Exposing FRAUD And DECEPTION - A Must Watch! 18 18

[Domo Arigato]

On 9/2/2021 at 1:32 PM, Charleybrown said:

If you check his sales history there’s a boatload of 9.6 and 9.8’s. What’s that naked gun meme “nothing to see here!”

There's also another possible reason for that.

It's called knowing how to grade and buying appropriately. 

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:32 PM, COI said:

 

 

Care to elaborate?

[Charleybrown]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:19 PM, Domo Arigato said:

There's also another possible reason for that.

It's called knowing how to grade and buying appropriately. 

 

Haha so you think a listed executive on a grading company website should know how to grade and sell his graded games on the open market when the ceo of said company said they don’t allow either?

[Domo Arigato]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:16 PM, Charleybrown said:

Mark Haspel having an eBay sales page selling Wata graded games is not a good look. That’s a fact. Let’s see if there’s any further investigation. I’d be willing to bet he’s selling More than common Atari games.

It's not a good look for people that don't want it to be a good look.  But, as it has already been pointed out, he's not hiding that it's his account......and he could easily hide it all by selling anonymously through an auction house.

There simply isn't a boogeyman under every rock you lift.  Seth seems to think so, and that's why I can't take him seriously.

 

[Domo Arigato]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:21 PM, Charleybrown said:

Haha so you think a listed executive on a grading company website should know how to grade and sell his graded games on the open market when the ceo of said company said they don’t allow either?

I'll just post a quote that I made in the other thread on this matter.

 

On 8/24/2021 at 8:39 PM, Domo Arigato said:

What about the secret pressing service for select clients so they can cash in on "upgraded" books?

The point being......there is no pure, altruistic, for-profit company out there.  It doesn't exist.  

People can gnash their teeth all they want......but for me (so far, at least)......these speculations and accusations are mildly interesting.  It's nothing that hasn't been happening in every other collectible market for decades.

When someone posts actual hard proof of illegal activity, then I'll worry about putting a mouth guard in.

 

 

[wombat]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:22 PM, Domo Arigato said:

It's not a good look for people that don't want it to be a good look.  But, as it has already been pointed out, he's not hiding that it's his account......and he could easily hide it all by selling anonymously through an auction house.

There simply isn't a boogeyman under every rock you lift.  Seth seems to think so, and that's why I can't take him seriously.

 

Its hard to comprehend your take on this. You don't think lying about what your employees can do is not a bad look? Who exactly doesn't think this is a bad look?

[Charleybrown]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:28 PM, Domo Arigato said:

I'll just post a quote that I made in the other thread on this matter.

 

 

So youre resorting to whataboutism instead of debating facts surrounding the current situation.

[Domo Arigato]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:33 PM, wombat said:

Its hard to comprehend your take on this. You don't think lying about what your employees can do is not a bad look? Who exactly doesn't think this is a bad look?

If I refused to do business with any business that does things that are a "bad look"..........I'd currently be living in a dug out pile of dirt with no possessions.

 

[wombat]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:36 PM, Domo Arigato said:

If I refused to do business with any business that does things that are a "bad look"..........I'd currently be living in a dug out pile of dirt with no possessions.

 

Did you mean to quote someone else because that in no way addresses my post. 

[THE_BEYONDER]

This thread has me waxing nostalgic....

 

Feels like old times 

[Domo Arigato]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:34 PM, Charleybrown said:

So youre resorting to whataboutism instead of debating facts surrounding the current situation.

No.....I used an example and followed it up with a point.  Every company does questionable, but not illegal, things for their bottom line. 

I'm just trying to figure out why this is the hill that everyone is choosing to stand their ground on.......and in a forum and hobby that has been embroiled in very similar situations for decades.

 

[Domo Arigato]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:38 PM, wombat said:

Did you mean to quote someone else because that in no way addresses my post. 

Did you read my post correctly?  It appears to.

Edit: And to clarify a bit more.  What is a "bad look" is subjective. Is it illegal?  Which goes back to my point.....if I refused to do business with any company that does things that are a "bad look".......I'd currently be living in a dug-out pile of dirt with no possessions. 

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Domo Arigato

[Charleybrown]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:40 PM, Domo Arigato said:

No.....I used an example and followed it up with a point.  Every company does questionable, but not illegal, things for their bottom line. 

I'm just trying to figure out why this is the hill that everyone is choosing to stand their ground on.......and in a forum and hobby that has been embroiled in very similar situations for decades.

 

Because that’s how it works. When you do operate in a brazen manner you get cut down. That’s why Meyer Lansky died at 89 years old in his modest Miami Beach condo and John Gotti died in prison. You want to buy your an item from your own auction house and tout the sale in a pr release? You want to push prices for games and have a Mario 64 sell for 1.56 mil and act like that’s completely normal? Ok cool now you’re going to be scrutinized and expect the layers to get peeled back.

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:40 PM, Domo Arigato said:

 

I'm just trying to figure out why this is the hill that everyone is choosing to stand their ground on.......and in a forum and hobby that has been embroiled in very similar situations for decades.

 

You’re acting as if the shenanigans in the comic industry got a free pass.  They didn’t.  
 

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by THE_BEYONDER

[Roger66]

I cannot help but skim though this 50-page thread and just smirk if not wince with derision .  We are talking about video games, which not too long ago were not worth much.  The sheer greed and finger-pointing that oozes from these pages with a sense of righteous judicious indignation is laughable if not ironic.  Right now it seems the next rage is sealed VHS tapes, next year it'll be old cereal boxes and the year after that Wacky-Pack cards, then in 2026 it'll be happy-meal toys and so on and so forth.  Everyone angling to make a buck off articles of our past and capitalize off everyone's avarice, regret for not saving said throw-away items and lust.  No one puts a gun to any bidder's head regardless if the auction was fixed or not.  Every market to some extent even those in a free democratic society has some higher-up controls in place that to others might seem manipulative if not price-fixing.  When does personal responsibility and freedom of choice come into play in this or any collectible market for that matter?  When does someone stand up and say enough is a enough - this item is not worth $1,000 or $10,000 or a million and simply turn their computer off?  The answer is likely never as long as there is another fool to pay more than what you just paid upon the final hammer's call.  My lousy 2-cents.   

“In a marketplace, perception is more powerful than reality.”
― Naved Abdali

 

 

[batman_fan]

On 8/30/2021 at 2:56 AM, MasterChief said:

Thank you, COI.

And now, a damage control word from our sponsor...

*************

Heritage Auctions Comments on State of Video-Game Marketplace
Press Release

DALLAS, Texas (Aug. 25, 2021) — Heritage Auctions has seen the recent speculation about alleged market manipulation in the collector video-game marketplace. The company and its founders want to ensure all those who love the hobby as much as we do that Heritage has always acted with the utmost integrity and has never falsely inflated the collector video-game marketplace or any other.

Heritage has worked tirelessly for more than four decades to ensure the best possible experience for our consignors and clients. Transparency and integrity are the cornerstones of our business, and since our founding in 1976, we have earned a reputation as trusted stewards of the collectibles hobby.

Our co-founder Jim Halperin, a well-known collector across several categories, was an early believer in the collectible video-game marketplace, and has been an active participant in that arena for several years. Indeed, Jim's participation — including his purchase of the first six-figure video game — was not only disclosed, but was widely publicized by Heritage Auctions.

While Heritage has a strong relationship with Wata, as well as other third-party grading companies and authenticators, Wata's grading and activities are wholly independent from Heritage or its management. Jim was indeed an early minority stakeholder in Wata, through his nonprofit foundation that provides funding for arts-, education- and health-related endeavors. "I had no idea video games would take off as fast as they did," he says of his early involvement, "but I suspected that marketplace was undervalued."

Jim divested himself of his ownership in Wata earlier this year when that company was sold. The notion that Heritage somehow colluded in order to achieve results at auction is baseless and falsely assumes that transactions are fictitious when they are in fact very much real.

Heritage prides itself on transparency, which is why we post every result from every auction and maintain that information in our permanent archive, which is accessible by anyone who is interested in that information, including Heritage's 1.5 million registered bidders worldwide. Heritage and Jim wholeheartedly agree that as the video-game marketplace continues to evolve and mature that population reports are an essential component needed to maintain its transparency.

Yes, Heritage employees do consign and bid on items for their personal collections, as disclosed in our terms and conditions. Jim is well known as one of the world's greatest collectors of EC comics, original comic-book art and Mad memorabilia. But as we always say, an item is only worth what two bidders are willing to pay for it, and Heritage strives to make the playing field level for all.

As to the question of regulatory fines, in 1989 Jim and co-founder Steve Ivy reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission arising from allegations related to grading and the marketing of coins by an unrelated third party. Heritage Auctions settled for $1.2 million to avoid protracted litigation and admitted no wrongdoing. As Halperin himself said in 2004 on the company's website, "I'm glad the FTC came in, cracked down on some of the practices in the industry and weeded out some of the bad apples, allowing us to alter our business model profitably, and serve a much larger and faster growing clientele." This settlement had nothing to do Heritage Auctions.

We founded Heritage Auctions 45 years ago as an auction house by collectors for collectors.

Robert Wilonsky, Communications Director

https://www.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/heritage-auctions-comments-on-state-of-video-game-marketplace.s?releaseId=4273

 

Well that’s good enough for me ! 

[The Lions Den]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:56 PM, Roger66 said:

When does someone stand up and say enough is a enough - this item is not worth $1,000 or $10,000 or a million and simply turn their computer off?  The answer is likely never as long as there is another fool to pay more than what you just paid upon the final hammer's call.  My lousy 2-cents.   

Truth. The rarest commodity of all...

[COI]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:40 PM, Domo Arigato said:

 

I'm just trying to figure out why this is the hill that everyone is choosing to stand their ground on.......and in a forum and hobby that has been embroiled in very similar situations for decades.

 

It's precisely because this isn't a game forum and there's only one Bronty here. 

Imagine trying to hold a significant portion of this board accountable by complicity to Heritage's dominance in the comic market, the way they're doing it to Bronty; I imagine it wouldn't go over well. Much easier to focus on a hobby most here aren't familiar with, and where there's only one person in the conversation with actual insight and experience. 

Edited September 2, 2021 by COI

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 9/2/2021 at 6:20 PM, COI said:

It's precisely because this isn't a game forum and there's only one Bronty here. 

Imagine trying to hold a significant portion of this board accountable by complicity to Heritage's dominance in the comic market, the way they're doing it to Bronty; I imagine it wouldn't go over well. Much easier to focus on a hobby most here aren't familiar with, and where there's only one person in the conversation with actual insight and experience. 

I’ve read this post 4 times, and I’m still confused.

[Domo Arigato]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:47 PM, Charleybrown said:

Because that’s how it works. When you do operate in a brazen manner you get cut down. That’s why Meyer Lansky died at 89 years old in his modest Miami Beach condo and John Gotti died in prison. You want to buy your an item from your own auction house and tout the sale in a pr release? You want to push prices for games and have a Mario 64 sell for 1.56 mil and act like that’s completely normal? Ok cool now you’re going to be scrutinized and expect the layers to get peeled back.

Apparently, that's not how it works.  Because this kind of stuff has happened with many companies in numerous collectible hobbies over the decades.  Companies and collectible hobbies that are happily plugging along with mind-numbing record sales as we speak.  But the John Gotti reference seems like a reasonable and measured response.  

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Domo Arigato