major auction houses a lesson to be learned

[calvindog]

Jim, if you don't like reading about obvious fraud in our hobby I would suggest averting your eyes. And I'm really sorry if I annoyed you; I'd hate to have funked up your chi. I'll make you a deal though: when the fraud stops, I'll stop.

[E93]

Jeff,
I believe my post was about the bitching about verbose auction catalog write-ups. If on your own self-reflection you found that the comment may have had relevance for the way you make accusations of fraud, so be it. I will leave it to you to figure out your own "chi" on that one - whatever it is you mean by that.
JimB
P.S. I appreciate you trying to push my buttons with the "chi" reference, but FYI, uninformed random remarks that pull any old term from any old Asian religion and display a clear lack of understanding of the traditions, only make you look silly at best.

[calvindog]

Jim, I assumed you were being critical of me because you've routinely blasted me in the most passive-aggressive manner about my daring to discuss Goodwin's ridiculous auction results. When you were critical again here, I assumed it was yet another passive-aggressive attempt to deflect me. I am forever shamed by this error I may have made.

As for chi, I'll have you know that I'm a big Duke basketball fan and Shane Battier once scored 27 points against Maryland -- then his career high. After the game he credited his offensive breakout to the inner strength — or chi — of the Shaolin monks of China. So if Shane Battier can mix sports and chi, so can I.

[Al C.risafulli]

If I consigned something to an auction house - whether it be something really rare like a really difficult type card, or something common like a 1967 Topps set, if I opened the auction catalog and saw a two-sentence description, I would be pissed and probably would never use that auction house again.

I want to know that the auction house has made every possible effort to present my consignment in the best possible light. The more descriptive of the item, the more pictures, the more background, the better.

As a bidder, nobody has to read the descriptions. If you don't like them, by all means, just look at the pictures.

But when I win a Henry Johnson Confectioners Ty Cobb for $400 in an auction because the description simply read "1922 W575-1 Ty Cobb with H. Johnson Confectioners back" and didn't describe the rarity of that particular card, well, if I were the consigner, I'd be out of my mind. And I have a really difficult time finding an example where an item didn't sell because the description was too LONG.

-Al

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

But when I win a Henry Johnson Confectioners Ty Cobb for $400 in an auction ...

-Al

Al, that was cold, man, very cold.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

As a bidder, nobody has to read the descriptions. If you don't like them, by all means, just look at the pictures.

-Al

Like the men's magazine we claimed to buy for the interviews?

[kylebicking]

Someone really paid $41,000 for these:

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/.../2009/842.html

Who ever bought these deserves a punch in the throat. Seriously... a bunch of late 60s test cards that have no historical value.

Why not spend your money on these:
http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/...n/2009/15.html
or
http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/.../2009/143.html
or
http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/.../2009/186.html

[barrysloate]

Al- I'm not sure I would judge the quality of an auction description by its length. A good write up should include all pertinent information, a detailed description of the condition, as well as a little puffery if it truly is a great item.

I would agree that two sentences is a bit short, but in the past I've been consigned, for example, T205 and T206 commons (generally in mid to high grade). How much can I say about them? Should I just keep rambling on to give the impression that I really do have a lot to say?

I would prefer some lots to have short write ups, while other significant ones to be more comprehensive. It really depends upon the item.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I wonder how the Shaolin monks would view spending so much wealth on the accumulation of baseball cards?

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I wonder how the Shaolin monks would view spending so much wealth on the accumulation of baseball cards?

Okay, the monks in this monastery are allowed to speak only two words once every ten years so this newbie monk has his first chance to speak in 10 years and he contemplates and comes out with "Food bad"....ten years pass and the same monk says "Bed hard".....another ten years go by and finally the monk says "I quit"....and the head monk says "I don't blame you, you've been complaining ever since you got here".

[Al C.risafulli]

I want the item described.

If you're describing a 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr in PSA 10, perhaps you don't need to say much more than describing any important characteristics in the card, and maybe a little bit about the significance of that card in the hobby.

But if you're describing a Henry Johnson Confectioners Ty Cobb, some information about how there are two graded copies and this one is the highest, and perhaps some background on how tough the cards truly are, how they were issued, and what their significance was, well, that may have helped the consignor get the price that card should have gotten.

I'd rather have too much copy than too little.

That said, useless crap like "A REAL GEM!" and "WHAT A GREAT DEAL!" is used car salesman copy that has no business in an auction of historically important sports memorabilia. That's Crazy Eddie stuff.

-Al

[Al C.risafulli]

Al, that was cold, man, very cold.

What? I never told you how much I actually paid for the card?

I believe the hammer price was $425.

There was no description in the auction catalog. Just a title.

-Al

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

That said, useless crap like "A REAL GEM!" and "WHAT A GREAT DEAL!" is used car salesman copy that has no business in an auction of historically important sports memorabilia.

Among my favorites is "Bid to win!"

Why else would someone bid?

Oops. Never mind.

[Chris-Counts]

"Who ever bought these deserves a punch in the throat. Seriously... a bunch of late 60s test cards that have no historical value."

I agree. And I also can't stand cards that depict the decapitated heads of ballplayers. What's really amazing, though, is that another buyer paid the exact same price, $41,125, for 521 different T206s including the Magie error. Which would you rather have?

[chiprop]

Jeff- You're like an old man who keeps telling the same story. Eventually everyone will ignore the same post over and over. I would actually be in your corner if you had some solid info other than selling price. The e107 Young in the past has sold for as much as $100k. Last night it sold for a fraction of that. Why? How did REA get such high prices on the 1967 Test Stand-ups when last nights auction provided the consigner a fraction of the price? If something smells fishy, it may be time to change the depends. I hope you take our banter as jest. I think you bring up some interesting closing figures, but until I see something else, I don't think too many people are gonna get behind you. In every auction there are ridiculous prices high and low. Anyone can find them.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by chiprop

Jeff- You're like an old man who keeps telling the same story. Eventually everyone will ignore the same post over and over. I would actually be in your corner if you had some solid info other than selling price. The e107 Young in the past has sold for as much as $100k. Last night it sold for a fraction of that. Why? How did REA get such high prices on the 1967 Test Stand-ups when last nights auction provided the consigner a fraction of the price? If something smells fishy, it may be time to change the depends. I hope you take our banter as jest. I think you bring up some interesting closing figures, but until I see something else, I don't think too many people are gonna get behind you. In every auction there are ridiculous prices high and low. Anyone can find them.

Dan, you're like a shill who's trying desperately to discourage me from continuing to expose the most obvious fraud in our hobby today in order to protect the company to which you consign cards. And no matter how many times I post about it, you keep coming back to tell me I should ignore circumstantial evidence and instead get my hands on Goodwin's bidding records. So when everyone keeps ignoring my posts (you know, like they did with Mastro) then I'll stop posting about it. But that day doesn't seem very close now, does it?

And just for fun:

1962 Topps AL & NL Homer Kings #401:

7/14/09 eBay $247.83
3/19/09 eBay $143.62
3/1/09 eBay $224.50
2/6/09 eBay $190.61
1/20/09 eBay $271.88
11/25/08 eBay $235.99
11/14/08 Goodwin $282.00
9/18/08 eBay $214.38
9/2/08 eBay $214.83
3/11/08 eBay $153.78
3/6/08 Goodwin $192.00
1/17/08 eBay $321.11
12/3/07 eBay $133.81
11/30/07Goodwin $5,011.00
11/29/07 eBay $168.59
6/16/07 eBay $142.29
6/14/07 eBay $83.11
3/14/07 eBay $143.61
3/7/07 eBay $154.05
3/2/07 eBay $355.00
1/17/07 eBay $134.49
10/29/06 eBay $189.50

And: Red Heart Mantle PSA 9

6/4/09 eBay $4,000.00
4/5/09 Memory Lane $3,435.70
12/19/08 Mastro $2,400.00
9/1/08 eBay $3,800.00
8/4/08 eBay $3,151.10
6/29/08 eBay $2,700.00
5/30/08 Goodwin $3,124.32
3/6/08 Goodwin $3,697.00
2/14/08 eBay $3,106.00
1/21/08 eBay $2,945.00
1/7/08 eBay $2,500.00
12/18/07 eBay $3,569.00
12/14/07 Mastro $3,049.20
12/9/07 eBay $2,999.99
11/30/07 Goodwin $3,124.00
8/24/07 Goodwin $11,294.00
5/31/07 Goodwin $2,581.00
5/23/07 eBay $3,375.99
3/17/07 eBay $3,200.00
12/18/06 eBay $3,230.00
12/8/06 Mastro $2,722.00
11/7/06 eBay $3,350.00
10/28/06 Heritage $3,107.00
10/4/06 Goodwin $3,525.00
8/19/06 Mastro $3,285.30
8/11/06 Memory Lane $4,074.45
7/24/06 eBay $3,250.00

Oh wait, almost forgot: <-----jest inserted