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sammy
12-07-2006, 09:54 PM
Below please find an email which has been sent by MEARS to its registered users.
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They say that success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. Please allow me to claim my baby. When I signed on as an investor with MEARS, it with the understanding that I would set our internal and external operating procedures. Some of things that I insisted upon were in response to what I thought I was hearing from collectors. They dealt with any number of issues such as disclosure.

Dave and Troy have long been dealers and I convinced them that between the MEARS web site and a new, thorough and more open way of doing evaluations, they could off set any potential loss of revenue. This has not panned out as I did not anticipate the hobby’s willingness to overlook what Dave and Troy where willing to do when compared to their peers nor did I anticipate what I still see is a shortsighted approach by any number of auction houses with respect to our fees and their real value. The end result has been two fold. First and most importantly, MEARS has created a superior service with respect to offering evaluations. We pioneered concepts for grading and worksheets that others have emulated. We do however stand alone when it comes to disclosure and that will not change. Secondly, and no less important for Dave and Troy, is that by following my lead, they have both lost money. I have been afforded the luxury of never needing this hobby/industry as the source my livelihood.

What will change is that in 2007, Dave and Troy will be reentering the industry as dealers as well in a very robust manner. Yes, there will be outcries from various corners of the industry and hobby, but I would ask where have those same voices been with respect to demanding the same things of others that Dave and Troy have volunteered to do? In 2007 Dave and Troy will sell items outright or on consignment via the MEARS web site. These items will come with MEARS evaluations just as the items that John Taube sells on his site come with letters from PSA/DNA. This is the same as any dealer who provides some form of documentation with the items they sell. The difference being that MEARS will continue to identify these items as such. Additionally, the buy back policy will remain in effect.

In addition, Dave and Troy will also be able to engage in the same sort of activities that any auction house does with respect to brokering sales on consignment. Once again, I suspect there will be screams from the masses, but if collectors have no problem with an auction doing its own evaluations, then please show me how this is any different? Yes, one difference will be that the consignment relationship will be disclosed and the buy back policy will remain in effect.

What will my role in all of this be? I will first sell my interests in MEARS back to the organization and stay on for a period of at least a year as an “employee”. I think this new arrangement offers MEARS and Dave and Troy the best means to recoup the losses they have incurred under my leadership. As such, the only way I can address this with them on a personal level is to give them greater control in the profitability of a new organization and work to make it more profitable for them. There is no clause or stipulation in my sale that I be permitted to re-buy my shares when the company begins to make more money and there should not be.

These are the things I will be doing for MEARS in 2007:

I will put back on the hat of Policy Director at the request of Dave and Troy in order to craft the policies for the buying and selling on the site. This will also extend to advertising as well. No, I will not make any more money should these ventures prove to be as profitable as I imagine they will. I will also continue to write for MEARS or any other venues that they deem essential as we have often been asked about exchanging editorial content for advertising space. Finally, I will continue to offer opinions on items when requested to do so.

I would like to thank Dave and Troy personally and publicly for the loyalty they have shown me at their own personal financial expense. It is now my turn to demonstrate my loyalty in the same manner.

Dave Grob

DaveGrob1@aol.com