Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

[rufusandherschel]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

I've got news 4 Bill that no one whose been taken in by His & His Cohorts Countless Schemes will be crying 4 him while he's Mastrobating in his Prison Cell @ night for the next couple of years. Hopefully a couple of his associates @ Legendary aren't far behind.

I'm pretty much done with ALL of the Auction Houses except 4 maybe Hunt as I'm tired of All of the Shill Bidding, Altered/Created Bogus Crap & the Scumbags who have no problem Ripping You Off.

I'll take my chances dealing direct and with eBay/private collectors.

Its a crying shame that FRAUD exists on such a level in this industry that the FBI would need 2 work 24-7 for years to bust all of these Degenerate Creep's.

Can't wait 2 see more of these Self Important Punks go 2 the Can & find out why they call it the Slammer.

What goes around comes around unfortunately for far 2 many consumers this process takes Far 2 Long.

Sadly, points well taken!

[joelsabi]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

I'm definitely not a computer 'techie'/expert but it would seem reasonable that a/any bidding program could be written/programmed to 'Bid up to the/a stated Max Bid' with/on the right command. Having said that, whether that is done or not would be dependent on the honesty, integrity, etc. of the user, i.e., auction house.

i think it would be reasonable for the feds to confiscate the bidding program of in question auction houses to see how the bidding system is actually coded and if it is coded differently then expected. (ie. bid up to one less bidding increment of highest bid at one hour of auction ending time) sometime i just wonder because of the greed that is related to valuable auction items.

remember when it was phone auctions. i always won at my maximum bids but how was I to verify.

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

I don't mean to put you on the spot, Dave, but what is there to like about Mark Theotikos? He does not seem like an honorable man, and based on the quoted article, I hope he and his cohorts are punished to the fullest extent of the law.

I agree that any wrongdoing should be punished, Frik, but Mark was still a personally likeable guy. We often used to do business back in the 1990s on autographed gumcards, as he would buy some of the better items I had.

I do have one Mark T. story that has nothing to do with personal or business ethics, but that you might find amusing. I'll send it off-Forum.

Dave Miedema

[1929tudor]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

Just because a guy is friendly and personable doesn't mean he won't stab you in the back. Money and greed do stange things.

[rufusandherschel]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

This has been what has perplexed me for years. I like to get my bids in early and not look at them again until the bidding is over. This way I don't get caught up in the last minute frenzy.

I set my max bid and walk away. Sometimes I get outbid but when I win an auction, many times I win it at my Max bid which means someone/someboday has pushed the bid to 1 increment below my Max bid and pushed up the final price to my Max.

Yes, I wonder if some of these auction companies can see our Max bid and fake shill them up. Clearly I don't know if any of them are but as Eric also wonders are "Bids padded by some of these auction house"

I'm definitely not a computer 'techie'/expert but it would seem reasonable that a/any bidding program could be written/programmed to 'Bid up to the/a stated Max Bid' with/on the right command. Having said that, whether that is done or not would be dependent on the honesty, integrity, etc. of the user, i.e., auction house.

[allstarsplus]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

I'll also say, I'd love to know how many of us had our bids padded by some of these auction house folks. Eric

This has been what has perplexed me for years. I like to get my bids in early and not look at them again until the bidding is over. This way I don't get caught up in the last minute frenzy.

I set my max bid and walk away. Sometimes I get outbid but when I win an auction, many times I win it at my Max bid which means someone/someboday has pushed the bid to 1 increment below my Max bid and pushed up the final price to my Max.

Yes, I wonder if some of these auction companies can see our Max bid and fake shill them up. Clearly I don't know if any of them are but as Eric also wonders are "Bids padded by some of these auction house"

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

I, for one, am just tired of voicing my righteous indignation and vitrol about the pieces of crap in this hobby.

what he said...

[gingi79]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

I thought someone- ANYONE- would have something to say.

Eric, I don't think I am alone on thinking this hobby is entrenched in fraud. Mastro's auction house and his name are just like the dozens of others who flood the market with garbage. JO Sports, Lou Lampson. Custom Crafted, the list never ends.

Quick searches on google or yahoo or even this website show eBay sellers, major auction houses, so called upstanding dealers and renowned collectors
are all dealing in knockoffs that websites like this one disparage and hold accountable. Frankly I didn't reply earlier because I already dismissed this con artist as a fraud prior to the indictment.

Don't think being silent on this wonderful website you created means we don't agree and appreciate your pointing these scumbags out. I, for one, am just tired of voicing my righteous indignation and vitrol about the pieces of crap in this hobby.

[trsent]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

I don't mean to put you on the spot, Dave, but what is there to like about Mark Theotikos? He does not seem like an honorable man, and based on the quoted article, I hope he and his cohorts are punished to the fullest extent of the law.

I'll answer this before Dave does.

Les, if you ever met Mark in person and had a conversation with him he was always friendly and very personable. Easy to get along with and very intelligent. I saw Mark at a St. Louis show a few months ago. Talked business for a minute as I forgot he had this over his head and all I thought is what a nice guy he is.

Whatever charges he faces doesn't mean they aren't friendly in person and I can vouch for Dave's comment - Mark was always a pleasure to be in the presence of in person.

[frikativ54]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

...Mark T. was at a Legendary Auctions both at the recent 3-day show in suburban Chicago. I personally like the guy...

Mark Theotikos routinely defrauded customers, rigged auctions and inflated prices paid by unwitting bidders.

I don't mean to put you on the spot, Dave, but what is there to like about Mark Theotikos? He does not seem like an honorable man, and based on the quoted article, I hope he and his cohorts are punished to the fullest extent of the law.

[esquiresports]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

This may seem a little backward, but given their current circumstances, I'm hopeful that Legendary is actually now one of the cleaner auction houses. I really hope so since I just purchased a pretty expensive jersey in the Nov. 29 auction! Of course I did a lot of research into the particular jersey (and it's from the Dreier collection, which I understand is very solid).

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

They're also still traveling the show circuit. Mark T. was at a Legendary Auctions both at the recent 3-day show in suburban Chicago. I personally like the guy, but it does seem odd that those awaiting trial/hearings are still carrying on business as usual.

Dave Miedema

[joelsabi]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

It's also not looking good for Allen and Theotikos and their not guilty plea. Their defense attorneys have to be grasping for a settlement at this point.

And thru all this, Legendary Auctions continues to run, as does VSA after Jensen's takedown? Strange....

I guess its similar to JO. JO has to have some way to pay the fines/attny fees

I recently got an email from PSA stating they passed the 20 million mark in slabbed material. The Card as you all know was the first. I first heard the rumor about the the CARD being trimmed at the 1996 National and I am sure the rumor has been around even longer.

[gorilla777]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

It's also not looking good for Allen and Theotikos and their not guilty plea. Their defense attorneys have to be grasping for a settlement at this point.

And thru all this, Legendary Auctions continues to run, as does VSA after Jensen's takedown? Strange....

[jppopma]

Re: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty

Good news. Hopefully this type of activity will help curtail some of the other fraud that is going around in our hobby as well. Thanks Eric for keeping up on this and sharing the news.