Might be interesting
 

A racket is an illegal business or scheme, usually run as part of organized crime. Engaging in a racket is called racketeering.[1]

Several forms of racket exist. [B]The best-known is the protection racket, in which criminals demand money from businesses in exchange for the service of "protection" against crimes that the racketeers themselves instigate if unpaid (see extortion).

Traditionally, the word racket is used to describe a business (or syndicate) that is based on the example of the protection racket and indicates a belief that it is engaged in the sale of a solution to a problem that the institution itself creates or perpetuates, with the specific intent to engender continual patronage.

TPAs?

not saying they are criminals or engaged in official racketeering, but i wonder why psa feels the need to cast doubt on anyone who doesnt use their services.




Enhance Your Credibility
When it comes to collectibles, a seller's reputation is of paramount importance. Those with the best reputations have their collectibles graded and/or authenticated by PSA. If you are known as a seller who does not, your credibility may suffer. Buyers will ask questions and speculate as to your reasons why.



Seems like to me they are saying that if you use psa, your credibility will be enhanced because you will no longer fit into the category of the type of seller that we just said may suffer credibility problems with the buyers who will ask questions and speculate as to the reasons why you don't use our services.

Doesn't seem to leave much room to suggest there are any sellers other than credible psa sellers, while we all know that there are.


circular logic to me.

notice how this thread doesnt get any play from the people who know its the truth but dont want things to change from the status quo. its a dead thread because they dont want it being discussed. that's the hypocrisy that abounds. they dont want the hobby cleaned up, they want it the same.

I posted psa's policy of saying that sellers would be looked at with a queer eye if they dont have a psa cert and buyers will question them.

the defenders of psa didnt take psa to task for this and say that it is a sickening policy to have because they want everything to stay the same.
non psa sellers should be shot according to them.

What is "sickening" about this policy? It is good marketing on their part. Doesn't every company try to give you reasons (many of which are plainly FALSE) to use their product? One is either susceptible to that propaganda, or not. You yourself apparently hate that it has been successful, and that many buyers presently do look at sellers with suspicion when their autos don't have TPA certs. Those people are either stupid or lazy or both. If it causes them to look closer at and actually research autos, than great. If it causes them to blindly believe TPAs, than they probably believe everything else they read on the internet and see in commercials.

I'm not bothered either way. Love this hobby.

Travis, I suspect you have spent 1000 times more thinking about this than everyone else in the world combined. It's marketing hype that won't make a whit of difference either way. Should we all light torches, sharpen pitchforks and demand they change some fluff text on some FAQ page no one looks at?

Seriously? My God, get a grip man.

Fashion companies say you won't be hip and popular if you don't wear their clothes. Age old mareting technique. Offensive? Perhaps. Intended to influence followers and intellectual lightweights? Yes. Companies make a lot of money off of followers and intellectual lightweights. Key demographic.

Personally, I don't get any more offended by PSA advertising their services in this way than I do by a lawyer running an ad on television trying to scoop in anyone who has ever used a particular drug for their class action lawsuit (regardless of whether they experienced any adverse effects). Or a deoderant company promising that their product will attract women to my arms. Or a car company showing how I can do donuts in my foyer with their car if I wind up on house arrest. Or any other fantastic promise that any company makes about their own product.

It's called advertising.

Some ads are more subtle than others, but all are intended to paint the company's own products or services in a more favorable light than their competition's. You don't see Firestone including how many accidents have been caused by their tires shredding in the last year. You don't see Myrtle Beach including shark bite statistics in their promo spots. NOBODY talks about the down side of their company or product in their ads. Why in the world would anyone think that PSA would be any different? Especially in a promo on their own website.

If you don't agree with the ad, you probably wouldn't have used the product anyway. Same goes for PSA. I don't use Axe deoderant, drive a Fiat, or hire legal representation from a television ad. Call me a stinky-pitted, bicycle-ridin' anarchist for not embracing those companies if you want, but don't think for a second that it has anything to do with the amount of truth in their ad spots.

And to finish off with a little bit of levity, some truth in advertising:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhtTU...e=results_main

+1

A company (PSA) has a marketing strategy that works and Travis is mad at them.

Seriously, Travis?

Are you mad at PSA because you didn't think of that particular marketing strategy?

when your autographs are looked at in a skewed manner, then call it good strategy. it might be good strategy, but its sickening and not ethical to say that if they dont have psa, they are akin to being suspected as forgers and you know it.

s. cyrkin called it a bad paragraph that he didnt agree with. you are not following your masters orders.

you are serious that it is good marketing strategy to call other people less than honorable if they dont use your service? nice. it's abominable, and a low blow to suggest others will look at you and wonder because you dont have psa, so you better get it so you can be protected from the wayward glares. that is exactly what we are talking about - its ethics, and this is unethical to call honorable people something else than honorable because they dont have psa.

+ 100

So where is the middle ground where people can disagree with or advise you regarding your methodology, but not your overall quest?

If you make a post and nobody says anything, it's because they don't want it being discussed. If you make a post and somebody questions you about it, it's because they don't want it being discussed. We're all either in on the conspiracy, or we're in on the conspiracy. You don't leave any opening for anyone to give you advice or correction without being lumped in with the worst of the worst in the hobby.

Surely you can see that there are many who, like you, want to see autographs handled in an accurate, ethical and transparent manner, but take issue with some of the haphazard methods that you have been using to pursue that goal?

How would you suggest that someone should disagree with something in one of your posts without being lumped in with the baddies? Or do you truly consider yourself infallible in your posts, the Pope of Authentication as it were?

I will let people see past their bias and change a few words and see if they get it now.

here's an ad in the paper from the north american veterans of america, of course a fictitious org. but you will see the parallels.



Enhance Your Credibility
When it comes to veterans, their reputation is of paramount importance. Those with the best reputations are members of the north american veterans of america. If you are known as a veteran who is not, your credibility may suffer. People will ask questions and speculate as to your reasons why.



Now do you see how that is scumbag marketing 101? Or is it just effective marketing that works so good for them?

Methinks you simply take this stuff way too seriously (especially for someone who says that they themselves are not a dealer).

Autograph collectors vs. military veterans? Really? I know that you are being serious, but it is becoming hard to take what you say that way.

And yet posting a link to an anonymously written internet article former ebay head Gonzalez purported said psa and jsa suck according to post.
, with documented lies and false information contained within the article, and claiming it to be the pinnacle of journalistic news, integrity and the truth should be considered any more ethical?

+1

I see what you're saying here and I do agree somewhat. Personally, I HATE Corporate America and ALL their BS tactics. It's the reason I work for myself.

Corporate advertising in the autographs world. I'm leaving names out:

"After 30 years in business, during which time well over 1,000,000 signed items have crossed their paths..." That comes to 45.6 pieces per day per authenticator. Whew!

"$100,000 worth of quality new autographs every week...$5,000,000 paid out every year..." So on $5,000,000 he only makes $200,000 a year? Pretty lousy return...

"These generic LOAs differ from our premium documents in as much as they are preliminary reviews of the items and do not go through the rigors our full examination process..." Does that mean I'm just a little bit pregnant, Dad?

"Guaranteed acceptance of our Letter of Authenticity by collectors, dealers, and ALL auction houses worldwide..." Not really.