Auction LOAs are a scourge on the hobby and need to be banned

[TakingStock]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

That's so true. If you happened to be on their list great. If not you would never have heard of it. Same as when they sold the Harry Shaffer collection. I didn't hear of it until the last phase. When I saw the stuff I'd missed I threw up a little in my mouth.

Despite the hide the ball stuff I actually thought prices were pretty strong when it was possible to figure out WTF they were selling. Still, I cannot understand how an experienced auctioneer could throw 600 cards in a lot with no descriptions and fewer than half shown or offer an 800 pin lot with a pick up only restriction. It is like they just didn't care.

And of course the usual ridiculous shipping costs. Over $35 to send me a few postcards and a small memorabilia item. I could ship it twice for that.

You make some very good points. The amount of times I see key (and very valuable) overlooked items throw in group lots in major auctions is stunning.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

That's so true. If you happened to be on their list great. If not you would never have heard of it. Same as when they sold the Harry Shaffer collection. I didn't hear of it until the last phase. When I saw the stuff I'd missed I threw up a little in my mouth.

Despite the hide the ball stuff I actually thought prices were pretty strong when it was possible to figure out WTF they were selling. Still, I cannot understand how an experienced auctioneer could throw 600 cards in a lot with no descriptions and fewer than half shown or offer an 800 pin lot with a pick up only restriction. It is like they just didn't care.

And of course the usual ridiculous shipping costs. Over $35 to send me a few postcards and a small memorabilia item. I could ship it twice for that.

Sounds like they only offer the "shipped in gold plated mailers" option.
$35?, that really sux.

[Exhibitman]

OK, now it gets weird. The "JSA Auction Letter" turns out to be a full JSA LOA. The item, sadly, is a preprint. Here is the one I already own (top card):



Unless Jim Jeffries managed to sign these cards with identically placed and sized signatures, right down to the spacing of the loops between the letters, this is a preprint that JSA certified as an autograph with its full LOA, after being "thoroughly examined."

Really???

ETA: I do have to clarify one thing: the 'signature' is an overprint, not a watermark. Regardless, it ain't signed. I think I'll contact JSA...

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

OK, now it gets weird. The "JSA Auction Letter" turns out to be a full JSA LOA. The item, sadly, is a preprint. Here is the one I already own (top card):



Unless Jim Jeffries managed to sign these cards with identically placed and sized signatures, right down to the spacing of the loops between the letters, this is a preprint that JSA certified as an autograph with its full LOA, after being "thoroughly examined."

Really???

ETA: I do have to clarify one thing: the 'signature' is an overprint, not a watermark. Regardless, it ain't signed. I think I'll contact JSA...

The "signature" may be an overprint, but one thing is certain. The two examples you show are most definitely not identical.

[autograf]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

The "signature" may be an overprint, but one thing is certain. The two examples you show are most definitely not identical.

+1. Maybe different printings?

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

The "signature" may be an overprint, but one thing is certain. The two examples you show are most definitely not identical.

Agreed. Nothing about those two overprints is even remotely the same.

[Exhibitman]

Perhaps I created some confusion with my example, which showed two cards, one of which was the same as the one MEARS sold. Here are the two side by side, the MEARS item on the left and mine on the right:



They look identical to me.

I just examined the two side by side and they are the same.

[MEARSAUCTIONS]

Net54 Members,

I was traveling yesterday and was not able to review and post a response until now. The postcard that was sold in our July boxing auction should never have been offered with a JSA letter.

It was an obvious facsimile and should have been removed at the time of our initial lotting.

I take full responsibility for the mistake and will issue a refund to Adam.

Regards,


Troy R. Kinunen - MEARS Auctions
troy@mearsonline.com , 414 828 9990


PS: If anybody has any immediate questions or comments, give me a call as I will have limited access to internet today for the purpose of checking this post or reading emails.

[brooklynbaseball]

Originally Posted by MEARSAUCTIONS

Net54 Members,

I was traveling yesterday and was not able to review and post a response until now. The postcard that was sold in our July boxing auction should never have been offered with a JSA letter.

It was an obvious facsimile and should have been removed at the time of our initial lotting.

I take full responsibility for the mistake and will issue a refund to Adam.

Regards,


Troy R. Kinunen - MEARS Auctions
troy@mearsonline.com , 414 828 9990


PS: If anybody has any immediate questions or comments, give me a call as I will have limited access to internet today for the purpose of checking this post or reading emails.

Wonder what JSA has to say about this????

[Bcwcardz]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

MEARS offered this lot yesterday:



Described this way:

Title: 1910-1920 circa J.J. Jeffries signed 3 x 5 card (JSA)
Description: Vintage card with excellent condition signature.

Absolutely false. The card is a mail reply card that Jeffries used to respond to fan mail. His signature is a pre-print, readily seen as such by anyone paying slight attention to the item, or with my book, where I cover these cards. I bought the lot, for the Sam Berger-Jim Jeffries PC (bottom row middle) and to a lesser extent the Jordan-Jeffries PC, but if I was in any way relying on the AH or JSA I'd be very, very pissed off when I received the lot, sent it in with the additional fees (because when you get an auction LOA all you are really getting is a discount price on a submission to the authenticator the AH contracts with, not an actual LOA), and then had JSA fail it as a pre-print.

I think it is time we consumers start throwing around our muscle when it comes to these asinine 'auction LOAs'. Let's boycott them by not bidding on any lot that relies on them.

Don't be so sure JSA will reject as a pre print. There is just as good odds you get a LOA from them. Probably not now since it was brought to light but if nothing had been said it's 50/50. All these places it is just a roll of the dice. This is IMHO, of course.

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