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#1
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: John S
I have been sitting on this for two weeks because I know that that it has the potential to raise some conflict. I just felt that it needed to be told. A friend of mine had listed some high grade (PSA) cards on eBay from a set that is familiar to all of us (He is a very private person and I am being intentionally ambiguous). One card was the highest ever graded. Within the first twelve hours he had received three offers from individuals to end the auction for the highest graded card early. All of them identified themselves as high profile collectors that were interested in improving their registries. My friend respectfully declined. One of the individuals continued to harass by email making offers that DECREASED each time. Three days before the auction closed he emailed my friend asking him to do a search for the particular issue that he was selling. The individual had listed three other cards from this set, all high grades from PSA, ending within ten minutes of my friend's auction. He made a final decreased offer. The only satisfying news is that he did not win the auction; but his attempt to increase supply to drive down the prices of my friend's cards is an extreme case of what the hobby has become for some individuals. I am not passing judgement because I too catch myself getting competitive during auctions. I have to remind myself that these little pieces of cardboard are the same things that I used to fling across the room thirty years ago. This was just an extreme story. Before I conclude, let me offer this disclaimer: I am not passing judgement regarding graded versus non-graded, set registries, collecting versus investing, etc., etc., ad nauseum. |
#2
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Richard Simon
Why didn't your friend just put a block on the harasser's e mail address? |
#3
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: John S
Old collector...new to eBay. I asked him this as well. He gave the potential buyer his personal information including his telephone number after the first exchange. By the way, I recognized the individual's eBay ID, but do not believe that he posts on the board. |
#4
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Frank Wakefield
Well the decreasing offer buyer who listed competing cards to screw up the seller... he's an ass. That is my answer to your question of what I think about it. |
#5
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Chris Mc
Your friend could report the offensive bidder for his offer to buy off Ebay if he saved the e-mails. Wording is everything. For future listings I would state in the auction information that I would not end early. |
#6
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Josh K.
Just curious, did your friend get the price he was hoping for or did the other seller/offeror's listings end up hurting him? |
#7
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: John S
I know that the final price was higher than the original offer. The harassing individual was one of the underbidders. Overall my friend was relatively happy with the financial return, but was a little soured by the manipulative and bullying actions that I mentioned. I am trying to convince him to start posting; but as I stated before he is a very private individual. Time to go hide Easter baskets. |
#8
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Tim Newcomb
Now, I know there are analogous problems with ungraded cards called "Near-Mint" etc., and I don't mean to imply that everyone in set registries would do such a thing as this creep did. |
#9
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: martindl
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#10
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Jeff Lichtman
Tim, here's a quick story about how I turned from being one of those in the ungraded camp to the PSA registry set: I was finishing putting together a 1956 Topps ungraded set in Near Mint or better variety when I received a Mantle card that I paid over $800 for ungraded. It was the only card of the set that I decided to send to PSA for grading and it came back as trimmed. This is nothing I could have figured out by a scan, looking back. I asked the seller for a refund and he refused telling me that there is no way the card was short. The ahole said everything he could in refusing me a refund - even a partial refund - other than telling me that his grandfather was Joe Topps and he was there when the card was printed. I measured it, of course, and it was clearly short. After months of dealing with Amex and Paypal, I finally got my money back but I refused to ever buy another expensive ungraded card again. Even if by chance a graded card I purchased was trimmed at least the card would be saleable and liquid - plus, I'd have PSA's backing that the card was not trimmed. Think the putz that sold me that Mantle was any better than the guy that is the topic of this thread? |
#11
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: jay behrens
Martin, people like to know why people do what they do so they can better understand, rather than make blind, prejudiced assumptions about them. I'd be very interested in hearing the answers to Tim's questions because I too find it interesting that the registry advocates run and hide when bad things like this are brought up. |
#12
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: cmoking
yes, all of the owners of the 20,000 PSA registry sets are crazy aholes like this guy. you guys finally figured it out, congrats. |
#13
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: jay behrens
well, that certainly doesn't help the discussion any. All it does further the stereotype that people have about registry people. How about contributing something positive instead? Or maybe you really are a registry arse. |
#14
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: cmoking
I think my post contributed positively to this thread as much as yours did. |
#15
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: jay behrens
You are part of registry. I'm not, so I can't add any insight into why people on the registry do what they do. You have acted in exactly the way Tim said most registry people react when confronted with the dark side of the registry. Why not speak up and provide some insight to the ignorant huddled masses, like myself? I'd love to hear what you have to say, but if you want to come across as an arse, then that's your choice and you just feed the fire for people that dislike registry people. |
#16
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: cmoking
if a guy stabs another guy with a knife, does that mean all knife-users must come and explain to you the reasons why they use knives or the mentality that leads to people to stab others with knives? |
#17
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: jay behrens
Why not go back to Tim's post and try answering the questions he asked? They are good questions that have nothing to do with people stabbing each other. |
#18
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: cmoking
I'll let others elaborate. My involvement in this thread won't help anyone - you, Tim or me. So I'll bow out and get out of the way. |
#19
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: martindl
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#20
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Jeff Lichtman
Jay, I'd love an answer to this following question: why would one of the unslabbed guys sell me a trimmed, expensive card and then not take the card back for a refund when he was found out? I suspect it was because he was a greedy criminal. Are all you unslabbed guys greedy criminals too? Is that why you're against slabbed cards? |
#21
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: jay behrens
Jeff, I am not anti-slab. Never have been, never will be. The discussion here is about the mentality behind being compative on the set registry. The one person that responded that could have actually provided some good insight decided to perpetuate the stereotype of what most of us have about people that compete on the set registry. |
#22
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Jeff Lichtman
Jay, you mean like when you started the thread asking about the mindset of a set registrant and then 30 posts later claimed that the 'jest' of the thread was about a mysterious PSA 6 card with paper loss? Or when you claimed that the market system and capitalism were destroying our fine country? |
#23
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: HandsAtNeck
I am against slabs, and I have no dishonest intent in my transactions, actually all that I seek is to get what I pay for. I rarely sell cards. |
#24
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Bill Kasel
How about some fresh insight into the real purpose of the original post? Or would that make too much sense? |
#25
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Brian
Agreed Bill. Thanks. |
#26
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: jay behrens
I've never talked about PSA6 with paper loss. That was my brother. I also did not claim that my diatribe about about American economics was the gist of a thread, I said that is what MY origianl posting was about when somene misinterpreted what I wrote about. |
#27
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Jeff Lichtman
Jay, sorry to confuse Lee's post with yours. I hated as a kid when teachers would confuse me with my brother. Lee, if you're reading, feel free to substitute your name for Jay's during my rants. |
#28
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: HandsAtNeck
Yes Jeff, but it is better when you start wit da wimmen. Then you can leave the ones who you need the plastic for, to the slabheads. |
#29
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Bob
John- I wish you would post the name of the jerk who harassed your friend and also the card in question, but if you do not want to, I respect your decision. |
#30
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: Jeff Lichtman
Bob, you're right - by ignoring raw cards, you possibly miss out, period. And I agree with what you said about outing the jerk that caused this thread to be started. If it's true there's no libel here, so why not post it? |
#31
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When a hobby turns into a sick obsession
Posted By: dd
Happens all the time in real estate, commodities,,,,busines.... |
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