Tony Podsada busted at National!

[earlywynnfan]

Saw his table, $30 mantles, $40 jordans. Guys buying stacks of shit. I'm trying to tell people they're forgeries, but nobody will listen. Just walked by again, the cops and security are boxing it all up and taking it Away!

[gregr2]

It will all be headed to eBay by the end of the week.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by gregr2

It will all be headed to eBay by the end of the week.

If I read this correctly, it was seized by the police. Not very likely you will see it on ebay. The local incinerator is probably its future home.

[gregr2]

Originally Posted by Michael B

If I read this correctly, it was seized by the police. Not very likely you will see it on ebay. The local incinerator is probably its future home.

Hopefully that is the case, I was just going by his statement "Guys buying stacks of shit." that some of it may have already left the building.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Wonder if any other dealers don't show up tomorrow...

[Mr. Zipper]

Did he have the sign indicating the signed photos were "decorative items"?

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

Saw his table, $30 mantles, $40 jordans. Guys buying stacks of shit. I'm trying to tell people they're forgeries, but nobody will listen. Just walked by again, the cops and security are boxing it all up and taking it Away!

Great post, Ken.

2016 at the National in Atlantic City, Tony Podsada was there.

Decorative" items. In other words, he threw his "authenticator" under the bus.

See below.



PodsadaNational-1.jpg

[SetBuilder]

Owners of expensive paintings sometimes have exact replicas made to hang on their walls and then they keep the real one in a climate controlled vault somewhere. For security reasons.

Couldn't the same logic be extended to sports memorabilia? Prices are skyrocketing.

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

Owners of expensive paintings sometimes have exact replicas made to hang on their walls and then they keep the real one in a climate controlled vault somewhere. For security reasons.

Couldn't the same logic be extended to sports memorabilia? Prices are skyrocketing.

Yes. Except that he is a very famous forger known for making things to sell as real.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

Owners of expensive paintings sometimes have exact replicas made to hang on their walls and then they keep the real one in a climate controlled vault somewhere. For security reasons.

Couldn't the same logic be extended to sports memorabilia? Prices are skyrocketing.

You can display fakes you just can't commit fraud.

[commishbob]

Not a good look for the hobby, the National or TriStar. Why do they lease him a table/booth? Yes, I'm sure the answer is $$$ but are they that desperate?

[SetBuilder]

I'm not trying to defend the crook, I'm just interested in the legal question.

According to Mr. Zipper, he had a sign in front of his booth stating that the $40 Jordan signatures were "decorative items."

You also have the fact that real Jordan autographs don't cost only $40.

I'm curious as to how law enforcement is going to prove that his buyers were deceived. To prove fraud, you have to prove that his buyers were misled by material misrepresentations.

Maybe I'm missing some important details?

[earlywynnfan]

He did NOT have "Decorative Items" anywhere, he was selling these as legit. I didn't actually talk to him (wasn't even aware that was who he was until Les Wolff told me.) But the forgeries were obvious even without the prices and volume of material.

This will always be the lasting memory of the 2018 National to me: I asked this customer next to me, who was buying a pile of items:
"Is he selling these as repros or something?"
No, they're real.
"He's selling Mantle 8x10 for $30 and you think they're real??"
I was wondering that too, but you've got to hear his stories, they're legit.
"No they're not, they're forgeries!!"
Do you think they'd actually let someone into the National who was selling forgeries?"

God Bless stupid people!!

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

I'm not trying to defend the crook, I'm just interested in the legal question.

According to Mr. Zipper, he had a sign in front of his booth stating that the $40 Jordan signatures were "decorative items."

You also have the fact that real Jordan autographs don't cost only $40.

I'm curious as to how law enforcement is going to prove that his buyers were deceived. To prove fraud, you have to prove that his buyers were misled by material misrepresentations.

Maybe I'm missing some important details?

https://live.autographmagazine.com/p...1155035&page=1

[earlywynnfan]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

He did NOT have "Decorative Items" anywhere, he was selling these as legit. I didn't actually talk to him (wasn't even aware that was who he was until Les Wolff told me.) But the forgeries were obvious even without the prices and volume of material.

This will always be the lasting memory of the 2018 National to me: I asked this customer next to me, who was buying a pile of items:
"Is he selling these as repros or something?"
No, they're real.
"He's selling Mantle 8x10 for $30 and you think they're real??"
I was wondering that too, but you've got to hear his stories, they're legit.
"No they're not, they're forgeries!!"
Do you think they'd actually let someone into the National who was selling forgeries?"

God Bless stupid people!!

I should pull back a bit, I did not SEE that sign, or any other stating these were decorative items, but it definitely wasn't displayed on the side I was standing, nor was he telling people they were decorative.

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

According to Mr. Zipper, he had a sign in front of his booth stating that the $40 Jordan signatures were "decorative items."

To clarify, he displayed the “decorative items” sign last year. I asked if he did the same this year.

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

To clarify, he displayed the “decorative items” sign last year. I asked if he did the same this year.

My opinion, doesn't matter if there was a "Decorative Items" sign posted. We know his customers are mainly buying to resell as authentic, if you believe the other previous posts. . People like this are a scourge on this hobby and hopefully they get the punishment they deserve...

[Mr. Zipper]

This story does not name the vendor, but I assume it is the same matter we are discussing here.

Vendor accused of trying to sell phony autographs at popular sports convention in Cleveland

https://fox8.com/2018/08/02/vendor-a...-in-cleveland/

[RichardSimon]

As many of us here know he has a ton of the stuff. If all they did was confiscate his crap then he will just continue operating as always.

[shelly]

Well at least the Cleveland Police did there job. Unlike the FBI who has had this information for the last 10 years and have done nothing with it.
I also believe that you can not call autographs decorative items. I think you have to say reprints.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

To clarify, he displayed the “decorative items” sign last year. I asked if he did the same this year.

Read my Comment #7.

It shows a photo from the 2016 National in August.

[Terrier8HOF]

From 2016:
"Many of the Ali autographs, which were then authenticated by eBay sellers by GFA, come from South Florida dealer Tony Podsada, who runs a company called SCM.

"At one point, I had about 18,000 Ali autographs," Podsada said. "I have about 3,000 left, mostly on 4-by-6 and 5-by-7 photos."

Podsada said he obtained the Ali signatures from 1988 to 1993, when his business, My Favorite Players, was one of the heavyweights in the industry.

Podsada's items do not come with a certificate of authenticity. Disenchanted with the authentication business, Podsada said he merely offers buyers the assurance that it's a "decorative item only."

"I believe what I have is real, but I don't guarantee anything because I know too much," Podsada said.

Podsada will sell a 5-by-7 plaque with an Ali signature for $19.99 because he says that the leading authenticators, PSA/DNA and JSA, will fail his items simply because of the quantity he has. That makes it harder, he says, to make a greater margin."

Is it just a coincidence that most of the sellers of forgeries on ebay are from S. florida, which happens to be where TP is from?

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by Terrier8HOF

From 2016:
"Many of the Ali autographs, which were then authenticated by eBay sellers by GFA, come from South Florida dealer Tony Podsada, who runs a company called SCM.

"At one point, I had about 18,000 Ali autographs," Podsada said. "I have about 3,000 left, mostly on 4-by-6 and 5-by-7 photos."

Podsada said he obtained the Ali signatures from 1988 to 1993, when his business, My Favorite Players, was one of the heavyweights in the industry.

Podsada's items do not come with a certificate of authenticity. Disenchanted with the authentication business, Podsada said he merely offers buyers the assurance that it's a "decorative item only."

"I believe what I have is real, but I don't guarantee anything because I know too much," Podsada said.

Podsada will sell a 5-by-7 plaque with an Ali signature for $19.99 because he says that the leading authenticators, PSA/DNA and JSA, will fail his items simply because of the quantity he has. That makes it harder, he says, to make a greater margin."

Is it just a coincidence that most of the sellers of forgeries on ebay are from S. florida, which happens to be where TP is from?

Does anyone actually think Muhammad Ali spent his time actually writing his name 18,000 times?

May not be out of the realm of reality with today's players over the course of a career but a retired multi-millionaire national icon - don't think so...smh...

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

Saw his table, $30 mantles, $40 jordans. Guys buying stacks of shit. I'm trying to tell people they're forgeries, but nobody will listen. Just walked by again, the cops and security are boxing it all up and taking it Away!

Finally, a real feel good story for 2018. He''s probably already out with the dot matrix printer & a new authentication company name. A true scum bag if ever there was one PERIOD. He has some pretty big balls to try and sell that well documented TRASH at the National. I hope he rots in prison or takes on a big fine that changes his pathetic little life.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

Owners of expensive paintings sometimes have exact replicas made to hang on their walls and then they keep the real one in a climate controlled vault somewhere. For security reasons.

Couldn't the same logic be extended to sports memorabilia? Prices are skyrocketing.

Are you out of your skull? because these are horrendous looking photos that no collector would want on their wall. I let mine fade or make a nice photo copy and store the original. These are shit fake signatures on shit photo paper media with a shit printer...=SHIT

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

He did NOT have "Decorative Items" anywhere, he was selling these as legit. I didn't actually talk to him (wasn't even aware that was who he was until Les Wolff told me.) But the forgeries were obvious even without the prices and volume of material.

This will always be the lasting memory of the 2018 National to me: I asked this customer next to me, who was buying a pile of items:
"Is he selling these as repros or something?"
No, they're real.
"He's selling Mantle 8x10 for $30 and you think they're real??"
I was wondering that too, but you've got to hear his stories, they're legit.
"No they're not, they're forgeries!!"
Do you think they'd actually let someone into the National who was selling forgeries?"

God Bless stupid people!!

like his ridiculous huge whale fish tale that " I sued scoreboard and I won, so they're authentic scoreboard" moronic statement.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

Are you out of your skull? because these are horrendous looking photos that no collector would want on their wall. I let mine fade or make a nice photo copy and store the original. These are shit fake signatures on shit photo paper media with a shit printer...=SHIT

We should have an icon that you can click to generate the above response to some of the "Is this Mantle real?" threads.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Below is a screenshot from the Feedback page of Ebay seller Rbisportsinc.

He (Rod) was a major seller of the "Florida" forgeries. I posted numerous threads on him.

Read his reply to a Feedback left from a buyer.




rbisportsinc-Feedback-2.jpg

[thetruthisoutthere]

Now Ebay seller Rbisportsinc sells his GFA-certed crap on his own website.



https://rbisportsinc.com/mickey-mant...to-autographed

[SetBuilder]

This case perfectly illustrates the gray area of the law these guys operate in. Current laws are inadequate to prevent this from happening.

The primary seller of these "decorative items," prices them at prices that would make it impossible to prove you overpaid and were defrauded. No experienced collector would have a case. Imagine the absurdity of proving that the Ali signed plaque is worth $0 and that you paid $19.99 too much for it. How would you even do that? Real Ali signatures are 10x more expensive.

So the fault here probably lies with the secondary seller, the unethical dealer who buys the $19.99 Ali signatures to flip as authentic. But, how is the primary seller liable for the actions of another dealer?

[SetBuilder]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

I hope he rots in prison or takes on a big fine that changes his pathetic little life.

Prison seems unlikely if he was selling Ali signed plaques for $19.99.

Most jurisdictions have forgery laws, but they only apply to things like real estate deeds and bank checks. So if you forge grandma's signature on a quit claim deed, or steal her checkbook...things like that. Those laws are hard to apply to sports memorabilia.

Mickey Mantle, for example, is a widely known sports figure, so how is his signature any different from artwork? A signature of Mantle is basically an artistic doodle. No different than an Andy Warhol soup can. Selling reproductions of art isn't illegal. Mantle's signature on a glossy 8 x 10 is completely different than grandma's signature on a legal document. The former is a piece of art, while the latter is a negotiable instrument.

Is a reproduction only evident by the sales price? Is that "authentic" Babe Ruth signed ball you bought for $200 at the local antiques show, with and a nod and a wink from the store owner, a reproduction? Or were you a victim of a crime? Is it only a crime when you pay the full price of an authentic Ruth signature?

[drcy]

It's illegal to make or sell unlicensed reproductions of art if the artwork has copyrights/trademarks. It's illegal to sell 'reproductions' of Levi's jeans, Coach bags or NFL jerseys period-- whether or not you tell customers they aren't authentic. In fact, if you inform customers that those Coach bags aren't authentic, that's admission that you know you're selling counterfeits.

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

Prison seems unlikely if he was selling Ali signed plaques for $19.99.

Most jurisdictions have forgery laws, but they only apply to things like real estate deeds and bank checks. So if you forge grandma's signature on a quit claim deed, or steal her checkbook...things like that. Those laws are hard to apply to sports memorabilia.

Mickey Mantle, for example, is a widely known sports figure, so how is his signature any different from artwork? A signature of Mantle is basically an artistic doodle. No different than an Andy Warhol soup can. Selling reproductions of art isn't illegal. Mantle's signature on a glossy 8 x 10 is completely different than grandma's signature on a legal document. The former is a piece of art, while the latter is a negotiable instrument.

Is a reproduction only evident by the sales price? Is that "authentic" Babe Ruth signed ball you bought for $200 at the local antiques show, with and a nod and a wink from the store owner, a reproduction? Or were you a victim of a crime? Is it only a crime when you pay the full price of an authentic Ruth signature?

If its fake and you sell it and you know its fake without disclosure its fraud... Does this jerk even have the rights to use the photographic images he is printing out?

[silvor]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

Most jurisdictions have forgery laws, but they only apply to things like real estate deeds and bank checks. So if you forge grandma's signature on a quit claim deed, or steal her checkbook...things like that. Those laws are hard to apply to sports memorabilia.

Selling a fake auto, purse, etc is called FRAUD, so there's that...

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

Selling reproductions of art isn't illegal.

Yes it is.

[shelly]

I would estimate that he has sold over 20,000,000 dollars over the past 17 years. I know that Richard, Chris and I have been keeping track of his sales for a very long time. The FBI in Florida refused to go after him. They had a slam dunk.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by shelly

I would estimate that he has sold over 20,000,000 dollars over the past 17 years. I know that Richard, Chris and I have been keeping track of his sales for a very long time. The FBI in Florida refused to go after him. They had a slam dunk.

+1

They certainly did!!!

A slam dunk!!!!

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by chalupacollects

Does anyone actually think Muhammad Ali spent his time actually writing his name 18,000 times?

May not be out of the realm of reality with today's players over the course of a career but a retired multi-millionaire national icon - don't think so...smh...

I wouldn't be surprised if Ali signed a Million+ autographs throughout his life, a large portion of them for free.

Unfortunately there's probably 20 times that in fakes out there, because of the demand.

Highly doubt he signed 18,000 times for any one person or entity though..............particularly this scumbag.

Ali never really had any concept of money either. Likely gave most of it away. His most valuable asset to his family when he passed away, was easily his name.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by shelly

I would estimate that he has sold over 20,000,000 dollars over the past 17 years. I know that Richard, Chris and I have been keeping track of his sales for a very long time. The FBI in Florida refused to go after him. They had a slam dunk.

[tdellis]

Any photos of him?

[RichardSimon]

Check with the Post Office, they may have a wanted poster.
In addition to what he does now, he is a convicted felon.

[RichardSimon]

started new thread.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by SetBuilder

Prison seems unlikely if he was selling Ali signed plaques for $19.99.

Most jurisdictions have forgery laws, but they only apply to things like real estate deeds and bank checks. So if you forge grandma's signature on a quit claim deed, or steal her checkbook...things like that. Those laws are hard to apply to sports memorabilia.

Mickey Mantle, for example, is a widely known sports figure, so how is his signature any different from artwork? A signature of Mantle is basically an artistic doodle. No different than an Andy Warhol soup can. Selling reproductions of art isn't illegal. Mantle's signature on a glossy 8 x 10 is completely different than grandma's signature on a legal document. The former is a piece of art, while the latter is a negotiable instrument.

Is a reproduction only evident by the sales price? Is that "authentic" Babe Ruth signed ball you bought for $200 at the local antiques show, with and a nod and a wink from the store owner, a reproduction? Or were you a victim of a crime? Is it only a crime when you pay the full price of an authentic Ruth signature?

well put

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by drcy

It's illegal to make or sell unlicensed reproductions of art if the artwork has copyrights/trademarks. It's illegal to sell 'reproductions' of Levi's jeans, Coach bags or NFL jerseys period-- whether or not you tell customers they aren't authentic. In fact, if you inform customers that those Coach bags aren't authentic, that's admission that you know you're selling counterfeits.

another very good point

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by shelly

I would estimate that he has sold over 20,000,000 dollars over the past 17 years. I know that Richard, Chris and I have been keeping track of his sales for a very long time. The FBI in Florida refused to go after him. They had a slam dunk.

the best point of all...

[tdellis]

So I know what he looks like

[scyrkin]

+1

[scyrkin]

Originally Posted by drcy

It's illegal to make or sell unlicensed reproductions of art if the artwork has copyrights/trademarks. It's illegal to sell 'reproductions' of Levi's jeans, Coach bags or NFL jerseys period-- whether or not you tell customers they aren't authentic. In fact, if you inform customers that those Coach bags aren't authentic, that's admission that you know you're selling counterfeits.

+1

[scyrkin]

Originally Posted by Terrier8HOF

From 2016:
"Many of the Ali autographs, which were then authenticated by eBay sellers by GFA, come from South Florida dealer Tony Podsada, who runs a company called SCM.

"At one point, I had about 18,000 Ali autographs," Podsada said. "I have about 3,000 left, mostly on 4-by-6 and 5-by-7 photos."

Podsada said he obtained the Ali signatures from 1988 to 1993, when his business, My Favorite Players, was one of the heavyweights in the industry.

Podsada's items do not come with a certificate of authenticity. Disenchanted with the authentication business, Podsada said he merely offers buyers the assurance that it's a "decorative item only."

"I believe what I have is real, but I don't guarantee anything because I know too much," Podsada said.

Podsada will sell a 5-by-7 plaque with an Ali signature for $19.99 because he says that the leading authenticators, PSA/DNA and JSA, will fail his items simply because of the quantity he has. That makes it harder, he says, to make a greater margin."

Is it just a coincidence that most of the sellers of forgeries on ebay are from S. florida, which happens to be where TP is from?

All the Podsada Ali signed photos I've seen were printed on inkjet printer paper. The kind that came onto the market in August 1995 or later. A shade later than 1988-93.

[thetruthisoutthere]

Originally Posted by scyrkin

All the Podsada Ali signed photos I've seen were printed on inkjet printer paper. The kind that came onto the market in August 1995 or later. A shade later than 1988-93.

Yep.

I possess various "Mantle" signed photos from multiple "Florida" sellers and every one was produced on inkjet paper.

https://live.autographmagazine.com/p...1155035&page=1

https://live.autographmagazine.com/p...-do-they-use-b

[david_l]

I had read that article previously. Great research. Very well done.