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Normally I don't care, but ...

XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Check this auction out. LINK

This type of stuff isn't anything new to anyone who's floated through eBay a few times but does this border on ... well, I'm not familiar with the legal jargon but just take a look and pay attention to the description of the grading service. Maybe I've just gotten a little too over-protective of PSA since I've been here. image

Arthur

Comments

  • BoopottsBoopotts Posts: 6,784 ✭✭
    Once you start thinking of Ebay as more of a carnival then a legitimate auction house, and it's sellers as midway barkers instead of as upstanding business men, a lot of these kinds of auctions quit mattering so much.
  • baseballfanaticbaseballfanatic Posts: 2,415 ✭✭
    ASA was the first grading service. Alan Hager used to grade his own cards for his auctions.........
  • nightcrawlernightcrawler Posts: 5,110 ✭✭
    What's the deal with this card???

    Looks like it's curled up or something, and the top left corner ?

    image
  • Tedw9Tedw9 Posts: 1,424 ✭✭
    Thats a MP and Co. Ray-O-Print. The reason for the corner is they were hand cut. I've seen the Ruth and Gehrig shaped like that. It could be curled, but I would guess it's from the hand cutting.
    Looking for Carl Willey items.
  • f2tornadof2tornado Posts: 180 ✭✭
    Looks like curling but I could see how one might think it's a hand cut. The slab may be reputable but why not just throw it in a holder that will get bidding attention and most are familiar with: PSA. The seller uses jargon I hate in any auction by sounding like a used car salesman: "THEY HAVE SOLD FOR $800". Then why and the hell do you have a BIN for $279? I know the answer already; the $800 one was in better condition than the one listed. Reminds me when I was trying to negotiate a newer used car price but the dealer wouldn't budge a cent. He said we can get more from an auction than the sticker. I asked him if it goes for that much than why would you sell it to me for less? I bought a car from a nearby dealership an hour later.
    "One you start thinking you're the best then you might as well quit because you wont get any better" - Dale Earnhardt
  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718


    << <i>ASA was the first grading service. Alan Hager used to grade his own cards for his auctions......... >>



    I did not know that Baseballfanatic. Are the following statements true as well?

    "Patented the slab holder in 1988 & Copyrighted the 1 to 10 grading system now universally used all all grading services. ASA-ACCUGRADE, Inc. Licensed PSA as well as dozen other grading services."

    Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

    Arthur
  • baseballfanaticbaseballfanatic Posts: 2,415 ✭✭
    Yupper. Alan Hagar used to run 5-10 page auctions in SCD yearly. He would list some incredible stuff. The only thing that kept me from bidding on alot of it was his 5 (or maybe even 6) allowed 90/10 centering. When you cant see an item and can only go by a written description, once lots get up in the hundreds and thousands, a picture is definately needed. Ah for the old SCD days.......
  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718
    Well, you learn something new every day. Thanks again for the info fanatic.

    Arthur

    PS. How do you copyright a 1 to 10 scale? That seems like copyrighting the idea of creating a Top 10 list for something. This is fascinating.
  • baseballfanaticbaseballfanatic Posts: 2,415 ✭✭
    Its kinda like Siskel and Ebert copyrighting "two thumbs up", Gene Simmons from Kiss copyrighting the word "OJ", etc etc. You dont have to be the first to use it, just the first to patent it...
  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718
    I'm going to patent the phrase "must've missed a surface wrinkle or something" and start collecting money hand-over-fist. image

    Arthur
  • aro13aro13 Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭
    In fairness to Hager, who did grade his own cards, his scale for grading was different for vintage cards. A T206 was graded on a different standard than a 1969 Topps card. If you see a vintage ASA 8 on ebay, and it has not been altered or trimmed it is probably the equivalent of a 6 on everybody elses grading scale.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,487 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Once you start thinking of Ebay as more of a carnival then a legitimate auction house, and it's sellers as midway barkers instead of as upstanding business men, a lot of these kinds of auctions quit mattering so much. >>


    Hey Boo

    I like that carnival shit.

    image
    Mike
  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭
    Didn't PSA pay Hager royalties for using the 1-10 scale? And when the trademark expired SGC was able to use it and added the split grades they now use?
    I thought I'd read that Pat Riley trademarked "3-peat" and makes royalties everytime it's used commercially.

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • aro13aro13 Posts: 1,961 ✭✭✭
    Griffins - I think Psa and the other original grading companies paid royalties to Hager until the patent expired. The patent expired right after Dennis Purdy wrote the article exposing Hager in the VCBC magazine. I am not certain about SGC. SBC was in direct competition with Hager and because they used the 1 to 100 scale I do not think they paid royalties.

    Hager could have been so successful if he had played honestly. Ironically his book on vintage cards which was ridiculed by many actually despite the inaccuracies turned out to be pretty prophetic. He projected huge gains the in pre-WWI card market. Also, his prices which at the time were way too high are now too low.
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