All-Star Dealers reality show

[Birdbats]

Would love to hear your thoughts on this new show and how it will reflect on our hobby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoOlMv8wv4E&feature=relmfu

[xpress34]

I watched the videos earlier and it really turned me off on Grey Flannel. Customers are sending stuff in for THEIR auction and they are calling the customer's stuff crap?

I understand some things may get their juices flowing more - the football jerseys for example - but that's no excuse for them demeaning other items... those people are still THEIR customer's. On top of that, they appeared to kind of 'man-handle' the items as well.

Anyone else's thoughts? How would you feel if you saw something you send in getting treated that way and them talking about it like that. It wouldn't give me much confidence that they would work too hard to get top dollar for my item.

Just my .02

- Smitty

[GameWornJCollector]

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=45794

[perlman9]

Turns me off a bit, too. First, they are going to overblow price as most shows do but the attitude they present is just not for me. I won't watch the show but if a Michigan State alum jersey comes up, am sure I will still bid.

[gingi79]

I watched the videos earlier and it really turned me off on Grey Flannel. Customers are sending stuff in for THEIR auction and they are calling the customer's stuff crap?

I understand some things may get their juices flowing more - the football jerseys for example - but that's no excuse for them demeaning other items... those people are still THEIR customer's. On top of that, they appeared to kind of 'man-handle' the items as well.

Anyone else's thoughts? How would you feel if you saw something you send in getting treated that way and them talking about it like that. It wouldn't give me much confidence that they would work too hard to get top dollar for my item.

Just my .02

- Smitty

+1

I wasn't impressed by their promo. For an auction house with so many top items in the past, I thought they would have sounded less pompous and fake. Frankly, I didn't come away feeling they were the experts I thought they were but rather uninformed newbies who were pretending to know what they are talking about.

The Giants helmet comment reeked of self importance. We know in this hobby that a replica helmet won't sell but dismissing it as "crap"? Classy.

The Lott and the Marino passed initial inspection but his excitement was tempered with no actual knowledge, just throw away, off the cuff thoughts that anyone who ever saw a jersey, knew already. As I said, with their reputation, the meatiest thing you say shouldn't be covering your touchas with "if it passes authentication". I hope they discuss the hobby and the saturation of Marino's, most of which are suspect rather than become Antiques Roadshow. I fear this show will be torn apart weekly on this site for inflated price estimates that have no basis in substance, a complete lack of insight into the hobby and questions answered with "It has to pass final authentication"

[dplettn]

I think its important to take a step back, guys. Those of us on GUU are hopefully less interested in the basics of the difference between game used and replica. But keep in mind that a show's producers aren't trying to appeal to the members of GUU (and, we'll probably watch anyway).

The shows producers are targeting a much wider audience and hearing things called "crap" is perhaps sensationalistic, but it will give the average sports fan a cursory understanding of the GU hobby. More importantly for TV, it will be entertaining.

As for us, the only useful information we'll learn is about the culture of Grey Flannel. But, I for one will enjoy watching it... even with appreciation that it isn't produced with "us" in mind.

IMHO, the show will add to the quantity of people who naturally enter our hobby. While it may have an adverse affect of the pricing for items we want to buy, I am happy that new people are likely to appreciate an awesome hobby if the show stimulates their more serious interest.

[otismalibu]

Just going off the YT clip, it looks quite a bit like Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, American Restoration, etc. A 'reality' show that is clearly scripted and features terrible acting. And that's not a slam on the casts of any of these shows, it's just they're not actors...and it shows. I'd rather see an unscripted show, with a camera crew just following the staff around.

Assuming the Marino and Lott are legit, is that really how an auction house would get its first look? You just throw 2 HOF jerseys in a box and ship to GFC w/o any heads up or signature confirmation. Hey, lets go check and see if there are any $5000 items in these boxes that have been sitting outside our shop. Jackpot!

I realize all these shows try to create the "look I found a treasure!" moment in every episode and that will appeal to the masses...but the hook knife, seemingly unorganized approach to opening boxes and tossing around of jerseys, surely will make some folks on this board cringe

[both-teams-played-hard]

I will watch every episode and the rerun the next day. These shows are gold. If you don't like them, just watch the scripted bullshit made in Hollywood.

[jppopma]

Just going off the YT clip, it looks quite a bit like Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, American Restoration, etc. A 'reality' show that is clearly scripted and features terrible acting. And that's not a slam on the casts of any of these shows, it's just they're not actors...and it shows. I'd rather see an unscripted show, with a camera crew just following the staff around.

Assuming the Marino and Lott are legit, is that really how an auction house would get its first look? You just throw 2 HOF jerseys in a box and ship to GFC w/o any heads up or signature confirmation. Hey, lets go check and see if there are any $5000 items in these boxes that have been sitting outside our shop. Jackpot!

I realize all these shows try to create the "look I found a treasure!" moment in every episode and that will appeal to the masses...but the hook knife, seemingly unorganized approach to opening boxes and tossing around of jerseys, surely will make some folks on this board cringe

I was thinking the same thing! I wonder how many people will stuff a bunch of stuff into a box and just send it off to Grey Flannel?

While there are alot of GEMS that could be surfaced as a result of the show there are a few problems that I see:

1) People will expect that a signed replica Marino is actually worth $5,000...

2) Unknowing people will be duped into sending these gems into an auction house, only for them to claim the stuff is crap (or maybe even make a lowball offer to "save" them on the return postage).

3) Everyone getting in line behind me for a UPS job in Westhampton, NY ..."what package?"

[solarlottry]

My thoughts exactly- who sends 2 HOF gamers, unannounced, to Grey Flannel, poorly packed, only to have GF throw them around like dirty underwear?!!!

If I was to send my Lott and Montana gamers to them, they would not be thrown haphazardly into a box with hopes for the best. The show makes them appear flippant and uninterested in the actual piece and only interested in how much they will sell for.

I do understand that GF has a business to run but having an uncaring attitude can turn potential customers off as these items are pieces of history that, for the most part, the owner truly cherished. I know that if I saw my Lott shirt treated like that I would wonder about the rest of their customer service. I would be concerned that they are only out for their best interest and not mine.

So much of the inventory that GF has is junk anyway so maybe this show will give us some insight into where it comes from and how it makes it's way into the auction. I would also love to see their "authentication process"!

Recently there was a Lott gamer on eBay that was listed for 19442$ and it had MEARS paperwork with an A10 grade. I was in contact with the seller and he was so excited that he had a MEARS A10 grade and was less concerned about the shirt itself. He could not understand why I wanted to see more images of the sleeves, repairs, tagging and font when the shirt was graded A10! He went so far as to say that because MEARS stated it was the best Lott gamer in the world that it would set a world record at auction!

He asked what I thought made a shirt "the best"? I told him that a shirt with good use, authentic repairs, an authentic team letter such as the late 80s 49ers letters signed in ink by Bronco and a photo match would constitute a great shirt. To me third party paperwork meant little, as if one does their homework that can be as good or better than any 3rd party evaluation.

Funny thing was that he never wavered from his point of view of "if it has an A10 it must be real". The MEARS evaluation itself looked terrible, hand written, sloppy with no mention of attempts at photo matching. It did mention that the size was not typical for Lott as the shirt was a 46 and he usually wore a 42 or 44. Troy was quite unconvincing explaining this discrepancy. That alone would eliminate this shirt as the "best ever" as a size problem can be a big issue.

The shirt is to be auctioned off at some point and I am quite curious to see what it brings. Maybe it will be on the show!!!!

Always buying 49ers gamers and paying absolutely the best prices for quality shirts!
Paul
garciajones@yahoo.com

[34swtns]

Totally FAKE, SCRIPTED and CONTRIVED.

Like most of the new crop of "reality" shows.

[Preston]

I need some more comedy in my life...anyone know any specifics on what channel this'll be aired on or when?

[34swtns]

It starts Jan. 24th at 8 PM EST on Discovery.

[jppopma]

Does Grey Flannel really think that the added activity from "new" collectors and "unsuspecting" consignors will make up for the number of people who may chose not to bid or consign after seeing this stuff on TV? Seems like a really big risk to their business.

They better be totally up front in front of the cameras also, because I am sure that there will be some feds watching the show with alot of anticipation.

On a side note, wouldn't it be funny to send some messed up Frankenjersey blindly there just in hopes of it getting on TV and what they might say about it?

[both-teams-played-hard]

On a side note, wouldn't it be funny to send some messed up Frankenjersey blindly there just in hopes of it getting on TV and what they might say about it?
You make many valid points. Attempting to consign a forgery would still be fraud and not worth the effort. This show should make Grey Flannel's dealings transparent, and in the end help collectors and dealers alike.

[jppopma]

You make many valid points. Attempting to consign a forgery would still be fraud and not worth the effort. This show should make Grey Flannel's dealings transparent, and in the end help collectors and dealers alike.

It's only fraud if you try to pass it off as real. Just sending it in can all be at face value. I'm sure it would end up on the cutting room floor anyway.

We can hope for the best.

[rose14]

This show just like Pawn Stars is totally scripted and the items are all set up. I would bet that Grey Flannel was the one that packed the Marino and Lott jerseys in a box to make it look like it was shipped to them.

[yanks12025]

So the showed tonight... What do you guys think?

[onlyalbert]

So the showed tonight... What do you guys think?

They come across as very arrogant and obviously driven by money only. Why does every reality show today require 15 bleeps per half hour and the use of the word "friggen"?

[OaklandAsFan]

I will watch every episode and the rerun the next day. These shows are gold. If you don't like them, just watch the scripted bullshit made in Hollywood.

If you really believe that then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. Most of these "unscripted" shows on TV are MORE scripted than the "scripted" shows.

[sylbry]

They come across as very arrogant and obviously driven by money only. Why does every reality show today require 15 bleeps per half hour and the use of the word "friggen"?

I was thinking the same thing. It was all about money. Can't imagine it will go over very well with consignors. He is making money because consignors allow him to. Without them Rich isn't making squat.

And you know that certain charm some people have? It is one of the reasons why Pawn Stars and American Pickers is a likeable show. Well the guys at Grey Flannel certainly don't have it.

[maverick14]

As has been said already--money driven all the way.
Doubt this show lasts longer than a season, maybe 2.
I'll still leave it on the DVR for when I take a study break for the simple fact I like seeing sports collectibles.

[AWA85]

Although I have always enjoyed Grey Flannels auctions and have had great purchases there, this show turns me away from them. Tossing things around, calling items crap and talking about their commission may make for great television but turns me off as a collector.

Probably will be sucked in to watch because it of the game used items, but from a business standpoint and bidder my interest in Grey Flannel fades now.

[WadeInBmore]

I watched the show for about 10 minutes or so...then I turned it. I really didn't enjoy it like I was hoping I would. The fiance was even willing to watch it!!!

For me perhaps part of the issue was that they were showing items that they had already sold via auction which took some of the fun out of it.

I don't know, perhaps I will give it another chance...but I'm really not expecting anything. Put it down as a dud for me right now.

wade

[Baseball83]

I really liked the show! I was intrigued at the efforts made in authenicating the Roger Staubach jersey. This show clearly set out to demonstrate the process and did just that. As an avid collector I have been there looking for photo match and watched victories and failures like was seen in the show. There were great teaching points made like when we think we have "the jersey" only to find it may have been something else. I am left with a feeling of the excitement of collecting and the intricacies of the forensic process that we talk about every day. Great job Rich Russek. I need more of this show!

Anthony Macchiavelli, M.D.

[both-teams-played-hard]

I also enjoyed the show and the process in authenticating the Staubach jersey. Let's see: durene, fonts, photo-matches, and tagging? Yes, I'll be watching.
It's a business. Of course they want to make money for their consignors and themselves.
How often do you hear "durene" mentioned on a TV show?

[G1X]

I really enjoyed the show. Yes, it is scripted and a bit overbearing at times, but if you paid close attention, there were some valuable nuggets being tossed out, especially by Nick Coppola. His comment about the validity of the lettered size tag on Russell jerseys and the misinformation floating around the hobby for years about lettered tagging was on the mark and literally priceless.

I am looking forward to the next episode.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for NFL/AFL durene jerseys, World Football League jerseys, Atlanta Falcons uniforms, and any Darren Lewis and Willie McGee game-used items.

[slab0meat]

Not sure what exactly I was expecting, but I was looking forward to this, and didn't find it all that interesting. Not a big fan of the guys either.

[nickacs]

His comment about the validity of the lettered size tag on Russell jerseys and the misinformation floating around the hobby for years about lettered tagging was on the mark and literally priceless.


I noticed that he had a piece of paper, I guess with the Russell tagging codes (ie. FY) and what they meant, month/year, of the jersey. Does anyone know where to get these codes too? I gotta assume with the internet, they are lurking somewhere?

Paul, I gotta assume you know with all your 49er's jersey collection! :)

[solarlottry]

I watched the show and really enjoyed it!

Look at the show from the perspective of a potential consigner or even a buyer. Would you not want the auction house to get the most for the items you send in? The more money that GF makes, the more money the consigner makes! It is in the best interest of both parties to make the item as sellable as possible. I think the show revealed that GF does all it can to maximize their profit and in turn maximizing the profit of the seller/consigner.

As a buyer, I think that it showed that GF did the best they could to make sure the consigned items were authentic. Nick Coppola supposedly has the largest collection of GU football jerseys in the world! I was told that he has a GU jersey of every HOF player. His collection is astounding as is his knowledge of the hobby, the business and the jerseys themselves.

The question that arises then-why does GF have so many questionable items? One would think that with Coppola and the rest of the GF crew authenticating these items, that 99% would be authentic and as close to photo-matched as possible.

Every auction they have many of the major NFL stars, who played over the past 30 years. The problem I have is that most are not photo-matched, most do not have any team paperwork and many have "light use". One would think that, with all of their expertise in authentication, the jerseys would be better matched to specific games etc.

I do realize that it is not easy to match up many of the older NFL shirts but it can be done to some extent. A 1993 Rice for example probably can be narrowed down to a handful of games by watching all of the games that season where the team wore that specific style and font. Also any other of the shirts characteristics such as loose threads, signs of use etc can be matched to specific games. It is not easy to do this but if it was being done on a regular basis, I would be much more apt to purchase a high end 49er star GU jersey from them.

Many people state that paperwork means very little and in many cases I agree. But if you delve deeper into the history of the sale of some of these jerseys, then you will see that many were sold with some kind of team paperwork (49ers shirts at least were). I understand that paperwork can be switched, copied etc but the mere presence of team paperwork can help identify authentic from fake.

I think the show will do well and it was quite cool to see items that had been sold in previous auctions and how these items were authenticated. i will continue to watch just to see what GF has been getting in for upcoming sales!

Always buying 49ers gamers and ALL 1994 49ers GU items! Finders fees await!
Paul
garciajones@yahoo.com

The Wilson date code system started in 1988 with the first letter representing the year and the second letter the month. Thus:
A-1988
B-1989
C-1990
D-1991
E-1992
F-1993
G-1994
H-1995

For the months I will have to look it up as I go not remember off hand what month started with what letter. Will post it later tonight!

[G1X]

I noticed that he had a piece of paper, I guess with the Russell tagging codes (ie. FY) and what they meant, month/year, of the jersey. Does anyone know where to get these codes too? I gotta assume with the internet, they are lurking somewhere?

Paul, I gotta assume you know with all your 49er's jersey collection! :)

nickacs,

To clarify, I was referring to Nick Coppola's statement where he correctly pointed out that the size on some game-used Russell football jerseys is indicated by letters (XL, for example) instead of numbers (48, for example). I would like to add that the vast majority of game-used Russell football jerseys have numbered tagging.

The tagging code you are referencing is on Wilson football jerseys. See Paul's email for more information.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for NFL/AFL durene jerseys, World Football League jerseys, Atlanta Falcons uniforms, and any Darren Lewis and Willie McGee game-used items.

[joelsabi]

I watched the show and really enjoyed it!

Look at the show from the perspective of a potential consigner or even a buyer. Would you not want the auction house to get the most for the items you send in? The more money that GF makes, the more money the consigner makes! It is in the best interest of both parties to make the item as sellable as possible. I think the show revealed that GF does all it can to maximize their profit and in turn maximizing the profit of the seller/consigner.

As a buyer, I think that it showed that GF did the best they could to make sure the consigned items were authentic. Nick Coppola supposedly has the largest collection of GU football jerseys in the world! I was told that he has a GU jersey of every HOF player. His collection is astounding as is his knowledge of the hobby, the business and the jerseys themselves.

The question that arises then-why does GF have so many questionable items? One would think that with Coppola and the rest of the GF crew authenticating these items, that 99% would be authentic and as close to photo-matched as possible.

Every auction they have many of the major NFL stars, who played over the past 30 years. The problem I have is that most are not photo-matched, most do not have any team paperwork and many have "light use". One would think that, with all of their expertise in authentication, the jerseys would be better matched to specific games etc.

I do realize that it is not easy to match up many of the older NFL shirts but it can be done to some extent. A 1993 Rice for example probably can be narrowed down to a handful of games by watching all of the games that season where the team wore that specific style and font. Also any other of the shirts characteristics such as loose threads, signs of use etc can be matched to specific games. It is not easy to do this but if it was being done on a regular basis, I would be much more apt to purchase a high end 49er star GU jersey from them.

Many people state that paperwork means very little and in many cases I agree. But if you delve deeper into the history of the sale of some of these jerseys, then you will see that many were sold with some kind of team paperwork (49ers shirts at least were). I understand that paperwork can be switched, copied etc but the mere presence of team paperwork can help identify authentic from fake.

I think the show will do well and it was quite cool to see items that had been sold in previous auctions and how these items were authenticated. i will continue to watch just to see what GF has been getting in for upcoming sales!

Always buying 49ers gamers and ALL 1994 49ers GU items! Finders fees await!
Paul
garciajones@yahoo.com

The Wilson date code system started in 1988 with the first letter representing the year and the second letter the month. Thus:
A-1988
B-1989
C-1990
D-1991
E-1992
F-1993
G-1994
H-1995

For the months I will have to look it up as I go not remember off hand what month started with what letter. Will post it later tonight!

maybe they were looking at a GUU post.

A - last digit of the year is 8
B -9
C -0
D -1
E -2
F -3
G -4
H -5 (Note: There is no "I" in this code)
J -6
K -7

Second Letter:

Z - January
Y - February
X - March
W -April
V - May
U - June
And so on.......

[kesseldawg]

Aside from being totally turned off by Richie and his love of money, am I correct that Spence said he had never seen a Mantle "Oklahoma Kid" signed ball? Thanks to this new-fangled interweb, I did a Google search that took me 4 seconds and saw that he authenticated one in 2005 for American Memorabilia at the link below:
(http://www.americanmemorabilia.com/Auction_Item.asp?auction_id=23490) (http://www.americanmemorabilia.com/Auction_Item.asp?auction_id=23490%29). These guys have to be careful about what they say when the average Joe can poke holes in their credibility so fast. And shouldn't Richie and his boys know how to do a Google search too? It seemed silly that Richie would fly across the country to just see James Worthy for 3 minutes. They should have coupled it with him going to see someone's pieces that they wanted to sell while he was in Los Angeles. Made it seem far less real. It won't last because he gives people the reason to have the typical stereotypes of older, out of shape. money-grubbing dealers who never even threw a ball for fun as a kid.

[Mulligans]

Grey Flannel spends alot of time skimming the Forum, so I'm sure that they will find our comments somewhat humerous, eye opening, and maybe informative.

I have not had the opportunity to see the show , but do look forward to it. I wonder if our comments and criticisms will change their format and content any??...... I somehow doubt it.:)

[34swtns]

I understand they're walking the line between being entertaining and understandable to the average Joe who never dreamed of owning a game used item and remaining credible to the guys like us who are active knowledgeable participants in the hobby.

You almost can't do both and I understand this as well. They might help their cause by posting something to the veteran collectors' ranks to the extent of:

"Look, we're trying to make this show compelling to the man on the street so we may take some liberties from time to time. Please just bear with us and know that we're still maintaining the high standards you've come to expect from this company. When the cameras are off we're all business".

[cliffjmp33]

I'd like to know how much gets edited to make different shows. If I'm correct, weren't they in Vegas to go through Rodman's stuff the 1st show, then in LA to talk to Worthy the next show? I'm making the assumption both events probably took place on the same road trip, but split up into different shows to make for more drama/segments.

In all, I found it interesting and somewhat entertaining. It seems that some of the stuff is played up/scripted, but when it comes down to it, I think being able to show the general public that fakes like the Lott jersey exist are in the long run helpful.

[Masimen]

Aside from being totally turned off by Richie and his love of money, am I correct that Spence said he had never seen a Mantle "Oklahoma Kid" signed ball? Thanks to this new-fangled interweb, I did a Google search that took me 4 seconds and saw that he authenticated one in 2005 for American Memorabilia at the link below:
(http://www.americanmemorabilia.com/Auction_Item.asp?auction_id=23490) (http://www.americanmemorabilia.com/Auction_Item.asp?auction_id=23490%29). These guys have to be careful about what they say when the average Joe can poke holes in their credibility so fast. And shouldn't Richie and his boys know how to do a Google search too? It seemed silly that Richie would fly across the country to just see James Worthy for 3 minutes. They should have coupled it with him going to see someone's pieces that they wanted to sell while he was in Los Angeles. Made it seem far less real. It won't last because he gives people the reason to have the typical stereotypes of older, out of shape. money-grubbing dealers who never even threw a ball for fun as a kid.

Hey Craig, good to see you on here!

[Nnunnari]

http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=11043

[kprst6]

Wow, this show is a joke. They authenticate a John Elway jersey with little wear as authentic by simply looking at wash tags, painted on numbers, and a potential name plate change? This was allegedly worn in an NFL game, back when they wore 1 jersey for the entire year. It shows no wear whatsoever. Lame.

[Rboitano]

Ya the jersey is tagged 66, but it was probably reissued two years later. Yep a perfect photo match too. Haha.

[Rboitano]

Send in your common vintage jerseys and they can link it to a Hof player, even though the jersey was tagged a couple years before that future hof player was a part of the team. Oh, and photo match it off of google images. I guess this jersey was made in 1966, and the Mets just put it in storage until 1968 when then they issued it. $16K for a 1966 Dennis Ribant game used jersey. Wow

[Bigcatbaseball]

I agree with most of the comments, the show was a real disappointment. I was hoping for more Antiques Roadshow and less Barnum & Bailey.

[kprst6]

The Lance Armsrong was even worse. They couldn't prove he touched the jersey, let alone wore it, and still auctioned it off as a Lance Armstrong racing shirt. Why, because they say it is lol.

[slab0meat]

I can't believe I'm even saying this, but I'm not sure I can stick with this show much longer.. as I said before, I really thought I'd love it, yet it's annoying and laughable at times.

[genius]

I didn't see the show but I must say that no matter what you think about the quality of the show or the company, it's a brilliant business move by GF to get on tv, have to give them props. If someone stumbles upon the show and the lightbulb goes off that they might have something valuable, chances are it will be sent to GF.

Did they mention the Lemieux rookie all-star jersey? It's in their photography and was supposed to be in the winter auction, I'm thinking either it was sold in private sale or was moved to a later auction so it didn't compete with the Miracle on Ice shirt at Classic.

[beantown]

I really liked the show! I was intrigued at the efforts made in authenicating the Roger Staubach jersey. This show clearly set out to demonstrate the process and did just that. As an avid collector I have been there looking for photo match and watched victories and failures like was seen in the show. There were great teaching points made like when we think we have "the jersey" only to find it may have been something else. I am left with a feeling of the excitement of collecting and the intricacies of the forensic process that we talk about every day. Great job Rich Russek. I need more of this show!

Anthony Macchiavelli, M.D.

Don't be too impressed with their efforts in authenticating the Staubach....the consignor of the jersey did ALL the home work and Grey Flannel presented it as their own...pathetic...Moreover, the word in the hobby is the the "lead authenticator", Nick Coppola, was the same individual that bid and won the jersey...conflict???

[joelsabi]

I really liked the show! I was intrigued at the efforts made in authenicating the Roger Staubach jersey. This show clearly set out to demonstrate the process and did just that. As an avid collector I have been there looking for photo match and watched victories and failures like was seen in the show. There were great teaching points made like when we think we have "the jersey" only to find it may have been something else. I am left with a feeling of the excitement of collecting and the intricacies of the forensic process that we talk about every day. Great job Rich Russek. I need more of this show!

Anthony Macchiavelli, M.D.


I have only seen Russek opening of the package of the Staubach jersey which can be viewed online.

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/all-star-dealers-season-1-roger-staubach-jersey.html

Russek initially said in the online video that it would be great to photo match the jersey to any game but I recognized it as the practice jersey that was sold on GF. Maybe that was part of the discovery that it was a practice jersey and not a college game worn jersey. Was that the finding?

Link to the sale:
http://catalog.greyflannelauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=26555

[yanks12025]

Any one notice on the foxx bat it was drilled out on the barrel. Wouldn't that have taken away from the weight?

[joelsabi]

Any one notice on the foxx bat it was drilled out on the barrel. Wouldn't that have taken away from the weight?

my first impression when I saw that was it might be corked or as Uncle Vinny said "dual use"

[yanks12025]

The Lance Armsrong was even worse. They couldn't prove he touched the jersey, let alone wore it, and still auctioned it off as a Lance Armstrong racing shirt. Why, because they say it is lol.

I think they did fine in selling it. They didn't say race worn or anything. They mentioned how it came with a letter from X and how he got it from Y party.


And to the other poster, so if a photo comes from google it can't be used as a photo match. And teams have recycled jerseys years several parts. What if it had pinstripes and matched 100%, but was two years from the tag. Would you still think its not possible.

I'm not trying to defend the show, but seems you guys can't be pleased by anything. Im Surprised you guys haven't said that Holyfield robe was fake.

[both-teams-played-hard]

I'm not trying to defend the show, but seems you guys can't be pleased by anything. Im Surprised you guys haven't said that Holyfield robe was fake.
I agree. Didn't Dave Grob write the letter for the Mets flannel at auction?
Sand-Knit, photo-match vs. style match, and chain-stitch? You can't see these terms mentioned on other shows, including "Roadshow".
I thought the bat dudes of this forum would eat up the John Taube analysis like gravy. Don't forget: reality show doesn't mean hidden-camera show.
I enjoyed the second week of this show, also.

[jsage]

I agree. Didn't Dave Grob write the letter for the Mets flannel at auction?
Sand-Knit, photo-match vs. style match, and chain-stitch? You can't see these terms mentioned on other shows, including "Roadshow".
I thought the bat dudes of this forum would eat up the John Taube analysis like gravy. Don't forget: reality show doesn't mean hidden-camera show.
I enjoyed the second week of this show, also.

I agree.................. It is a fast paced enjoyable show that fits perfectly into our interest in sports items. Richard Russek likes to make deals and likes to make money - is that a bad thing? He is very humble and respectful when meeting people like Rodman, Worthy and Holleyfield. When he was in LA, you could see that he wanted the John Wooden Jacket very badly and was "into the hunt". Like all of us - he did not want to miss out.
The one thing for sure - at least this show does not feel the need to have a "Chumley Character" :eek: (Pawn Stars) to "entertain us".

[gingi79]

I agree.................. It is a fast paced enjoyable show that fits perfectly into our interest in sports items. Richard Russek likes to make deals and likes to make money - is that a bad thing? He is very humble and respectful when meeting people like Rodman, Worthy and Holleyfield. When he was in LA, you could see that he wanted the John Wooden Jacket very badly and was "into the hunt". Like all of us - he did not want to miss out.
The one thing for sure - at least this show does not feel the need to have a "Chumley Character" :eek: (Pawn Stars) to "entertain us".


Like many hobbies, you either "get it" or you don't. When you are a part of it, jerseys and bats and helmets are seen as part of our individual and shared history, treasured keepsakes and valuable mementos. Those not into the hobby see it as throwing away money on torn, dirty clothing and useless firewood, most of which is fake anyway. One co-worker once opined we must be "non-athletic failures hoping to associate yourself with someone successful" and couldn't understand why we would "want some other guy's shirt or broken stick especially since you'll never prove it was really worn by them anyway." (This is NOT a unique perspective from outsiders by the way. My wife's friend asked why it seemed so many so-called valuable items seem to be mailed to "some random house and then manhandled like they are unwanted hand-me-downs?"

I say all of this because this show, fair or not, is the biggest current spotlight and insight into our small hobby for both those in and out of the hobby. Any time something is done to undermine or cast a poor light upon the hobby is met with hostility from those in the hobby and seen as another reason for outsiders to poo-poo it.

Rich has a spectacular opportunity here, to show the hobby and those interested in learning about the hobby how important authentication is, ways in which things are authenticated and how respected and cherished the items are by fans. Some of his commentary and actions seem to contradict those ideals.

In reading posts on this board, most of the complaints have been geared towards Grey Flannel's handling of incoming material, taking credit for doing the homework the collector actually provided and being excited about items while ignoring red flags. Those are issues we regularly lampoon on this website, aren't they?

The public's awareness of our hobby's black eye from other auction houses and disgraced dealers unfortunately forces this show to be a proverbial icepack and a bandage. Instead, issues with their own prior authentication mistakes and outsiders who believe the cast appear arrogant and self aggrandizing "experts" if only in their own minds, makes it feel more like another sucker punch......

[blackbeard]

Really blew my mind that they gave this guy his own show. He hasn't changed much in the 6 years since I worked for him at GF.

I laugh at this. Wasnt too long ago I personally taught young Michael the proper way to pack a game used jersey into a fedex box. And now hes on national TV talking Jimmie Fox bats. Only in America.

The cable ratings are pretty much at the bottom of the barrel for this time slot. I doubt the show runs its entire season...especially with the public outcry of Swamp Loggers not being renewed.

[punch]

Really blew my mind that they gave this guy his own show. He hasn't changed much in the 6 years since I worked for him at GF.

I laugh at this. Wasnt too long ago I personally taught young Michael the proper way to pack a game used jersey into a fedex box. And now hes on national TV talking Jimmie Fox bats. Only in America.

The cable ratings are pretty much at the bottom of the barrel for this time slot. I doubt the show runs its entire season...especially with the public outcry of Swamp Loggers not being renewed.

Good any good stories? Any big wins and big busts? You gotta have some good tales.

[genius]

Don't be so sure that they "gave" Grey Flannel this show. GF might be paying for both the production and the tv time. Cable networks do deals like this frequently. Bottom line is it's an infomercial for them. If someone else is paying for it then wow what a great deal. Either way I think it's cool and great for business.

[blackbeard]

Good any good stories? Any big wins and big busts? You gotta have some good tales.

Well, I was there for almost two years between 05-07ish. As for stories...there are many. Wore the million dollar Ruth jersey in the office one day. I would have to say that one of my favorite items was swinging around Aaron Boones HR bat.

I wouldn't say my time there was bad, it was something different everyday and I worked with good people (from what I understand the entire staff has changed over since my time there besides rich and his boys). I'm sure a lot of these reality show people do a lot of acting, Rich is pretty much the same on TV as he is in real life as I'm sure some of you know via phone or personally.

Guy is a good business man, I will give him that.

[Jags Fan Dan]

I watched the first two episodes yesterday, and while I understand this guy is running a for-profit business, I did get a little bit tired of hearing how much money he stood to make on any given item if it was authenticated as this or that. It's fine to me to say: "If this is really this, then it is worth this much money." But I just found it a little off-putting how often he seemed to be rubbing his hands together waiting for the big payday on the items. Again, I know he is in a business and this show is no different from other shows I enjoy like American Pickers where part of the interest is what the item is worth. The difference to me is Mike and Frank don't constantly put it in the audiences faces exactly how much money they stand to make.

The other thing this show really impressed upon me is how much pressure authenticators get to "find something" to link an item to this or that. I just got the feeling that you could hand them a pair of your boxer shorts and they could somehow find a link to them possibly being worn by JFK.

[both-teams-played-hard]

The other thing this show really impressed upon me is how much pressure authenticators get to "find something" to link an item to this or that. I just got the feeling that you could hand them a pair of your boxer shorts and they could somehow find a link to them possibly being worn by JFK.
I think they have the same amount of pressure to determine if the item is bogus. Grey Flannel has made mistakes, but it seems this show makes their methods more transparent.

[kprst6]

I just got the feeling that you could hand them a pair of your boxer shorts and they could somehow find a link to them possibly being worn by JFK.


They would "authenticate" it by saying the specific boxers last product year was 1959 and that they were likely left in the white house by Eisenhower and re-issued to Kennedy 2 years later. There would be no stains or proof they were ever worn or touched by a president, but would be put in their auction as "JFK Boxers", and purposely omitting the fact that there is no proof the boxers were ever in the White House or even touched by JFK. Deception by omission seems to be their greatest asset as a $400.00 Armstrong racing suit sold for $2,000 just because they attached the name Lance Armstrong to it but never had any proof that he wore it, touched it, and did no additional research to see how many other riders/fans own and wore the same exact suit.

[sylbry]

But I just found it a little off-putting how often he seemed to be rubbing his hands together waiting for the big payday on the items. Again, I know he is in a business and this show is no different from other shows I enjoy like American Pickers where part of the interest is what the item is worth. The difference to me is Mike and Frank don't constantly put it in the audiences faces exactly how much money they stand to make.

After Mike and Frank leave a pick they summarize what they paid and what they think they can make. If Russek was on American Pickers you would hear nothing but "I will lose $XXXX if he doesn't sell it to me." You never lost anything Rich, you just didn't gain something.

After a pick Russek's summary would be something like this:

Item A: worth $10k, wouldn't sell for $5k, lost $5k
Item B: worth $5k, wouldn't sell for $2k, lost $3k
Item C: worth $20k, bought for $8k, profit $12k

But then again to be a picker you have to take on risk in the order of spending your own money to make money. Russek doesn't even do that. He make money by having other people spend theirs.

I swear the guy used to work in government because he certainly has that governmental accounting mentality where a tax break is lost revenue.

Personally I don't care how interesting the topic is. I can't stand watching someone with the personality of a used car dealer.

He might be good at what he does, he just never should have shown the world how he does it.

[sylbry]

I think they have the same amount of pressure to determine if the item is bogus. Grey Flannel has made mistakes, but it seems this show makes their methods more transparent.

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=39323&highlight=mantle+hat

I posted about a Kansas City Blues "Mantle" hat they auctioned off. Wrong year, wrong logo, altered sweatband & fake number tag. Took me five minutes of web surfing to find a picture of Mantle in a Blues uniform. Even the pic Grey Flannel posted along with the auction shows the different logos.

Further, there was a documentary done on Mantle (HBO I think) that contained more photos of Mantle in a Blues uniform showing him with the hat. Again, block logo, not rounded.

[kprst6]

Please try to disprove this research... but from what I can see, the Armstrong shirt that was auctioned off doesn't match any of his pictures from the 2005 Tour De France. I'm not looking through 75 pages of pictures, but randomly checking out pages 75, 50, 25, 10, 5 etc shows there are huge "DISCOVERY" logo's on the front and back of every shirt Lance wore during the 05 Tour De France:
http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=2&language=en-US&p=Tour+De+France+2005&assetType=image#

There is NO DISCOVERY emblem on the shirt Grey Flannel auctioned off!!!
http://catalog.greyflannelauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=26698

This should have been auctioned off merely as a Tour De France style jersey, and to me, it looks like Grey Flannel made money off of Lance Armstrong's name by decievingly calling it an Armstrong shirt. If it had the DISCOVERY logo, I would have less issues with it, but without the DISCOVERY logo, this shirt would not have been "issued" for Armstrong to wear.

[TFig27]

Well, I was there for almost two years between 05-07ish. As for stories...there are many. Wore the million dollar Ruth jersey in the office one day. I would have to say that one of my favorite items was swinging around Aaron Boones HR bat.

I wouldn't say my time there was bad, it was something different everyday and I worked with good people (from what I understand the entire staff has changed over since my time there besides rich and his boys). I'm sure a lot of these reality show people do a lot of acting, Rich is pretty much the same on TV as he is in real life as I'm sure some of you know via phone or personally.

Guy is a good business man, I will give him that.

This bat in the HOF?

http://waswatching.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/boonealcs03bat.jpg

[blackbeard]

This bat in the HOF?

http://waswatching.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/boonealcs03bat.jpg

Yea that looks like it.

Not so sure how it ended up here, id be interested to know what year it was put in the museum. I had this bat in my hands late in 05.

In case you think that I'm bs'ing you. Here's me in the '32 Ruth road uni, it fit perfect ;)

http://i.imgur.com/1PDGY.jpg

[xpress34]

Well, I was there for almost two years between 05-07ish. As for stories...there are many. Wore the million dollar Ruth jersey in the office one day. I would have to say that one of my favorite items was swinging around Aaron Boones HR bat.

I wouldn't say my time there was bad, it was something different everyday and I worked with good people (from what I understand the entire staff has changed over since my time there besides rich and his boys). I'm sure a lot of these reality show people do a lot of acting, Rich is pretty much the same on TV as he is in real life as I'm sure some of you know via phone or personally.

Guy is a good business man, I will give him that.

Were these items OWNED by GF at the time or on consignment?

The reason I ask is there have been many heated debates on these pages about do or don't ever wear your GU jerseys.

If the jersey was on consignment and people were wearing it around the office, I just lost a lot more respect for GF. What if it tore when you or someone else was putting it on? Who takes the blame - especially on a $1m jersey?

Not jumping on you specifically - I wear my GU jerseys sometimes - but if that is policy at GF with items, it makes me cringe.

Just my .02

- Smitty

[JeffB]

I would expect a race worn Lance Armstrong Yellow jersey to have any number of obvious indicators, such as, say, a LARGE US Postal Service or Discovery Channel logo covering both the front and back, and failing that, some evidence of some adhesive that once held it in place.

http://www.faughnfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/lance-armstrong.jpg

Additionally, you'd also think there'd be some sort of evidence of a race number having been pinned or otherwise affixed to the lower back of the jersey. Seriously, those things have to stay on for hours at a time on a sweaty athlete in constant motion, often in the rain. Once one is on there, even if taken off, it's got to leave a mark, such as fuzziness in the shape of the number plate, if not pilling or adhesive left behind, which would later attract some dirt, such as the case of a game used baseball jersey I once saw that had a three game only patch removed.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/photos/2004/tech/reviews/watson_armstrong_book/yellow-jersey-1.jpg

The overall problem I see is them calling something what they want and wish it to be, and not what the evidence says it is.

I've never trusted Grey Flannel since seeing them sell what I believe were customized team issued blank baseball jerseys as game worn, even though the team tagging was a generic "2007", rather than a player specific "4-97-2" format. When I wrote them to raise my concerns, I got the unfortunate and expected "If you don't like it, don't bid" response. Then they happily saw the auctions end for thousands of dollars for something I believe worth $200 tops.

[blackbeard]

Were these items OWNED by GF at the time or on consignment?

The reason I ask is there have been many heated debates on these pages about do or don't ever wear your GU jerseys.

If the jersey was on consignment and people were wearing it around the office, I just lost a lot more respect for GF. What if it tore when you or someone else was putting it on? Who takes the blame - especially on a $1m jersey?

Not jumping on you specifically - I wear my GU jerseys sometimes - but if that is policy at GF with items, it makes me cringe.

Just my .02

- Smitty

I hear ya. I put the shirt on for about 3 minutes 'very carefully' and snapped off a few pics, not a big deal. I'm a major Yankees fan and no way would I let a authentic Babe Ruth shirt go out the door without trying it on first. Shirt is also in incredible shape...no chance of ripping by putting it on over a dress shirt. LOL, uniforms are a daily dealing with the people over at GF, they see these rare items on a daily basis and definitely do not wear them around the office. I think the only other uniform I ever tried on there was a shaq jersey...the bottom hit the floor like a dress and im 6'1.

Not sure why someone would not want to wear a gamer. These items are not fine china - its a used shirt and meant to be worn, just dont spill your morning coffee on it, wash it or play a game or tackle football with it on and everything will be just fine.

[primeradriver]

I hear ya. I put the shirt on for about 3 minutes 'very carefully' and snapped off a few pics, not a big deal. I'm a major Yankees fan and no way would I let a authentic Babe Ruth shirt go out the door without trying it on first. Shirt is also in incredible shape...no chance of ripping by putting it on over a dress shirt. LOL, uniforms are a daily dealing with the people over at GF, they see these rare items on a daily basis and definitely do not wear them around the office. I think the only other uniform I ever tried on there was a shaq jersey...the bottom hit the floor like a dress and im 6'1.

Not sure why someone would not want to wear a gamer. These items are not fine china - its a used shirt and meant to be worn, just dont spill your morning coffee on it, wash it or play a game or tackle football with it on and everything will be just fine.

Hmmm. I can't say I agree with that.

Not sure if I'm the minority but I consider any use after the player as de-valuing; excluding proper handling. I deal mostly in shoes so you can see why my POV is slightly more skewed.

In any event, I'm positive the owners and buyers would be less than pleased that the staff of auction houses were trying-on items. If I were to send GF an item it doesn't mean I give them permission to handle my item in ways not related to selling.

[blackbeard]

I deal mostly in shoes so you can see why my POV is slightly more skewed.


Rest assured. Nobody at any auction house is walking around the office in the game used sneakers you consign to them.

[aeneas01]

Assuming the Marino and Lott are legit, is that really how an auction house would get its first look? You just throw 2 HOF jerseys in a box and ship to GFC w/o any heads up or signature confirmation. Hey, lets go check and see if there are any $5000 items in these boxes that have been sitting outside our shop. Jackpot!
a prolific collector once shipped me a vintage football helmet valued at $5k-$10k - he wanted my opinion but gave me no firm date when he would be sending it. after about a month or so i finally discovered his package sitting in the corner of my office among other packages for my business that i typically don't open right away (printer cartridges, paper supplies, etc.) - further, i had not received any emails from the collector saying that it was on the way, or asking if i had received it. when i opened the box not only did i find the helmet poorly packed, but stuffed inside the sweat-stained and smelly thing was a vintage football jersey. when i unrolled the jersey i immediately recognized it - it was a high-profile nfl jersey that had recently sold at auction for tens of thousands of dollars - it wasn't folded, wasn't in a protective plastic bag, just stuffed in the helmet. not once did the collector ever mention anything about this shirt, that he won it, owned it, or would be sending it along with the helmet, nothing. anyway, the collector heard that i had a huge photo database of vintage nfl photos and was hoping that i could help him research his jersey as well. point being, collectors (even experienced collectors) handle their items with varying degrees of "respect"....

as far as all-star dealers is concerned, what's not to like? i mean does anyone here believe that television audiences are pining for the esoteric nuances of sports memorabilia collecting? heck, given this nation's apparent lust for rejection television (you're fired, simon, etc.), i'm surprised the producers of all-star dealers didn't ratchet that angle up some more! instead of "that helmet is crap!", the show should introduce mr. bobo's table where "crap" is publicly flogged a la sam malone's red sox jersey!

anyway i think the show works and, ultimately, is good for the hobby. i also liked seeing nick cappola do his thing - easily one of the most passionate and knowledgeable collectors out there, and a very nice gentleman to boot. and imo the grey flannel "offices" present very well, as a safe place to send valuable collectibles.

[TFig27]

Yea that looks like it.

Not so sure how it ended up here, id be interested to know what year it was put in the museum. I had this bat in my hands late in 05.

In case you think that I'm bs'ing you. Here's me in the '32 Ruth road uni, it fit perfect ;)

http://i.imgur.com/1PDGY.jpg

Did this bat come up for sale?

[gingi79]

Those of you who know about JeffB who runs Third String Goalie (a very informative blog about awesome milestones in history with the jerseys that correspond to them) or belong to the hockey game worn site might have seen this but if not, I thought I'd share some of his insight:

"I've seen Grey Flannel auction off a trio of Twins jerseys from Mauer, Santana and Molitor that all lacked the correct team tagging as "game worn" when, to me, they were clearly team issued blanks customized with star players.

For example, a proper Molitor should have been tagged 4-97-1 (for his number, year and set) NOT "1997".

It just seems like they want it to be right so much, they invent reasons to call it good and ignore any evidence to the contrary, such as a jersey being tagged two years prior to when they want it to be from. I'd think if they were going to recycle a 1966 jersey, it would be by sending it down to the minors for them to use, not sitting on it for two years, but that's just me."

However, it was this gem that I really though should be implemented:

"It's too bad a show like that doesn't have a rebuttal option so collectors like those here could have a chance to reach the same audience with their concerns so the average Joe watching the show could hear both sides."

Now THAT would make for a show where we see awesome material and get real insight. (His blog BTW is you are interested is: http://thirdstringgoalie.blogspot.com/ They are Hockey jerseys but the stories are interesting if you follow sports)

[aeneas01]

Those of you who know about JeffB who runs Third String Goalie (a very informative blog about awesome milestones in history with the jerseys that correspond to them) or belong to the hockey game worn site might have seen this but if not, I thought I'd share some of his insight:

"I've seen Grey Flannel auction off a trio of Twins jerseys from Mauer, Santana and Molitor that all lacked the correct team tagging as "game worn" when, to me, they were clearly team issued blanks customized with star players.

For example, a proper Molitor should have been tagged 4-97-1 (for his number, year and set) NOT "1997".

It just seems like they want it to be right so much, they invent reasons to call it good and ignore any evidence to the contrary, such as a jersey being tagged two years prior to when they want it to be from. I'd think if they were going to recycle a 1966 jersey, it would be by sending it down to the minors for them to use, not sitting on it for two years, but that's just me."

However, it was this gem that I really though should be implemented:

"It's too bad a show like that doesn't have a rebuttal option so collectors like those here could have a chance to reach the same audience with their concerns so the average Joe watching the show could hear both sides."

Now THAT would make for a show where we see awesome material and get real insight. (His blog BTW is you are interested is: http://thirdstringgoalie.blogspot.com/ They are Hockey jerseys but the stories are interesting if you follow sports)
i think hockey collectors are among the most knowledgeable and passionate group of collectors out there, with very active forums and great auction sites that fetch big dollars. although i'm not a hockey fan, i would love to own one of those cool big-ticket custom goalie masks...

as far as "getting it right" is concerned, i think we all know that every auction house gets things wrong, even when it comes to lots that strike some of us as no-brainers. the good news is more and more auction houses are pulling lots when presented with reasonable concerns, not all auction houses but many. at least that's my take.

i'm not giving auction houses a free pass, but the notion that they have the time (let alone sufficient expertise) to research and attempt to photomatch each lot is a pipe-dream, especially not when they accept lots a month before they expect to go live. fortunately for the guu community we often have each other's back, and other experienced collectors tend to know what to look for. as for the others, the less experienced collectors? welcome to the university of collecting where the tuition, the price of learning a lesson, can often be quite pricey.

as far as the show having a rebuttal fourm is concerned, nice idea but in what perfect world might that work? how would you squeeze that into 48 minutes of air time? how would you censor every huckleberry that fancied himself an expert, who called in only to give their erroneous take on an item? i think the show is hitting the entertainment mark they've set, and wouldn't be surprised to see the cast become even more emotive and animated as the show progresses.

although i'd like to see it, i'm not sure a cspan washington journal format would prove to be that compelling to a broad audience, a format where a representative from the auction house displayed a lot, and then fielded calls from the public for 30 minutes, to discuss and debate the merits of the item.

[both-teams-played-hard]

It just seems like they want it to be right so much, they invent reasons to call it good and ignore any evidence to the contrary, such as a jersey being tagged two years prior to when they want it to be from. I'd think if they were going to recycle a 1966 jersey, it would be by sending it down to the minors for them to use, not sitting on it for two years, but that's just me.
Gingi,
I realize this isn't a quote from you. The jersey in question is the Nolan Ryan flannel. LTC Dave Grob wrote a detailed, four page analysis of this jersey for Grey Flannel. After reading Grob's worksheet, any collector would agree that it is more than a "stretch or a "leap of faith" to tie the shirt to Ryan. I have Grob's finding in a PDF and am unable to post them.
Grey Flannel has indeed made mistakes in the past. Now, a lot of folks are watching their dealings.

[rose14]

It appears to me that Rich Russek is the Chumley character on All-Star Dealers!


[quote=jsage;283267]I agree.................. It is a fast paced enjoyable show that fits perfectly into our interest in sports items. Richard Russek likes to make deals and likes to make money - is that a bad thing? He is very humble and respectful when meeting people like Rodman, Worthy and Holleyfield. When he was in LA, you could see that he wanted the John Wooden Jacket very badly and was "into the hunt". Like all of us - he did not want to miss out.
The one thing for sure - at least this show does not feel the need to have a "Chumley Character" :eek: (Pawn Stars) to "entertain us".

[gameon]

I do like the fact that our hobby has some national attention and for an uniformed person watching the show and seeing a game used sports item being worth so much money has to be mind-boggling for them. Thats half the fun of watching all these shows as the likes of Pawn Stars and American Pickers. They do touch on the importance of authenticating, which is also very good. My only complaint is how Rich keeps talking about how much money HE is going to make or lose(if not real). It gets very irritating. I also have never seen him prior to this show, but am very turned off by his personality(scripted or not). That being said, I would think twice about consigning my items to him.

[mmonte4]

I just scanned through the TV guide so that I could dvr it, but didn't see it. Is it not coming on this week?

[hohlernr1]

I just scanned through the TV guide so that I could dvr it, but didn't see it. Is it not coming on this week?

It looks like for whatever reason it's not on this week, but will be on next week at it's normal time: 8:00 and 8:30 pm on tuesdays.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/weekly.html?date=20120213.044-20120214.045-20120215.046-20120216.047-20120217.048-20120218.049-20120219.050

[gorilla777]

The word on the street is that we may have seen the last episode of the All Star Dealers show, at least on Discovery Channel....I wondered because my DVR was showing no future episodes scheduled to record.


Ben

[genius]

This might mean that GF was buying the time as sort of an informercial which would go for about $50K per :30 episode. It is really, really hard to "pitch" a show and have a network order a series of episodes in advance, in which case the show makes money for the producers. They get pitched for hundreds and hundreds of shows, I've tried it for golf and travel and got nowhere fast!

[dcgreg25]

Per Grey Flannel's facebook page the Show is moving from Discovery to Velocity (related to Discovery Channel) and will be back March 1st at 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM.

[maverick14]

Per Grey Flannel's facebook page the Show is moving from Discovery to Velocity (related to Discovery Channel) and will be back March 1st at 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM.

Veloctiy?? Never heard of that one, wonder if that's even included in my subscription.:confused: Seems as most of us said here already that this show wouldn't last very long.

[gingi79]

Reading comments on the commentary from collectors on other game used sites and other sports related sites, this show failed due to many, many issues with authenticity from prior auctions combined with arrogant douchebaggery by Grey Flannel. Considering the posts in this thread, that shouldn't surprise anyone.

That being said, I personally lost faith and interest in their auctions by suffering through this show and won't bid with them because they seem like shady used car salesmen to me when watching. Can we assume this show Hurt rather than Helped the hobby and more specifically, made Grey Flannel LESS reputible?

[otismalibu]

Wasn't Velocity formerly known as HD Theatre or something like that? Surely, some of you must watch Chasing Classic Cars. Same channel, I think.

[sylbry]

Surely, some of you must watch Chasing Classic Cars. Same channel, I think.

That is a good show.

The d-bags (well Rich anyways, the other guys seem alright) at Grey Flannel should watch Wayne and see the proper way to go about buying, selling, and consigning stuff.

If anything All Star Dealers made Lelands and Robert Edward Auctions look more appealing.

[nickacs]

If anything All Star Dealers made Lelands and Robert Edward Auctions look more appealing.

As if Lelands and REA weren't already? LOL..

[Jimmymac_4]

By way of introduction, and to establish my credibility, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a high-end buyer, seller, collector of authentic, team issue, professional cycling memorabilia, mostly jerseys some of which are race-worn, some of which are rare, and most of which are signed. I am well acquainted with Lance Armstrong cycling memorabilia, his signature and have a very extensive collection, possibly the most extensive in the entire U.S. I have more that two dozen signed Armstrong jerseys in my collection. I'm curious what my complete collection of Armstrong Tour de France yellow leaders jerseys would bring at auction. I have all 7 of Armstrong's Tour de France team/race issued yellow leaders jerseys. Although spares (i.e., not race-worn), all 7 ('99-'05) are authentic spares that are nicely hand signed in silver paint pen. To complete the collection, I also have an unsigned, spare 2003 Centennial Tour de France "retro" yellow jersey like the one that Lance wore into Paris on Stage 20, July 27, 2003. It is THE iconic Armstrong Tour de France yellow jersey. Only 4 are known to exist. Lance has one, the jersey designer has one, I have one, and a friend and fellow collector has the fourth. My friend and I have the jerseys that Lance gifted to team members George Hincapie and Viatcheslav Ekimov. The jersey is self-authenticating. It is stamped "Lance" in the collar and "L.A." on the material tags. Attached to the OEM paper tags, are affixed two additional labels that contribute to the jersey's provenance ...YELLOW TDF 2003 Size L L.A." and "LANCE ARMSTRONG - TEAM USPS PROJECT: 5 LA IN PARIS. CODE: LA 5X CENT 2003 TDF PROPOSED STAGE 20 PERSONAl ISSUE USPS RETRO EAGLE MAILLOT JAUNE: FINAL L.A. ISSUE NOT FOR SALE OR OUTSIDE CIRCULATION ASO APPROVAL REQUIRED IN ADVANCE. The Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) has been the parent company of the Tour de France since 1993. The 2003 Centennial Tour de France "retro" yellow jersey was ASO was approved and worn into Paris on the final day of the race. Other than Lance himself, I am the only person to have the complete collection of Armstrong Tour de France yellow leaders jerseys. In Lance's home, he has all of them displayed with the exception of the 2003. Lance chose to display the "retro" instead. Now, with that said, allow me to get on with the real reason why I posted this and also sent an email copy to Grey Flannel. By the way, I never heard back.

At the opening of the All Star Dealers program, the audacious Richard Russek boasts that he created the market for game used sports memorabilia. What we have here is pure, unadulterated drivel. The collector marketplace was well established and prior auction houses were already in existence long before Richie slithered out from beneath a rock to grab his piece of the action. The facts are verifiable. Grey Flannel has been in business for 10 years whereas Lelands, for example, has been in the business for 24 years, or more than twice as long as Grey Flannel. Grey Flannel is a virtuoso of self-promotion. Grey Flannel's website professes the company to be "the standard of the Industry”, "the world's foremost authenticators and dealers of game-used jerseys", and "the industry leader in sports memorabilia auctions and sports memorabilia appraisals." None of that was evident in the appraisal of the 2005 Tour de France yellow leaders jersey, alleged to be Armstrong's. The jersey authentication process fell far short of the self-aggrandizing, website rhetoric.

In an All Star Dealers episode, recently aired on the Discovery Channel, a 2005 Tour de France yellow leaders jersey, alleged to be Lance Armstrong's, was evaluated and put up for auction. The jersey was said to have been received from TV commentator Al Trautwig and sourced from Armstrong's manager. On that basis alone, Grey Flannel instantaneously assumed that the jersey was authentic. From whom, and how it was sourced, is no definitive guarantee that the jersey was either team issue or belonged to Armstrong.

The direction that the authentication process would take was set when the jersey first arrived. Like father like son, Michael Russek remarked to his father Richard, "Hope it's a package full of cash." From the onset, It was immediately apparent to the collector of cycling memorabilia that the sport of professional cycling is not Grey Flannel's area of expertise. The investigators and authenticator demonstrated their collective lack of knowledge, experience, and proficiency that is required to authenticate a cycling jersey. Staff commentary demonstrated how woefully unfamiliar Grey Flannel is with professional cycling and its memorabilia. A few examples should suffice to illustrate. Auction director, T. J. Favila asserted that Lance Armstrong was the greatest cyclist of all time. Apparently, T. J. is not acquainted with the palmares of Eddy Merckx to whom that accolade rightfully belongs. Although by his own admission, T. J. could not find any photos of Lance wearing "this particular jersey in a race", he nonetheless boldly, but erroneously, asserted, "I can guarantee that this is the jersey that Lance would have worn." In response, Darren Russek asked T. J., "Do you think maybe we could try to call it a style-match ... do you think that'll boost the value a little?" In short the answer is a resounding NO! At this juncture I was growing weary of the omnipresent money theme, but it only got worse. Michael Russek, suggested, "This [the jersey] could have actually been worn by a bunch of people." First off, that bunch would have consisted only of Dave Zabriskie and Jens Voigt, assuming that the jersey was race-worn by any rider in the race, but it wasn't. Why do I say that? Well, continue reading as I address the abysmal authentication process, and I take great liberty in even labeling this charade an authentication.

In appraising the jersey, there was a glaring lack of attention to pertinent, critical details that should have comprised the authentication process. To mention the most relevant, ALL of which were carelessly and inexcusably overlooked, there is jersey size, fabric composition, jersey construction, sponsor logos, Nike OEM label imprinted inside of the jersey near the collar, Nike OEM material tags inside the jersey near the hem, zipper and zipper tab color, zipper length, and rider race numbers, either still attached or with evidence of subsequent removal. These were indefensible oversights for an authentication service that purports to be of "professional" caliber. The ineptitude exemplified by the authentication team was beyond mind boggling.

The Grey Flannel "professionals" are in dire need of enlightenment, so let the lecture begin. Tour de France yellow leaders jerseys are produced for Nike by Giordana of Italy without team logos because the rider in the yellow leaders jersey is an unknown and is determined by race results. Team logos are applied on site during the race. It is imperative to note that Armstrong would never have been issued a yellow leaders jersey without a team logo and therein lies the crux of the matter. Three officially licensed Nike Tour de France yellow jersey variations were manufactured in 2005. There was the authentic team issue plus two jerseys issue for the retail marketplace ... a replica jersey with team logo and a generic jersey without team logo. I have two authentic, team issue Tour de France yellow leaders jerseys, signed by Armstrong with which to compare to the "Trautwig jersey". I assume Richie would agree, that for the purpose of comparison, my 2005, authentic, team issue Tour de France team issue yellow leaders jerseys, is preferable to "photo-match". The "Trautwig jersey" that was "authenticated" and put up for auction was, without question, NOT team issue. First off, it did not have a team logo. FACT: The ASO would not have allowed Lance Armstrong to race in a yellow leaders jersey without a team logo. The "Trautwig jersey" had a white zipper and zipper tab. The authentic 2005 team issue Tour de France yellow leaders jersey had a yellow zipper and zipper tab. When Michael Russek held up the jersey, I noted the Nike swoosh with the Nike OEM label imprinted immediately below. The authentic 2005 team issue Tour de France yellow leaders jersey had a V-shaped mesh panel at the nape of the neck with the Nike OEM label imprinted off to the side. Since the "Trautwig jersey" does not have a team logo, it not only is not an authentic team issue, it is also not a replica jersey either. A famous Sherlock Holmes quote comes to mind here. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." The only conclusion that can be possibly be drawn is that the "Trautwig jersey" is the most common, and least valuable of the officially licensed product ... a commercially available, inexpensive, generic yellow jersey the likes of which thousands were produced.

That said, let's scrutinize the "Trautwig jersey" authentication process in more detail. During authentication, the overbearing Richard Russek speculated that the jersey might be race-worn. To possibly confirm, a procedure commonly used during authentication was employed ... photo match. At this juncture, the authentication team demonstrated their collective lack of knowledge, experience, and proficiency in evaluating cycling memorabilia. While viewing an image on the computer of Lance Armstrong taken during the race, the authentication team was oblivious to the obvious, failing to take note of the 8 inch by 11 inch Discovery Channel team logo emblazoned prominently across the chest of Armstrong's jersey. Had any member of Grey Flannel's authentication team been aware of the fact that the ASO would not have allowed Lance Armstrong to race in a yellow leaders jersey without a team logo, and had any attention been paid to what was being viewed, Richie's preposterous race-worn premise would been promptly and rightfully dispensed with. Since the logoless "Trautwig jersey" could not possibly have been race-worn, I find Richie's ploy to solicit an endorsement of race-worn from uniform authenticator Nick Coppola disturbing and unconscionable. Richie was willing to sacrifice a colleague's professional reputation, just to garner more money at auction. That is telling and speaks volumes about the man and his company. Lust for the greenback is Richie's driving force, and filling company coffers is his prime objective. Much to his credit, Nick did not yield to coercion. Although pressured, Nick was unwilling to yield and to do what Richie was seemingly willing to do, that is compromise his principles or his integrity. Predictably, Richie expressed his disappoint, lamenting, "Frankly, I'm disappointed. That's a lot of money!" There's that all consuming money theme again. An interesting exchange took place between Nick and Richie when Nick concluded, "This is an item you lay the facts out on the table and you let the bidder decide." (Nick's fractured English, not mine). Richie reluctantly concrurred saying, "We'll lay out the facts, and the buyer will have to decide it for themselves." Unfortunately, failed forensics placed the burden of authenticity upon the bidder. In the final analysis, the authentication process was pathetically bungled and served to only reveal what Richie wanted the jersey to be rather than what the evidence proved the jersey not to be. When the auction was over, the winning bidder was duped into believing that he had snagged the "golden fleece". In reality, the buyer was unwittingly fleeced in the amount of $2050 by a deception though omission scheme hatched by huckster Richie and his Grey Flannel coalition. Whether intentional or not, the bottom line is that where professional cycling memorabilia is concerned, Grey Flannel needs to get up to speed. It is a pity that it cannot do a retake of this embarrassing All Star Dealers episode, but I digress.

Particularly unpalatable in all of the All Star Dealers programs, is the prevailing theme that permeates Grey Flannel's agenda and is reflected in the All Star Dealers' program ... the myopic, and unsavory "all about the MONEY mindset" that is belabored ad nauseam and is echoed by Richard Russek's favorite catch phrase ... "ka-ching ... money!" All Star Dealers does not portray Grey Flannel as a company spawned out of love and appreciation for articles of sports history. Instead, All Star Dealers depicts Grey Flannel as a money hungry enterprise, tenaciously determined to wring the most cold, hard cash that it can out of any sports memorabilia that it gets its grubby paws on. Richard Russek's own words paint a betraying self-portrait of him and his company. At the opening of the All Star Dears program, the flippant Richie scornfully dismisses some jersey by depicting it as "six hundred thousand dollars for a piece of dirty laundry." Richie couldn't care less about the collector, the legacy of the athlete, or for articles of spots history. At the end of the day it is about one thing and one thing only ... CASH FLOW!!!

Poor ratings, and an abundance of internet criticism, speak for itself. Richie's Draconian, over-the-top personality is largely responsible and a real turn off. With cable ratings near the bottom of the barrel for its time slot, the show will likely not last the entire season, let alone see another. The All Star Dealers program cannot survive unless it is able to successfully gets the formula down and present a more respectable corporate image. There is an exploding field of "reality" shows depicting the business of buying, selling, and auctioning of antiques and collectibles. It would be in Grey Flannel's best interest to require the entire staff to watch Pawn Stars, American Pickers, and Auction Kings to learn how "the game should be played", especially in front of a TV viewing audience.

Grey Flannel's website rhetoric emphatically proclaims that at Grey Flannel "we pride ourselves on integrity", asserts to have "the finest and best authenticators that exist", and provides a service with "unmatched emphasis on authenticity". On the flip-side, Grey Flannel's website also clearly states, "ALL LOTS ARE SOLD AS IS. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO RETURNS", and "TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY APPLICABLE LAW, GFA EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND". Disclaimers, especially those in ALL UPPER CASE, only serve to undermine a customer's confidence in Grey Flannel's services.

[Dolphinsuperbowl55]

Welcome Jimmy.

I just read your entire post, and I can honestly say it seems that a lot of members don't like the G.F group. They caught a lot of critizism from long time clients about how they treat customers products. It's unfortunate that they aloud such prolonged diss concern for peoples belongings. Even to the extent of calling items "Junk, and crap". They seem to portray a certain self arrogance towards items of lesser values. It's clear some of the things they said they were most likely plugs from producers, but not all of it. My point of view, and I'm sure a lot can agree. Is that they are money hungry hounds who have no care for the people in the hobby, but rather just rather make a bigger buck. When I saw the Lance Armstrong episode I thought it was rather odd the route they took to authenticate it. I'm no cycle expert (nor do I play one on T.V) but heck even football, baseball, basketball, ex.... could see that the method they took was far fetched. You could tell he had no prior experience in handeling Lance Armstrong used products. It's really a shame becasue the show had great potential of helping our hobby grow, but its unfortunate they chose to take the route they took. Hence the show is no longer on the air, or being aired. From what I've read they have recieved a lot of hate mail from members. They put 2 and 2 together, and saw it was hurting there business, and there opportunities to maximize there revenues. I hope the show comes back on, becasue I found it entertaining to show my brothers, and cousins just how much some of this stuff is worth. The average person dosn't believe that a piece of fabrics can fetch such high prices so it was good to have a show that enlightens them on the expensive hobby. That being said maybe they will come back, but with a more monodramatic input.




-Micky

[sylbry]

By way of introduction, and to establish my credibility, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a high-end buyer, seller, collector of authentic, team issue, professional cycling memorabilia, mostly jerseys some of which are race-worn, some of which are rare, and most of which are signed. I am well acquainted with Lance Armstrong cycling memorabilia, his signature and have a very extensive collection, possibly the most extensive in the entire U.S. I have more that two dozen signed Armstrong jerseys in my collection. I'm curious what my complete collection of Armstrong Tour de France yellow leaders jerseys would bring at auction. I have all 7 of Armstrong's Tour de France team/race issued yellow leaders jerseys. Although spares (i.e., not race-worn), all 7 ('99-'05) are authentic spares that are nicely hand signed in silver paint pen. To complete the collection, I also have an unsigned, spare 2003 Centennial Tour de France "retro" yellow jersey like the one that Lance wore into Paris on Stage 20, July 27, 2003. It is THE iconic Armstrong Tour de France yellow jersey. Only 4 are known to exist. Lance has one, the jersey designer has one, I have one, and a friend and fellow collector has the fourth. My friend and I have the jerseys that Lance gifted to team members George Hincapie and Viatcheslav Ekimov. The jersey is self-authenticating. It is stamped "Lance" in the collar and "L.A." on the material tags. Attached to the OEM paper tags, are affixed two additional labels that contribute to the jersey's provenance ...YELLOW TDF 2003 Size L L.A." and "LANCE ARMSTRONG - TEAM USPS PROJECT: 5 LA IN PARIS. CODE: LA 5X CENT 2003 TDF PROPOSED STAGE 20 PERSONAl ISSUE USPS RETRO EAGLE MAILLOT JAUNE: FINAL L.A. ISSUE NOT FOR SALE OR OUTSIDE CIRCULATION ASO APPROVAL REQUIRED IN ADVANCE. The Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) has been the parent company of the Tour de France since 1993. The 2003 Centennial Tour de France "retro" yellow jersey was ASO was approved and worn into Paris on the final day of the race. Other than Lance himself, I am the only person to have the complete collection of Armstrong Tour de France yellow leaders jerseys. In Lance's home, he has all of them displayed with the exception of the 2003. Lance chose to display the "retro" instead. Now, with that said, allow me to get on with the real reason why I posted this and also sent an email copy to Grey Flannel. By the way, I never heard back.

At the opening of the All Star Dealers program, the audacious Richard Russek boasts that he created the market for game used sports memorabilia. What we have here is pure, unadulterated drivel. The collector marketplace was well established and prior auction houses were already in existence long before Richie slithered out from beneath a rock to grab his piece of the action. The facts are verifiable. Grey Flannel has been in business for 10 years whereas Lelands, for example, has been in the business for 24 years, or more than twice as long as Grey Flannel. Grey Flannel is a virtuoso of self-promotion. Grey Flannel's website professes the company to be "the standard of the Industry”, "the world's foremost authenticators and dealers of game-used jerseys", and "the industry leader in sports memorabilia auctions and sports memorabilia appraisals." None of that was evident in the appraisal of the 2005 Tour de France yellow leaders jersey, alleged to be Armstrong's. The jersey authentication process fell far short of the self-aggrandizing, website rhetoric.

In an All Star Dealers episode, recently aired on the Discovery Channel, a 2005 Tour de France yellow leaders jersey, alleged to be Lance Armstrong's, was evaluated and put up for auction. The jersey was said to have been received from TV commentator Al Trautwig and sourced from Armstrong's manager. On that basis alone, Grey Flannel instantaneously assumed that the jersey was authentic. From whom, and how it was sourced, is no definitive guarantee that the jersey was either team issue or belonged to Armstrong.

The direction that the authentication process would take was set when the jersey first arrived. Like father like son, Michael Russek remarked to his father Richard, "Hope it's a package full of cash." From the onset, It was immediately apparent to the collector of cycling memorabilia that the sport of professional cycling is not Grey Flannel's area of expertise. The investigators and authenticator demonstrated their collective lack of knowledge, experience, and proficiency that is required to authenticate a cycling jersey. Staff commentary demonstrated how woefully unfamiliar Grey Flannel is with professional cycling and its memorabilia. A few examples should suffice to illustrate. Auction director, T. J. Favila asserted that Lance Armstrong was the greatest cyclist of all time. Apparently, T. J. is not acquainted with the palmares of Eddy Merckx to whom that accolade rightfully belongs. Although by his own admission, T. J. could not find any photos of Lance wearing "this particular jersey in a race", he nonetheless boldly, but erroneously, asserted, "I can guarantee that this is the jersey that Lance would have worn." In response, Darren Russek asked T. J., "Do you think maybe we could try to call it a style-match ... do you think that'll boost the value a little?" In short the answer is a resounding NO! At this juncture I was growing weary of the omnipresent money theme, but it only got worse. Michael Russek, suggested, "This [the jersey] could have actually been worn by a bunch of people." First off, that bunch would have consisted only of Dave Zabriskie and Jens Voigt, assuming that the jersey was race-worn by any rider in the race, but it wasn't. Why do I say that? Well, continue reading as I address the abysmal authentication process, and I take great liberty in even labeling this charade an authentication.

In appraising the jersey, there was a glaring lack of attention to pertinent, critical details that should have comprised the authentication process. To mention the most relevant, ALL of which were carelessly and inexcusably overlooked, there is jersey size, fabric composition, jersey construction, sponsor logos, Nike OEM label imprinted inside of the jersey near the collar, Nike OEM material tags inside the jersey near the hem, zipper and zipper tab color, zipper length, and rider race numbers, either still attached or with evidence of subsequent removal. These were indefensible oversights for an authentication service that purports to be of "professional" caliber. The ineptitude exemplified by the authentication team was beyond mind boggling.

The Grey Flannel "professionals" are in dire need of enlightenment, so let the lecture begin. Tour de France yellow leaders jerseys are produced for Nike by Giordana of Italy without team logos because the rider in the yellow leaders jersey is an unknown and is determined by race results. Team logos are applied on site during the race. It is imperative to note that Armstrong would never have been issued a yellow leaders jersey without a team logo and therein lies the crux of the matter. Three officially licensed Nike Tour de France yellow jersey variations were manufactured in 2005. There was the authentic team issue plus two jerseys issue for the retail marketplace ... a replica jersey with team logo and a generic jersey without team logo. I have two authentic, team issue Tour de France yellow leaders jerseys, signed by Armstrong with which to compare to the "Trautwig jersey". I assume Richie would agree, that for the purpose of comparison, my 2005, authentic, team issue Tour de France team issue yellow leaders jerseys, is preferable to "photo-match". The "Trautwig jersey" that was "authenticated" and put up for auction was, without question, NOT team issue. First off, it did not have a team logo. FACT: The ASO would not have allowed Lance Armstrong to race in a yellow leaders jersey without a team logo. The "Trautwig jersey" had a white zipper and zipper tab. The authentic 2005 team issue Tour de France yellow leaders jersey had a yellow zipper and zipper tab. When Michael Russek held up the jersey, I noted the Nike swoosh with the Nike OEM label imprinted immediately below. The authentic 2005 team issue Tour de France yellow leaders jersey had a V-shaped mesh panel at the nape of the neck with the Nike OEM label imprinted off to the side. Since the "Trautwig jersey" does not have a team logo, it not only is not an authentic team issue, it is also not a replica jersey either. A famous Sherlock Holmes quote comes to mind here. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." The only conclusion that can be possibly be drawn is that the "Trautwig jersey" is the most common, and least valuable of the officially licensed product ... a commercially available, inexpensive, generic yellow jersey the likes of which thousands were produced.

That said, let's scrutinize the "Trautwig jersey" authentication process in more detail. During authentication, the overbearing Richard Russek speculated that the jersey might be race-worn. To possibly confirm, a procedure commonly used during authentication was employed ... photo match. At this juncture, the authentication team demonstrated their collective lack of knowledge, experience, and proficiency in evaluating cycling memorabilia. While viewing an image on the computer of Lance Armstrong taken during the race, the authentication team was oblivious to the obvious, failing to take note of the 8 inch by 11 inch Discovery Channel team logo emblazoned prominently across the chest of Armstrong's jersey. Had any member of Grey Flannel's authentication team been aware of the fact that the ASO would not have allowed Lance Armstrong to race in a yellow leaders jersey without a team logo, and had any attention been paid to what was being viewed, Richie's preposterous race-worn premise would been promptly and rightfully dispensed with. Since the logoless "Trautwig jersey" could not possibly have been race-worn, I find Richie's ploy to solicit an endorsement of race-worn from uniform authenticator Nick Coppola disturbing and unconscionable. Richie was willing to sacrifice a colleague's professional reputation, just to garner more money at auction. That is telling and speaks volumes about the man and his company. Lust for the greenback is Richie's driving force, and filling company coffers is his prime objective. Much to his credit, Nick did not yield to coercion. Although pressured, Nick was unwilling to yield and to do what Richie was seemingly willing to do, that is compromise his principles or his integrity. Predictably, Richie expressed his disappoint, lamenting, "Frankly, I'm disappointed. That's a lot of money!" There's that all consuming money theme again. An interesting exchange took place between Nick and Richie when Nick concluded, "This is an item you lay the facts out on the table and you let the bidder decide." (Nick's fractured English, not mine). Richie reluctantly concrurred saying, "We'll lay out the facts, and the buyer will have to decide it for themselves." Unfortunately, failed forensics placed the burden of authenticity upon the bidder. In the final analysis, the authentication process was pathetically bungled and served to only reveal what Richie wanted the jersey to be rather than what the evidence proved the jersey not to be. When the auction was over, the winning bidder was duped into believing that he had snagged the "golden fleece". In reality, the buyer was unwittingly fleeced in the amount of $2050 by a deception though omission scheme hatched by huckster Richie and his Grey Flannel coalition. Whether intentional or not, the bottom line is that where professional cycling memorabilia is concerned, Grey Flannel needs to get up to speed. It is a pity that it cannot do a retake of this embarrassing All Star Dealers episode, but I digress.

Particularly unpalatable in all of the All Star Dealers programs, is the prevailing theme that permeates Grey Flannel's agenda and is reflected in the All Star Dealers' program ... the myopic, and unsavory "all about the MONEY mindset" that is belabored ad nauseam and is echoed by Richard Russek's favorite catch phrase ... "ka-ching ... money!" All Star Dealers does not portray Grey Flannel as a company spawned out of love and appreciation for articles of sports history. Instead, All Star Dealers depicts Grey Flannel as a money hungry enterprise, tenaciously determined to wring the most cold, hard cash that it can out of any sports memorabilia that it gets its grubby paws on. Richard Russek's own words paint a betraying self-portrait of him and his company. At the opening of the All Star Dears program, the flippant Richie scornfully dismisses some jersey by depicting it as "six hundred thousand dollars for a piece of dirty laundry." Richie couldn't care less about the collector, the legacy of the athlete, or for articles of spots history. At the end of the day it is about one thing and one thing only ... CASH FLOW!!!

Poor ratings, and an abundance of internet criticism, speak for itself. Richie's Draconian, over-the-top personality is largely responsible and a real turn off. With cable ratings near the bottom of the barrel for its time slot, the show will likely not last the entire season, let alone see another. The All Star Dealers program cannot survive unless it is able to successfully gets the formula down and present a more respectable corporate image. There is an exploding field of "reality" shows depicting the business of buying, selling, and auctioning of antiques and collectibles. It would be in Grey Flannel's best interest to require the entire staff to watch Pawn Stars, American Pickers, and Auction Kings to learn how "the game should be played", especially in front of a TV viewing audience.

Grey Flannel's website rhetoric emphatically proclaims that at Grey Flannel "we pride ourselves on integrity", asserts to have "the finest and best authenticators that exist", and provides a service with "unmatched emphasis on authenticity". On the flip-side, Grey Flannel's website also clearly states, "ALL LOTS ARE SOLD AS IS. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO RETURNS", and "TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY APPLICABLE LAW, GFA EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND". Disclaimers, especially those in ALL UPPER CASE, only serve to undermine a customer's confidence in Grey Flannel's services.

This is the greatest first post ever. Jimmymac, I like you already.

Personally, I have started getting into race worn jerseys and could certainly learn a lot from you. Don't be a stranger.

Bryan

[cliffjmp33]

Jimmymac_4, welcome and all I can say is W-O-W. I am not sure anyone has had such an informative first post like that. Thank you for educating us all.

[gingi79]

Boy, that 30% buyers premium is certainly insuring piece of mind and unreproachable authenticity. I'm so glad that a fee in line with Mafia Viggish outlawed by the government at one time as exploitive is instituted in our completely unregulated hobby as acceptable. Cha-ching suckers!

[Tallyman77]

I don't watch reality shows, therefore I don't have any reason to compare one to another. All I have is total praise for Grey Flannel and my dealings with them have all been positive and satisfying. That is the reality and no TV show can ever spoil that.

-Walt

Tallyman77

Evergreen7777@att.net

[BaseballGM]

Many of us are in this hobby because we enjoy the connection between the piece of memorabilia and the athlete, team or our own personal experience/memory. It's sometimes a shock when the business side is shown, even somewhat disappointing. We want everyone to cherish these momentos like we would but that is not the case. Too often the business side attitude is "How much can we make on this and let's hope we can find a reason to say it's not a fake."

[Jimmymac_4]

Those of you who read my verbose, fulmination of Grey Flannel Auctions and their TV program All Star Dealers, but have never viewed the episode to which I referred, can view it here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tf05BXHW0o

[momen55]

i just started watching this show and it is a joke. some of the items are obvious fake or repops and the russ guy acts surprised?! little things he could have caught, instead drives across the country for authentication.

what is the purpose of having an item authenticated by someone that comes with a letter from the team?

[BamaHater]

Cha-Ching Money:rolleyes: This show was terrible. Puts a bad light on the hobby.

[onlyalbert]

Are these new episodes or reruns?

[Nnunnari]

I believe they are re-runs.

A lot of the show is scripted and obviously made for tv, you can't take the show literally. They needed to have some sort of content or drama/air, i.e. fake jerseys even though they obviously knew ahead of time the items were no good.

Either way, it's a fun show to watch strictly for the items being auctioned along with the history of them.

[sportsnbikes]

http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=11043


WOW!!!!! I guess that answers the question I had on a different post about authentication.