Quote:
Originally Posted by barrysloate
Returning to more serious matters, the problem with forming a group of dealers to police the hobby is the ones who agree to join are generally the honest and ethical ones, and those who operate below the radar will not join.
So how will this proposed group deal with the card doctors, autograph forgers, and general miscreants who will still conduct business a usual?
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Net 54ers notwithstanding, I think that the issue of fraud in the hobby is not fully appreciated by a wide range of collectors. If, however, indictments and convictions stem from the current investigation and are well publicized, then collectors generally should become sensitive to these problems.
Then, assuming a strong and vibrant association of ethical dealers (auction houses/authenticators/graders) is established and becomes recognized by collectors, those who decline to join should over time be driven from the hobby.
Another problem arises obviously if it is the dealers with a checkered past who attempt to associate. The system will only work, in my view, where a strong code of ethics can be established and enforced.