Did we lose anyone on this forum?

[metsbats]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cristian-Guzman-Game-Used-Bat-Zinger-With-Autograph_W0QQitemZ320191681872QQihZ011QQcategoryZ 60596QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There are some current auction on ebay by someone in CA.

She's notes her husband just died and collection is being sold. Check out the photo of the nice display room with tons of bats.

Does anyone know who this collector was?

David

[staindsox]

I hate to be a cynic, but the hands in all those photos seem to be a man. I also wonder if a wife would start dumping her husband's collection as soon as he dies, let alone knowing about numbering and taping and pinetar habits. I hope I'm wrong, but something seems off to me.

[metsbats]

ManHands from the Bizarro Jerry episode?

[3arod13]

Unfortuanately, just another seller using a death story to get people to feel sorry for them; buy their stuff; and/oror justify why they have so much nice stuff to sell.

I emailed the seller and of course I got a defensive rude response because I asked questions. The seller said selling my dead husband's collection. Yet, I check their purchases on ebay and they're still buying sportscards and stuff.

I hate these type scams (if it is one). I think it's sad. Even if it's true, by even mention the death of somone. Just list the items for sale. Makes me hesitate everytime I see these type auctions.

[suave1477]

I thought the same exact thing as staindsox said, those are mans hands in the picture not to mention I find it very interesting how a wife of a collector as pretty accurately listed starting prices and can describe in pretty good detail each bat.

Even a wife of a collector will have an idea on there husbands collection but chances are they are not gonna have an understanding of value for each bat and more then basic detail of each bat. Unless your the collector!!!

Here is something I would more expect from a wife of a collector.
Example:
Manny Ramirez Game Used bat shows good use.
NOT
This aution is for a Manny Ramirez Game Used Boston Red Sox Bat. This is an X bat. Has ASI hologram #24528. Outstanding ball marks, cleat, rack marks, and lots of pine tar. His trade mark tape on handle. All proper markings,

[3arod13]

Agree 100%.

Here's the response I received:

A cynic isn't the name I would call you. However, it is my fathers hands(see age of hand) and I don't believe I stated when or how my husband died. Or even why I'm selling, looking at the collection every day, let alone selling is very hard. As far as me knowing about the collection; my husband collected for twenty+ years during our marriage and I learned some. Also, I'm blessed that there are many people helping when needed. The pieces are what they are. I just said that he died becaues people are curious why so many pieces are being sold, and why I have to find out about some of the questions being asked. Now, if you want to inquire about a item please feel free to write; if you just want to be absolutley rude keep your questions to yourself... I hope you understand now, even though it is none of your business.

I checked the sellers purchased. Seller bought this bat 13 October 2007"

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200159263541

Now this means her husband had to buy this bat in Oct 07 and then died. Here it is 6 Dec and the widowing wife is already selling his stuff. I just don't think it's something one would be doing.

Again, sad that people pull this kind of crap.




document.write(''+hidelink+' (http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/#)');

[aeneas01]

I hate these type scams (if it is one). I think it's sad. Even if it's true, by even mention the death of somone. Just list the items for sale. Makes me hesitate everytime I see these type auctions.

i don't think there's anything wrong with a seller stating why he/she has chosen to sell an item - even if that reason includes sickness or death. a very reputable forum member recently listed some very rare, beautiful vintage football helmets and mentioned that the sale was necessary in order to help offset medical expenses due to a serious illness he was combating. sure, he could have simply listed the items without mentioning his illness but if he had i'm also sure he would have probably had to explain the reason for the sale to everyone that emailed him about why he was selling such a great collection....

[both-teams-played-hard]

Either the person's lying or telling the truth. It doesn't prove one way or another if the items are real and game used. Why would anybody try to email this seller and attempt to "call them out"? The risk of looking like a jackass doesn't equal the reward of uncovering a scam. In the words of Sadam: "Aren't we all Men?"

[3arod13]

Either the person's lying or telling the truth. It doesn't prove one way or another if the items are real and game used. Why would anybody try to email this seller and attempt to "call them out"? The risk of looking like a jackass doesn't equal the reward of uncovering a scam. In the words of Sadam: "Aren't we all Men?"

In no way does anyone look like a jackass by doing this. As we always say in this forum..."do you homework." If there are questions and/or concerns about the items...story doesn't make sense...etc., it's common practice to ask sellers questions. How they respond tells you a lot.

Many scams have been uncovered on ebay and shared in this forum. Remember...keeping the hobby safe! Looking out for each other.

Based on my two responses from this seller, I will stay far away for their auctions. But sharing information and concerns is what we do to help either out.

Regards, Tony (a.k. jackass)

[both-teams-played-hard]

Tony
By no means am I calling you a jackass. If, and only if, it turns out this woman lost her husband and her story is true, then whoever emailed her and questioned her story, is indeed a "jackass".
If some dude tried to use sympathy to sell baseball bats on eBay, there is a special place for him in the hot place.
And yes, asking questions is part of the homework thing. Sorry for my salty post, but researching the use on the bats is far different than researching a seller's death story.

[metsbats]

Gentlemen,

My original intent was to find out if anyone knew who this deceased collector was or if he a member of the forum. My man hands post surely didn't help steer this thread into the write direction and i apologize for that.

Judging from the responses or lack of, I guess it's someone who is not/ or was not a member and not anyone who any of us knows/ or knew.

In any case the person is/was a big collector judging by the display room.

-David

[3arod13]

i don't think there's anything wrong with a seller stating why he/she has chosen to sell an item - even if that reason includes sickness or death. a very reputable forum member recently listed some very rare, beautiful vintage football helmets and mentioned that the sale was necessary in order to help offset medical expenses due to a serious illness he was combating. sure, he could have simply listed the items without mentioning his illness but if he had i'm also sure he would have probably had to explain the reason for the sale to everyone that emailed him about why he was selling such a great collection....

I agree! I take back that statement. Thanks for the wake up call.

Regards, Tony

[3arod13]

Tony
By no means am I calling you a jackass. If, and only if, it turns out this woman lost her husband and her story is true, then whoever emailed her and questioned her story, is indeed a "jackass".
If some dude tried to use sympathy to sell baseball bats on eBay, there is a special place for him in the hot place.
And yes, asking questions is part of the homework thing. Sorry for my salty post, but researching the use on the bats is far different than researching a seller's death story.


Your comment: If, and only if, it turns out this woman lost her husband and her story is true, then whoever emailed her and questioned her story, is indeed a "jackass".

My response: Not true. There's nothing wrong with asking questions. If something doesn't look right or make sense, then asking questions is the right thing to do. Yes, this situation is a sensitive one; however, I will say it's all in how you ask those questions. Don't accuse...be tactful and respectful.

Your comment: researching the use on the bats is far different than researching a seller's death story.

My response: No different. Researching both is just as important. If a seller's story/description turns out not to be true, then that will tell you a lot about the seller's honesty, character, and integrity, and also now will have you questioning if the bats are legit.

Speaking for myself: When I first came upon this auction, I first read the description. Well, actually, my jaw dropped and the drool poured out as I looked at that amazing bat collection. Anyway, as I read the description, I thought to myself, sad, but is this true. Based on my past experiences, and with the many scams out there, I decided to check the seller’s purchases to see if they are still buying sports cards and memorabilia. My thought was, if this was the seller’s husband’s collection (who passed away), then I wouldn't expect to see any purchases being made. Well, purchases are still being made. So now I have to ask myself, why and who would be making these purchases, if it was her husband who was the collector.

I emailed the seller, bringing this question to their attention. I also made them aware that I was questioning this due to the many scams out there, and that we all need to be careful.
The seller emails me back, stating: “I have a business that must go on without the owner.” Wait a minute! The seller’s description reads: “Husband died, entire collection to be sold.”

Entire collection to be sold? Then why continue to make purchases and say that she must continue the business without the owner? Again, doesn’t make sense and raised a red flag in my eyes.

This communication between myself and the seller definitely made me question their honesty, integrity, and character. Without asking questions, whether the matter is a sensitive one or not, I wouldn’t have had my questions answered and been able to make the proper decision to bid or not.

For all I know, this could be a person who does have an extensive bat collection (or a picture of someone else’s bat collection). However, they also may have many bats that aren’t legit that they are trying to sell. Adding a nice picture of an extensive bat collection, a nice story to go along with it, definitely will gain many peoples trust. Especially those who aren’t as knowledgeable as many of you are.

The seller may be legit. The story may be true. However, based on my questions to the seller, and their responses, I’m not comfortable, so I will stay away.

I’m not going to get into a war of words with anyone about this seller. I was only passing on information, as we all do in this forum. Take it for what it’s worth. I have nothing against this seller. However, as stated in this thread by someone else, “hope I'm wrong, but something seems off to me.” Same goes for me.

There have been many occasions where I was planning on bidding on something on eBay. However, due to comments made in this forum about the items, I didn’t. It worked out, because the person(s) in this forum were correct.

Regards, Tony (a.k.a. possible jackass)

[suave1477]

LOOK................

Whether the story is true or not it is still fishy regardless I am not judging by the time frame in which the collection was chosen to be sold but by there are mans hands in one of the pics ( which seems a bit odd) and how she so accurately describes an item, that normally a direct collecotr, dealer, seller, buyer would understand.

My mother is into depression glass, all I would be able to describe is the color and condition nothing more, as I do not collect it.

My girlfriend collects shoes prada, gucci, and others.
The most I could tell you is who made the shoes, the color, and the amount of wear on them.

My point is even if your a wife of a collector chances are your not going to know detailed information about the specific uses from each player.

[bigjimsguitars]

Who cares what the seller says if the item is the real deal. There is no premium because of the circumstances for the person selling and any questions regarding the death of the husband are rude and uncaring to the seller, unless you are going to pay more because it comes from a dead collector.

As for the widow having used the correct terms in the auction, well if she was with a guy who collected for 20 odd years, I'm certain that he spoke about his collection if not to her, but to his men friends....

The legitimate questions would be only to the legitimacy of the items being offered and not to the circumstances of them being sold/auctioned and yes anyone who asked if her husband really died and why is there a man's hand in some of the pictures is clearly an uncaring baboon of the first degree, as it doesn't matter.

I'm also not seeing the scam angle....I'm not going to pay more because someone died and the widow or spouse is selling off the collection. Actually, it would tend to go the other way, all of the pond scum, bottom feeding sharks would be surrounding the poor victim in an attempt to low ball buying....

[bigtruck260]

Regardless...I have a slight issue here.

I have questions about the Pujols bat's tar pattern...but before I asked, I saw this thread (after Suave tipped me off to it). If the seller of these bats has not found this thread, something is wrong.

I find it hard to believe that a person with a collection that size is not a member of GUU (or is a member in hiding). I would guess that the majority of the members (I said MAJORITY), do not have a collection of that stature.

Something is not right about it, and I am choosing personally to exclude his/her items from my watch list.

Dave

[TNTtoys]

well if she was with a guy who collected for 20 odd years, I'm certain that he spoke about his collection if not to her, but to his men friends....

The crux of the problem lies within Jim's statement above. His statement, as does the statement of the seller, implies that this bat is part of a collection.
The bat, however, is not part of a collection, but instead a collectible just recently picked up on ebay for the purpose of flipping.
Knowing the fact behind this particular item (which is irrefutable at this point), we can conclude that the seller is being dishonest.

Now onto Jim's other statement "Who cares what the seller says if the item is the real deal." It does have merit; however, it is being sold on ebay. We have seen countless threads where it is discussed why are items sold on ebay vs. auction houses... why do items on ebay tend to sell for less than they would at auction houses... and the answer always boils down to trust. On ebay, not every buyer is educated the way we are here at GUU... many buyers rely on a trust relationship with the seller. Being an ebay seller, trust is paramount... So when that trust is broken (even if the circumstance has nothing to do with the legitimacy or price of the item), that's a deal-breaker. No trust, no sale.

[bigjimsguitars]

TNTtoys:

You also make some interesting points. My main thing is Vintage and Used Guitars and there are many parallels to GU Memorabilia, but end the end, I'm buying a guitar or GU Item and not the seller. In other words, I do consider the source, but it's the item I'm after. If the source is in question I will take more precautions and maybe use another set of eyes to vett the item.

There is the possibility that the Pujol's bat was bought and intended for the collection and then the collector passed away....but again, it doesn't matter if the item is real.

Bigtruck also raised some good points and were directly related to the item(s) and are relevant and pertinent.

However, I was a collector who has a fairly sizable collection and wasn't aware of the GUU until recently, so the fact that the ebayer in questions husband didn't belong (that we know of), is not an issue to me and not a reason for distrust.

I'm sure that there are many funny deals going on on ebay, but at the same time many good deals are to be had....knowledge and homework are the best tools to ferret out the BS and get the meat on the table. The same is true for Auction houses as well and maybe even more so as their language is more restrictive to the end buyer.

[B1SON]

The largest collection of Minnesota Gophers gameused equipment was dismantled on Ebay recently because the man had to pay medical bills. Your right, EVERYONE would have asked why he was doing it. It made me sad to see someone's hard work and energy dismantled like a tornado destroying a home.

[bigjimsguitars]

People die, have personal setbacks, and some just decide to move on and do something different. To think that a major collection cannot be dismantled for a variety of reasons is ludichrist and to judge the reasons for someone dismantling a collection is also.

The intentions of the seller only become a question or issue when the item(s) themselves are dubious or fake. Is any of the items being offered by the seller fake or questionable?

Look, I have no affiliation with the seller nor do I even know her/him or whatever. But I really think that some are making baseless determinations that are spurious and without merit unfairly to the seller.

[nyjetsfan14]

It made me sad to see someone's hard work and energy dismantled like a tornado destroying a home.

It is also sad when a former player has to sell off his stuff when age/health becomes a factor. AMI has had a lot of Maynard stuff recently and even though I am a devout Jets collector it bothers me. If I was a former NFL player I would hope my family would want to maintain such historic and proud items. But really I think it is the teams themselves that drop the ball. I have often been diasppointed in the Jets for not trying to procure such items for a Jets Hall of Fame at their new stadium and/or complex. These types of items (speaking of items such as the Maynard SB III jersey soon to be in AMI) should be on display for all Jets fans to see and enjoy as the Jets honor their history, not in some guys basement who never played a down (referring to people like myself so do not take offense).

Lastly, I suggest that if collectors don't want their stuff to hit e-Bay immediately after they pass then do what I did; have a son and brainwash him to be a bigger Jets fan than I am :)

[MSpecht]

The largest collection of Minnesota Gophers gameused equipment was dismantled on Ebay recently because the man had to pay medical bills. Your right, EVERYONE would have asked why he was doing it. It made me sad to see someone's hard work and energy dismantled like a tornado destroying a home.

I agree completely. Here is a bit of history: In the old days, when a "big-time" collector was selling off his collection, it was termed "He's 3-D - ing it," meaning that it was likely the result of either Death, Disease, or Divorce. ... (of course I found out recently that there is a 4th D -- "Daughters Going to College."

[10thMan]

I e-mailed the seller about one of the Bats. I usually ask a question before I make a purchase, it`s just an "attitude check" I took the "soft" route & said "sorry for your loss" because I just don`t know. I actually got a nice response from them. The person said they have "over 500 bats" & I believe them.
Sean

[TNTtoys]

It is also sad when a former player has to sell off his stuff when age/health becomes a factor. AMI has had a lot of Maynard stuff recently and even though I am a devout Jets collector it bothers me. If I was a former NFL player I would hope my family would want to maintain such historic and proud items.

I wonder what Maynard and his family thought of the "tasteful" display of his historic achievements as worn by topless models.

[nyjetsfan14]

I wonder what Maynard and his family thought of the "tasteful" display of his historic achievements as worn by topless models.

I wonder if the AMI girls wearing auction jerseys actually increases interest/bids/prices in those items? I mean I don't mind a lil eye candy but I don't see a jersey on one of the ladies and say: oh yeah, now I just have to have that because it is on her body. Most of the high end items should sell themselves. I have seen some e-Bay sellers either wearing or having somebody else wear a jersey as to display the attributes. When it is on an attractive lady I can deal with it but when it is a guy wearing the item it creeps me out and I won't bid. Can't we just stick to the good ole maniquin torso? So, I wonder if AMI has seen increased prices since the introduction of the AMI girls. I do know I look at the catalog a little closer.

[TNTtoys]

NYJetsfan: I'll cut you some slack because you root for a good team ;) but I do have to say you're the first person I have come across on here that actually is "for" the models.
Just to illustrate my point... have you ever given any thought to what "might" happen to this treasure during a photo shoot? Possibly it may get stained by brushing up against something dirty? Possibly it may obtain new pulls or other external damage? At minimum it might end up stinking of perfume. Also, picture yourself as the consigner of these items. First and foremost, they are usually the highest end pieces in the catalogue. How would you feel if this is what is being done with your treasured collectible? I mean, if you owned a Don Maynard game used jersey... or even one of the others that were recently "modeled" such as the Willie Mays New York Giants jersey... what would you think?

[nyjetsfan14]

Hmmm that's odd, I could have sworn I said the modeling of the items does nothing for me?