Beware of allstarcards@earthlink.net on ebay

LateBloomer · November 22, 2003 12:24AM

This seller has several raw 1961 Topps cards up for auction. Most are advertised as mint or even gem-mint. Most are badly off center and the scans depict the cards on a white background so its tough to see the borders.

Does anyone else think that the Brooks Robinson listed here as Gem-Mint is trimmed!?!?!?!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2767748149&category=2929

LateBloomer · November 22, 2003 12:27AM

Corrected Link

qualitycards · November 22, 2003 1:02AM

As a rule I stay away from any vintage card ungraded that is labeled GEM MINT...jay

jimrupprecht · November 22, 2003 2:14AM

Just a word of caution as you file the name "allstarcards" in your loser bin. This Allstar Cards is a class guy.

packCollector · November 22, 2003 2:41AM

any auction that advertises as mint or gem mint is a waste of time, I will never bid since if it was mint or gem mint they would have graded it or they are going by the 1982 version of mint. and yes that robinson has to be trimmed. there isn't enough border on either side .

JeffVN · November 22, 2003 2:41AM

The only dealer that I 've dealt with named All-star cards is from some Kansas City suburb, and they truely class guys., but deal mostly in graded material.

Griffins · November 22, 2003 2:54AM

This all star cards is a card shop located a few blocks from me in LA/Beverly Hills. The owner (Richard) is a good guy, just not super informed as to conditions, issues, etc. He'll often call me when someone walks in with something he doesn't recognize, and will show me cards asking if they would grade an 8, when I think it might pull a 4. He seems typical of most card shops I've dealt with in that they think anything over a grade of 6 is gem mint (can you say Burbank sportscards) and often don't really know as much about cards as most or all of us.
What I can say in his favor is that he is a good person, and very generous with kids. In general I'd be very wary of buying raw from anyone on ebay, unless you really know them and there grading skills.

40ozman · November 22, 2003 3:10AM

Almost all dealers near me (shop or shows) have that GEM Mint attitude. Most still grade the way we did in the 80's. Maybe the are affraid of change, because admitting to the new grading standards, is admitting that there inventory is mostly worthless, low grade, crap.

I saw the light 20 years ago when I was 12. A dealer at a show called me to his table, and told me he was gonna make me a great deal. He grabed a stack of 69 topps, and pulled out a Seaver, Carew, Aaron, and Mantle (all would have graded PSA4). He told me they were mine for a buck. I jumped at the offer, as these were better than anything I ever had. Later on the way home, I realized the true value of high grade cards, and this changed my collecting habits forever. Would he have sold me those cards for a buck if they were mint, NO. What he did sell me was a new awareness, years before others got it. Thanks big fat dealer, who smelled like cheese and fried pork skins.

NickM · November 22, 2003 6:23AM

Griffins - you are way too kind. I would call him clueless. I went into there once. He had no idea of the prices of his own vintage stock - he looked everything up in Beckett. He was utterly confused when I asked him the price of a '59 Fleer Ted Williams card, and he couldn't find it in the monthly magazine. He couldn't tell one year from another in vintage football without looking at the backs (and I'm talking Topps, not Philadelphia). It seemed the only thing he understood about cards was that Dodgers generally, and Shawn Green in particular, sold well there.

Nick

PeterAldridge · November 22, 2003 9:32AM

32 negatives is your best reason to avoid them. and in every case, he blames the buyer, and takes no blame at all. what a loser.

thecommoncard · November 22, 2003 10:15AM

One other thing that really bothers me with allstarcards@earthlink, is that he states that he does not combine shipping. Then mentions that the shipping charge ($3.50 per) is to cover ebay fees. Is'nt that strictly against ebay law. I did however like one of his auctions for a good laugh.Funny Ripken
I guess when one mistake is made in the listing why not go for three. 1984 Ripken Rookie !?!?! Then showing a card that is not an 1984. Yes it is a silly 85 Topps.

My 2 cents even though no one asked.
Jeff

Virtualizard · November 22, 2003 1:26PM

Jeff,

Welcome to the message boards. I'm glad to see you here. I look forward to more public discussions with you, as well as some more of the private ones we've had over the past week. Did you scan any of those cards yet?

As always, let me know if I can help in any way.

JEB.

LateBloomer · November 24, 2003 11:24AM

I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to respond to this recent thread. I am delighted with the quality responses and I feel like I learn something new every time I make a post on this forum!

THANKS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the lessons I learned was to look more closely at a seller's feedback. Usually if someone has thousands of transactions I don't bother to scrutinize their feedback page. BIG MISTAKE! I realize it's impossible to please EVERYONE, but that doesn't justify rude behavior either.

After PeterAldridge pointed out that this seller has 32 negatives I decided to take a closer look. Sure enough, in most cases the seller is pretty rude in his responses to a buyer who has posted a negative. Certainly not the type of seller I want to do business with!

Aside from that I happened to get a laugh out of the following POSITIVES! (With POSITIVES like this who needs negatives?)

graveyard_angel( 1435) Nov-13-03 14:21:49 PST 2760236014 S
Praise : slow shipping but great item! thanks

cardmeister722( 29) Nov-12-03 15:47:36 PST 2759516745 S
Praise : Fast shipment, great quality, but surprisingly high shipping cost.

thetruth917( 43) Nov-03-03 16:19:20 PST 2759306740 S
Praise : card is pretty beat-up, other than that good transaction

rschoos( 38) Nov-03-03 09:07:56 PST 3148892816 S
Praise : card was NM and not M, but thanks anyway!!!!!!! will deal again!

And finally, my favorite....
jerr267( 15) Nov-21-03 20:41:28 PST 2763920192 S
Praise : got card

How does the saying go? If you don't have anything nice to say.....

coachh · November 25, 2003 2:29AM

I like how he states he will not contact you after the auction. I thought he had 3 business days to do so.

thecommoncard · November 25, 2003 4:43AM

<< <i>I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to respond to this recent thread. I am delighted with the quality responses and I feel like I learn something new every time I make a post on this forum!

THANKS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the lessons I learned was to look more closely at a seller's feedback. Usually if someone has thousands of transactions I don't bother to scrutinize their feedback page. BIG MISTAKE! I realize it's impossible to please EVERYONE, but that doesn't justify rude behavior either.

After PeterAldridge pointed out that this seller has 32 negatives I decided to take a closer look. Sure enough, in most cases the seller is pretty rude in his responses to a buyer who has posted a negative. Certainly not the type of seller I want to do business with!

Aside from that I happened to get a laugh out of the following POSITIVES! (With POSITIVES like this who needs negatives?)

graveyard_angel( 1435) Nov-13-03 14:21:49 PST 2760236014 S
Praise : slow shipping but great item! thanks

cardmeister722( 29) Nov-12-03 15:47:36 PST 2759516745 S
Praise : Fast shipment, great quality, but surprisingly high shipping cost.

thetruth917( 43) Nov-03-03 16:19:20 PST 2759306740 S
Praise : card is pretty beat-up, other than that good transaction

rschoos( 38) Nov-03-03 09:07:56 PST 3148892816 S
Praise : card was NM and not M, but thanks anyway!!!!!!! will deal again!

And finally, my favorite....
jerr267( 15) Nov-21-03 20:41:28 PST 2763920192 S
Praise : got card

How does the saying go? If you don't have anything nice to say..... >>

Me being the newbie here, I just had to add my last 2 cents. I too went ahead and looked through the sellers feedback. The part that really bugs me is that he has over 2000+ feedbacks. Sorry I dont remember the total of feedbacks that were not unique, but I am sure its upwards of 3000. He as a seller or buyer has only left 700 feedbacks. That is at least 1300 people who are 1 feedback less because of him not leaving a positive when the buyer paid. Not to mention that of the 700... The last 25 have all been negs he has left. I am sure that a good part of the 700 he did leave are negs. Sellers like this is what leaves bad tastes in mouths of the ebay rookies and those who don't use it often enough to know what to watch out for.
My rant!
Jeff

Griffins · November 25, 2003 5:20AM

Ok, I guess the facts have me beat on this one! Maybe with some people it's better to do business with them in person, they just aren't cut out for the online thing. And I can think of at least one case where the exact opposite is true.

anjcollection · November 25, 2003 5:35AM

Griffins... is this the one on Robertson? Just down the road from Matt Federgren's shop?

purelyPSA · November 25, 2003 6:22AM

Now the guy is selling a 52T Mantle. PSA graded but of course he neglects to mention the OC. Another one of my pet peeves.

Beware of allstarcards@earthlink.net on ebay

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