SCD Drops Coaches Corner- NY Daily News

[Eric]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/2009/06/sports-collectors-digest-drops.html (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/2009/06/sports-collectors-digest-drops.html)

June 12, 2009

Sports Collector's Digest drops major advertiser

by Michael O'Keeffe
Here's one sign that the scandal-stained sports memorabilia biz is getting serious about cleaning up its act: Sports Collector's Digest, the hobby Bible, will stop accepting advertising from Coaches Corner, one of its biggest advertisers.

Collectors and memorabilia industry leaders have complained about Coaches Corner for years, saying the autographed balls, game-used bats and other memorabilia offered by the Souderton, Pa., auction house appears fraudulent and doesn't pass the sniff test.

The marketplace certainly doesn't have much respect for the company's offerings. As the Daily News reported in a story last year, prices for items sold by Coaches Corner are often a fraction of the prices for similar items offered by other auction houses. In a January 2007 Coaches Corner auction, a Josh Gibson-signed ball sold for $1,158, a real steal, since the Negro League star's autograph is very rare and expensive. Robert Edward Auctions, meanwhile, sold a Josh Gibson postcard for $81,000.

Coaches Corner executives did not return calls; SCD publisher Dean Listle declined comment.

Robert Edward Auctions president Rob Lifson was one of those who urged SCD to purge Coaches Corner from its pages. "I think there was a groundswell of opinion that forced them to do something," Lifson said.

[flaco1801]

what took so long???

[sportscentury]

Sports Collector's Digest, the hobby Bible

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing001.gif

It's not even acceptable bathroom reading.

[sammy]

This will have very little, if any, effect on Coach's Corner auction sales.

After all, how many people still subscribe to SCD?

Coach's Corner has a built in bidder list in the thousands, that they have been acquiring over the past 20 years.

[mvandor]

This will have very little, if any, effect on Coach's Corner auction sales.

After all, how many people still subscribe to SCD?

Coach's Corner has a built in bidder list in the thousands, that they have been acquiring over the past 20 years.

Well, SCD by showing some guts on this, at least has a CHANCE to rebuild their magazine and restore their reputation. It'll be tough, but they do have a shot if they can get through the recession. IMHO...

[commando]

Well, SCD by showing some guts on this, at least has a CHANCE to rebuild their magazine and restore their reputation. It'll be tough, but they do have a shot if they can get through the recession. IMHO...

I applaud SCD for finally pulling the CC advertising. With that being said, we can start placing our bets on which week the last issue of SCD will be.

[mr.miracle]

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing001.gif

It's not even acceptable bathroom reading.


Reid:

Can you tell me where to get your little laughing man. I could really use that one myself sometimes

[sportscentury]

Brett - feel free to just copy and paste mine (it's that simple). Or, you can google "smiley face emoticons" (or something similar) and the endless sea of options will be at your fingertips. This little guy is far more expressive than "LOL" in my opinion.

[rj_lucas]

Let's see, if we shut down one questionable memorabilia dealer every 20 years, we should have this industry cleaned up in, um, carry the two...

In about 2080 years. There's hope for collectors everywhere!

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[mr.miracle]

Brett - feel free to just copy and paste mine (it's that simple). Or, you can google "smiley face emoticons" (or something similar) and the endless sea of options will be at your fingertips. This little guy is far more expressive than "LOL" in my opinion.


Like this???

[sportscentury]

Like this???

Brett - just cut and paste into your message. No need to add as an attachment.

As for SCD and Coaches Corner, SCD knew of the endless problems with Coaches Corner for years and years and didn't do a thing. Too little far too late in my book. Years ago, when Montbriand, Bushing, Grob, etc., used to write articles on game used items, the magazine offered something of value, but those days are long, long gone.

As for the bible of the hobby, that is a laugh. If there is a bible, it's the collection of independent websites like Hobby Kings and Game Used Forum. These are what collectors read to find out what is really going on in the hobby. SCD and Becketts are garbage and have been for many years.

[sox83cubs84]

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing001.gif

It's not even acceptable bathroom reading.

Sure it is...it gives you something to use if you forgot to fill the toilet paper dispenser:D .

Dave M.
Chicago area

[suicide_squeeze]

This will have very little, if any, effect on Coach's Corner auction sales.

After all, how many people still subscribe to SCD?

Coach's Corner has a built in bidder list in the thousands, that they have been acquiring over the past 20 years.


Sammy,

So are you saying that people who hear this news, the same people that have been buying from Coaches Corner's auction, won't react at all and want to know why?

Would that be because people who have been buying bad fraudulent items for many years are not ready to accept their mistakes, and the fact they have a pile of GARBAGE in their collections?......and, in doing so (facing the fact that Coaches Corner is nothing but a sweat shop that pushes bad items) would they be essentially caving into the fact their collections (of CC stuff) are worthless?

Is this the socio-idelogical (psychological) reason why some of the auction houses have stayed in business for as long as they have?......."Once you buy one bad piece, you have to support the fact that you just couldn't have made a mistake?"

I don't understand that reasoning, but the thought did cross my mind.

Short of that.........are there really that many stupid "lemmings" collectors in our hobby?

[allstarsplus]

Sure it is...it gives you something to use if you forgot to fill the toilet paper dispenser:D .

Dave M.
Chicago area

Agreed!!!

[worldchamps]

I have been very vocal on this issue and how i would not be renewing my subscription due to the Coaches Corners ads. Hearing this however will change my mind. Even though the reading material and ads have shrunk drastically, I will renew.

If you are reading SCD, thank you for doing the right thing.

[David]

As I understand, the ad content of the magazines is beyond the control of the editors and certainly beyond the control of the writers. It's the publisher who makes ad decisions. An editor can quit his job in protest (and sometimes maybe should), but remember that he has no control over the ads, other than trying to persuade his employer. I point this out this as the editors usually take most of the heat.

[suicide_squeeze]

As I understand, the ad content of the magazines is beyond the control of the editors and certainly beyond the control of the writers. It's the publisher who makes ad decisions. An editor can quit his job in protest (and sometimes maybe should), but remember that he has no control over the ads, other than trying to persuade his employer. I point this out this as the editors usually take most of the heat.

Sounds correct.

And in a day and age when the economy is seriously compromised, what does it say for "Coaches Corner" that at THIS time, SCD decided to pull the plug on a paying sponsor?

It doesn't neccessarily speak volumns for SCD (in moral gumption) as much as it spells out exactly how foul Coaches Corner is in conducting their scam business, IMO.

SCD just couldn't handle (justify) this menacing boat anchor any longer, so they threw them overboard.

[earlywynnfan]

I'm confused; my most recent issues of SCD do have ads for CC. However, the past two monthly auctions have NOT been in there; only the first page.

So I guess they're still taking ads, just not publishing the whole auction or those auction previews/reviews??

Ken
earlywynnfan5@hotmail.com

[kneerat]

Ken, I would assume that your issues still have the ads because those issues were most likely printed and laid out weeks ago. I would imagine that in the next couple weeks you wont see any CC ads.

[skipcarayislegend]

A collector acquaintance forwarded the following email exchange he had with someone at Coach's Corner. I don't know who it was that responded but my guess would be Lee. According to this person at CC, it was Coach's Corner's decision to break ties with SCD, not the other way around. (Dave Grob speculated as much recently on the MEARS site: http://www.network54.com/Forum/426247/message/1245010445/SCD+Drops+Coaches+Corner-) Seems SCD had every intention of continuing its relationship with CCSA, all of you haters be damned. SCD got a lot of pats on the back about this since it broke, all for not, imo. Assuming CC's response is accurate, we're not the only ones who think SCD is worthless.

When T.S. O'Connell was still allowing comments on his blog, one of the bigger anti-CCSA posters was someone named "Mike the ring guy." When the comments at SCD were shut down, Mike started his own blog: http://www.sports-rings.com/blog.htm

It looks like CCSA's Lee has been posting there in response to Mike's rants.

Here's the email from CCSA about the blog and their split from SCD:

"<name withheld> basically EVERY SINGLE THING in their is false starting with the SCD thing. We never were banned from running ads in SCD. Due to the lack of return on our investment from the mag(remember when they had 100 page issues, now they are down to 20 or so!) and the fact that they were planning to run their own auctions (collect.com (http://collect.com/)) we decided to run our own catalogs!

If you check, for the last 2 months we have only run 2-page ads and were planning on stopping that completely this month! I don't know where these ridiculous rumors start, but people love to hear about this hobby trash for some reason! Also, nobody at SCD ever returned an email with the response mentioned in the article. Even the mention of a Josh Gibson ball is complete fabrication!! Our legal team is looking into our options, and where the rumors started.

Thanks for the email and sorry that you had to hear these far-fetched stories!! If you have any other questions, just ask!"

[both-teams-played-hard]

I don't know where these ridiculous rumors start, but people love to hear about this hobby trash for some reason!

http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/7812/moneylaughs.gif

[rj_lucas]

CCSA: Is the monkey thing actionable?

CCSA lawyer: Not sure. We're looking into it.

[miketheringguy]

Hi,

Mike the ring guy here to put my 2 cents in. I don't know much about advertising but I do know that Coach's corner had advertisied in SCD for years and years. If it were not for their advertising in SCD how would we all know of Coach's Corner. They needed SCD and SCD needed them, it was a perfect marrage. Just because SCD started their own auction site (which I feel is a disgrace to discuss for another day), why would CC pull out if the advertising was helping them sell the garbage that they sell. They probibly make a high profit since we all know they consign their own garbage so why would they care if SCD set up an auction site. CC did not care when Lelands, Robert Edwards, Hunt and all the others advertised too.

CC is very good at childish threats. They threaten me and Tom at youtube all the time. They are just trying to throw out mis-interformation, I am sure SCD threw them out. They had lost major advertisers over this (I know because the advertisers told me this.) Two advertisers also told me that advertising in SCD works. It even works for CC.

Well, CC, you know what. I suggest you sue me and go ahead and sue SCD too. Here is what will happen when you sue Mike The Ring Guy like you hinted you would do at my blog:

Can you imagine the fun you and I will have in the discovery phase of the suit? That is where my lawyer or lawyers can request documents and other evidence from CC and use the evidence they find to show my comments were not slander.

I bet I could charge admission during the deposition stage. No need to charge admission, I would just update this blog with what I find. Can't wait to see how much you pay your "authenticators" and who keeps submitting those Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb balls.

For those not familiar with my blog or my battle against CC please visit it at: www.sports-rings.com (http://www.sports-rings.com)

Oh, and if SCD does not join the fight, you can bet I will be back putting the heat on them too.

thanks,

[sammy]

Mike,

If you get in a courtroom with CC, or anyone else, I suggest you have a lot of money to play the game.

The lawyers will drain you dry if given the chance, and then come up with some kind of settlement.

It is a VERY expensive game to play, whereas talk is cheap.

I don't care for CC, but if you have never done this kind of thing, beware.

[miketheringguy]

Thanks for the warning. I already have council and before we get to trial we go through discovery and disposition. This is where the fun begins and if they want to go this route I look forward to the process.

[miketheringguy]

some other blogger just did a story on this mess, please check it out at:

http://www.voiceofthecollector.com/

thanks,

Mike the ring guy.