Announcing "Collectors Forensics Register" - Revolutionizing the Hobby

[Anthony S.]

I have a 1909 Obak Chick Gandil that has lived under a cloud of suspicion for an unsolved murder since 1953. It will be good to finally know one way or the other.

[ethicsprof]

as jon says, 'sorta of'

best,
barry

[Griffins]

Slabbing the slabs is nothing new- GAI graded this PSA slab years ago

[Bosox Blair]

Wow - difficult to fomulate a response to this as I'm not fluent enough in bafflegab.

Here's a free tip to this new business - your market is not longtime knowledgable collectors, as one finds on Net54. It is the rich and clueless. It is someone who is not afraid to spend a ton on an item he knows nothing about, and therefore requires a third-party opinion along with some kind of further assurance on top of that (for some additional price not being spent on the actual collectibles).

Sorry to be a cynic, but I predict the revolution will be short and quelled without bloodshed.

Cheers,
Blair

[Kawika]

The OP is quite earnest and has obviously put a good deal of effort into creating a website etc. I have looked his site over and tried to make heads or tails of what exactly is to be gained by having one's cards forensically examined but I'm drawing a blank. All I can conclude is that this is a totally ludicrous business plan (but I am just a dumb land surveyor so what do I know?). I am afraid, around here anyway, that CFR will wind up on the Net54 scrapheap along with Adam, Peter and Marshall, the Cobb Bros. T206 Wagner and the Joe Jackson T202, Dorskind vs. Archive, Chicago bashing, carbon dating and chicken fighting and ad infinitum. You can't make this stuff up and that's why my dial is always tuned to FiveFour.

[barrysloate]

Sometimes less is better than more. Hey, it's just baseball cards.

[calvindog]

I think before we try to digest this new hobby watchdog we give the Collector's Trade Association of America the time it needs to deliver that "appropriate and powerful response" to that "small group" of pesky naysayers in our hobby. If I recall correctly, Marshall is three months into his one year "committed term" as "executive director." I don't know about you guys but I've seen a whirlwind of activity thus far; I can't wait to see what the next nine months holds for the CTA.

[timzcardz]

Don't you just love it when someone's first, and possibly only post in a forum is to advertise?

May I respectfully request that Leon hit them up for banner ad, or give them the boot for spamming?

[glchen]

I think this is overkill. Grading cards is already expensive enough, and I don't think there's enough value add here to justify the costs (unless the card is extremely valuable). There won't be enough of a market for it. I think they should either try to become a TPG or partner w/ a TPG like JSA, so that these extra services are offered when the cards are first submitted.

Not sure what the benefits of UV Blacklight capture are for modern cards (like they have in the ad). I thought that was just for vintage card to determine how old the paper stock is.

[Exhibitman]

I imagine that the genesis of the business was something like this:

Marshall: This year we are going to grab the bull by the BALLS and stop all the negative publicity about card collecting in its track.
Greg Marmalard: What do you intend to do sir? the third party graders are already on probation.
Marshall: They are?
Greg: Yes, sir.
Marshall: Oh. Then as of this moment, they're on DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION!
Greg: Double Secret Probation, Sir?
Marshall: There is a little-known codicil in the Collector's Trade Association of America constitution which gives the executive director unlimited power to preserve order in time of card collecting emergency. Find me a way to forensically check up on the third party graders. Put Niedermeyer on it. He's a sneaky little ****, just like you, right? [Greg nods] The time has come for someone to put their foot down. And that foot is me.

[scgaynor]

I don't see much of a need for this service either, but at least the guy had a business idea and he ran with it. Right now this country needs more small business people with initiative. If there is a need, he will do well. If not, then he can try something else. I guess he thinks that there is a need and is trying to fill it. It is not exactly the same, but I am reminded of this from The Onion.

http://tinyurl.com/2fm9ltb

[RobertGT]

Pricing also is way out of whack. For me to send bulk cards to PSA, which tells me whether it's authentic, assigns a grade and encapsulates the card, it costs $4.25 per card.

For me to get a glorified home video of a previously encapsulated card from someone with a camera from Best Buy, it costs a minimum of $9 per card.

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by Anthony S.

I have a 1909 Obak Chick Gandil that has lived under a cloud of suspicion for an unsolved murder since 1953. It will be good to finally know one way or the other.

The jig is up...it was a terrible jig.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Robextend

The jig is up...it was a terrible jig.

"The Limousine" episode.

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

"The Limousine" episode.

One of my all time favs Barry! You don't look like a Murphy.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Robextend

One of my all time favs Barry! You don't look like a Murphy.

And you don't look like an O'Brien.

[Orioles1954]

I wish them all the best in their venture. However, I fail to see how this is a necessity in the hobby.

[oldjudge]

What a great franchise, assuming all the llama ranches were taken