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First post: Is this a scam?

cardaholiccardaholic Posts: 15
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Being a longtime collector, but new to the world of eBay, the first thing I did was look up some of the top cards in the hobby. I was surprised to find 1952 Mantles for sale there! I have been warned about scams, and I think I found one right off the bat.

auction

This one looks weird. Most of the bidders are newbies like me, and that strikes me as odd. (I am not one of the bidders!) Plus the seller has bad feedback and not that much of it. Plus the card itself looks strange, like a low-quality photo of a grading label was superimposed on a high-quality photo of the card and holder. Think it's a graded reprint with fake label digitally added to the photo?

I'm guessing the seller doesn't even have a real '52 Mantle, that's why he cobbled together a fake photo? The bidding is up to $8,000, but like I said it seems to be the same 3 or 4 new accounts jacking it up. Is this a scam? Does eBay prohibit this, or is it strictly buyer beware?

Comments

  • AllenAllen Posts: 7,165 ✭✭✭
    Run...run far, far away...



    SCAM
  • eddieveddiev Posts: 65
    I emailed the seller to ask for the Serial number of the card, let's see if I recieve a response


    My Auctions
  • dgbaseballdgbaseball Posts: 825 ✭
    Funny. I had no idea the front and back of a GAI label are the exact same....
    My Auctions
  • BigRedMachineBigRedMachine Posts: 2,563 ✭✭✭
    I also like how the high bidder won another one of his auctions in the past.

    For a book which cost $3.80.

    You've come to a good place here for advice. The guys on here are some of the most knowledgeable in the hobby. I'm sorry to say eBay does come with it's share of rats, so be very careful on what you're bidding on. It's really best to buy from people with a better feedback than the auction you've listed.

    I am surprised however that the guy takes paypal. Wouldn't you be covered by this scam?

    Shawn

    P.S. Welcome to the boards!!image
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,292 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Appears to be a college student and his shill bidding buddies.

    <<< GRADING DONE BY GAI Here is the most popular baseball card ever produced and personally graded by the most popular grader in the business at the National in Chicago. >>>

    He "stole" this line from some other recent ebay auctions of GAI cards, and the scan he also stole from somewhere.
  • MooseDogMooseDog Posts: 1,946 ✭✭✭
    Looks like eBay has removed the item. That was quick!
  • cardaholiccardaholic Posts: 15
    The Mantle auction has vanished. Maybe he smartened up and canceled it himself. Can you do that voluntarily, once you start an auction? He's still selling, though, and the high bidder on one of his remaining auctions (a modern porcelain Nolan Ryan reproduction that he describes as being a "rookie card" worth $300) is one of the low-feedback bidders from the Mantle scam.

    How long does it take before you learn every scam there is, and it's safe to buy on eBay? Is it possible to outsmart the tricksters and avoid learning lessons the hard way? I think I will continue buying locally and from known dealers for awhile. Though I learned hard lessons that way, too, back before there were graded holders.
  • GoblinOutpostGoblinOutpost Posts: 140
    I don't think people will ever learn completely from scams. Just look at the Nigeria fund transfer scam. It is living quite nicely as an internet scam now.

    There will always be new people to take the fall in place of the old. How sad.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,435 ✭✭✭✭✭
    cardaholic

    Welcome to the boards!

    I didn't see the auction so my input is simple: "if it looks too good to be true...RUN!"

    Don't be a stranger and you will always get advice here...

    mike

    Mike
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