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Stupidest @#**&(*$% forger in the world

I've seen some bad Mickey Mantle forgeries in my life, but this one takes the cake.

Not only is the autograph a horrible fake, but we're suppose to be Mickey himself was able to autograph his own special commemorative baseballs ONE YEAR AFTER HE DIED!!!!

Since there's no doubt this stupid auction will be pulled, I've saved the images for everyone to laugh at. image

Ebay seller "auctions180" and his holy grail for Mantle collectors:

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GO MARLINS! Home of the best fans in baseball!!

Comments

  • Not only poorly done but they used a pen that bleeds.........sad
  • bri2327bri2327 Posts: 3,178 ✭✭
    Genius
    "The other teams could make trouble for us if they win."
    -- Yogi Berra

    image
  • From the item description........

    We can't authenticate/certify the authenticity of the " Certificate of Authenticity " that comes with the Autographed Baseball

    Oh brother image
    Bill
    wpkoughan@yahoo.com
    Collecting 1970-1979 PSA 9 & 10 Baseball Cards
  • Brian48Brian48 Posts: 2,624 ✭✭✭
    No doubt the sig is fake. The "Grand Slam" COA is a joke, however I think the date is OK. Mantle died on Aug 13, 1995.
  • DaBigHurtDaBigHurt Posts: 1,066 ✭✭
    Just to clarify, the special edition "Mickey Mantle" official American League baseballs with the blue/black stitching were used in August 25, 1996 to honor a new monument in Yankee Stadium to Mickey one year after he died.

    Just like how MLB issued special Joe Dimaggio baseballs with blue stitching and a Joe D logo on American League baseballs to honor his passing away, these types of baseballs COULD NOT have been signed by the people they were honoring because they were DEAD already.

    I know Cal Ripken was another who had a special logo official AL baseball that honored his 2,131 game. Jackie Robinson too.
    image

    GO MARLINS! Home of the best fans in baseball!!
  • Mantle always said that Roger Maris seemed to sign a lot of stuff from the grave, I guess it rings true for the Mick as well.
    Next MONTH? So he's saying that if he wins, the best-case scenario is that he'll be paying for it two weeks after the auction ends?

    Forget blocking him; find out where he lives and go punch him in the nuts. --WalterSobchak 9/12/12



    image


    Looking for Al Hrabosky and any OPC Dave Campbells (the ESPN guy)
  • digicatdigicat Posts: 8,551 ✭✭
    Awesome, they brought the Mick back from the dead to sign these limited edition balls. Pretty cool. Too bad the cleaned off the blood stains from the ball, from when Zombie-Mick ate the brain of the guy who got him to sign it.
    My Giants collection want list

    WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    It is not a terrible fake autograph, but it is substantially
    different from the real item. The forger needs older items
    and more practice.


    Real one for comparison:


    image



    image
    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,403 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Auction is still up.


    UP FOR AUCTION

    MICKEY MANTLE

    Autographed Baseball

    You are bidding on a MICKEY MANTLE Signed/Autographed Baseball. This baseball comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from GSML ( Grand Slam Memorabilia LLC). We believed that this is a limited signed baseball memorabilia, it was numbered as 1062 of 1500. This ball was signed at the Drake Hotel, Chicago, IL. This baseball was a part of the personal collection of the owner. This Baseball is really a genuined hand-signed piece of memorabilia with a seal of authenticity. We're not experts on this kind of Signed/Autographed Collections but if you're a avid collector of Sports Memorabilia items, specially "Baseball" then this must be " A must have for you! ".

    A VALUABLE ADDITION TO YOUR BASEBALL AUTOGRAPH HOBBY!

    Don't let this Sports Memorabilia Collectible item pass, this is your chance to own one!!!

    Maybe you know what's the VALUE of this item now ! ! ! But how about for the comming years ! ! !

    SO DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCES TO BID ON THIS ITEM ! ! !

    BID WITH CONFIDENCE ! ! !

  • ElemenopeoElemenopeo Posts: 2,577 ✭✭

    Also, seller insists ball was signed in 1993 -- a year before Gene Budig, whose facsimile signature is on the ball as A.L. president, actually became A.L. president.
  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    From his Williams auto-ball listing:

    "You are bidding on Ted Williams Signed/Autographed Baseball. This Baseball comes with it's original box, a black pouch for the ball and with the Certificate of Authenticity from HSM - Hollywood and Sports Memorabilia. I did'nt bother to take a picture of the signature of this baseball because it is still sealed from it's original wrapped, so I just took a picture of the signature with the wrapped to show it was indeed signed, as shown below. As the owner said, he had this for his personal collection. This Baseball really speaks for itself."

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    I cannot tell if the Williams auto is real, obviously, but this type
    of serial spooky auctions is why buyers have disappeared from
    eBay.

    imageimageimage
    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • MooseDogMooseDog Posts: 1,946 ✭✭✭
    I don't think the seller knows the Mantle is a forgery. He has some other signed balls in his list that are good. And some that are questionable.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,403 ✭✭✭✭✭
    <<< I don't think the seller knows the Mantle is a forgery. >>>


    Yea...and he don't wanna know.
  • tkd7tkd7 Posts: 1,799 ✭✭


    << <i>Just like how MLB issued special Joe Dimaggio baseballs with blue stitching and a Joe D logo on American League baseballs to honor his passing away, these types of baseballs COULD NOT have been signed by the people they were honoring because they were DEAD already. >>



    FYI - There are authentic DiMaggio signed "Joe DiMaggio Day" baseballs. Three were recently sold by Heritage Sports Auctions for $1,867.50.

    Here is the description:

    1998-99 Joe DiMaggio Single Signed "Joe DiMaggio Day" Baseballs Lot of 3. Autographed during that brief span between Joltin' Joe's final Yankee Stadium appearance on September 27, 1998 and his death on March 8, 1999, this trio of baseballs is among the crop of collectibles that have come to be known by the morbid term of "deathbed balls." Opinions certainly vary on the collectibility of these rarities, but their status as being among the last autographs from one of the twentieth century's top sporting figures seems an insurmountable argument for their relevance. While the dark blue stitching of the OAL (Budig) balls, stamped with a DiMaggio tribute, gives the balls a gloomy look on its own, the shaky 10/10 blue ink sweet spot autographs further this characterization, bearing sad witness to the illness that would soon end Joe's life. Each is affixed with a "Yankee Clipper Enterprises" authenticating sticker, and is housed in an attractive plexiglass box with descriptive plaque. LOA from Steve Grad & Zach Rullo/ PSA DNA.


    imageimage


    I also believe there are 2 Ripken balls. One for his breaking Gehrig's record and one for his last home game. Interestingly, there are two versions of the last home game ball. One is for his actual home game against the Red Sox in October 2001 and one is for the original planned last home game against the Yankees in September 2001. The 9/11 events led to a reshuffling of the schedule. I remember attending that game and when the Orioles ran out of O's/Sox balls to sell, they pulled out the O's/Yankees balls to sell at the concession stands.

  • Seller ended Mantle listing.
  • DaBigHurtDaBigHurt Posts: 1,066 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Just like how MLB issued special Joe Dimaggio baseballs with blue stitching and a Joe D logo on American League baseballs to honor his passing away, these types of baseballs COULD NOT have been signed by the people they were honoring because they were DEAD already. >>



    FYI - There are authentic DiMaggio signed "Joe DiMaggio Day" baseballs. Three were recently sold by Heritage Sports Auctions for $1,867.50.

    Here is the description:

    1998-99 Joe DiMaggio Single Signed "Joe DiMaggio Day" Baseballs Lot of 3. Autographed during that brief span between Joltin' Joe's final Yankee Stadium appearance on September 27, 1998 and his death on March 8, 1999, this trio of baseballs is among the crop of collectibles that have come to be known by the morbid term of "deathbed balls." Opinions certainly vary on the collectibility of these rarities, but their status as being among the last autographs from one of the twentieth century's top sporting figures seems an insurmountable argument for their relevance. While the dark blue stitching of the OAL (Budig) balls, stamped with a DiMaggio tribute, gives the balls a gloomy look on its own, the shaky 10/10 blue ink sweet spot autographs further this characterization, bearing sad witness to the illness that would soon end Joe's life. Each is affixed with a "Yankee Clipper Enterprises" authenticating sticker, and is housed in an attractive plexiglass box with descriptive plaque. LOA from Steve Grad & Zach Rullo/ PSA DNA.


    imageimage


    I also believe there are 2 Ripken balls. One for his breaking Gehrig's record and one for his last home game. Interestingly, there are two versions of the last home game ball. One is for his actual home game against the Red Sox in October 2001 and one is for the original planned last home game against the Yankees in September 2001. The 9/11 events led to a reshuffling of the schedule. I remember attending that game and when the Orioles ran out of O's/Sox balls to sell, they pulled out the O's/Yankees balls to sell at the concession stands. >>



    Thanks for the tip. For some reason, I thought the Joe D special baseballs were put out after he passed away.

    The only way someone can sink lower than the guy who forged this Mantle ball is if someone tries to forge a 1997 Jackie Robinson commemorative special edition official major league baseball with Jackie's signature.

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    image

    GO MARLINS! Home of the best fans in baseball!!
  • MooseDogMooseDog Posts: 1,946 ✭✭✭
    I might have been the one who convinced the seller to pull the listing. After reading the listing and looking at some of this other stuff it looked like he either bought a collection or sells on consignment. While stevek might be right that the seller "didn't want to know" after reading the "questions" in the listing where three people essentially slammed the guy, I noticed the seller had 200+ feedback and pretty good comments at that.

    Sent him a lengthy note explaining simply that I was interested in some of his other items (I am) but that I was sure the ball was a forgery - basically mentioned his good feeback rating and that fact that if someone was to submit the ball for authentication there was no way it would pass and the reasons for that. I didn't call him a scam artist, accuse him of deceit etc.

    Received a reply thanking me for the info and he informed me that he was selling the ball for someone else and that he would not relist the item for the consignor "unless the ball was authenticated by PSA/DNA".

  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    On its face, ANY eBay listing of memorabilia that disclaims
    knowledge of any element of authenticity, is a violation
    of the venues TOS.

    The seller's disclaimer regarding the COA shows that the
    seller, at a minimum, "had suspicions" regarding the
    items authenticity. He either did not understand, did
    not read, or disregarded eBay's warning above the
    "submit listing" button.

    I do not care how much pos FB the seller has; he has
    no business listing items that he cannot vouch for.

    Any person who buys items that have not been looked
    at by PSA/DNA is taking a huge risk. eBay really needs
    to stop listing "pre-authenticated" items. They will not
    do that because they profit each time a crime goes down
    on their venue.

    If you are wondering why you have no traffic in your eBay
    store, or why your card auctions yield poor final values,
    you need look no further for answers. eBay has become
    know as a haven for scamsters and tons of buyers want
    nothing to do with the site. Because there is almost no
    other safe venue "known to average card buyers," the
    hobby is taking a huge hit and it will only get worse as
    time passes.

    storm
    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • DeutscherGeistDeutscherGeist Posts: 2,990 ✭✭✭✭
    Storm888,

    So if ebay were safer, then ebay items would sell for more? I believe that.... I am very careful from who I buy now because some sellers write things in their descriptions, such as a refund policy, that that they back away from when called to honor it and ebay does nothing about such deceit. I know there are other issues to worry about too...., but that is my example.

    "So many of our DREAMS at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we SUMMON THE WILL they soon become INEVITABLE "- Christopher Reeve

    BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
  • bri2327bri2327 Posts: 3,178 ✭✭
    I emailed the seller yesterday also and explained the situation. I received an email back thanking me for informing him of the situation. He seemed legit, pulled the auction, nothing more we can ask for. I for one will give him the benefit of doubt on this.
    "The other teams could make trouble for us if they win."
    -- Yogi Berra

    image
  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    "So if ebay were safer, then ebay items would sell for more? I believe that.... I am very careful from who I buy now because some sellers write things in their descriptions, such as a refund policy, that that they back away from when called to honor it and ebay does nothing about such deceit. I know there are other issues to worry about too...., but that is my example."

    /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    The problem with any solutions that we or eBay come up with now,
    is that our proposed fixes are really too late.

    It will take years to get back the card buyers - and the buyers of
    many other collectible categories - who have been burned on eBay.
    MANY will NEVER get into collecting again.

    The population of buyers would not increase dramatically, even if eBay
    began a crackdown on criminals tomorrow. The damage has been done.

    (I should add, in fairness, that it now appears to me that the ball in
    the auction that was the subject of this thread, could well have been
    listed in good faith by the seller. Such situations would never happen
    if eBay enforced its "authenticity disclaimer policy," and prohibited the
    listing of autos that were not authenticated.)

    storm


    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image
    Mike
  • Guys,
    This is not even as bad as the very sad scene I was in the front row for in Chicago a few years back. Baseball card show--Rosemont. A guy walks up to the dealer table I'm at with the SI commemorative issue. The one with Mickey Mantle's B/W photo from the early 50's. Well, it's SIGNED with a blue sharpie. Long story short, there were some verbal exchanges between this fellow and the dealer and some of the crowd that had gathered and, suffice to say, I was dreadfully embarrassed for the guy. I truly believe he didn't even know. He bought it at the show from "some guy over there" for "only" 50 bucks.
    "I figured with his passing, it would really increase in value" the poor guy added. I can't put my finger on WHY I believed the guy, I just did. He seemed really sincere and did an amazing acting job if he was the forger. There is some real scum out there, folks. Sometimes it's hard to tell who it is though. Interestin thread!

    dgf
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