Check This Out -- The Phony Sports Illustrated / AAA Reply

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Posted By: Dan Mathewson 

I wrote the eBay seller: PacificVintageSports an e-mail about another one of his phony AAA-Graded auctions. I told him that collecting professionals on a vintage card bulletin board frequently questioned his auctions, including the one I was referring to last week. Here is his reply:

In response to your email about our listing of vintage items:

Thank you for your concern about our business and the link to the little chat room you sent us. However we do not click on links or anything that comes in our email for security reasons (you being an ex cop, I’m sure you understand) and we really don’t have the time to bother looking for some obscure little chat room just to view a negative opinion about our 100% Legal, Profitable, and Customer Oriented business.

First of all the description of the product in question and all our products are 100% accurate. This particular one says, "This item is actually from 1954. Exact Topps 1954 issue card front and back, on paper stock from the Sports Illustrated First Issue Topps Set" (which implies that they are from sports illustrated are from 1954 and are on paper stock.) If you look further in the auction it states that it is on PAPER STOCK and from SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. It has that twice and in bold and at the top of our listing in order NOT to deceive.

Second all our items ARE from the year stated. That is why we pay $$$ for the grading of these items by AAA (a very reputable, service oriented company) When someone traces the card online through their website it also comes up "PAPER STOCK" and S.I. to state they are from the magazine and not the card stock ones.

Third, our business is offering non-traditional sports memorabilia for reasonable prices that are vintage, from the past, and are actually from the era stated, in excellent conditions. How many Matthewson items do you have (you being a Matthewson collector, Dan) that are 80-100 years old that are in superb condition? It would take a large fortune to amass a collection of items that are truly "OLD" authentic that are in mint condition. You could agree with that can't you? Lots of baseball fans want truly vintage items. We provide these items at very reasonable prices (most of our starting bids are 9.99 some are 24.99) what we have discovered though is that generally the price goes up to what the masses feel that they are worth. A lot of our items are even rarer than some vintage cards, meaning there were less printed in that specified time.

How many, Tobacco Silks, Quilts, Buttons, Cigar Labels, Playing Cards, Matchbooks, PAPER PREMIUMS, cereal box cutouts, Pins, Transmitted Press Photos Not even from the original film roll, Quilts, Blankets, Board Games, Bottle tops, Coffee or Ale Mugs, or a seat -or piece of dirt from a stadium in the 1910s. How many Lighters, UNDERWEAR TAGS, Old school notebooks, watches, Old film, Casino Poker chips, Cigarette Outer Boxes with just a players name and no image, Or even an AD with no image and just a players name. Postcards of stadiums in the 1910s, written on- score cards, or schedules, or gum wrappers. HOW MANY OF THESE ITEMS DO YOU SEE AUCTIONED EVERYDAY. And you mean to say that a few business ignorant, and uncreative people say that vintage books, or images from 80-100 year old books aren’t worth anything? Even though they have been authenticated?

Also, since we have many offline REPEAT Customers, and every customer that has purchased one from an online auction are happy; we would have to say this is a successful business that is legal. What is not legal is Intentionally defaming a legitimate business, trying to send viruses and such through email (like some have done in the past to us and our associates), trying to sabotage a business - on auction sites and by harassing our customers -, which does warrant an investigation and lawsuits.

The main point is, just because someone or some people don’t approve of a product that we sell because they don’t like it, doesn’t necessarily mean that many others find satisfaction and enjoyment and take pride in owning a unique collectable that features their favorite ball player. Any business that starts off selling non-traditional products will stir up some controversy, especially among their competitors, but that’s just business, and that is why I pay our lawyers to handle. Where would we be without the: Edisons, Graham Bells, and Bill Gates’ or if there was no variety choice, innovation, or advancement in any industry or new products whatsoever.

I wouldn’t listen to anyone on a chat board anyway, because most of those people are newbies or they have too much time on their hands so they have to chat on the internet all day because they are lonely and have no life or friends and are seeking acceptance from strangers, that way they don't have to look real people in the eye. They are “BORED” so they chat and post and wait all day for a reply to some insignificant matter or question. HENCE THE TERM “MESSAGE BOARD” I don’t know if these people are afraid of real life, or most of have some kind of social acceptance problem. How many stories have you heard these days about psychos using chat boards, and other forums to prey on innocents? (Once again, you being an ex cop you should know) We make it a rule here to not even to take into consideration what these people say. It also could be just our competition spreading false rumors about us.

We do however have plenty of Christy Matthewson vintage items for sale, and personally I think he is a really good seller, they go for very cheap too. I guess he wasn’t as famous as other players in that time or his cards aren’t worth as much or whatever (we don’t know too much about vintage baseball statistics) but, we can see why you are a fan because you have the Same last name, that must be something to take pride in.

Thank you for your concern, it must have been very important to you to email us on THANKSGIVING DAY, taking time away from your family and friends to email us about this matter. So I felt it was appropriate to give a clear, concise response, that’s why this email is so long. It turkey time and at least I can print your email out, read it and some of our associates can have a giant laugh over a thanksgiving supper. 83 degrees and sunny here in Hawaii. Life just couldn’t be better.

PVS


(Back to me, Dan, now) NOTE: At the end of the e-mail, PacificVintageSports also indicates that he is in Hawaii -- which happens to be the home of AAA. Just like Roy Huff. And, in fact, he may be Roy Huff, related to Roy Huff, or business related with Roy and AAA...again, slabbing their own garbage and sloughing it off through eBay to unsuspecting buyers.

He is obviously very bitter that anyone would question his business ethics (or obvious lack thereof) and goes into quite a defensive explanation of his position...making sure to take a shot at the "newbies" and "lonelies" that post on a message board. The flaovr of his response makes it pretty clear. (I also love how he wrote in there that he has some battery of lawyers that has to handle all the controversy his auctions create...like his piece of shat AAA auctions would generate enough extra cash to pay ONE lawyer on retainer!!! LOL...)

I thought y'all might enjoy his reply. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

-dan