Pack Bidder Alert: Pack seller (tjs6121) uses a second ID from a different state to buy wrappers, si
summerof68
Posts: 748 ✭
Recently I've had some fellow board members contact me in regards to long-time ebay seller (tjs6121) from Shawnee Mission, Kansas who specializes in '70's era wax packs from all sports. I've seen this seller regularly list on ebay for years now and he seems to have an inexhaustable supply of '70's wax. In fact he has sold more '70's wax than anyone else on ebay over the past few years!
So I put on my private eye cap and took a closer look. After viewing all his past feedbacks from the last 90 days I immediately noticed he sells a ton of wax packs, including full wax boxes, but doesn't sell any cellos or racks. And curiously he doesn't sell any wax packs older than 1972. I also noticed he regularly sells all different types of wax packs from '72 thru '79 (including o.p.c.) but oddly he sells no '75 mini wax. Very significant is that he sells (no) slabbed wax packs or any type of certified pack--only raw.
So I began studying all the recent past wrapper sales on ebay focusing my search for a wax wrapper buyer from Kansas who specialized in '72 thru '79 Topps & opc wrappers. I found no one from Kansas who fit the bill so I checked a map and saw that Shawnee Mission, Kansas was only 10 miles from the Missouri border so I then focused on Missoui buyers.
I then discovered a very prolific wax wrapper buyer from Missouri who was winning many of the '70's wax wrappers from all sports. His ebay ID is (ultimatesets). So I viewed (ultimatesets)'s ebay wins for the past 90 days and I immediately saw striking similarities between (tjs6121) & (ultimatesets).
First, (ultimatesets) was strickly a buyer and never a seller. He only purchased Topps & o.p.c. wax wrappers, empty wax boxes and high-grade singles from all sports. He never purchased wax, cello or rack packs. And (very) interesting was the fact that he had not purchased any wrappers older than 1972 nor did he buy any '75 mini wrappers, singles or empty boxes! I was pretty sure from these striking similarities that both (tjs6121) and (ultimatesets) were the same person living on one side of the Kansas/Missouri border and working on the other side.
So I then checked ebay's user ID history and as I expected (tjs6121) joined ebay February 26, '05, and (ultimatesets) joined just 5 weeks later on April, 7, '05.
But to my disappointment I saw that (ultimatesets) never purchased any wrappers individually but only in bulk lots so I new it would be impossible for me to match up a wrapper won by (ultimatesets) with a wax pack sold by (tjs6121). But I didn't give up because I saw that (tjs6121) was selling alot of full wax boxes and (ultimatesets) was buying alot of empty wax boxes.
So I decided to focus on an (empty) '77 Topps baseball wax box, which included the 36 wrappers, won by (ultimatesets) on March 8th. I picked this box because it exhibited a couple dozen easily identifiable scuff marks. I also chose this box because just a week prior (ultimatesets) had coincidentally won a complete near mint set of 1977 Topps baseball singles. So every night I checked ebay to see if this "one of a kind" '77 wax box showed up for sale containing 36 unopened wax packs.
And two nights ago it did. And who is the seller? You guessed it--(tjs6121). See pictures at bottom of post.
The full box pictured on the left is currently for sale by (tjs6121)--ebay listing#360252401437. The empty box pictured on the right, which included 36 raw wrappers, was won on ebay on March 8th by (ultimatesets)--ebay listing#250586059897. And it bears repeating, just eight days prior to (ultimatesets) winning this empty box w/36 wrappers he, just by coincidence, won a complete near mint set of '77 Topps baseball singles--ebay listing#130368322265.
If you look at the blue area on both boxes you can see that all the scuff marks are the exact size & shape and are in the identical locations.
At the very least this proves (tjs6121) been selling selling '70's era wax packs and full wax boxes while at the same time he has been using a separate ID (from a neighboring state ten miles away) to buy '70's era wax wrappers, high-grade singles and empty wax boxes.
If I was a person buying or considering buying '70's era raw wax packs or full wax boxes from a person who was simultaneously using a separate, out-of-state ID to buy '70's era wrappers, high-grade singles & empty wax boxes, then this would be very important information I would want to be apprised of.
It is for this reason I posted this topic.
So I put on my private eye cap and took a closer look. After viewing all his past feedbacks from the last 90 days I immediately noticed he sells a ton of wax packs, including full wax boxes, but doesn't sell any cellos or racks. And curiously he doesn't sell any wax packs older than 1972. I also noticed he regularly sells all different types of wax packs from '72 thru '79 (including o.p.c.) but oddly he sells no '75 mini wax. Very significant is that he sells (no) slabbed wax packs or any type of certified pack--only raw.
So I began studying all the recent past wrapper sales on ebay focusing my search for a wax wrapper buyer from Kansas who specialized in '72 thru '79 Topps & opc wrappers. I found no one from Kansas who fit the bill so I checked a map and saw that Shawnee Mission, Kansas was only 10 miles from the Missouri border so I then focused on Missoui buyers.
I then discovered a very prolific wax wrapper buyer from Missouri who was winning many of the '70's wax wrappers from all sports. His ebay ID is (ultimatesets). So I viewed (ultimatesets)'s ebay wins for the past 90 days and I immediately saw striking similarities between (tjs6121) & (ultimatesets).
First, (ultimatesets) was strickly a buyer and never a seller. He only purchased Topps & o.p.c. wax wrappers, empty wax boxes and high-grade singles from all sports. He never purchased wax, cello or rack packs. And (very) interesting was the fact that he had not purchased any wrappers older than 1972 nor did he buy any '75 mini wrappers, singles or empty boxes! I was pretty sure from these striking similarities that both (tjs6121) and (ultimatesets) were the same person living on one side of the Kansas/Missouri border and working on the other side.
So I then checked ebay's user ID history and as I expected (tjs6121) joined ebay February 26, '05, and (ultimatesets) joined just 5 weeks later on April, 7, '05.
But to my disappointment I saw that (ultimatesets) never purchased any wrappers individually but only in bulk lots so I new it would be impossible for me to match up a wrapper won by (ultimatesets) with a wax pack sold by (tjs6121). But I didn't give up because I saw that (tjs6121) was selling alot of full wax boxes and (ultimatesets) was buying alot of empty wax boxes.
So I decided to focus on an (empty) '77 Topps baseball wax box, which included the 36 wrappers, won by (ultimatesets) on March 8th. I picked this box because it exhibited a couple dozen easily identifiable scuff marks. I also chose this box because just a week prior (ultimatesets) had coincidentally won a complete near mint set of 1977 Topps baseball singles. So every night I checked ebay to see if this "one of a kind" '77 wax box showed up for sale containing 36 unopened wax packs.
And two nights ago it did. And who is the seller? You guessed it--(tjs6121). See pictures at bottom of post.
The full box pictured on the left is currently for sale by (tjs6121)--ebay listing#360252401437. The empty box pictured on the right, which included 36 raw wrappers, was won on ebay on March 8th by (ultimatesets)--ebay listing#250586059897. And it bears repeating, just eight days prior to (ultimatesets) winning this empty box w/36 wrappers he, just by coincidence, won a complete near mint set of '77 Topps baseball singles--ebay listing#130368322265.
If you look at the blue area on both boxes you can see that all the scuff marks are the exact size & shape and are in the identical locations.
At the very least this proves (tjs6121) been selling selling '70's era wax packs and full wax boxes while at the same time he has been using a separate ID (from a neighboring state ten miles away) to buy '70's era wax wrappers, high-grade singles and empty wax boxes.
If I was a person buying or considering buying '70's era raw wax packs or full wax boxes from a person who was simultaneously using a separate, out-of-state ID to buy '70's era wrappers, high-grade singles & empty wax boxes, then this would be very important information I would want to be apprised of.
It is for this reason I posted this topic.
"You tell 'em I'm coming...and hell's coming with me"--Wyatt Earp
0
Comments
One of the three positives was for the first item he won on ebay 5 years ago. But then he suddenly stopped. Then he waited three years later to leave two positive feedbacks and has not left one since in over two years.
Because he intentionally doesn't leave feedback for sellers this evitably will lead to many sellers not leaving him a feedback in return. So it is safe to assume that he has had many more ebay purchases than his 534 feebacks would indicate.
summer, thanks again for all your work doing this, John
Current obsession, all things Topps 1969 - 1972
<< <i>Who is pictured on the box top? >>
I believe it's the legendary infielder Rance Mulliniks
Another serial criminal with a license to steal issued by EBAY.
It's amazing how much positive FB he gets...obviously most buyers are not opening his packs and he's better at it than most.
Great work, summer, as always!
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.
In my post I noted that (tjs6121) had not sold any wax packs older than 1972 nor had (ultimatesets) purchased any wax wrappers older than 1972.
There might be an explanation for this. Starting in 1972 Topps no longer placed inserts in their packs. If a counterfeiter wants to "homemake" a '70 or '71 wax pack then he must include an insert. Also if the maker wants to increase his chances of not being detected then he must add the insert that correctly corresponds to the series of the cards inside the pack. And when a person opens an authentic '70 or '71 Topps wax pack they should find an insert that is in mint condition with the exception of a gum stain--there shouldn't be any signs of wear from handling.
Because of these reasons counterfeiters who take great care in not being exposed and wish to play it safe will stay away from pre-72 era packs--(ultimatesets) shows no evidence of buying such inserts.
If this was amended a little, it would help combat the problem.
An amended version could also be used as a model in other states.
CA BPC
If somebody filed a lawsuit using JUST the existing language, the
resulting controversy should spur quick legislative action.
Andrew.
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.
<< <i>$5000 fine per offense.... >>
////////////////////////////
Yup.
And.........
"...Each card sold represents a separate and distinct violation...."
...................................
BUT, the whole thing is complicated.
First, we NEVER have anybody here that has standing to bring
an action.
Second, the statutes deal with "altering cards." They could render
a blow to trimmers, but they would only serve to "scare" resealers
AND spur lawmakers to make the simple mods that would include
resealed packs and boxes. Such amendments could prolly not make
it fast enough for the seated CA governor - who would go along - to
sign off on the fix. (Other states could adopt similar measures, though.)
If some of the CA BPC can be changed by admins at the consumer
affairs dept, the fix could be easy. I don't know that to be the case,
but it is possible that the fix could fall into the simple "rule making"
category; no action required by the legislature. Prolly not the case,
but it might be.
As it is written, the Plaintiff could file under the existing BPC in Small
Claims. The claim would fail on the resealing issue. The Plaintiff could
then go to regular court and ask for a Declaratory Judgement that
the relevant sections applied to "resealed packs and boxes." That
claim would also fail, unless the "purpose section" of the enabling
legislation was broad enough to convince the court that the intent
of the legislation was to include "resealed packs and boxes;" VERY
doubtful.
BUT, the controversy that could be generated by the court actions
would likely move the legislature to fairly fast action.
Also, the fixes need to be retrospective, in order to go after the crooks
that have already been exposed.
.................
In the meantime, the existing BPC can clearly be used against crooks who
sell cards with fake/replaced patches or other altered/counterfeit features.
So, where are the Plaintiffs? How do we find 'em? I dunno.
1984 Topps Football Wax Pack Wrappers
Ebay should hire Summer full time to clean up the joint...way it is now is like Times Square before ff came in as mayor of NYC, LOL...
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.
Nick
Reap the whirlwind.
Need to buy something for the wife or girlfriend? Check out Vintage Designer Clothing.
My adrenaline does get pumping however when an expensive, vintage pack of suspicious nature appears on ebay!