GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

[aeneas01]

are auction houses and "third party authenticators" now looking to the guu forum for help with their authentication needs? have they discovered a zero-fee resource that is proving to be much more reliable than what they've had to pay for in the past? is guu the new "mears" on the block, but free?

a couple of weeks ago i outed the following "hacksaw reynolds" helmet, along with a few other lids, in response to blog comments that suggested guu forum members tend to overreact to the mistakes auction houses and authenticators make. the reason for my post was to show that guu members, among the most knowledgeable collectors around, have very good reason to criticize and air their frustrations.

in the post i picked one obvious problem with each helmet that i listed - as for the "reynolds" helmet, i pointed out that the lid was fitted with a blue facemask which the rams didn't use until after he had left the team - yet no mention of this was made in the ad. here's the link:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=15127

anyway, american memorabilia has listed the "hacksaw reynolds" helmet again - but this time around it seems that ami may have benefited from my post. the new item description has been overhauled in an attempt to explain what was overlooked and/or not mentioned the first time around.






original item description, 03/24/2005 (sold for $1,700++) - note the red box. mention was made of the blue facemask, "rams" bumper decal and "intact and original" warning decal.





overhauled description, current auction - again, note the red box. facemask, bumper decal and warning label are now "trimmings" that were added later. explanation? according to the rewrite, this suspension relic was presumably recycled and readied for the following year's camp - recycled and readied for another player joining the rams given that jack had long since departed. hmmm.. i guess that explains why a "reynolds" dymo tape would still be stuck to the inside of the lid. just in case the incoming player wanted to pretend to be hacksaw. makes sense. good grief.





ppppppp

[Eric]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

So they ban people for their association with this site, but they're more than happy to use the information to help sell their products.
Classy!
Aeneas- nice work, if before it was 100% Authentic, you made that helmet 1000% Authentic!

[mvandor]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

You know, I respect that they tried to address the issues but really have to wonder with all those differences how they then can attribute it to Reynolds at all? And curious where the recycled camp story came from as well, sort of suspect the creative writers that do their catalogue.

[lund6771]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

You know, I respect that they tried to address the issues but really have to wonder with all those differences how they then can attribute it to Reynolds at all? And curious where the recycled camp story came from as well, sort of suspect the creative writers that do their catalogue.

Mvandor...some might call it creativity...I call it morally & ethically dispicable what auction houses like AMI do...I put them, morally, at the same level with the terd that a bird left on my pick-up this morning

[harpt]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

...I put them, morally, at the same level with the terd that a bird left on my pick-up this morning

I can honestly say that's first time in my life that I have ever heard any reference to the morality of a terd.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

Notice post #9 from this thread:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=3023&highlight=alworth

Could just be a coincidence, but Lampson may have used my research. I still urge Mr. Lampson to join this forum and ask questions of its members. He may have caught details that I, or other members of this forum, missed.

[Eric]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

I'm confused. I have always been told (by two auction houses) that Mr. Lampson doesn't use email, computers, the internet etc.

If that's true, then he's missing out on a lot of research material. So it can't be true, can it?

Anyone know first hand?

[aeneas01]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

... but really have to wonder with all those differences how they then can attribute it to Reynolds at all? And curious where the recycled camp story came from as well, sort of suspect the creative writers that do their catalogue.

exactly...

the first time around the decals were "intact and original" - the second time around they are "trimmings" later added. yet we're supposed to believe that the "reynolds" dymo tape, the item connecting this lid to hacksaw, is original? and, p.s., the "camp" story is utterly ridiculous.

[kingjammy24]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

I'm confused. I have always been told (by two auction houses) that Mr. Lampson doesn't use email, computers, the internet etc.

If that's true, then he's missing out on a lot of research material. So it can't be true, can it?

of course it's true. lampson claims to have an "astounding" 8000 photos. how do you suppose he carries around 8000 photos? assuming he carries 8x10s (or larger) and that each one would weigh approx .20 oz, that's roughly 80lbs. don't you always carry around an 80lb briefcase with 8000 photos inside? i know i do. these biceps of mine don't build themselves!

no computers, no internet. just books and hard copies of photos. the thing that has me really puzzled though is how he prints off so many loas. his website has 10 loas per page and 580 pages for a total of 5800 loas. that's a whole lot of typewriter ribbon! or maybe he's got his own printing press? all that typesetting must be madness for the poor guy.



rudy.

[Dewey2007]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

Your L.L. LOA photo w/ captions just gave me the laugh that I needed to get me through the rest of the day. Thank you and keep them coming!

[helmets]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

If you have ever seen Lou at a show, he pulls a large briefcase (almost a suitcase) around on wheels. In it, he has his latest treasures for show and tell, as well as many photos.

[kingjammy24]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

"If you have ever seen Lou at a show, he pulls a large briefcase (almost a suitcase) around on wheels. In it, he has his latest treasures for show and tell, as well as many photos."

and thank you for my laugh of the day! a suitcase on wheels. i love it. forget 4.7gb dvd discs, lou's still doing it old-school. what a relic. does he still enjoy taking in a good vaudeville show? maybe getting into his trusty Packard and heading downtown for a 5-cent sarsparilla and some frozen custard? maybe see the doc about getting a poultice for his gout? maybe that's why he and victor get along so well. they can both dish about the time they saw jack dempsey making eyes with theda bera. i bet andy rooney drives them nuts with his youthful impishness.

anyway, robert: i think some auction houses have long been skimming free information off this site for their own authentication purposes. i suppose that's a good thing, right? can't exactly bitch about them not listening and then bitch when they do. in this specific case, i understand the ridiculousness of AMI banning chris, rob, and eric solely for their association with the GUF and then turning around and pilfering information from it for their own purposes. my personal feeling on the matter in general is that while i think it's prudent for auction houses to listen to GUF, it's a bit of a raw deal that this free information is helping their venture to profit. i can't count the number of screwups lampson has made that were corrected by this Forum. not only did they fail to send any of the authentication fee to the folks on here who really did the work but they didn't even come on this Forum to say thank you! classless is right.
lampson screws it up, members on here correct it, and lampson collects 100% of the fee. i don't mind helping people on here for free because i receive the same in kind. i do mind helping people for free when they're making money off of my work, not sharing a dime of it with me, and have never helped me in the least.
you'll continue to authenticate helmets at various auction houses and i guarantee you that if the auction house is GFC, AMI, Mastro, Vintage or Historic, you'll never hear so much as a thank-you much less actually receive a cut for your work. they'll take your info but pay lampson.

rudy.

[Vintagedeputy]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

"If you have ever seen Lou at a show, he pulls a large briefcase (almost a suitcase) around on wheels. In it, he has his latest treasures for show and tell, as well as many photos."

and thank you for my laugh of the day! a suitcase on wheels. i love it. forget 4.7gb dvd discs, lou's still doing it old-school. what a relic. does he still enjoy taking in a good vaudeville show? maybe getting into his trusty Packard and heading downtown for a 5-cent sarsparilla and some frozen custard? maybe see the doc about getting a poultice for his gout? maybe that's why he and victor get along so well. they can both dish about the time they saw jack dempsey making eyes with theda bera. i bet andy rooney drives them nuts with his youthful impishness.

King - that was priceless! Well worth the price of admission! Thanks for a good hearty laugh!

Jim

[CollectGU]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

"If you have ever seen Lou at a show, he pulls a large briefcase (almost a suitcase) around on wheels. In it, he has his latest treasures for show and tell, as well as many photos."



i think some auction houses have long been skimming free information off this site for their own authentication purposes. i suppose that's a good thing, right? can't exactly bitch about them not listening and then bitch when they do. my personal feeling on the matter in general is that while i think it's prudent for auction houses to listen to GUF, it's a bit of a raw deal that this free information is helping their venture to profit.
rudy.

Isn't this exactly the model being used by the auction portion of this forum? Put the items up to the scrutiny of its members?

Regards,
Dave

[aeneas01]

Re: GUU The Newest Authentication Service On The Block?

anyway, robert: i think some auction houses have long been skimming free information off this site for their own authentication purposes. i suppose that's a good thing, right? can't exactly bitch about them not listening and then bitch when they do.

i don't have any problem with an auction house looking to guu for help. i have a problem with an auction house that cherry-picks good info from this site for less than above board purposes - such as to bolster, or make excuses for, a very suspect item in their possession. and, imo, that seems to be the case with the reynolds lid. but, hey, i have a vivid imagination. and i also suffer from delusions of grandeur.

forget 4.7gb dvd discs, lou's still doing it old-school. what a relic. does he still enjoy taking in a good vaudeville show? maybe getting into his trusty Packard and heading downtown for a 5-cent sarsparilla and some frozen custard? maybe see the doc about getting a poultice for his gout? maybe that's why he and victor get along so well. they can both dish about the time they saw jack dempsey making eyes with theda bera. i bet andy rooney drives them nuts with his youthful impishness.

funny, funny stuff! i guess we all need to simply face the fact that lampson is from a much gentler, kinder, "kick off your shoes and grab your fishing pole" place and time. and, further, i guess we all need to finally realize that nerat is right - lampson is just a harmless little rascal trying to make his way in the world....