Pretty Amazing One of a Kind Jackie Robinson at Memory Lane
 

Just looked at the Memory Lane Catalog and spotted a Rarity in the Auction.

Lot #56: A One of a Kind POP 1 Jackie Robinson Premium PSA 2 with MBA Gold Sticker for Eye Appeal.

I've never seen this item and I've been collecting my entire life.

What do you guys think? I love the image and love that its actually from his playing days; 1955 (Year Dodgers won World Series)

https://memorylaneinc.com/site/bids/...e?itemid=81733

Pretty Amazing One of a Kind Jackie Robinson at Memory Lane
 

Your consignment?

Opinion
 

Nice unusual item.

Daryl, To me, it does not matter if the item is his consignment. A GOOD auction needs all the help it can get communication-wise. IF I was not on Memory Lane's mailing list to get their catalog, and IF I was a Jackie Robinson connoisseur, I would for sure want to know about it, so I could register to bid.

There is absolutely positively nothing wrong with trying to drum up potential business for your own cause. The exception of course is shill bidding, but that's not a part of my point here.

Knowing the pathetic cynicism rampant in our hobby, I am not the consignor. --- Brian Powell

eh, would much rather have the original photo, but that's just me.

Nothing in the OP suggests it's his consignment - "I've never seen this item and I've been collecting my entire life." - so, if he is actually pushing his own consignment, that would really suck.

Good point. Question withdrawn.

Cool item, but I am more fascinated by the "MLB GOLD DIAMOND Mike Baker Label" which evidently is a way for an opinion seller (Mike Baker?) to turn the opinion of another opinion seller that an item is "only" a 2 into something even better.

Does that label mean that after paying for an opinion the item was given to somebody else who was then paid for another opinion?

Just curious,
Doug

Unfortunately, the cynical side of me says do not withdraw the question until we actually have an answer.

In a word. Yes.

It is not a 1 of a kind. It is rare but they are out there on ebay, occasionally, and most people have no idea what it is so they are so you have to really look closely for them. It is not the only example graded either and was not even at the time the catalog was made. Someone there is not great at checking SGC's pop report and I do not blame them but if you are going to make a statement like that, it really should be done with a little bit of effort.

One certainly shouldn't take auction house descriptions as the gospel.

Try collecting Police Gazette supplements, even the most reputable auction houses will frequently describe newspaper pages as supplements, and they are EASY to differentiate. Dare I say, impossible to confuse?

And with this auction house seems you cannot take their scans as gospel either given a certain thread we had recently about them.

It is the Wild West out there, I tell ya! Every (wo)man for themselves.

We identified this for the original poster last June, I thought I remembered it.

https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?p=2385385

not kosher.

seems OP might be a tad disingenuous then?

LOL. I'd wager some damn good money that this is your consignment.

Good to have you back.

Removed it and all from his original post lol.

Why go through all this instead of just saying it's yours and skip looking like an idiot.

Really the only reason I care is because it's in the wrong section and is taking advantage of getting way more eyes for free. This should be a paid ad to Leon based on the link to the auction house knowing what we know in my opinion.

My original question has been reinstated. And Frosty’s back. What a thread!

I cannot abide people who lie.

Sleazy pumpers will pump and be sleazy.

He is far from the first person to come here and do this. There are some regulars who post here who do it in a more subtle fashion far too often and it irks me. Not defending the OP's effort but the shame of it is well earned. Guessing he will not post again for a bit...unless he has another lot to promote.:D

The frothy blather in the AH write-up is laughable BUT it is a desirable premium, so I don't really mind the post. With so many damn auctions I forgot all about this one. This is America; we are all selling all the time, so a little pimping action on a rare item isn't the same as Don West-ing 1999 Fleer sets.

Full disclosure: not my card but I have one and I am not bidding on the ML one.

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...0publicity.jpg

It appears he lied to juice a card on the wrong board. Even Don West was better than this; he did not pretend the crap he was pumping was not being sold by him. I would hope the hobby would eventually come to expect just a bare modicum of honesty or not blatantly lying, but that's not going to happen of course.

The paper trails will fuck you up badly in life.

Just one practical reason among many reasons that completely lying is the wrong path. If only this idea could gain some currency in our hobby.

I think a simple acknowledgment and editing of the original post would suffice. Seems like a first offense. I’m all for making things right if it’s something (imo) fairly minor and not deceiving to the point of no return.

Would be awesome if the OP's offense was the worst thing to happen to collectors but it is a poor reflection of his character. No sugarcoating needed. We need more honest participants in the hobby which has attracted an overwhelming number of shady, deceptive, and disingenuous people.

+1. Unfortunately we have a bunch of crooks, fraudsters, card doctors, pumpers, shills, disingenuous people and liars who are not even good at lying instead.

Oops, I mean if it makes dollars it makes sense! Let's get that cash boys. Money money money.

Yup!!!

Being morally bankrupt is ok in the hobby as long as you have stacks of cash.

Mike Baker …. When only “magnificent aesthetics” will do.

Can someone translate this part into English for me? "Regarding benchmark sales, this Cooperstown worthy marvel's unrivaled paucity level eliminates the notion of comparative pricing, so we will defer to the hobby's most sophisticated collectors to ultimately determine its true worth!"

Really?

Excerpt from the auction description:

"Just as impressive is its well-merited "MBA GOLD DIAMOND" Mike Baker label, which is awarded to high-quality cards revealing magnificent aesthetics."

Does this mean that people can pay for yet another opinion and try to make the item look truly special?

I had to look up that crap and found this item only has a "gold diamond label", not the higher rated "black diamond" label.

Does this mean that PSA 1 with a "Black Diamond" label trumps the PSA 2 with a "Gold Diamond" label?

Just how far does this go? Just how ridiculous can this get? Bottom line, how much more monetary value at auction does the PSA or whatever Diamond label add to the actual item that is for auction? Is the flip and the extra Diamond label worth more than the actual item? :o


What a hobby...:(

I would loan him this engraved label, but evidently his last name is not Parker.

Attachment 620408


Brian (perhaps the next thread I start will be about an awesome item in an upcoming auction...gotta live up to the label)

this Cooperstown worthy marvel's unrivaled paucity level eliminates the notion of comparative pricing


I take comparatively pricey supplements for my low paucity levels, but it works marvelously, so I don't complain about the unrivaled elimination it causes.

Brian (not sure what Cooperstown is supposed to mean)

Yeah but why not approach it honestly? People promote their auction house consignments all the time with contest posts etc.

"No comps"

The gold label on a TWO makes it better.

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Pop 1 is now "one of a kind".

Isn't it the same dam photo from the 1948 old gold card?

Why is it 1955?

OMG - It's the only known graded example! That really makes it more desirable. PSA graded, Gold Diamond - Wow!

They should create another way to pump it up: The PSA/SGC dual TPG authenticated label.

If only it had a purple sticker too.

Personally, I would feel better about any card that Mike Baker has deemed ok, concerning alterations.
As far as the aesthetics, we all have our own eyes and he has a great eye for cards. His stickered cards will be at the upper part of the spectrum, for the grade, too.
So yes, I would personally pay a bit more for one of his stickers, as I know him (a little bit) and think he's a very good grader. I need graders to catch my weaknesses in detecting certain alterations. Other than that, I think I have an ok eye for cards (as we all think we do LOL)


Back to topic, cool premium of an early Jackie

ps...this has really been one of the most intersting threads.....any psychologists in the room?

edited to stay somewhat on topic...

.

I have held contests on here for what I have consigned to Brockelman Auctions for several years now. For me it is a fun way to get people aware of the auction, they have a chance to win vintage cards, and I get to enjoy being a Prewar Santa Claus.

So that I don't feel too slimy, I never actually reveal the exact cards that I have consigned. Each contest is designed for folks to guess what I consign out of many options.

So in my mind I feel like I am promoting the hobby, and a great auction company, with the side effect of having more eyes potentially seeing the lots I did consign.

I am a sneaky bastard, so I will award myself with this seal of approval:

Attachment 620440


brianp(arker)-beme

Biggest thing to hit the board since Jackie's WorldWide pants photo.

It's a nice piece but the hype to the upper levels of the stratosphere seems a little over the top.

Seems like I've seen that image on a postcard about 117 times in different permutations.

Memory Lane runs great auctions with cool stuff but their write ups are really nuts some times.

On the other hand, wish I could get an AH somewhere to give me a whole page for something at the front of a catalog. Must be nice.

Yawn!

I didn't remember who it was but those were the posts I was thinking of. My point was they aren't pretending to be something they're not and so, to me, are completely cool.

As opposed to this "look at this amazing card that I've never seen before" post where he was on this site posting about the same card a year ago.

To each his own. Lots of images get reused for many players' cards. From my collecting vantage point it does not make the item less desirable but I hear ya. It is a rare piece. Might be boring to many because it is not a new image of JR but not an issue you are going to see everyday.

The funny thing is this might all be premeditated. Assume someone will remember the old thread, make this one pretending it's not his card, but expect that someone will remember the old thread, then this one gets tons of posts from people being outraged at him being a scumbag. Better than paid advertising.