Question Regarding MEARS??

[SkubeBats]

I just found out that MEARS has a employee working for them that was convicted of selling fake Brett Favre autographs. His name is Ron Marth and was the owner of MR. Sports in Milwaukee, Wisconsin back in the 1990's. He was found guilty of selling hundreds of fake autographs back in the late 1990's and spent jail time for his crime. Brett himself helped the feds with this case. I just can't believe that MEARS would employ some one like this. I guess he has been working for MEARS for over a year now. Troy always says that he wants his company to be a honest and trustworthy company but if you ask me this isn't to honest. How can you have someone like this working for you. All I know is I just lost total trust in them now. Let me know what your feeling are about this.

[zookerman182]

maybe they employed him and put him on email duty.

[STLHAMMER32]

Skubebats,

The gonvernment often hires ex-hackers and former felons to assist them in helping prevent crimes like they did. Sometimes it takes a cheat to know one....I am not sure about this particular case but I believe everyone deserves a second chance...

Michael Vick works with peta for instance.....

[both-teams-played-hard]

If the man served jail time, then he is on notice to be honest and upstanding. If MEARS gets caught slipping, then I am sure that this forum will report it. Being an ex-con doesn't mean you can never work again. It is completely understandable to watch this gentleman's future actions. I am sure that MEARS is aware of his past. I do not think that this hiring speaks negatively of MEARS' business practices.

[legaleagle92481]

It is terriable I am all for second chances but if he is actually allowed to authenticate anything it gives him the temptation and a great opportunity to get back to his old tricks so to speak. It is like hiring a recovering alcoholic to work in a bar. Even if he is on "email duty" as someone else suggested there are alot of people out there without criminal records for selling fake sports memorabilia who they could have hired instead that I am sure am just as knowledgable. It just looks bad for MEARS.

[LWMM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale

[legaleagle92481]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale
Upon further thought I recant my post as long as he is not authenticating without very close supervision. If he is advising that is a great thing as who knows a crook better than another crook. I think they owe it to their customers though to explain his past on their website and his role with the company for all to see.

[spartakid]

I can't imagine Mears, knowing that people would find out about this guy one way or another, would do something to tarnish themselves, so I assume they are using this guy in a beneficial way. It would be nice for them to make some sort of public acknowledgement though.

[joelsabi]

I can't imagine Mears, knowing that people would find out about this guy one way or another, would do something to tarnish themselves, so I assume they are using this guy in a beneficial way. It would be nice for them to make some sort of public acknowledgement though.

in the same vein as spartakid, what position does this guy hold at mears? lets not judge without knowing all the facts. there are some positions that the guy can fill and have no importance to maintaining the integrity of the company.

[SkubeBats]

I know everyone should get a second chance I will agree with this. At least they should disclose this to everyone that Ron is working for them. It just looks like their trying to hide the fact that he works for them. I live here in Wisconsin and I heard and seen everything about Ron and I wouldn't want to deal with a company that employes him. MEARS gets rid of Dave Miedema and looses Chris Narat, John Conard, and Paul Tenpenny but keep this clown around. I don't understand that...

[lund6771]

It just looks like their trying to hide the fact that he works for them. I live here in Wisconsin and I heard and seen everything about Ron and I wouldn't want to deal with a company that employes him. MEARS gets rid of Dave Miedema and looses Chris Narat, John Conard, and Paul Tenpenny but keep this clown around. I don't understand that...


Can someone by 100% "rehabilitated?"..isn't that a line from Shawshank Redemption?

Anyways, I dealt with Ron a long time ago (early 90's) before all the stuff with the fake Auto's and all the fake trash they were selling at Mr. Sports

Ron was a great guy, with a beautiful family...hopefully the "transgressions" that he had in the mid 90's were just a greedy few years in his life and he is back to the person that I knew....

haven't spoken to him in many years but I'd be interested in knowing what his capacity is at Mears...It would be interesting if it was in authentication because he wasn't very knowledgable

[ChrisCavalier]

To be very honest, I do not know Ron or any of the circumstances regarding his past. However, I would like to ask that people refrain from any speculation that implies there may be something questionable going on as it pertains to his current role at Mears. Mears may choose to respond to the question posed here but, again, please do not imply or make any accusations without a basis of understanding.

Thanks in advance.

[jboosted92]

I know everyone should get a second chance I will agree with this. At least they should disclose this to everyone that Ron is working for them. It just looks like their trying to hide the fact that he works for them. I live here in Wisconsin and I heard and seen everything about Ron and I wouldn't want to deal with a company that employes him. MEARS gets rid of Dave Miedema and looses Chris Narat, John Conard, and Paul Tenpenny but keep this clown around. I don't understand that...


SkubeBats,

Are you a business owner?

[SkubeBats]

No, I don't own a buisness. What does this have to do with anything?

[lund6771]

To be very honest, I do not know Ron or any of the circumstances regarding his past. However, I would like to ask that people refrain from any speculation that implies there may be something questionable going on as it pertains to his current role at Mears. Mears may choose to respond to the question posed here but, again, please do not imply or make any accusations without a basis of understanding.

Thanks in advance.


Isn't this a chat forum?

[jboosted92]

No, I don't own a buisness. What does this have to do with anything?

Everything. When you own a business, and hire/release employees, every decision is made on multiple levels that address certain needs within the company profile. Business owners, whether in business for 1 year or 10 years learn this overtime.

Personally, I understand the choice to hire this particular 65 year old individual at $10.00 a hour. Ultimately, this task is a $10.00 an hour job, that needs to be filled. Start creating a list of individuals that may knock on your door to work for $10.00 in order to accomplish the business task at hand. First, the list and demographic is likely to be extremely small, and in 2-4 type of categories.

Since this individual would be doing "shipping and handling" , here are some of the requirements, that would likely be necessary.

1. Possible experience in handling goods that are of moderate to high value
2. Familiriaty in the sports collecting world
3. Looking to stay on-board for a considerable amount of time ( looking for minimal turnover )
4. Trustworthy.

Now..think about #4 and why it likely was a GOOD idea, to hire him while CONSIDERING this, instead of the likely 16-24 year old individual, that would meet the majority of the other demographic that would knock on the door. Now apply #1-#3 to that 16-24 year old.

[lund6771]

Everything. When you own a business, and hire/release employees, every decision is made on multiple levels that address certain needs within the company profile. Business owners, whether in business for 1 year or 10 years learn this overtime.

Personally, I understand the choice to hire this particular 65 year old individual at $10.00 a hour. Ultimately, this task is a $10.00 an hour job, that needs to be filled. Start creating a list of individuals that may knock on your door to work for $10.00 in order to accomplish the business task at hand. First, the list and demographic is likely to be extremely small, and in 2-4 type of categories.

Since this individual would be doing "shipping and handling" , here are some of the requirements, that would likely be necessary.

1. Possible experience in handling goods that are of moderate to high value
2. Familiriaty in the sports collecting world
3. Looking to stay on-board for a considerable amount of time ( looking for minimal turnover )
4. Trustworthy.

Now..think about #4 and why it likely was a GOOD idea, to hire him while CONSIDERING this, instead of the likely 16-24 year old individual, that would meet the majority of the other demographic that would knock on the door. Now apply #1-#3 to that 16-24 year old.

are you joking or drinking?....

1. right now you can find/hire ANYONE you want...overqualified people that will take much less than what they are worth to get a paycheck

2. is this individual (Ron) hired for $10 an hour by mears to package up boxes?...or are you speaking hypothetically

3. how is a 65 year old considered a long term employee?

4. Does packing up boxes taking a Harvard education?....any monkey with 5-10 minutes of training, and with minimal management, can accomplish this feat

4. find me a young, hungry, focused, honest, 24 year old and I would take them over a 65 year old con any day of the week

and yes, I am a business owner...

[jboosted92]

are you joking or drinking?....

1. right now you can find/hire ANYONE you want...overqualified people that will take much less than what they are worth to get a paycheck

2. is this individual (Ron) hired for $10 an hour by mears to package up boxes?...or are you speaking hypothetically

3. how is a 65 year old considered a long term employee?

4. Does packing up boxes taking a Harvard education?....any monkey with 5-10 minutes of training, and with minimal management, can accomplish this feat

4. find me a young, hungry, focused, honest, 24 year old and I would take them over a 65 year old con any day of the week

and yes, I am a business owner...


Young, Hungry, Focused Honest 24 year old ( 1st you wont know the honesty ) but lets look at the other 3....

find me one...that is 24 that will work for $10.00 for more than 3 months, and wouldnt be bored after 2 months.. if he is "hungry and focused"...he wants to move up ...or move out....

Let me know when you find those 24 year olds at 10.00 bux an hour, that wont bail in a few weeks...tell them i have a bunch of positions open for them

[ChrisCavalier]

Isn't this a chat forum?
Yes it is a chat forum but, as we have stated before, it is not intended to imply any unscrupulous or questionable activity without basis.

It appears Dave Grob has made a post that Ron was hired for shipping and handling and they feel comfortable hiring him in that role. I think people can take that for what it is worth and people can also judge Ron's efforts based on the way they receive their items. As for speculation about anything else, I guess I don't see the basis for it.

[lund6771]

Hey Chris...my interpretation is that noone is stating that Mears is up to any inscrupulous/questionable behavior by hiring Ron...maybe people are just wondering why?...

jboosted9....maybe I'm fortunate to be working with a number of young & hungry 20 somethings...not here to start a debate about how someone should run a business, but it kinda pissed me off when you start throwing darts at Skubats about some kind of demographics crap

there are plenty of $10 a hour of people working at Mcdonalds or Walmart that can take care of your shipping...and when they quit in 2 weeks to deliver pizzas, there will be plenty more people that are more than capable of putting something in a box and taping it shut

[SkubeBats]

ChrisCavalier,
Why is it everytime someone brings up a post about MEARS, Zane Burns, Dave Bushing, John Taube, or yourself you come running to their aid. But at the same time some post go on for days even weeks with out any response from you. Your post you made about this subject is as if your being apoligetic to MEARS. I believe that this practice of hiring Ron is a bad move on MEARS side. You don't see a school hire a sex offender to work at their school do you. It's not as if Ron sold 5 fake autographs he sold hundreds if not thousands of fake autographs. This was a massaive forgery sting that he was busted in. You can't tell me that he doesn't put his 2 cents in on any of the items they look at, buy, or authenitacte come on get real. I have seen Troy and Ron together at auctions before. Do you think Ron was there with Troy boxing up items for MEARS, come on think about it. It just doesn't look good for MEARS....

[Trublubrucru]

Chris,
"you dont see the basis for this"... Well, Marth was caught in a Federal sting, charged and convictided of forgery and served his sentence. In my book , this percludes him from working in the sports hobby industry, at any level. (and if he does, its good that it comes to light)
There's plenty of other things he could do.

Trsent,
On the Mears site you say "he made a mistake", "made a few judgement calls I'm sure now he'd wishes he reconsidered", and "silly choices". I dont think so. He knowingly forged, willfully misrepresented, distributed, and sold for profit Brett Farve autos. No mistakes, or silly choices. This was a ripoff crime to the hobby.

Dave Grob,
From Mears website."Mr. Marth does not authenticate anything for Mears, nor is he involved in obtaining or selling product." Oh really. At the April 2006 Dwyn Castle auction in which Mears obtained numerous items of memoribilia, who was sitting next to Troy,.. Ron Marth. And can you say that not one thing in past Mears auctions has not been provided by Marth(from the collection of Mears staff items) or obtained through him over the years.

C'mon fellas. I have no ill will towards anyone here, but to defend him as just a warehouse worker, when he at one time was one of the hobbies big sellers and used his position to defraud people, just seems a bit of turning a blind eye to the situation.

[ChrisCavalier]

To be clear, my comments were made in an attempt to make sure this thread didn't go in a direction without an understanding of the situation. As I mentioned in my last post, Mears has provided their stance on the issue and people can assess it as they see fit. All I was asking was for people to understand the situation before speculating on the implications.

I also understand that people will have different opinions about the issue and that is fine. I just simply felt the situation should be fully understood prior to the assessments being made.

[SkubeBats]

I won't be making anymore comments about this subject. I just recevid an email from Troy at MEARS. He informed me that he has turned this post over to his lawyers to see if he can take legal action against me. I guesss thats what you get for trying to do something good for the hobby. I just thought the public should know this information.
THANKS!!

[chakes89]

Hahaha are you serious?

That is so lame

[SkubeBats]

Chakes89,
I'm not kidding thats what Troy told me in an email he sent me.