MEARS to work with REA only in 2008

[Eric]

Wow, this is shocking. Auction houses had until today to contract MEARS for their services. In order to do so, they had to agree to certain disclosures including

"Disclosure of Ownership.

Open, Accountable, and Verifiable Bidding practices.

Public notification of any and all alterations, changes or modifications to products. "

Only one auction house- Robert Edward Auctions signed up. I am stunned.

Oh well, more work for Lampson and the 100% Authentic Team, (which is an authentication service, but isn't at the same time because they have no contact info, and there's something about it being just a way to track COAs blah blah blah.)

Auction houses, you have shown your true selves today....

Thumbs up to MEARS for making this statement and to Rob Lifson at REA for continually being an advocate of full disclosure.

Here is the story on mearsonline written by Dave Grob.

http://www.mearsonline.com/news/newsDetail.asp?id=336

Eric

[CollectGU]

Eric,

Why would the following auction houses all of a sudden sign up for MEARS when they've never used them for authentication before or cut ties with them long ago:

Grey Flannel
Lelands
American Memorabilia

To insinuate that these auction houses didn't sign for the reasons you posted is irresponsible on your part. I also liked in your post how you singled out one auction house that you've had a falling out with. Nothing like an objective forum adminstrator! How about first asking the auction houses why they didn't sign before you make assumptions.....

Regards,
Dave

[b.heagy]

Eric,

Why would the following auction houses all of a sudden sign up for MEARS when they've never used them for authentication before or cut ties with them long ago:

Grey Flannel
Lelands
American Memorabilia

To insinuate that these auction houses didn't sign for the reasons you posted is irresponsible on your part. I also liked in your post how you singled out one auction house that you've had a falling out with. Nothing like an objective forum adminstrator! How about first asking the auction houses why they didn't sign before you make assumptions.....

Regards,
Dave

I have read alot regarding authenticators on this forum. I see MEARS doing a great job. I have read many times where an item was unable to authenticate due to problems/questionable issues with particular pieces. I have never read that of Lou Lampson. Lou Lampson writes LOA's for just about anything under the sun and is more than likely alot cheaper. MEARS does professional work and with that professional work comes $ which = cost to auction house profit. See where I am going? In my opinion Eric is not taking an objective stand point. Expressing thoughts of his opinion.

[RKGIBSON]

Personally, I cannot see why any auction house would let a authentication company dictate to them how to run their business.

I my opinion the entire authenication field is a joke, as it is all a matter of opinion unless there is documentation of some type or it is obtained direct. In both cases who need a company to say it is real.

The best I can understand MEARS rating system, they are only judging a item as to how its traits compares with a real, WHAT? I think the general thought is, A5 rating is a not real item, it only looks like a real one. How can you get a A10 with no provenace. I would think the top rating would be reserved for the best of the best. Look at some of the items they rate that are in auctions, they are no better than anyone else. These requirements are just another smoke screen to try and make people think they are different.

Roger

[RKGIBSON]

Oh yeah, the LT jersey that is in question in the auction section received a A8 rating from MEARS. It lost 2 point due to the tag being cut off. They claim a photo match to a 84 TOPPS card. I have that set and there is no match. Great work?

Roger

[b.heagy]

I may have missed something and if I have I apologize. I see Lou Lampson as the authenticator on the LT jersey? Is there another one on auction?

[bigtruck260]

I am still pretty new to GUU, but I have been a collector for many years. Is there a connection between GUU and MEARS? I hear more than enough positive remarks from everyone about the quality of MEARS and Dave Bushing's work...I have read their articles in SCD, etc. etc. etc.

I think that the idea of an Auction House wanting to make their consigners more $$ is first and foremost, and to do that, it seems that overhead should be kept to a minimum. I would assume (and I hate to use that word) that someone spending $500 plus on an item would have the research tools available to make an educated decision - and might not want or need MEARS opinion on it.

If I am spending $150 on a bat, etc. I could care less what MEARS grades it. I know what I am getting.

MEARS has its purpose...insurance, appraisal, an objective third party, etc. But to say that all of the auction houses that do not use MEARS are doing something wrong or shady is a little judgemental.

Forum rules state we have to contact sellers and give them 24 hours to respond - and perhaps post the response here. Maybe we need to hear the other side before calling them out...

For the record, I am only a collector/part time eBay dealer...I have zero affiliation with any auction house or MEARS.

Regards - and thanks for the forum guys.

Dave

[Eric]

To insinuate that these auction houses didn't sign for the reasons you posted is irresponsible on your part.

Dave-
If you want to talk about irresponsible, look at how you can't follow the rules of the forum. Take a moment and refresh yourself since you can't seem to remember.



I also liked in your post how you singled out one auction house that you've had a falling out with.

I haven't had a falling out with American Memorabilia. They decided they didn't want to hear about problems with the items they were selling, so they stopped returning my emails pointing out inconsistencies and went ahead banned Chris Cavalier, Rob Steinmetz and me from bidding in their auctions.

Wow, big penalty. And nice PR move!

Honestly Dave, your tone is getting tiresome. By the way, since you're so close with them, can you get me contact information for 40% Authentic?

American Memorabilia had nothing to do with my post. I was commending MEARS for asking for certain traits from the people who employ them.

Dave Grob has always worked for integrity in this hobby, and I wanted to give the guy credit.

In my opinion- which I am entitled to have, this is a good thing.
Eric

[Eric]

Forum rules state we have to contact sellers and give them 24 hours to respond - and perhaps post the response here. Maybe we need to hear the other side before calling them out...


Go back and read what I wrote- I didn't say those auction houses are corrupt. I'm surprised and disappointed that now that MEARS has these policies in place, only one auction house signed up with them.

Eric

[bigtruck260]

I did - and I just finished reading the article on MEARS site. I agree with you Eric for the most part. I made the mistake of saying that the first priority for auction houses was to get the highest amount of $$ per auction. The first prioirty should be authenticity. Apparently, MEARS is the best at "authenticating" items, so the fact the REA is using them is certainly a good thing.

Still, I think the other guys have a right/reason for not using MEARS. MAYBE it is because of the strict grading practices...and maybe it is something else.

If I bought an item from Jeff Scott or Rob Steinmetz, it is doubtful that I would used MEARS - even if I spent a few grand on something. Personally, a letter from one of those guys would mean more to me.

One more question - if another third party (Rob/Jeff) claimed that an item purchased from an auction house was NOT authentic, what is the chance the item would be returnable for refund? I have heard that some auction houses will accept returns...

Thanks again guys.

Dave

[Eric]

Check the auction rules. Many say in bold letters ALL SALES FINAL.

[bigtruck260]

Not having a return policy for game used items is understandable, but after an authority has reviewed the item (as an unbiased third party) I would think that it would be poor PR to not allow the item to be returned.

That goes for any auction house. Especially since most bidders only get to see what is posted online in the auction description. What if the item arrives and something in incorrect that was not mentioned...?

I still would like to know if GUU has a connection to MEARS. If not, has GUU thought about providing their own "authentication service"? After the success of the auction, that thought crossed my mind.

Dave

BTW - Thanks Eric for clarifying this stuff. It is appreciated.

[both-teams-played-hard]

ERic...

why don't you just ban this clown?

I hope you're not refering to Dave. AMI is an important auction house in the hobby, and they need a voice for this forum. If everyone bashes AMI, then that gets boring. I would like to hear other positive experiences with American Memorabilia and Lou Lampson and the 100% authentic crew.


If there is a connection between MEARS and GUU, then that is some crafty reverse psychology. I recently read posts from Dave Bushing on MEARS' message board that were NOT an endorsement of this Forum or GUU.

I think if you want to be a authentication service, that is honorable and badly needed in the hobby. It also is an extremley difficult task. 3 major sports for roughly the last 75 years. That's a tall order. MEARS is easy to contact and gives details of all of their findings and research. I think MEARS is critized for their mistakes and applauded for owning the mistakes. MEARS has taken on a lot of responsibility and should expect criticism.
Overall, I think this forum makes postive comments about MEARS. But the only competition is Lou Lampson.

I think Dave Grob's policy was written to set some standards in the game used hobby. I think it was to urge Auction houses to be transparent with their business dealings and hold accountability. I didn't get the impression that Grob was trying to drum up business for MEARS. Again, that is my opinion and welcome someone to correct me.

[CollectGU]

Dave-
If you want to talk about irresponsible, look at how you can't follow the rules of the forum. Take a moment and refresh yourself since you can't seem to remember.



I haven't had a falling out with American Memorabilia. They decided they didn't want to hear about problems with the items they were selling, so they stopped returning my emails pointing out inconsistencies and went ahead banned Chris Cavalier, Rob Steinmetz and me from bidding in their auctions.

Wow, big penalty. And nice PR move!

Honestly Dave, your tone is getting tiresome. By the way, since you're so close with them, can you get me contact information for 40% Authentic?

American Memorabilia had nothing to do with my post. I was commending MEARS for asking for certain traits from the people who employ them.

Dave Grob has always worked for integrity in this hobby, and I wanted to give the guy credit.

In my opinion- which I am entitled to have, this is a good thing.
Eric

Eric,

Thanks for the response (which really didn't offer much in the way of answer) Try not to trip over your feet as you backtrack from your original comments. Sorry about the tone, I'll work on it....

Reards,
Dave

[Eric]

Dave

You're a class act all the way! Not sure why you're trying to twist my words.

I'm standing behind my comments. I'm shocked that only one auction house would agree to MEARS' terms.

And yes, it will be mean more business for Lampson, which in my opinion given his track record, will introduce a lot garbage (expensive garbage) into the hobby.

Now anytime you'd like to share his contact information with the forum, we'd love to see it.

Eric

[Eric]

Eric,

Why would the following auction houses all of a sudden sign up for MEARS when they've never used them for authentication before or cut ties with them long ago:

Grey Flannel
Lelands
American Memorabilia


Another point to note is MEARS did do authenticating for Sotheby's, Hunt, Grey Flannel and others, in some cases just for big ticket items, but were not under contract with MEARS. Now, as I understand it, MEARS will no longer do this piece work unless the auction house signs the MEARS contract.

Eric

[jboosted92]

Another point to note is MEARS did do authenticating for Sotheby's, Hunt, Grey Flannel and others, in some cases just for big ticket items, but were not under contract with MEARS. Now, as I understand it, MEARS will no longer do this piece work unless the auction house signs the MEARS contract.

Eric


correct, but not in 2008. if they change there mind, (from what i get ) it wont be until 2009h

[Eric]

Michael O'Keeffe wrote about this topic on his Daily News blog....

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/

iTeam Blog
November 12, 2007
Top firm looks to keep memorabilia world honest

Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services, perhaps sports memorabilia's top authentication service, will work for just one auction house in 2009.

Only Robert Edward Auctions of Watchung, N.J., has signed a contract agreeing to several conditions MEARS' policy director Dave Grob says will make the scandal-tainted hobby more transparent and accountable.

Grob had sent contracts to the industry's leading auction houses, including American Memorabilia, Mastro Auctions and Sotheby's/SCP Auctions, that would have required them to ban shill bidding, notify bidders when they have a financial stake in an item and identify repairs and modifications made to improve an item's value and appearance. To keep everyone honest, MEARS reserved the right to audit the companies' books.

Rob Lifson of REA - like Grob, one of the few hobby leaders who seems to understand that the fraud and corruption threatens his industry's long-term health - was the only executive to agree to MEARS' terms.

Meanwhile, hobby insiders tell the Daily News that the Chicago office of the FBI is continuing to interview collectors and dealers about business practices at Mastro Auctions, the hobby's largest auction house.

(Read Grob's latest comments on the state of the hobby)

While there may certainly be many good reasons why auction houses chose not to work with MEARS next year, there are no good reasons to accept the status quo. The hobby's problems, Lifson wrote last year on his Web site, are immense:

"Practically every day we are seeing fake items. Fake printed items. Posters that are actually reproductions of vintage posters. Stand-up cardboard counter displays that are not real. Babe Ruth Candy wrappers that are not real. Fans that picture baseball player portraits that are reproductions. Photographs that appear to be old but are not vintage.

"There is no limit to what can be made with computers, especially with printing equipment available today that is very economical and which years ago did not even exist. These items are being intentionally made to fool people into parting with their money for worthless items. These items are being made to cheat buyers."

[Eric]

November 13, 2007

Not Many On Board with MEARS' New Terms (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/2007/11/not_many_on_board_with_mears_a.html)

As reported earlier, Dave Grob of Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services is taking steps he believes will make the scandal-tainted sports collectibles industry more accountable and transparent. In order to work with MEARS in 2008, auction houses had to agree to several conditions, including a ban on shill bidding and full disclosure when repairs and modifications have been made to improve the value and appearance of an item. Grob gave auction houses until Nov. 10 to sign a contract agreeing to those terms; only Robert Edward Auctions signed and returned the contract.
As I pointed out in the previous post, while there are no good reasons for collectors and industry executives to accept the status quo of their dog-eat-dog hobby, there may be good reasons why auction houses would not want to accept MEARS' terms for 2008.
American Memorabilia president Victor Moreno, for example, says his auction house doesn't use MEARS because of an embarrassing previous experience with MEARS authenticator Dave Bushing.
In December 2004, the Daily News reported that American Memorabilia offered a bat used by Ty Cobb sometime between 1911 and 1916. The bat was accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Bushing that concluded the bat was a "Ty Cobb game-used Louisville Slugger decal bat."
But when pressed by the News, Bushing acknowledged that although the bat matched specifications of bats used by Cobb, there was no conclusive proof the bat was ever actually used in a major league game by the Georgia Peach.
As a result, Moreno no longer offers Bushing-authenticated items in his auction.
"I don't have any personal problems with those guys," Moreno said of MEARS. "I just don't want to use them."
Bushing had also been criticized for writing letters of authenticity for items he owns, which appears to be an inexcusable conflict of interest. But Grob told the News that is old news: Bushing has agreed to take every step asked of him to make MEARS' authentication process as accountable and open as possible. Transparency and accountability have been good for business, Grob said – because MEARS puts a premium on integrity, MEARS-authenticated items go for more money.
Nobody ever said cleaning up the sports collectibles industry would be easy. But as I said yesterday, if the industry doesn't clean up its own act, someone will eventually do it for them. Just last week, agents from the Chicago office of the FBI were in New York to question collectors about Mastro Auctions, the hobby's largest auction house.



http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/

[hblakewolf]

November 13, 2007

Not Many On Board with MEARS' New Terms (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/2007/11/not_many_on_board_with_mears_a.html)

As reported earlier, Dave Grob of Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services is taking steps he believes will make the scandal-tainted sports collectibles industry more accountable and transparent. In order to work with MEARS in 2008, auction houses had to agree to several conditions, including a ban on shill bidding and full disclosure when repairs and modifications have been made to improve the value and appearance of an item. Grob gave auction houses until Nov. 10 to sign a contract agreeing to those terms; only Robert Edward Auctions signed and returned the contract.
As I pointed out in the previous post, while there are no good reasons for collectors and industry executives to accept the status quo of their dog-eat-dog hobby, there may be good reasons why auction houses would not want to accept MEARS' terms for 2008.
American Memorabilia president Victor Moreno, for example, says his auction house doesn't use MEARS because of an embarrassing previous experience with MEARS authenticator Dave Bushing.
In December 2004, the Daily News reported that American Memorabilia offered a bat used by Ty Cobb sometime between 1911 and 1916. The bat was accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Bushing that concluded the bat was a "Ty Cobb game-used Louisville Slugger decal bat."
But when pressed by the News, Bushing acknowledged that although the bat matched specifications of bats used by Cobb, there was no conclusive proof the bat was ever actually used in a major league game by the Georgia Peach.
As a result, Moreno no longer offers Bushing-authenticated items in his auction.
"I don't have any personal problems with those guys," Moreno said of MEARS. "I just don't want to use them."
Bushing had also been criticized for writing letters of authenticity for items he owns, which appears to be an inexcusable conflict of interest. But Grob told the News that is old news: Bushing has agreed to take every step asked of him to make MEARS' authentication process as accountable and open as possible. Transparency and accountability have been good for business, Grob said – because MEARS puts a premium on integrity, MEARS-authenticated items go for more money.
Nobody ever said cleaning up the sports collectibles industry would be easy. But as I said yesterday, if the industry doesn't clean up its own act, someone will eventually do it for them. Just last week, agents from the Chicago office of the FBI were in New York to question collectors about Mastro Auctions, the hobby's largest auction house.



http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/


"Embarrassing previous experience" ????????

If Vic's comments are to be taken seriously, the maybe he can also comment on his continued use of Lou Lampson after countless items he has authenticated for AMI have been questioned by collectors with no proof that they are as described. Vic- can you comment on the green St. Pat's Ripken jersey that the Orioles never used, however, Lampson wrote a LOA indicating it's game worn and was also hanging in the O's spring training clubhouse? Embarrassing? How about criminal?

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net

[kingjammy24]

"American Memorabilia president Victor Moreno, for example, says his auction house doesn't use MEARS because of an embarrassing previous experience with MEARS authenticator Dave Bushing."

here, lampson embarasses victor by positively authenticating a 1996 orioles jersey of a style that was never even worn by the team:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5973

the description reads: "Score it a 10+ with A+ provenance" when it should've read "Score it a 0 with a garbage letter". apparently when a jersey can't even be style-matched, it scores a "10+".

here, lampson really embarasses victor by positively authenticating an obviously bogus mcgwire:
http://www.americanmemorabilia.com/Auction_Item.asp?Auction_ID=22278

hint: the jersey has 1 color nob. the A's switched to 2-color nob in 1993. woops!

hang on though, lampson's not done embarassing his client. here, he positively authenticates a 1995 Griffey jersey that's missing a patch. the original description made no mention of any patch:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=10715

AMI happily accepted $2,622 for the jersey. every other 1995 mariners jersey i've seen has had the negro leagues patch.

here lampson sticks it to victor again in a comical way by authenticating yet another orioles ripken jersey that wasn't even a style-match:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=6527

that crazy lou, he loves authenticating jerseys bearing a style that never even saw the light of the day. second time he stuck it to victor with the same error! sweet!.

here lampson really lets a pie loose into victor's face. scroll down to the van slyke jersey. in short, lampson positively authenticates a jersey with a nob when it should not have a nob (woops!), is missing a patch, and fails to notice the "fantasy camp" patch that wasn't even worn until 1999.

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=7781

in every single auction AMI has run, victor has been continuously embarassed by lampson's antics yet now he says the reason he doesn't want to use bushing is because bushing messed up on 1 bat? give me a break. bushing screws up on 1 bat and he's let go. lampson screws up on dozens of items and he's kept. victor tries to explain that it's because bushing screwed up once? i guess it has nothing to do with mears costing significantly more than lampson's dirt cheap rates?

rudy.

[both-teams-played-hard]

in every single auction AMI has run, victor has been continuously embarassed by lampson's antics yet now he says the reason he doesn't want to use bushing is because bushing messed up on 1 bat? give me a break. bushing screws up on 1 bat and he's let go. lampson screws up on dozens of items and he's kept. victor tries to explain that it's because bushing screwed up once? i guess it has nothing to do with mears costing significantly more than lampson's dirt cheap rates?



Ah, the mysterious Rudy offering more, quality non-fiction. A+

[yankees159]

Guys I think we are missing a huge point here, the leading authenticators for MEARS ,Dave Bushing and Troy Kinunen are also dealers. They sell memorabilia on their website. Why would an auction company open their books to a competitor in the industy. This doesn't make sence to me.

Also, why would you use MEARS when you can get information from this website? Just a suggestion, why would'nt auction companies use the vast knowlege that this website offers to authenticate their items?

Todd

[lund6771]

Rudy..what's the old phrase?...."get what you pay for"

Dirt gets dirt for dirt

[yankees159]

As a follow up to my previous post, I thought this thread on Network 54 is really interesting:

www.network54.com/Forum/153652/thread/1194844156/last-1194968015/MEARS+effort+to+help+clean+up+the+hobby.++REA+sign s+on (http://www.network54.com/Forum/153652/thread/1194844156/last-1194968015/MEARS+effort+to+help+clean+up+the+hobby.++REA+sign s+on)

[ahuff]

As a follow up to my previous post, I thought this thread on Network 54 is really interesting:

www.network54.com/Forum/153652/thread/1194844156/last-1194968015/MEARS+effort+to+help+clean+up+the+hobby.++REA+sign s+on (http://www.network54.com/Forum/153652/thread/1194844156/last-1194968015/MEARS+effort+to+help+clean+up+the+hobby.++REA+sign s+on)


I really love the discussion that took place. However, I don't really understand why some people are arguing MEARS policy or argue why it wasn't adopted by more companies. MEARS policy is a terrific stand against the corruption that honest collectors have fought for years. Isn't that corruption a major reason that sites like this exist? It wasn't adopted by many companies, just my belief, because Lampson's COA's continue to sell products. Let's face it. . .anytime I have sold an item on ebay, that is the first question I receive. "Does this jersey have a COA?" If it doesn't, I don't get bids. Never mind that it might be from the mid 80's, and from a time where COA's just weren't issued by teams. Or that all tagging is perfect. But if a guy claims to be a ballboy, types up a letter, and offers some sneakers, that is proof enough. Or if a person offer's a photo of a MLB baseball being signed by a player. . .that is proof enough (never mind that MLB baseballs pretty much look identical and the real one is probably still on their shelf).

I personally love Joann's stand.

So in 2008 I'm not going to bid in any auction except REA. It's not like I win a lot or spend a lot in some of these, but I do like a few of the other houses fairly well and have won from them in the past here and there. But only REA, at least for 2008. If MEARS can make a big statement, then I guess I can make a small one.

This is a stand that I believe more of us, as collector's, need to take. I should qualify that statement. This is a stand that needs to be taken if we are truly going to put our money where our mouth is. Remember that in a capitalistic society the spending of money is the way consumers get to vote. I for one am sick and tired of Lampson's worthless COA's and fraudulent people on ebay selling junk. I have refused to purchase ANYTHING that was authenticated by Lampson since I won a Red Sox batting practice jersey that he authenticed. . .turns out it was a t-shirt that was the size my 8 year old son would wear. That occurred over 2 years ago now.

I believe that a stand should go further than just not bidding, though. I believe that each consumer should contact the companies and let them know why they will not be receiving bids or consignments from them. This is a large enough membership/community that I would think it could have a major impact on ending sales prices. I know there are flaws in this ideology. However, I believe that it is the only logical and reasonable response if people feel as strongly as some have stated, on this site. I personally believe most will not take such a stand that Joann took. Reasons I'm sure are varied. They might include that it is too hard not to bid when my favorite player's items are up for auction, or I've done the research and believe it is authentic, etc. Those are all great reasons, but just remember that we are voting with each and every bid.

[kingjammy24]

here's some random food for thought:

- at a minimum, i think a lot of people appreciate what d. grob is trying to do. i don't think it was anyone's intent though to suggest that, because mears' new policies have noble aims, that anyone who doesn't sign on must therefore automatically be doing so because they're corrupt. in order to judge why an auction house has or hasn't signed on with mears, you have to know their specific reasons. i don't know any of their specific reasons so i can't judge any of them. i do think there are some valid reasons not to use them. unfortunately, i don't see any of the auction house owners coming out and publically announcing their honest reasons for not using them so we'll never know.

however, i do understand why an auction houses' decision to use lampson automatically causes people to regard them with suspicion and disdain. if lampson wasn't in the game and an auction house chose not to use mears, would people still feel the same way? if, for example, an auction house chose meigray's crew over mears, would people still feel the auction house wasn't taking the high road? probably not.

- immediately after mears announced their new policies, mastro announced their new "code of ethics" or whatever. the writing was on the wall. i don't believe the timing was coincidental. mastro apparently had been satisfied with the quality of mears' work and their costs and yet immediately after mears announced their rigorous new policies, mastro decides they can do without them and decides to stick with lampson. speaking of sticking with lampson, any bets on whether mastro's error rate will skyrocket in 2008?

- unfortunately, i believe that eric is correct when he says this will mean more work for lampson. it's incredible that you can be the worst in the industry and yet continue to rack up more business simply because you're the cheapest. one of these days some of the auction houses are going to regret using lampson and see that there's more to it than simply getting the cheapest authenticator. paying for inferior building materials isn't worth it if they cause the building to collapse. those lawsuits are going to cost a lot more than the money saved in cheap materials. the gravy train always stops eventually.

- mears' accepts submissions from auctions houses and private collectors. i'm curious why lampson only services auction houses. clearly the man enjoys making money so why not really open up the revenue stream and service the public? is it because the auction houses provide a shield that would suddenly disappear when forced to deal directly with collectors? afterall, when lampson errs on an auction item, there are no consequences. he still gets paid. the auction house says "sorry all sales final" and lampson goes merrily on his way. he's paid, the auction house is paid, and the buyer is SOL. lampson doesn't even lose the contract. i've seen mears lose two contracts. i haven't seen lampson lose one. if lampson erred on an item with a private collector, the collector would demand a refund. i've seen mears offer refunds. i've seen them buy items back that they've gotten wrong. what's lampson's refund policy? despite this, auction houses stick with lampson and continue to drop mears. 40% fees and their focus is still on hiring the cheapest around. a part of me wonders if i offered to authenticate items for $1 a pop, if i'd suddenly get all of lampson's contracts. it might almost be worth it.

rudy.

[lund6771]

Rudy...what's your e-mail again?
Thanks

[kingjammy24]

Rudy...what's your e-mail again?
Thanks

petrucious2000@yahoo.com


rudy.