Robert Edward Auctions Policy Amendment:

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Posted By: Robert Edward Auctions

We have closely followed the issues discussed on this board and have made a change in our policies in response, as detailed below in the following addition to our Guide For Prospective Bidders. Hopefully this will play some small role in promoting positive change, encouraging other auctions to follow suit, including those auctions which both own and authenticate the material which they offer.

Sincerely,
Robert Edward Auctions
www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com



Amendment:
Though very rarely an issue, Robert Edward Auctions does not prohibit authenticators from consigning lots. In years past, Robert Edward Auctions’ strict policy regarding autographs and bats consigned by authenticators has always been to have such items additionally authenticated independently by a second trusted authentication service. Robert Edward Auctions’ formal policy regarding consignments by authenticators has been amended to include the requirement that ownership or financial interest of all such lots in the future will be clearly communicated in the lot description in all cases where such authentication is cited in the lot description.

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Posted By: jay behrens

BRAVO!!!

Now let's hope that Mastro, Lelands, Hunt and all the other follow suit. It's really not that hard.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: MW

I commend you for the auction amendment and I call for Mastronet and all other auction houses to adopt a similar policy to inform the collector whenever a conflict of interest exists.

Sooner or later hobbyists are going to realize (if they haven't already) that volume of sales has nothing to do with legitimacy, accountability or honesty. In my opinion, this single issue could very well separate the professionals from the amateurs. Let's see who follows suit.

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Posted By: John Basilone

Thank You Robert. Once again, you are "ahead of the curve".

JB

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Posted By: PASJD

Congratulations on doing the right thing.

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Posted By: Aaron

Robert, you are the man!!!!!

You know what's so funny, is I was going to e-mail you and ask you to consider this very change for your April auction, figuring that you would be responsive because of your concern that bidders have the utmost confidence in bidding in your auctions.

On the heels of your "honest auto-bid," my sales pitch to you was going to be "once again you can be ahead of the curve when it comes to auction integrity."

You are so far ahead of the curve when it comes to auction integrity, you didn't even need a sales pitch. You observed the situation and came to the conclusion on your own.

You are the model for the modern sports auction system.

THANK YOU!!!!

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I am so there for your auctions; just get cards I want!

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Posted By: David Vargha

Great job guys!

DavidVargha@hotmail.com

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Posted By: leon

Thanks.........hopefully the rest will follow suit and put the additional info in their auction descriptions BEFORE someone has to ask. It just seems like common sense to disclose potentially "conflict of interest" issues up front.......regards

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Posted By: Julie

Your auctions are always great, too...

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Posted By: Elliot

Good to see somebody taking the lead. Hopefully this will drag others into following suit.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

The best way to show your support is to send Robert submissions and to bid in his auctions. It is good to see someone is listening.

Lee

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Posted By: Aaron

Well, Jay and Lee, looks like you guys broke even this weekend.

While you succeeded in having Vikes' posts deleted on the VBC board because they revealed unflattering facts of Dave Bushing, Troy and SCDA, you lost out as at least one major auction house heard his message and will stop the practice of undisclosed conflict of interest. Well, you can't win them all.

BTW, I think it's quite ironic that one "anonymous" Internet poster was able to bring more positive change to the hobby than the two of you were able to with your wasted "fact finding" mission.

Congrats, Vikes! Even if you have been banned from VBC, you were the one individual able to affect real change.

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Posted By: jay behrens

ummm...vikes was NOT the only person to mention this, and he wasn't even the first. As matter of fact, the only thing he ever metnioned was that Bushing had a conflict of interest in selling stuff he authenticated. His railing agianst Bushing certainly didn't make any auction house change it's policy. You should give credit to the person that said that nondisclosure of this information in auction descriptions was a problem with the auction houses, not the authenticators. Care to take a guess who said this? And it wasn't vikes.

Jay



I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: Aaron

Jay wrote: "ummm...vikes was NOT the only person to mention this, and he wasn't even the first. As matter of fact, the only thing he ever metnioned was that Bushing had a conflict of interest in selling stuff he authenticated."

Exactly, Jay. Which is why I'm wondering why Vikes was deleted and banned for making "accusations", if he was simply repeating issues which other people had already brought up.

I guess I could take credit for the change at REA, but I think all that really matters was that the policy was chnaged.

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Posted By: jay behrens

There is no point in responding to Aaron's stupidity because he must always get in the last word, so I'll stop now.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: True To Form

Thanks Vikes!

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Posted By: Aaron

Hey, dave, when Jay calls me "stupid", does that count as being nice and respectful of your fellow posters?

BTW, everyone is calling me names today. Someone provided Troy with my phone number and he cold-called me at work.

After a half-hour on the phone with him (and what I thought was a pretty civil conversation), he said "f*ck you, you c*cks*cker" and that was that.

This raises two issues, first I think this lends even more credence to Vikes fear of revelaing his identity (perhaps he didn't want to be called a c*cks*cker at work) because obviously Troy and SCDA will use whatever resources they have to track him down.

Second, apparently I did not have the kind of positive experience with Troy that jay and Lee did. They got buffalo wings. I got told to f*ck off.

Life just ain't fair.

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Posted By: wesley

What does this have to do with someone's master degree thesis?

Kudos to Robert and REA for leading the way though! Looking forward to your spring auction.

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Posted By: PASJD

To be accurate, a number of people on this Board have raised concerns about conflicts of interest and disclosure policies with regard to authenticators consigning their own items, and well before Vikes starting posting at least under that name. Also my recollection was that Vikes' focus at least initially was on Bushing's Masters' degree of lack thereof. I give credit to Vikes for stimulating some interesting discussions, but I think credit for raising the issues is due to many people and ultimately credit goes to Robert Edwards Auctions for amending its policies.