Mastro Net Auctions - Subpoena - Shill Bidding

[Jokerman]

 

Burr Ridge auctioneers subpoenaed in sports memorabilia fraud probe, sources say

 

Authorities said to be investigating possible 'shill bidding' to drive up prices on collectibles

 

 

Mastro Net Auctions

link to Chicago Tribune story here

 

 

Joker--

 

[HOTFLIPS]

Just posted in the Water Cooler. Read the book "The Card" and you will learn all about Mastro.

[Mr. Zipper]

As some folks here know, I am very involved in the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC). I've written several articles and been interviewed by national publications on the matter of fraud and forgery.

 

About a year ago, a very reliable, well know collector told me that he consigned a number of items to Mastro and was very disappointed with the auction results. He contacted Mastro and asked to have a reserve put on his items that were scheduled to appear in an upcoming auction.

 

Mastro told him that they did not allow reserves, but he could just register under a different name and make sure the bids went up to a level he was comfortable with.

 

He then asked what would happen if he "won" one of his own auctions. He was told that he would have to buy it, as well as pay the buyers and sellers commission.

 

[Mac Man]

Whoa That's pretty daaamm creepy if you ask me! My father in law is a big fan of Mastro but he's never mentioned any of this to me. Zipper, if you know of any other published articles discussing Mastro along these lines, I would greatly appreciate it if you could PM me links so I can pass them along (as I did with this news story).

[Davenport]

Whoa That's pretty daaamm creepy if you ask me! My father in law is a big fan of Mastro but he's never mentioned any of this to me. Zipper, if you know of any other published articles discussing Mastro along these lines, I would greatly appreciate it if you could PM me links so I can pass them along (as I did with this news story).

 

NY Daily News: Feds swarm to question card sharks

 

The Daily News article seems more focused on the Feds zeroing in on PSA and "cards that have been altered" , as well as Mastro.

 

"...questioned employees of Professional Sports Authenticator, the hobby's top card grading service.

 

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor,"..."

 

[Jacey]

I read "The Card," Bill Mastro seems like a cheat and a fraud

[EggsAckley]

I won a baseball card auction with them over 5 years ago that was for a rare Rawlings set. The cards were described as NM and up. The 2 major cards were dinged so I returned the set because the condition was misrepresented. They refunded my money but banned me from future auctions.

[maxstuf]

I have never bid on a Mastro auction. People have whispered to me for years that something wasn't right.

 

 

[ciorac]

Whoa That's pretty daaamm creepy if you ask me! My father in law is a big fan of Mastro but he's never mentioned any of this to me. Zipper, if you know of any other published articles discussing Mastro along these lines, I would greatly appreciate it if you could PM me links so I can pass them along (as I did with this news story).

 

NY Daily News: Feds swarm to question card sharks

 

The Daily News article seems more focused on the Feds zeroing in on PSA and "cards that have been altered" , as well as Mastro.

 

"...questioned employees of Professional Sports Authenticator, the hobby's top card grading service.

 

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor,"..."

 

 

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor," somebody who fixes dog-eared corners, removes stains, flattens out creases or takes other steps to improve the appearance of trading cards. Most collectors and dealers consider it unethical to alter cards."

 

Uh-oh.........

[maxstuf]

Whoa That's pretty daaamm creepy if you ask me! My father in law is a big fan of Mastro but he's never mentioned any of this to me. Zipper, if you know of any other published articles discussing Mastro along these lines, I would greatly appreciate it if you could PM me links so I can pass them along (as I did with this news story).

 

NY Daily News: Feds swarm to question card sharks

 

The Daily News article seems more focused on the Feds zeroing in on PSA and "cards that have been altered" , as well as Mastro.

 

"...questioned employees of Professional Sports Authenticator, the hobby's top card grading service.

 

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor,"..."

 

 

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor," somebody who fixes dog-eared corners, removes stains, flattens out creases or takes other steps to improve the appearance of trading cards. Most collectors and dealers consider it unethical to alter cards."

 

Uh-oh.........

 

Could that have been the sound of the other shoe dropping Bill?

[ciorac]

Whoa That's pretty daaamm creepy if you ask me! My father in law is a big fan of Mastro but he's never mentioned any of this to me. Zipper, if you know of any other published articles discussing Mastro along these lines, I would greatly appreciate it if you could PM me links so I can pass them along (as I did with this news story).

 

NY Daily News: Feds swarm to question card sharks

 

The Daily News article seems more focused on the Feds zeroing in on PSA and "cards that have been altered" , as well as Mastro.

 

"...questioned employees of Professional Sports Authenticator, the hobby's top card grading service.

 

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor,"..."

 

 

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor," somebody who fixes dog-eared corners, removes stains, flattens out creases or takes other steps to improve the appearance of trading cards. Most collectors and dealers consider it unethical to alter cards."

 

Uh-oh.........

 

Could that have been the sound of the other shoe dropping Bill?

 

Too early to tell, but darned disturbing. Maybe it will take a million dollar sale gone wrong to raise interest or something.

[tth2]

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor," somebody who fixes dog-eared corners, removes stains, flattens out creases or takes other steps to improve the appearance of trading cards. Most collectors and dealers consider it unethical to alter cards."

 

Uh-oh.........

Man, it would be so great if the federal investigators could swing by and pay a visit to our little hobby too.

 

[super_team_up-migration]

As some folks here know, I am very involved in the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC). I've written several articles and been interviewed by national publications on the matter of fraud and forgery.

 

About a year ago, a very reliable, well know collector told me that he consigned a number of items to Mastro and was very disappointed with the auction results. He contacted Mastro and asked to have a reserve put on his items that were scheduled to appear in an upcoming auction.

 

Mastro told him that they did not allow reserves, but he could just register under a different name and make sure the bids went up to a level he was comfortable with.

 

He then asked what would happen if he "won" one of his own auctions. He was told that he would have to buy it, as well as pay the buyers and sellers commission.

 

 

Mastro should have just moved to Texas. Then they could've had a Mastro employee bid up the auctions and no laws would've been broken.

[Forbush-Man]

"Also on Friday, investigators from the FBI and the United States Postal Service interviewed a former Mastro Auctions employee who is known to be a "card doctor," somebody who fixes dog-eared corners, removes stains, flattens out creases or takes other steps to improve the appearance of trading cards. Most collectors and dealers consider it unethical to alter cards."

 

Uh-oh.........

Man, it would be so great if the federal investigators could swing by and pay a visit to our little hobby too.

 

:wishluck:

[Sal]

Heard a story from a friend wherein he met a guy at one of the large Card Cons a while back who would buy cards, take them up to his hotel room, trim them with a portable trimmer, then go back down to the Con floor and resell them.

 

 

It's just too easy to manipulate the darned things

[Mike Bray]

Heard a story from a friend wherein he met a guy at one of the large Card Cons a while back who would buy cards, take them up to his hotel room, trim them with a portable trimmer, then go back down to the Con floor and resell them.

 

 

 

[VintageComics]

 

 

I miss that icon dearly.

 

 

 

[SuperBird]

I used to do stuff like that at card shows when I was like 13. especially with 1971 topps black bordered cards and a magic marker...

[Mr. Zipper]

Whoa That's pretty daaamm creepy if you ask me! My father in law is a big fan of Mastro but he's never mentioned any of this to me. Zipper, if you know of any other published articles discussing Mastro along these lines, I would greatly appreciate it if you could PM me links so I can pass them along (as I did with this news story).

 

Google Mastro and Bill Daniels for lot of scary stuff.

 

 

Bill Daniels bought a large PSA/DNA authenticated "mint" autograph lot from a Mastro Auction. Daniels found the lot to be grossly misleading with many of the "authenticated" items were preprints, smeared, damaged, etc. Daniels sued when he was not granted the full refund he requested.

 

It came out in discovery, that Zack Rullo, a PSA/DNA authenticator, was also the consigner of the lot Daniels purchased!

 

Mastro + PSA/DNA = a little too cozy for any collector in possession of the facts.

[HOTFLIPS]

And it turns out the PSA 8 Wagner card, which Mastro owned, was submitted to PSA as the first card that was ever submitted. Mastro knew the primary grader at PSA during that time.