Be careful out there!
tsalems1
Posts: 3,553 ✭✭✭✭✭
tsalems1
Posts: 3,553 ✭✭✭✭✭
tsalems1
Posts: 3,553 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
Oh boy..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Beware of dogs.
I don’t play in the vintage space. But don’t many here support Mike Baker in terms of valuing his services? Seems like he could be a bad actor from the BODA thread.
John
some on here do support Baker. I dont quite understand why. Although, I suppose, stuff trumps integrity. Even if I didnt know anything about MBA and Mike Baker, knowing that Brent Huigens is a very close associate to him would swear me off from anything he is associated with.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
One would think that Brent would have learned his lesson(s) when he had to sell PWCC to Fanatics for pennies on the dollar, that maybe deception is not the way to go. Yet, here we are in 2026 with more shenanigans from Brent and crew.
buying O-Pee-Chee (OPC) baseball cards
also collecting US & Canadian silver coins
Besides the obvious part that it sucks that people can be so corrupt just to make an extra buck, the cards were fine and collectible the way they were before being put under the knife.
AFTER A 11 POINT INSPECTION PROCESS
My Gold level Winner sticker highlights top-quality discussions with,
premium information, quippy remarks, and grammar quality. Gold Winner
stickers represent the highest quality of known examples in the
discussion-place.
I aspire to win. Pick me, pick me!
Let me guess this sticker isn’t free. how much do I have to pay? I have a tilt does that matter?
Is there a Diamond option???
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I commented on it here earlier in the week:
My guess is no one who has spent solid coin on little stickers to be placed on their slabs will say anything negative about Mike or Brent. They also will remain totally quiet on trimming!
In addition Mike Baker will NEVER note trimming on a cards sent for sticker-ing - not his job he will say --- yeah right especially when he has a business relationship with the person who may have trimmed it in the first place.
Now awaiting the "advanced" collectors here who I'm sure will tell us Baker is above and Trimming is fine 'cause it's only about the Benjamins. Trimming is fine as long as you own the cards and can make money off of them -- right!
Just as sickening is these cards still pass through PSA in first place. With today's tech simply matter of identifying unique attributes of the card if it has been graded prior, and then determine if altered since then.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
I think the tolerances of pre 1950 cardboard is different than post 1950 cards and NOT exact so trimming can probably be difficult to detect at times...gross trimming is probably detected but sometimes cards that fall within the tolerances might be missed...it is a crap shoot folks...so sorry for those who want a perfect world...rock on!
@1982FBWaxMemories Great detective work on your post above.
Everyone needs to see that animation above that flips back and forth between the original PSA 4 and the trimmed PSA 3.5.
The animation clearly shows that the 3.5 is trimmed. Clearly the same card because all of the print dots and specs and wear points are in the exact same place.
buying O-Pee-Chee (OPC) baseball cards
also collecting US & Canadian silver coins
this.
there are some people who are heavily invested in MBA grading/stickers. They will not vocalize anything negative about Baker or his business.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Well, of course if you got a Tesla, you won’t go on badmouthing Moosk, now wouldja?
They sold them .
I also find it somewhat amusing that he stickers the cards that he grades as well? So what does that mean, "Hey, I graded this card an 8 but its a 9?"
I deserve none of the credit I simply reposted all from blowout.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Yep it's total absurdity. Crack it out send it again it will get a 8 then he'll offer sell you a sticker for a percentage of the cards value.
Awaiting the inevitable venom and hyperbolic advertisement for MBA from a small handful of folks here with a fi$cal agenda
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Despite my doubts about Mike Baker service and grading, I do think this type of "premium for the grade" service does have real value in the hobby. I think demand will grow as new money enters the market. We all do it informally when we assess cards to buy, I will pay more for a better looking card for its grade. I had a few cards get the sticker from PWCC and it made a huge difference in the final price, so I believe in the service.
However I would like the service based on an objective criteria or system rather than the "experience of PSA's oldest former grader". How does MBA determine whether a card is top 15% for that grade? Did he grade all of the cards? Does he have images of all the graded cards he is comparing it to? Or is he applying an educated guess?
I would think PSA would offer this service to squeeze more money out of us. They could actually provide an objective cert since they would have images of most of the graded cards and could actually do a comparison to the pop.
I can only imagine the response if all the sudden PSA started offering a service where you could send in your PSA-graded card back to them for another 'review' to possibly be bumped up with a label because it was undergraded the first time...
The universe might implode, but I'd love to watch.
They already have a large percentage of the hobby who don't trust their grading methods so this would be glorious to behold.
Mike Baker LOVES trimmed cards enough to give them credence with a numerical grade - seriously WTF:
https://www.blowoutforums.com/showpost.php?p=20138807&postcount=31
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Impossible to detect without a trained eye.
Insult meets Injury. I love subtle humor like that.
the moment lucrative subjectivity was born, so was mass corruption
they are not mutually exclusive
it will get worse before it gets better
Maybe my sarcasm meter is off, but are you being facetious? They already offer a service of reviewing a card's grade while still in the holder.
If the joke just whooshed over my head, I'll just see myself out....
New collectors just entering the card world will have much to learn. Can only hope they stick around and don't get easily disillusioned.
In the current environment, corruption is the beauty in the eye of the beholder.
it is still amazing to me that Brent has reared his ugly head in this hobby again.
people have such short memories...
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
When I collected Morgan dollars I had several of these stickers
But I don’t have any mba stickers and don’t plan to buy any cards with their stickers. At this point they seem to serve as a warning more than an enticement.
Hmmm. That's meaningful up to being well informed as a participant in the hobby for many years or access to information being shared on this or other discussion groups. The new money entering the hobby, which is a constant, will not necessarily be concerned with past history or research pointing to past discretions. They will spend, and spend they must to keep their own money wheels turning.
that is why bad actors need to be called out periodically. so the new blood will know who to avoid. when guys like brent pop up, collectors should be shouting from the rooftops.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I agree with you. We should all be yelling. Consider though as much as you want to alert the world about the bad apple, most of the world wouldn't care to listen. They don't come here to seek advice. A small group of people sharing good info can protect each other as best as possible. Insulated from the bad. Thank goodness for us.
Ha. Yes it was a mix of sarcasm and just straight up incredulousness about how crazy all grading is and how the services try to sell it like there’s a formula that makes it all completely objective.
They’re all just riffing, pretending and taking money
Since MBA's thing is a sticker, is it possible to peel it off and add it to another card?
I suppose you could…but the sticker is tied to the certification number in the MBA database. So, if you place it on another card that certification number will not match up when you enter that certification number on the MBA website. And, it will state if the card has a silver or gold diamond in its database.
I was thinking yes there is that. But similar to someone creating a fake slab with an invented or already used cert, if someone is very careful doing their due diligence, checking the cert # in the database, they can learn yes its fake. But a lot of cards people just bid on the card in the slab and assume its legit.
I have no idea how possible it would be. That is why I ask. I have seen the PWCC stickers and feel like removing and reapplying would be a stretch. It may curl up and you could need Gorilla Glue to make it lay flat but then it may look like a damaged peeled sticker. Hopefully the same is true with MBA.
I’d be worried people start printing the stickers and just putting them on everything. Not taking them off
i would assume the website would have pics, numbers etc so you can match it up
most anything can be counterfeited. I would imagine having sheets of stickers printed from an outfit in Asia would be fairly simple.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Yeah but if they can make money off it they will. Say a psa 4 bought x name card for 100.00 add a gold sticker maybe makes it 150.00 who’s gona double check lower end stuff. Yes it will get caught but it’s probably very easy and cheap to reproduce. Or just slap it on the already fake psa cases of one that is actually a sticker case like posted. Would up the counterfeit fake cases a new level.
Or a sticker company for Bbce sealed boxes sayeing yeah the box is still a box would be awesome (rvp your awesome but don’t even think it! Jk ). Fun stickers. Fun stuff
Heat with blow dryer lift off and remove then reapply? Im asking not stating
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Someone please explain this ad I saw on Instagram just tonite. Maybe I'm missing something .
??? Not getting the point,,,,
They are advertising. Showing that a premium was paid for the[ir] grade.
They are $eeking equal re$pect of their a$$e$$ment$.
It’s a nice card
poor advertisement. when i first looked at it, it seemed that MBA was selling cards. they should have worded the title differently.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
yes, but some will listen and not be taken advantage of. I am sure that some folks are here reading and looking for answers/advice. I know I lurked here for years just reading before i became a member and started posting.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
So disheartening to see Brent back. Have one MBA slab and it will be my last. Will steer WAY CLEAR.
Hand trimming by Gary Scissorhands Moser for Brent and blessed by Mike
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Cards that have great eye have sold for more than ones that don’t, for a long time. If you want to give Brent and Mike a portion of your sale for a sticker knock yourselves out but I haven’t seen any data that shows that the sticker provides a revenue lift that the eye appeal of the card wouldn’t have delivered anyways.
The card referenced above seems to support that - it sold for less net sticker fees than the previous two sales.