Posted By:
David VarghaActually, I expected the card to grade a "10" which was how it looked in the auction scan and how it looked when I got it. So the conspiracy theorists that are thinking that I somehow was trying to buy a card really cheaply are badly mistaken. Did I hope to make a few bucks on it? YES! But only because I knew that as creased as the card is, it would sell for more in an SGC holder, even with a "10" grade. The wear looked honest and there was no evidence of trimming. Plus it was described as being from the "CATAQUET PERSONAL ARCHIVE COLLECTION". How was I to know that his own cards were altered?
He additionally advertises the following;
FIRST AND FOREMOST, BRIAN CATAQUET WANTS THE EBAY WORLD TO BUY FROM HIM w/CONFIDENCE.
and
I HAVE BEEN REGARDED & CALLED AN EXPERT IN PRE-WORLD WAR 2 BASEBALL CARDS BY EDITORS IN OUR INDUSTRY's PUBLICATIONS AND HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED MANY OF TIMES IN THE HOBBY PUBLICATIONS & IN THE PRICE GUIDE OF BASEBALL CARDS.
and
I HAVE BEEN REGARDED & CALLED AN EXPERT IN PRE-WORLD WAR 2 BASEBALL CARDS BY EDITORS IN OUR INDUSTRY's PUBLICATIONS AND HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED MANY OF TIMES IN THE HOBBY PUBLICATIONS & IN THE PRICE GUIDE OF BASEBALL CARDS.
I simply figured that a card from an expert's collection would be unaltered. I also figured that if it somehow were, that he would stand behind it, him being the expert and all.
You see, if one tries to go through life only looking for what he or she can legally get away with, then that person has established his or her morality consists of what they can get away with. I believe that the higher standard is to treat others as you would want to be treated.
That is why when I sold a raw 1952 Bowman Mantle that was well over a year later discovered to be a counterfeit, I offered a full refund with no questions asked to the buyer who had brought it to my attention. I still had the scan and was easily able to verify that it was the same card. After I got it back, I then contacted the person who originally sold it to me. He apologized and gave me a full refund as well. To me, that is a better standard. And even though I have been ripped off a few times in the baseball card game, I would rather keep to the higher standard.
DavidVargha@hotmail.com