All-Star Dealers reality show

[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_f...ght=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/Se...setType=image#

There is NO DISCOVERY emblem on the shirt Grey Flannel auctioned off!!!
http://catalog.greyflannelauctions.c...px?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?

[blackbeard]

This bat in the HOF?

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

[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.



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.



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.