Rick Probstein interviews Bill Mastro

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Snowman

Apologies then. Now I'm the one projecting words onto you lol. I take it back.

It's all good. I thought "Man if there's one guy in the hobby you can take a potshot at, it's Mastro." Apparently not. I'm trying like hell to become an adult before I turn 50. Do okay a decent percentage of the time.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

...trying like hell to become an adult before I turn 50...

I'm nearly 50 and haven't managed to become an adult; not even remotely close. Given the way many "adults" behave, I'm quite content with this.

[JeremyW]

Travis/Snowman- I'm guessing that you have never been shilled, to the best of your knowledge? Some have & it's not a great feeling.

[Misunderestimated]

Mastro's stories seem like they captured the inevitable moments when a fairly pure hobby started to turned into a business/hobby. That was interesting interesting to hear... I'd read an oral history if anyone ever put a reliable one together -- a sort of "Glory of Their Times"... I think the pure hobbyist are all gone now. Does any one know if an oral history exists? I've read bits and pieces over the years.
---

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Eric72

I won a Probstein auction this summer. It was an SGC graded sports card.

A week later, I asked them for tracking info. They informed me that, "due to an ebay glitch this item was double listed and we no longer have anymore in stock."

So, I won a straight auction with (apparently) no shill bidding. That's great; however, they didn't honor the high bid and wouldn't ship the card.

This same item (cert # and all) appeared in a Probstein auction a short time later, where it sold for more money.

Surely, that's frustrating. But it's definitely not the norm, and that doesn't constitute fraud. Someone simply made a mistake. They have thousands of listings ending per day. Sometimes, they double post by mistake. I've consigned hundreds of cards with Probstein. The vast majority go through with no issues.

Originally Posted by JeremyW

Travis/Snowman- I'm guessing that you have never been shilled, to the best of your knowledge? Some have & it's not a great feeling.

Yes, I've been shilled. More than once. If it's an obvious shill bidding job, I report them to eBay (who then always does nothing about it). But I know what a card is worth to me and what I'm willing to pay for it. If I would have paid the same amount for a Buy-It-Now listing anyhow, then it just doesn't bother me all that much if I got shilled in an auction. Most shill bids are just effectively hidden reserves.

Of course, we all know that countless consignors shill their auctions with companies like Probstein, et. al., but that doesn't mean that Rick himself (or anyone being paid $X/hr to list cards for him) is shilling his own auctions. It's just an absolutely ridiculous claim to make without evidence, and nobody has shown any evidence of that whatsoever (and sold prices do not constitute evidence of this claim, despite the thousands of internet trolls who seem to think otherwise). It doesn't even make sense. It would just be a completely stupid thing for him to even try to do. The risks so greatly outweigh the benefits that it would be completely asinine of him to even try.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Snowman

...simply made a mistake. They have thousands of listings ending per day. Sometimes, they double post by mistake...

You did read the part explaining that they listed the card again a short time later, yes?

I guess they "found" it.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

Thanks for sharing the interview. Really enjoyed listening to Mastro's stories especially the Wagner deal. Wish Probstein would have stopped interrupting and talking over him. Could have listened to another hour about the early hobby days. Mastro comes off like he truly regrets his mistakes and has paid the ultimate price both with losing 18 months of life behind bars and his reputation, and I personally think everyone deserves a 2nd chance. Maybe Mastro gets one...I don't know. You might have a different opinion if you were the one financially harmed by his greed.

As an aside, the more I think about the ebay/PWCC debacle, I think ebay is just as culpable and should/could have done so much more to stop the shilling. The PWCC account termination feels more and more like retribution to PWCC's plans to build their own auction platform.

[Fred]

I've bid in Probstein auctions and won and never felt there was shill bidding. Like many, I've read about the accusations of impropriety in regard tp Probstein but I have no opinion on it because I don't have access to any evidence. If the stories are true then that's a shame.

I found the statement indicating (see around 23:30) "What I did was probably wrong" as a bit strange to hear but if that's how he feels, then it gives a little insight to his mindset. He did however say what he did was wrong at about the 25 minute mark so there's that. Mastro comments a little about the reason he went to prison for a year and a half. It was interesting to hear his insight to the wrong doing, but there was so much more to this interview that makes it worth listening to.

Mastro seems very genuine in the interview. What's nice about this interview is that it wasn't scripted, it was down to earth hobby talk from the early days of the hobby.

Definitely worth the time, even if you don't like either Probstein and/or Mastro.

I'd take the time to listen to another interview if they do another. It would be cool to see specific topics covered.

Interviews like this are good because they will be around many years from now when a lot of us are gone and new blood is in the hobby (if it survives that long).

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Eric72

You did read the part explaining that they listed the card again a short time later, yes?

I guess they "found" it.

The other listing probably just wasn't paid for. So they relisted it. After that buyer didn't pay, they probably didn't think to check to see if they happened to accidently dual list that card and see if you still wanted it. It's probably as simple as that. Dibble listed by accident. They canceled the second one (yours) and the original listing didn't get paid for, so it was relisted.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Snowman

The other listing probably just wasn't paid for. So they relisted it. After that buyer didn't pay, they probably didn't think to check to see if they happened to accidently dual list that card and see if you still wanted it. It's probably as simple as that. Dibble listed by accident. They canceled the second one (yours) and the original listing didn't get paid for, so it was relisted.

LOL

The first one was mine, not the second. Chronologically:

1. I win auction
2. I pay
3. They don't ship
4. They relist

Timeline make sense?

[here2havefun]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

It's all good. I thought "Man if there's one guy in the hobby you can take a potshot at, it's Mastro." Apparently not. I'm trying like hell to become an adult before I turn 50. Do okay a decent percentage of the time.

Yeah the backlash you got in this thread is weird. Mastro paid his debt in the eyes of the law, but that doesn't mean The Hobby (as a whole) has an obligation to welcome him back with open arms.

[Johnny630]

A long time collector from back in the 60’s said he liked Video but Doubts Even in the late 60s early 70s that a T206 Ty Cobb was a only quarter.

[CTDean]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

A long time collector from back in the 60’s said he liked Video but Doubts Even in the late 60s early 70s that a T206 Ty Cobb was a only quarter.

In 1979 I was offered 225 T205's, T206's, and T207's for $200. The lot had 5 Cobbs and other Hall of Famers. I bought them and the seller thru in 5 empty Piedmont boxes that some of the cards were stored in. No rare backs in the lot. About that same time a long time collector friend of mine "Crab" Foxwell, Cambridge, MD was selling common T206's for $1 each (less in quantity) and HOF'ers for $12 each. Cobb was more. Not saying you could get a Cobb for $.25, but cards were cheap until the first Becket came out.