Replace "Stamps" with "Comics", and the article still rings true.

[CKB]

 

There's even a group of message board investigators...

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17171372/

 

Long article. Here's a paragraph or two.

 

It may be the stickiest scam on the Internet — a nine-year saga of deceit that has seen thousands of altered postage stamps sold to unwitting collectors on eBay and other Internet auction sites. More striking than its longevity, though, is that the mastermind has never been charged with a crime, even though his identity apparently is known to eBay security, law enforcement officials and some of the nation’s leading stamp experts.

 

The man believed to be behind the scheme is a longtime stamp dealer living in upstate New York. He has been investigated by law enforcement, suspended by eBay and exposed in Internet forums devoted to stamp collecting. Yet the massive operation continues to churn out philatelic fakes, burning collectors and, some say, undermining the very foundations of the hobby.

[HighVoltage]

Here's another piece of the article.

=====

 

Altering collectible stamps without disclosing it is both unethical and illegal, according to officials with the American Philatelic Society, the national organization of stamp collecting.

 

Fred Baumann, a spokesman for the APS, explained that stamps are presumed to be in the condition in which they were found unless it is explicitly stated otherwise, and are valued accordingly.

 

"Provided you offer a stamp with the description that it has been professionally restored ... there’s nothing wrong with that," he said. "But if you’re offering it as being original and untouched and in pristine condition when you’ve used an eraser, a steam iron and put new gum on the back … certainly the item will not have the value that it appears to."

[valiantman]

Thanks for posting this... VERY interesting read and gallery photos.

[FlyingDonut]

SCADS

[Davenport]

Wow, very interesting article. Thanks for posting it.

One major difference that leaps out is extermely harsh word usage, like "fakes", "forgery", and "fraud". Not the gentle vauge terms, like "releasing full potential", we're used to reading.

[FFB]

Wow, very interesting article. Thanks for posting it.

One major difference that leaps out is extermely harsh word usage, like "fakes", "forgery", and "fraud". Not the gentle vauge terms, like "releasing full potential", we're used to reading.

 

Yeah, but those terms are used in reference to practices that do a long way beyond the dry clean and press. The article says that the guy is reperforating, adding paper, adding ink, etc.

[DeeDee-migration]

Here's another piece of the article.

=====

 

Altering collectible stamps without disclosing it is both unethical and illegal, according to officials with the American Philatelic Society, the national organization of stamp collecting.

 

Fred Baumann, a spokesman for the APS, explained that stamps are presumed to be in the condition in which they were found unless it is explicitly stated otherwise, and are valued accordingly.

 

"Provided you offer a stamp with the description that it has been professionally restored ... there’s nothing wrong with that," he said. "But if you’re offering it as being original and untouched and in pristine condition when you’ve used an eraser, a steam iron and put new gum on the back … certainly the item will not have the value that it appears to."

 

Sound logic.

[dzminn]

Wow, very interesting article. Thanks for posting it.

One major difference that leaps out is extermely harsh word usage, like "fakes", "forgery", and "fraud". Not the gentle vauge terms, like "releasing full potential", we're used to reading.

 

Yeah, but those terms are used in reference to practices that do a long way beyond the dry clean and press. The article says that the guy is reperforating, adding paper, adding ink, etc.

 

Everybody has their own criteria of what is acceptable and what is not.

 

One might think reperforating, adding paper, adding ink in stamp collecting is not that great of a leap to “improvement activity” in this hobby with the practice of adding/replacing staples, paper piecing, color touch, etc.

 

Again, I think it is the disclosure of this activity that is necessary to ensure long term credibility.

[FFB]

Wow, very interesting article. Thanks for posting it.

One major difference that leaps out is extermely harsh word usage, like "fakes", "forgery", and "fraud". Not the gentle vauge terms, like "releasing full potential", we're used to reading.

 

Yeah, but those terms are used in reference to practices that do a long way beyond the dry clean and press. The article says that the guy is reperforating, adding paper, adding ink, etc.

 

Everybody has their own criteria of what is acceptable and what is not.

 

One might think reperforating, adding paper, adding ink in stamp collecting is not that great of a leap to “improvement activity” in this hobby with the practice of adding/replacing staples, paper piecing, color touch, etc.

 

Yeah, actually, what you just said is in line with the point I was making. Reperforating is akin to trimming; adding paper is akin to, well, adding paper; adding ink is basically the same thing as color touch, and adding gum is like reglossing a cover. But I think there's a big difference between those practices and pressing or dry cleaning. I still consider pressing and dry cleaning to be restoration, but not on the same level as the others. Whether or not that kind of restoration needs to be disclosed is the "$64,000 Question" that our hobby is dealing with right now.

[valiantman]

http://www.philatelicfoundation.org/expertizing/expertizing_terms.htm

 

Interesting comments on this site...

 

Cleaning - The removal of foreign substance from a stamp by any cleaning method. It is only mentioned when there is a noticeable change in appearance.

 

Pressed Out Crease - The application of heat, moisture and/or pressure to conceal a crease. This was formerly referred to as an "ironed-out" crease.

 

 

 

How does the Philatelic Foundation identify "Pressed Out Crease"?

[dzminn]

Great, understood.

 

If I were buying, even the pressing and dry cleaning would need to be disclosed.

[lou_fine]

There's even a group of message board investigators...

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17171372/

 

Long article. Here's a paragraph or two.

 

It may be the stickiest scam on the Internet — a nine-year saga of deceit that has seen thousands of altered postage stamps sold to unwitting collectors on eBay and other Internet auction sites. More striking than its longevity, though, is that the mastermind has never been charged with a crime, even though his identity apparently is known to eBay security, law enforcement officials and some of the nation’s leading stamp experts.

 

The man believed to be behind the scheme is a longtime stamp dealer living in upstate New York. He has been investigated by law enforcement, suspended by eBay and exposed in Internet forums devoted to stamp collecting. Yet the massive operation continues to churn out philatelic fakes, burning collectors and, some say, undermining the very foundations of the hobby.

 

Very interesting article and not surprising at all!

 

In fact, I would be totally surprised if a similar article such as this is not done with respect to comic books within the next few years. I can just see connections being made to Halperin, Heritage, CLink, Nelson, CGC, etc. Is that SCADS supposed to be similar to what NOD is when it comes to comic books.

 

It's kind of sad that our own publications such as the CBG refuses to report on these kinds of stories and instead, waits for them to break in the mainstream media which just loves a flashy and sensational story such as this.

[jediknight]

If you want to play it safe, make sure you buy cgc on any comic over X amount of dollars.

Of course I have the ultimate litmus test when proving the authenticity of any comic. No I don't pass it under a tricky black light. Why I strike it with a floppy saggy! Works every time!