Altered Kobe Bryant Pro-Cut Jersey Being Advertised on eBay with D. C. Sports LOA as Game Used Rookie Jersey

[cohibasmoker]

Dan, can you answer some specific questions:

1. How much did you charge Ryan for the autograph and letter?

2. Did you personally witness Kobe autograph this jersey?

3. I didn't try to match it up, but I have been told the font on the back of the jersey doesn't match Kobe gamers. You are regarded as the expert - Can you confirm that the lettering font is an exact match to Kobe rookie gamers?

4. If you state it came from an impeccable source, is that source Ryan or Mark? I don't understand how you use that term but don't have a source from within The Los Angeles Lakers organization as another dealer/collector is the source that has access to players before, during and after games? This is very confusing. How many other Kobe jerseys have you written letters for using this expression believing someone telling you it came from an impeccable source?

It is a concern if you take people's word for game used items that you then write letters for their statement. This confuses the whole industry.

My questions are all very important to be answered.

Seems to me the only difference is the LOA

TIMELINE

August 4, 2013 - masauction - advertised as "un-used/worn game-issued"";
October 11, 2013 - jerseyking55 - reappears with LOA and advertised as "game worn".

Joel - Is this timeline correct?

Jim

[trsent]

So a time frame is set, the original auction selling this jersey as a pro-cut was ended on eBay August 4th, 2013 while the jersey was listed as a game used autographed jersey with a letter of authenticity on September 14th, 2013.

That means in about a 40 day time frame this jersey went from Milwaukee, who states they shipped it to Louisiana, to where they state it was shipped to Florida and somewhere during this time the jersey was supposedly autographed by Kobe Bryant and it was authenticated as game used by an authenticator in California.

Seems to me the only difference is the LOA

TIMELINE

August 4, 2013 - masauction - advertised as "un-used/worn game-issued"";
October 11, 2013 - jerseyking55 - reappears with LOA and advertised as "game worn".

Joel - Is this timeline correct?

Jim

I showed the timeline from when masauction ended it on eBay and when jerseyking55 listed it on eBay in post #3 which I copied above. The LOA and the autograph on the back of the jersey were new from the first listing to the second.

[cohibasmoker]

I showed the timeline from when masauction ended it on eBay and when jerseyking55 listed it on eBay in post #3 which I copied above. The LOA and the autograph on the back of the jersey were new from the first listing to the second.

So if it is the same jersey - the issue is the LOA.

[trsent]

So if it is the same jersey - the issue is the LOA.

I'd say the LOA is an issue and the autograph is a concern. Who took a jersey sold as not game used and told someone it was game used? There are so many questions about the history between when masauction shipped it out and jerseyking55 listed it on eBay that it is a huge concern for the industry as a whole.

[Takuleechch]

I would think the auto was legit. Dan has access to Kobe and psa only did a quick opinion which isn't always accurate.

[mmonte4]

Mick, I am disappointed in you.

Mick's hatred of me stems from this thread:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_f...ad.php?t=41682

I invite everyone to give that thread a read and I think you will conclude that my skepticism over the issue was fair and well founded.

Afterwards, Mick offered me $700 for a Rambis Lakers warm-up I owned. I declined his offer and told him that I believed it was worth much more. I ended up submitting it to auction and it went for $4k.

Those are the only two interactions I've ever had with the guy.

I am even more disappointed in GUU. The GUU mods continue to allow character assassinations as seen in this thread. There is a big difference between asking questions and engaging in personal attacks. As such, my next post will address the situation at hand and will be my last on GUU.

I'm not a hard person to find, just email me at klhunter@yahoo.com

[trsent]

I would think the auto was legit. Dan has access to Kobe and psa only did a quick opinion which isn't always accurate.

How does Dan have access to Kobe that he can get his autograph upon request? I have been told this isn't the first time a major authenticator has not passed a Kobe autograph linked to Dan.

If you are going to defend Dan's relationship with Kobe Bryant please explain to me what that relationship is as Dan recently wrote a letter that a jersey came from a source with Los Angeles Lakers team access and it turns out that was not true.

How does Dan have access to Kobe Bryant on demand?

I have seen more Michael Jordan autographs that were signed in the locker room but not signed by Michael Jordan. Does Dan have Kobe's cell phone number and when someone pays him he calls Kobe and Kobe tells him to come over to sign his jersey?

[trsent]

Mitch Schumacher (masauction) sent me a copy of an email he received from Ryan just five days ago. I find this email interesting as I wonder what the intentions are.


From: ryanjerseyb@aol.com
To: masauction@aol.com
Sent: 10/7/2013 12:09:29 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: Jerseys

If I send you a pro cut Tom Gugliotta 2002-2003 throwback Suns jersey and anAmare Stoudemire 2002-2003 same style throwback, could you change theStoudemire over to the pro cut jersey? The name on the back and the number?
Sent from my iPhone=

[abstractheory]

"If I send you a pro cut Tom Gugliotta 2002-2003 throwback Suns jersey and anAmare Stoudemire 2002-2003 same style throwback, could you change theStoudemire over to the pro cut jersey? The name on the back and the number?"

[mmonte4]

The Kobe jersey was offered to me by a French collector in late July/early August. We went back and forth exchanging emails and his communication was terrible - big delays in response time. Shortly after, Mitch listed the same jersey on Ebay. I offered him $1,500 and he declined. He said he needed $3,000. I said I could do $2,200, pay immediately, and through paypal gift. He accepted.

About a month ago, I offered Ryan the Kobe jersey in a trade for a jersey that he bought for $3k from Jim Thomas several years ago. I sent him the pics and told him up front that I purchased the Kobe as a procut and it was not sold to me as game worn. Before finalizing the trade, we noticed that the NOB was not consistent with Kobe rookies sold by GF. Ryan wanted to go through with the trade anyway.

Ryan lists the unsigned, unauthenticated jersey on Ebay for $20k.

According to Ryan:
After making the trade, Ryan contacts Dan (they had done business before) about getting the jersey signed and possibly authenticated. Dan asks for photos of the jersey and Ryan sends. After reviewing the photos, Dan says he needs the jersey in-hand and that the signature and authentication will be $750-2000 and need to be paid by money order (I don't remember the exact cost Ryan told me but it was in that range and was at an inflated price compared to his standard $200/sig and $150/authentication). Ryan sends in the jersey and payment and gets it back a few weeks later signed and authenticated.

Ryan updates his listing on Ebay to signed and authenticated by DC.

Mitch must have seen the listing because he contacts me out of the blue and asks if Ryan got the jersey from me and tells me to get him to take it off ebay. I tell him that he did get it from me and that I was upfront about it being procut and unworn. Regardingly the listing, I tell him that once its out of my hands, I'm not responsible for it and cannot make him remove his listing.

My opinion is that Ryan was excited about the jersey and wanted to list it immediately on Ebay to showcase (he listed it before it was even in-hand). The sig and DC papers only added to his display. He never mentioned shopping it or sending it in to auction. He actually mentioned keeping it and displaying it next to another Kobe he has so that they could be displayed side by side- one signed on the front, and one signed on the back. With the $20k price tag, I do not believe his intention was to sell, but rather draw attention to his other listings.

Ryan has done the right thing here and removed the Ebay listing.

A mistake was made, let's move on.

My correspondence with the French collector was thru email and Facebook messages. My correspondence with Mitch was thru email. My correspondence with Ryan was through text message. In short, there is record of everything.

Hope this helps shed some light on the situation.