Ethics Question Regarding Game Used & Fanfests

[allstarsplus]

Andrew, I will make this my first post ever since you are wrongly calling me out!!! Don't know who 08Cubs is and don't care. Ari

OK, so there are 5 of us there and one is me, Mark F. Jim R. and Mark H.

08CUBS made this quote on the NatsFest thread:

I was one of the first in, but since one person came in and immediately grabbed all of the few decent jerseys for himself, it's impossible to tell what was there. There was a blue Lannan in there on Friday, but that's all I remember seeing before.

Sorry for me thinking it was you. Accept my apologies.

[G1X]

I have to say that I thought that Andrew, Markfd, Jim, and Ari were all perfect gentlemen yesterday. I was the third to arrive in the store (I'm much too old to stand in 17 degree weather for a long time), and Jim showed up a few minutes later. Andrew and Mark had a few jerseys in hand, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. There was no hogging whatsoever.

We had a friendly conversation, and Andrew and Markfd were already in a discussion of sharing their items with other GUU members which included holding the Lannan jerseys for Jim. Even if they had a wheel barrow full of jerseys, it would not have bothered me because they were the ones who went to the trouble of showing up early and braving the cold.

There was a nice Preston Wilson from the inagural season still hanging on the wall when I arrived, and I gladly took that one for $100. I would think that if Andrew and Markfd did not have honorable intentions, they would have snagged it along with a few others that were still there.

Ari made the best point of all yesterday when he expressed disappointment over the team not making more items available. Maybe next year they will improve the selection. The prices were great, but there just wasn't a whole lot to choose from.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for WFL and Atlanta Falcons jerseys, and any Willie McGee and Darren Lewis equipment.

[Raven]

Thanks Mark. Can't say I exactly remember who all of you were by name since we just met but I learned a bunch from whoever was talking to me about the jerseys and the tags. Let's hopefully close the thread but Andrew, just to allay any fears that 08Cubs is me - from the quote you showed from the NatsFest thread (which I must say I have not read through), it implies whoever that is was at the park on Friday, presumably at the hot stove lunch - unfortunately i was in a suit and tie at my desk all day downtown. Wish I could have been there. Talk to you soon.

[allstarsplus]

Thanks Mark. Can't say I exactly remember who all of you were by name since we just met but I learned a bunch from whoever was talking to me about the jerseys and the tags. Let's hopefully close the thread but Andrew, just to allay any fears that 08Cubs is me - from the quote you showed from the NatsFest thread (which I must say I have not read through), it implies whoever that is was at the park on Friday, presumably at the hot stove lunch - unfortunately i was in a suit and tie at my desk all day downtown. Wish I could have been there. Talk to you soon.

Raven - Thanks for the phone call. Congrats on your purchases!

[sportscentury]

This is entertaining enough, but I must admit ... I'm lost. Is Ari the same as Antonio D.?

[08Cubs]

No.

Just to be clear since it seems that at least some of the others know each other personally, I don't know anyone else who was involved in this. I walked in a short bit after.

As I've already said a couple of times, I don't think this whole thing is worthy of a federal case or anywhere near this level of nitpicking, and I didn't start the thread. I was just expressing a little frustration, others have different views, and that's fine. Not accusing anyone of anything underhanded, and it's all water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned.

[G1X]

Ari,

I was the one talking tagging with you. Glad to know that the information was helpful.

Regarding 08Cubs frustration, I think that we were all a bit frustrated/disappointed simply because there was such a small selection.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for WFL and Atlanta Falcons jerseys, and any Willie McGee and Darren Lewis equipment.

[jppopma]

From the sounds of it, this does not seem like any hogging at all. Also, I know and would expect that Andrew would be the 1st to help others out (as he has so many times).

For those who may be complaining that you didn't get what you wanted, it will only get worse from what I have read happened here. I have been to some of these sales where two guys will be 1st in line and take armfulls of jerseys off into a corner. They will then take all day going through them and making calls all day long trying to move them (all before they really even bought them). Don't even think of mistakingly going to look through their secret stash with them, they will bark and snap even at kids and other who are just wandering and looking at what there is to offer. NOW THAT IS HOGGING! When things get to that point, it's just wrong.

Another observation from these fanfest is that there are alot of people who complain just to complain. Not saying that about anything in this thread...but it happens. The same people that would complain about Andrew picking up a few $250 jerseys, would complain all day about the prices and how they would never pay $250 for that jerseys anyway! I think there is just a big misconception that there are some super top secret deals to be had (it happens at times, but not always).

I'm sure that Andrew snuck in the doors before hand and picked up all the Dunns and Miledges for about $50 a piece...hid them....and then cashed out with a bunch of commons to cover it all up.....

[allstarsplus]

From the sounds of it, this does not seem like any hogging at all. Also, I know and would expect that Andrew would be the 1st to help others out (as he has so many times).

For those who may be complaining that you didn't get what you wanted, it will only get worse from what I have read happened here. I have been to some of these sales where two guys will be 1st in line and take armfulls of jerseys off into a corner. They will then take all day going through them and making calls all day long trying to move them (all before they really even bought them). Don't even think of mistakingly going to look through their secret stash with them, they will bark and snap even at kids and other who are just wandering and looking at what there is to offer. NOW THAT IS HOGGING! When things get to that point, it's just wrong.

Another observation from these fanfest is that there are alot of people who complain just to complain. Not saying that about anything in this thread...but it happens. The same people that would complain about Andrew picking up a few $250 jerseys, would complain all day about the prices and how they would never pay $250 for that jerseys anyway! I think there is just a big misconception that there are some super top secret deals to be had (it happens at times, but not always).

I'm sure that Andrew snuck in the doors before hand and picked up all the Dunns and Miledges for about $50 a piece...hid them....and then cashed out with a bunch of commons to cover it all up.....

Thanks for your insight. Now in hindsight we all seem to be in agreement that the initial perception looked bad, but in reality as mentioned there just wasn't a lot of good jerseys and a real lack of current players and variety.

As mentioned also, one person's junk is another's treasure which is the old saying of yard sales and flea markets. This was like a one room 400 sq ft flea market. People get there early and make the mad dash when the gate opens. I found my personal treasure-a grail item. The Brian Schneider was the only Set 1 of the 2005 jerseys I got. I never expected that jersey to ever show up. To find that it was there, and $100 was crazy. As some of you that know in my personal collection that I have a lot of Brian Schneider gear including from the 1st Nats game ever at RFK and from the 1st pitch I have Brian Schneider's cathers mitt, shin guards, cap, cleats, and now the jersey. One day I hope to get a dual signed RFK logo'd ball signed by Brian Schneider with George W. Bush.

[mattsr]

Well I stood in in line for 6 hours and was the 8th person. But everyone in front of me was there for autographs. So when the doors opened I was the first person going to the game used items from the brewers. And there were vendors already there picking up stuff and walking away only to resell them at their own tables. I was still able to get great items but it's not the point. I waited outside in the cold to get the best stuff I could and I see I was beat to it by a vendor. It's unfair to everyone that waited.