All-Star Dealers reality show

[rose14]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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" (Pawn Stars) to "entertain us".

[gameon]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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. Seems as most of us said here already that this show wouldn't last very long.

[gingi79]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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]

Re: All-Star Dealers reality show

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