Dealing with GU reps for ASG items

[Phil316]

For the record no slandering is happening when we all speak the truth. This has been happening the last few years. Just do a forum search.

[cfern023]

Nothing of what you all are implying, saying, and or complaining about is warranted a reply but I will not watch my name be used as a scapegoat in your little forum.

You all have my email address and if you have questions please by all means contact me directly and ask me. I will be more than happy to thoroughly explain how we deal with the ASG and how the process works.

There is no bait and switch here. There is nothing illegal going on.

You all so desperately want these items yet at the end of the day rather complain to each other instead of actually buying them. You are unhappy that someone else is getting the piece you want so badly but never pull the trigger.

We go higher and you complain. But you all try to make us go lower and that is okay. Economics 101....supply and demand. There is one item available and 25 people want it. Do you sell it to the first person in line for $1???

Again, please refrain from slandering me or my company based on no evidence. You can email me or call me anytime!!! If you truly have issues with "how to deal with reps for asg items" you shouldn't talk amongst people who have never done it.

Steven McRae
1-800-544-6134 ext 137
Smcrae@thehighlandmint.com

In your slander argument- feel free to show me what I said was not the truth.

You offered an item, I agreed (or you never saw it) and then you offered the same piece again at $700 higher.

[nickacs]

Wow, this HM guy is mouthing off like a complete tool to this "little forum".
I have zero interest in MLB ASG memorabilia, but reading this thread makes me laugh and completely angry at the same time.

If you say that you "can't" sell the item offered to the first person for $1, and would rather jack it up by getting 25 people all interested in an item, then like others said, PUT THE ITEMS IN AUCTION. Makes perfect sense.

To use your analogy, so if I go into a car showroom and the sticker price of the car I want is $20k and I offer $18.5k in cash right there/ready to drive off the lot, you really think the salesman is not going to sell me the car, waiting for another buyer to offer higher price or sticker price? HAHAHA, F NO!

If the 1st person in line for your items agrees to your price and is willing to pay right there for it, then they should get it, plain and simple. PERIOD. No argument. If you want to get the max price for it, then put it in an auction and then you'll get your items bidding up and selling for A LOT more than what your offering them for. It's a 100% win-win situation for you.

But whatever...sounds like you should take your business elsewhere off this "little forum" as you call it. Seems you have zero interest in letting anyone from here buy an item from you for the agreed price. Have fun!

[GoTigers]

This should be an easy one...explain your "process" on purchasing publicly on the forum, or don't shill your items here and deal with your bad press.

[The natural]

Which means that HIGHLAND MINT has the 'Exclusive', not YOU.

I work for and am one of the senior reps there, so since they have the exclusive, I do to then. And your reply about me is taken the wrong way. I'm just standing up for me and my company. You seem very angry at me and you have never once spoken to me.

And so you know, I never once said a sale price on my emails. Each of then specifically said that all prices were estimates and based on last years prices. Also that all needed to be approved by mlb.

Sorry you don't understand and won't be open to listening.

[cfern023]

I work for and am one of the senior reps there, so since they have the exclusive, I do to then. And your reply about me is taken the wrong way. I'm just standing up for me and my company. You seem very angry at me and you have never once spoken to me.

And so you know, I never once said a sale price on my emails. Each of then specifically said that all prices were estimates and based on last years prices. Also that all needed to be approved by mlb.

Sorry you don't understand and won't be open to listening.

Here's where you said a final sold price, and offered it at the same time. Below that is me telling you in so many words to bleep off.

--------
The principle of there being only one available and MLB wanting the highest price??

Are you sure that is why you are passing? $2250 and it is yours. It is SOLD at $2000.

I am just letting you know about the item that you wanted....

Steven J. McRae
Account Executive
The Highland Mint
800-544-6135 Ext. 137
321-773-2727 Ext. 137
321-777-9500 (Fax)
smcrae@thehighlandmint.com
www.thehighlandmint.com

-------------

Thank you,
The last email you sent yes, offered the jersey for 1500. The current email email now says 2250.

I'll pass, just on the principal of it.

Sent from my iPhone
--------

[Phil316]

cfern023 nice to see you have morals. It gets very frustrating dealing with this type of business model.

[onlyalbert]

Well this all seems like a rehash of last years posts on the same topic. What they are doing is holding their own silent auction or just shilling. I posted earlier about "my" jersey. So I was told that at 2K it was probably going to get it but the guy that bought it last year might get to make another offer.....might. Well today was told that he in fact offered 2500 and do I want to offer 2750? I said pass. Now why would he go from 2K to 2500? My guess, someone else offered 2250 before he could speak up. And apparently the bid increment is 250....seems to be universal. And my rep is different than the names mentioned so far. How many reps are there?

[xpress34]

I work for and am one of the senior reps there, so since they have the exclusive, I do to then. And your reply about me is taken the wrong way. I'm just standing up for me and my company. You seem very angry at me and you have never once spoken to me.

And so you know, I never once said a sale price on my emails. Each of then specifically said that all prices were estimates and based on last years prices. Also that all needed to be approved by mlb.

Sorry you don't understand and won't be open to listening.

Steven -

I don't want to argue semantics, but your statement was that YOU are the Exclusive Rep (worded to sound like you - the individual) and that (much like the 'offers' from other reps) isn't as black and white as you made it sound. Try to sell it however you want, but Highland Mint is the Exclusive Rep - you are an Agent of the company. And since (per my previous eMail experiences with Jim) the Reps all have access to the entire inventory (I have been told many times that 'another rep' has a better offer on the item I was offered) then YOU (again) do NOT have the 'Exclusive' no matter how you wnat to dress it up... but again, I digress.

I am not 'angry' at you, but the company you represent has very questionable 'ethics' when it comes to how you handle the selling of these items - and you, Jim, etc are the 'agents' (Representatives) and while you personally may not say sale prices in your eMails, other reps (Jim for one) have and as I said previously, offering an item for a price in writing (and yes, an eMail is a written offer) and then reneging on the offer when its accepted could be construed as Breach of Contract and be actionable under contract law.

As for not understanding? I understand very well, your company plans to collect as many eMails of potential buyers as possible and them pit them against each other in a blind bidding war where each 'bidder' has to trust that you actually have another bidder and aren't just running up the price as you see fit. Sorry Steven, but given the state of the hobby and the number of so called 'reputable' dealers that have gone down in the last couple of years, it's hard to trust anyone who isn't open and transparent in their actions (i.e. an auction format where bidders can actually see other registered bidders bidding against them).

Finally - again, not angry - but not impressed at all by your quick dismissal of everyone on this forum with who you personally disagree and to whom you showed such disdain with your comments. ('whining because you failed to pull the trigger', etc.)

I'm confident per the comments of other GUU members contained in this thread that you personally have not only solidified the opinions and beliefs of the forum members about HOW Highland Mint does business, but you (again personally) have probably soured even more members from having any interest in the items you represent. You basically told one of the largest Game Used collecting contingencies in the US (if not the world) that they don't understand the GU industry... My guess is that was a very poor play considering the vast knowledge of and connections in the Game Used Industry by the membership of this forum.

Maybe someday you and your other reps will understand that WE (the GUU members) aren't your average fan who is all starry-eyed when we find out a Game Used item can be obtained. We are veterans of the hobby and deserve much more respect than you showed in your initial post here.

If you don't like the way we talk about how Highland Mint does business, maybe instead of attacking one of your most promising customer bases, you should take our comments to heart and rethink and retool HOW you go about representing and selling the items in question. I'm not saying give the items away, I'm saying just be more transparent in your transactions.

- Smitty

[chakes89]

Sounds like the "Highland Mint" needs to stick to coins and other cheap knick knacks and leave the actual memorabilia to the big boys.