it probably wont do any good as he wont even spend the time to read it, but it was worth a try. I also challenged him to print it in a future edition with a response from him. We'll see. Just trying to do my part for my fellow collectors. Gary

t.s.oconnell
 

ive already cancelled mine because of coaches corner and that scd isn't what it used to be.

can I publish your letter
 

Dear 69cubfan,

can you please send me a copy of your letter that you sent to the publisher? I would like to feature it in my next blog. I am not a very good writer and would appreciate the content.

I mentioned my website in the first post and there is an email address there.

Thank You,

Mike the ring guy.

No problem Mike, I just forwarded it to your email address.

I did the same thing last year. When my renewal came up, I wrote on it
That I won't buy or read the paper until C.C. is gone, and enclosed it in
the envelope.
Granted it probably was thrown away seconds after it was opened.
But I figured my small protest was better then just tossing the renewal
slip in the trash.

I was a steady subscriber to SCD since 1981

I hadn't been a subscriber to SCD for a long time, but I did purchase it regularly at my local card shop because it gave me a reason to stop by and say hello to the owner since I don't collect modern cards it was one of the few things I still spent money on in his store. I stopped buying it though when I found out about what CC was doing thanks to that 700+ post thread on the main board.

I cancelled my subscription about a year ago for the same reason.
JimB

I cancelled my subscription to SCD last month after about 20 years getting it and emailed Dean the guy in charge telling him my reasons and didn't even hear back. You would think a loyal subcriber for 20 they would at least try and talk me into staying but nothing no contact at all. According to some of you guys here and on other websites I have been reading about that cancelled there subscription SCD never contatced them either to try and get them to stay. Guess they don't care about loyal customers. We paid there salary for all these years and they don't even want to keep us.

Thanks so much to all of you dedicated and passionate folks for doing the type of investigative work that SCD clearly has no interest in pursuing, and that this hobby so desperately needs. Unfortunately for everyone, fraud and shady business practices are pervasive in this hobby, but you would never know that by reading this total joke of a magazine. SCD instead chooses to bury its head in the sand and act as the official public relations mouthpiece for its dealer buddies and the auction house industry.

Take a look at the typical cover story from SCD. Is it a hard-hitting article explaining the allegations surrounding the shocking and sudden exit of hobby icon Bill Mastro from the industry? No.

Instead we get the same tired, recycled articles about 1967 Topps or 1955 Bowman with absurd, irrelevant comments about this players's sideburns or that guy's batting stance and zero information of any usefulness to today's collector. And O'Connell is the king of the long, clunky, poorly written sentence with big words used improperly.

And now this business with Coach's Corner and shutting down comments is the final straw. I was willing to hang on as a subscriber even with the useless editorial content, but what I can't condone is a magazine that's willing to compromise its own ethics and deceive its readers for the sake of the almighty buck.

Regards.

.

Please check out the blog.
 

Hi Everyone,

thanks for the quality responses and for your help. I just wrote a new blog and put two Letters-to-the-Publisher on the blog.

Please check it out: www.sports-riings.com (look for the blog tag on the right).

Also, I know this is off topic but I could use some advise. I am a ring collector and have had nothing but good experiences with Lelands in the past. They now have a ring in their auction that is a copy, not a real player ring. Honestly, it is easy to make this mistake, if you don't have a real ring to compare too. A week ago, I sent photos of a real ring where you can clearly see that their ring in the auction is no good. They have yet to respond to me or to take off the ring from their site. Should I start a new post and alert people, or do I need to relax and give them some time as the auction does not end for a while.

thanks

Mike the ring guy.

Mike
 

As they are an advertiser I too will try to help. Can you tell me what lot # the ring in question is? No need to post a seperate thread (yet) unless you really want too....I do believe it will be taken care of. I have been communicating with Josh lately, about something else, and have apprised him of this situation. A lot # will help though...regards

I feel bad for all the auction companies that advertise with SCD and the thousands and thousands of dollars they have spent over the years promoting there auctions and building there business then SCD decides to get in the auction business and can advertsie for free as many pages as they want in SCD. Nothing like screwing your faithfull advertisers that have been supporting and paying the SCD bills for years. If I was an auction company I would be ticked.

Leon,

it is lot, 243. They just wrote me back after I told them I would be heading over to the forums to warn people. They told me they were waiting to hear from a ring expert for varification. Funny thing was I sent pictures of a real ring and the differences are very apparant.

Here is what the ring is supposed to look like:

<img src="http://sports-rings.com/gallery/00006201.JPG"> <br>

The ring they have looks in the auction looks like:

sorry, i hit it 2 times.

Mike
 

I added a better pic of their auction ring.....lets see how this goes....I have no issue whatsoever of alerting folks to hobby issues, advertiser or not. I think they will do the right thing but their communication does seem to be a little slow in some respects....best regards

I feel bad for the auction houses that have to compete with scd's new site too. The advertising auction houses get screwed twice since they have to compete with Coach's Corner, who frankly, unlike a legitimate auction house may be supplying their own consignments and therefore, CC gets to keep the entire profit.

No wonder the big auction houses are advertising muss less in SCD.

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.

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

One Auction house speaks
 

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!

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

another cancellation
 

I cancelled my subscription years ago because of CC. I never had any intention of bidding with them because the stuff was obvious junk. I got tired of receiving my issue which consisted of a cover page, 78156 pages of CC garbage, and a closing cover page.

One of the main reasons Rocky left SCD was that they allowed Morales and STAT to authenticate for CC. When I worked for Tracer Code we where sent about 250 pieces from CC only two passed. We where fired two weeks later. The same items that we turned down where sold two months latter. They where authenticated by Morales. If SCD trust Morales and STAT so much, why are they not using them instead of Jsa and Psa? Here is STAT's authentication statement.Verification
- STAT Authentic, an LLC registered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, renders a service in expressing our opinion and knowledge, however, STAT Authentic LLC and its partners/employees does not guarantee the accuracy of our opinion expressed regarding any items submitted for authentication. We assume no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage allegedly sustained as a result of any opinion rendered.

STAT Authentic LLC is in no way liable for personal loss due to damage alteration or any other reason once this item leaves our possession.

This should give you a great feeling of security.

Guess what?

PSA and JSA live by similar disclaimers.

They are responsible for nothing but cashing the checks.

Third-party "authentication" is bunk. Educate yourself before you buy.

What a way for Stat to get out of being liable for anything with the legal wording they use. I guess Joe Blow from Kokomo when he starts an authentication company can use the same words Stat does and he won't have to take any responsibility. The authentication companies used to put in there certs that the "item was guaranteed authentic". Now "it's our opinion" What's next "it's my wildest guess"

From the Collector's Universe site (Parent of PSA/DNA):

CU MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT (i) THE CU PRODUCTS OR ANY OTHER PORTION OF THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, (ii) THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, ERROR-FREE OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS, (iii) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF ANY CU PRODUCTS OR ANY OTHER PORTION OF THE SERVICE WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, (iv) THE QUALITY OF ANY SERVICES OR INFORMATION OBTAINED BY YOU THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS, AND (V) ANY ERRORS IN THE SITE OR SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED.

From the PSA FAQ:

Q: Do you guarantee that the autographs you certify are genuine and those you do not are fake?
A: No. We do not guarantee autographs under the Vintage Certified program. By using this program, you are paying for the opinion of the top experts in the world, using state-of-the-art examination tools and techniques.

From the JSA site:

Certification and authentication involves an individual judgment that is subjective and requires the exercise of professional opinion, which can change from time to time. Therefore, JSA makes no warranty or representation and shall have no liability whatsoever to the customer for the opinion rendered by JSA on any submission.

Still think your piece is "guaranteed authentic"?

autographs
 

I know there are a ton of autograph collectors and I also know that most, that are validated by a reputable company, are good. That being said unless you got it yourself there is always a leap of faith. It just depends on how far you are comfortable leaping.... http://cdn.content.sweetim.com/sim/c...s/000203DD.gif

Being an authenticator is like being a weather man. You don't have to be right and still get paid.

Oh, really?
 

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

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.

It's Collect.Com, not SCD
 

Try to understand that SCD and Collect.Com Auctions are NOT the same company, although they are owned by the same corporation. The Collect.Com Auctions website has a list of those autograph authenticators whose COA/LOAs are accepted for consignments. You'd have to ask the auction comnpany's management to be sure, but my guess would be that any "authenticator" not on that list is deemed to not have the accepted hobby cred to create the necessary level of bidder confidence.

Bob, correct me if I am wrong. You know that the left hand is allowing garbage to be sold but you the right hand is selling good items. This what SCD has done for the last six years. When I did HBO special your company allowed UDA to defend themselves I was not allowed to answer them because I was a felon. The problem was I was right and they where wrong. The reason I was not allowed to answer was that UDA was a huge advertiser and I was a felon . Again I will tell you that Rocky tried to get my statement in and TJ turned it down. It is the time for you to say what you really think about CC. I think it is time for the left to get in tune with the right and stop this garbage. i would also say to anyone on this site until SCD stops CC I would not support them in anyway.

so, by that logic...
 

So, by accepting the advertising of Coaches Corner, does the staff at SCD believe that their items and authenticators of their items have acceptable hobby cred to create the necessary level of bidder confidence?

So Sports Collectors Digest is a periodical, and basically has no affiliation with the auction company of the EXACT same name?

So you can purchase an item from an authenticator that SCD, the periodical "hyped up" from a company that has kept the periodical afloat all this time, but you are telling us that there really is no connection between the two, and there's a good chance that my item, that I won in the last Coach's Corner auction will not be accepted in the Sports Collectors Digest auction?

Mr. Lemke. You worked as the publisher for Sports Collectors Digest. How long were you at that position?

What can authenticators put in their certificates to appease the masses? It is after all an opinion, but what matters is what the educated public knows.

-

I agree that advertising warping the main content can be a serious problem, but duly note that no newspaper, magazine, television or radios channel endorses all the products and services of its advertisers. If you look at your local newspaper there will be advertisements advertising mutually exclusive or diametrically opposed products and services. One ad for Sunday service may say there's only one God, while another ad for literature may proclaim there's none. The newspaper can't endorse both beliefs and the editors may subscribe to neither. I don't know where anyone got the idea that a magazine or newspaper endorses, or should endorse, all the products, services and positions advertised in its pages. In the case of the just mentioned two ads, the majority of editors, citizens and I bet Net54 members would say the best policy is for the newspaper to publish both ads, even though at least one of the ads has to be wrong. This policy would be saying that newspaper endorsement of the content of all ads is not only not necessary, its not desirable. Even non-Quaker readers would be POed if they found out the newspaper was blocking Quaker ads because the editors thought the Quakers got it wrong.

It wouldn't be unusual to see ads for Quaker State, Valvoline and STP motor oils in an issue of Car and Driver. However, it's doubtful you'd see 10 full-page ads for Rob's Motor Oil, which in fact isn't motor oil but rather is well known to be cans of water with purple and black food coloring added.

Edited to add: David, it would be nice if you would not go back and edit your posts after someone responds to some of the points you previously made.

I do agree with others who dislike the CC ads and promotions, and agree that, for the benefit of the readers, not every ad should be accepted and product promoted by a magazine. I support Alcoholics Anonymous Monthly banning liquor ads from its pages.

"Mmmm,.. that's good Bass...."

Awesome, thats the first Bass-o-matic reference I've heard in about 25 years.


I think this situation boils down to what does SCD want to be in this hobby?,
they either want to be part of the solution or part of the problem.

They have given me the impression that they are content to be one of the problems.

opinions....
 

Actually CS, as you know Collect.com is an advertiser here. In addition to them there are other advertisers that folks don't agree with that might advertise here too. The difference is that on Net54baseball.com I won't edit or censor anything anyone says...unless an anonymous troll gets in. I am not sure this forum would be the same if you couldn't say what you want to. I, or the other moderators, won't tell anyone what to say or not to say. That being said everyone is liable for what they say. And as DRC said, I don't always agree with an advertiser or a forum member. I have my own views on stuff. best regards

http://www.myccsa.com/Lot/194/new-yo...frischetc.aspx

They keep right on rocking. Yeah, thats about as likely to be real, as me winning SUPER LOTTO.:eek:

Does anyone know if Stat or Morales go to C.C.'s place to authenticate this stuff or do they just look at a picture to make there decision?

What difference does it make. They still have know idea what there doing.

I heard from Coache's Corner
 

I received an email this morning alerting me that ccsa@mycomcast.com left a message on my blog.

I googled the email address and see it's the same address found on coach's corner's website, therefore I believe it's legit.

If you are interersted in seeing their reaction to our comments, please visit my web site www.sports-rings.com and click on the blog on the right.

thanks,

Mike the ring guy (sorry if this seems like self-promotion) it's not, I just was so outraged after SCD shut down the comments, I created a blog on my existing web site so we could be heard).

thanks,

I called Coach's corner out on their fake autographs, Beatles, etc. and got this LOVELY reply.

ok, I will, if you promise me to get a hold of the English language first!!! We ARE a "Major" house you moron..Who else does 5000+ lots per month and generates MILLIONS, thats right, MILLIONS of dollars in revenue? Yah, your not gullible, just walking around blind without a cane...You still think PSA and JSA are the best authenticators right? Your a joke!! Keep wasting time you obviously have no job

coach's corner [CCSA@mycomcast.com]

*I put email addy on bottom, because my browser wouldnt copy and paste it in the proper order. Rest assured though, its legit.

VERY professional group, wouldn't you say? :mad:

Obviously nothing is going to change.

Heh. Flaming someone for not grasping the English language and then not knowing the proper usage of "your" and "You're" is pretty funny.

Thanks!

I loved TS's post on how he "won't be visiting or taking part of this "forum" ever again."

And I loved his post the following day even more! HUH? :eek:

I suppose that some people can't be taken at their word.

I checked your blog and did not find an e mail from CC.

there are 2 or 3 posts from cc. they are in the last blog and threatning in tone.

thanks,

I seriously doubt those comments came from Coach's Corner....I also highly doubt that Bob Lemke posted that comment attributed to him as well. You'd be doing yourself a favor by having a registration process in order to post on your blog.

Dan you are correct, on the CU thread Bob stated that someone else posted those comments, not him.

Well then, I think Mr Sports-Rings should take down that comment...it's not fair to Bob to leave that up.

I'm truly impressed by that Old-timers Giants Ball
 

Let's see --

Everyone signed with the same pen

The player mix is interesting as Mathewson is gone by 25 and Handy Andy Cohen does not even come up to the majors till 28 IIRC. Someone had great foresight into whom to put on that baseball

Needless to say; seeing that scan was a great way to start the morning:p

There is no justfication for profiting from fraud
 

Anyone working for SCD earns his livelihood from fraud, in effect as a co-conspirator. If SCD needs to accept ads from forgers to survive, it is a corrupt enterprise that needs not to survive.

As far as SCD and Collect.com not being the same company, don't insult my intelligence. Collect.com Auctions is trading on the SCD name; it therefore gets to take the heat for SCD's misconduct. They are owned by the same corporate parent, F + W Media; their profits (losses) go into the same ultimate pockets. The tag at the bottom of the Collect.com/auctions home page says "Collect.com Auctions powered by Krause Publications." The "About Us" section says in pertinent part "Collect.com is part of Krause Publications, which publishes SCD ..." Want more? Here is an excerpt from the May 29, 2009 press release issued to promote the first auction (found at http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewConte...34778&EDATE=):

"Many prominent auction companies have utilized our magazines and Websites to launch or expand their own businesses," said Dean Listle, Publisher. "Readers and fans told us there was an underserved market within the hobby. We have the expertise, reputation, and relationships to offer quality consignments. We set out to meet that need and in six short months we're holding our first auction. We are honored to be able to make the introduction of consigners to bidders, and as avid fans, are excited to see the amazing pieces available."


Krause Publications, home to Sports Collector's Digest, and Collect.com, is considered the most trusted resource for accurate pricing data and information covering a wide variety of collectibles from sports to antiques, toys, records, coins, and comics. Krause Publications is a division of F+W Media, Inc.

SCD has lost all credibility. Integrity is something that I look for in business and people. SCD has none. They take money from a business that is obviously trying to rip-off customers. Period. I have not purchased an SCD in years and am honestly shame-faced that I ever gave them the interviews that I did. It disgusts me. The longer that people like O'Connell (whom I trusted and respected for quite awhile) stay with them knowing that there is a problem the less I respect or trust them. I applaud Rob (as usual) for his move in removing REA from SCD. I hope that others will follow suit now as well and we can just put this behind us.

Joshua

Edited to add that I do understand that TS has no choice in the matter when it comes to advertising. He is in a bad position.

agreed
 

very well put, Adam.

:D Why let a little thing like death (Matty) ruin a good time?

And of coures Ross Youngs
 

Was on his way back to Texas and I don't think was ever a teammate of Handy Andy's either -- and with the Bright's disease -- his window of signing ended only a couple of years after Matty's.

I'd love to see Tom Tresh 2's take on this on You Tube. He can certainly come up with better vocabulary for this than I can

I have heard some comments that I should take down the comments left by others. First off, I am not sure I can. I set up the blogs using google-blogs and while I can go in and modify the original blog, I can't seem to delete comments.

also, if I start deleting comments, than I am changing the history and flow of the dialogue. Kind of what they did at SCD with their blog and comments.

Mike the ring guy.

Well, if you can't delete the posts then the least you could do is comment and say you've heard from Bob L and that he is not the one that left that comment. Then you need to look into seeing if you can change your blog so people can't leave anonymous comments....they can still be anonymous, but they can't register as "Bob Lemke" without really being him...if you know what I'm saying.

Love or Hate SCD etc....
 

Regardless of if you love or hate SCD, or any associated company, it is very unfair to let folks post anonymously as a person they aren't. To me that invalidates some of the blog....and is one of the main reasons (if not the main reason) I like our new board s/w so much more than the old s/w.

Mike- if I were you I would consider not letting folks post anonymously under some circumstances. I am not sure how you can control it. For me, and pertaining to Net54, we had to change s/w to get it done. You might look at other blog s/w if yours won't do what you want. Also, when I say "anonymous" it could be similar to this board where you don't have to put your name out for the world to see but the moderator(s) have the info..At least that helps keep the comments real......best regards

And to be fair to Mssrs Lemke; TS etc
 

That type of anonymous posting (especially in the Max Silberman thread) is the reason TS stopped allowing ANY comments.

Having said that

1) Having Coach's Corner in SCD is hurting their business; at least we can believe it is. It is possible for every Rob Lifson who pulled out and explained to people at F&W/Krause why; there are at least 10 people who just stop with SCD and say nothing; don't give a reason and don't worry about it. I believe I have read; that is the usual ratio of people who say something to people who don't. I believe that is even accurate for this board. My last six SCD's have been about 40 or fewer pages.

2) I believe Krause should have used a slightly different schematic for their comments in blogs. Users had to register AND in the case of the Silberman blog piece; it would have been totally allowable to say; any posts off the subject will be deleted. I believe in free speech; but I also believe in courtesy and those people who posted in that thread showed no courtesy.

3) Having worked for a similar operation to Krause in hobby pubs; etc. -- I do understand their dilemma and I guarantee you that Bob; TS; etc. have no say in the matter about whether to accept CC or other people such as them. They can say (and we don't know if they do) anything they want privately; but they sure can't say publicly if they agree with those who believe CC should be banned. That is just a corporate fact; and remember Chet Krause and his employees dont own KP anymore.

Regards
Rich

Edited to include the print run information on the SCD I received today

thanks guys, I am very new to this. My site was designed a while back regarding rings. I was so outraged that O'Connell & SCD stopped allowing us to comment that I felt I had to do something.

This morning I received a really ugly & imature comment. You know the kind, about the size of my private parts and what I do with them. So, with that motivation, i figured out, yes I can delete some comments.

The only other issue I have is I have seen people pose as O'Connell before and he does claim he never wrote to me. However, if you read his comments in my first blog, the person writing to me sure has a similar writing style as O'Connell. You know what I mean, huge words that you would never use in a "normal, everyday" sentence. I truly believe it was him.

How about If he or Bob calls me and I verify that it is truly them, and they request I delete comments that they did not make, I will do that.

Is that fair?

Also, I will look into the option to set people up to post. I really appreciate your help, insights and patience as I learn about the world of blogging.

Please, try to visit the site, I really want to make sure it becomes a voice of our hobby in relation to the garbage that CC plays and how readers and others in the hobby feel about the role SCD plays.

thanks!

Mike the ring guy.

Mike, all of that sounds good. The internets (tm) are a virtual Wild West and without verification you don't know who's who. Good luck with the blog...it is needed.

Periodicals and those who work for them should not make excuses. There is no dilemma of you want to be an honest operation. We would never be where we are now if an important decision was made years ago. If you are saying that allowing a company that you know to be "fraudulent" is a decision that "has to be made" in order to survive, that is the decision because all you are doing is misleading the readership and doing something that is harming, well, everyone. Do things correctly and perhaps fold, or purchase some time and continue to accept the fate that you are doing something improper.

People are outraged, and it's like screaming at your waiter because the food is late or yelling at a K-Mart clerk because the price of something went up, we all do it. It's an outlet. Is it fair to scream at columnists on blogs? Probably not, but it gets the point across and makes us feel better, like we are doing something...not sitting there like humps.

Also, look at how everyone involved at the publication is behaving. It's either to look the other way and ignore, get angry back or behave in a childish fashion. You would think the place is run by infants. My two cents. I personally like what the ring guy has to say on his site.

Larry

Larry
 

Mike-the-ring-guy is fine. That isn't the problem (unless you are CC or SCD)....It's the anonymous posting of comments, while impersonating someone, else that is the issue... ala "Keith Olbermann" on our old board...best regards

For those of you who don't visit the card side.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=113195

Sports Collectors Digest Drops Coach's Corner
 

I wish to Thank Tom Tresh, and his wonderful video blog for getting the message out that Coach's Corner was no good and the relationship with SCD was unacceptable.

I would like to commend and thank Sports Collector's Digest for doing the right thing and taking a stand. I realize it's easy for people like me to write and demand that you walk away from tremendous advertising revenue, and that Coach's Corner has never been convicted of anything and why should your company pass up an opportunity to accept advertising.

Without rehashing all the arguments from the last few months, I think it's great that Sports Collectors Digest took action. While a cynic might feel rejecting Coach's Corner advertising might have more to do with your new auction site and competing against them, I believe you heard our voices and listened and that some of you insiders (employees of the organization) stood up and was heard by ownership and upper management.

TS - I hope you will reconsider allowing comments on your blog again. I believe there will be much more intelligent dialogue. Two way dialogue between you and your readers would be a great thing.

Last, I just want to say my fight is not over. The owners at Coach's Corner are corrupt but not stupid. I am sure they will continue their auctions. With all the money they are saving by no longer being allowed to adverte in SCD, they can apply those funds to internet search. This means anyone who google's sports auctions or Babe Ruth autographs will find the Coach's Corner web site. I am sure their auctions will continue and I will do everything I can to alert people that their products are garbage.

Please continue to visit my site, www.sports-rings.com and click on the blog on the right and please contribute with your comments.

Hopefully SCD and TS O'Connell will join the fight too.

Thanks Everyone!

Mike the ring guy.

I Heard From Two Organizations Today and the Results Could Not Be Different.
 

I emailed Dean Listle, Publisher of SCD about the NY Daily News Story and asked him if the story was accurate. Dean was kind enough to call me to disucss this matter. It turns out that the folks at SCD can not comment on the story at this point but Dean did confirm the story in the Daily News Blog is accurate. Like a maritial divorce, the seperation of SCD and Coach's Corner will take some time (a few weeks) but I firmly believe it will happen.

Dean, thanks for your time today, I'm sure I speak for many when I say it will be great to have SCD helping us sports collectors. I believe more will come out in a few weeks, we just have to be a little patient.

Next, I received an email from our friends at Coach's Corner. They wrote: "We will get our revenge on anyone who keeps this bullshit up"

As you can see, they continue to threaten and harass me. Please write to them at ccsa@comcast.com and tell them to stop threatening us and to stop polluting our industry with their garbage.

Friends, we can win, we can do it!

Mike The Ring Guy.

Please visit and contribute to my blog on this matter: www.sports-rings.com

thanks!