“Buyer Beware” is a relevant warning across any transaction, be they monetary or not, as you always want to make sure, to the best of your ability, that you’re getting what you are being “sold”. This is part of the social and business contract, no? You give me this, I give you that. While this is certainly the ideal, we’re all hip to the fact that many exchanges do not adhere to this standard, whether intentionally or as a result of innocent oversights, and in the end someone is going to be feeling a bit burnt.
To say that there have been a few burnt customers in the sports memorabilia market would be a huge understatement. Indeed, this is an economy that has been driven in part through the exchange of empty promises over the years. Be they counterfeit autographs, cards, equipment or outright mislabeled items, there has always been a significant market share of knock off pieces floating around. It is for this very reason that collectors have to be on top of things when looking to drop money on anything. A healthy skepticism will serve one well in this hobby as it keeps you safe, plain and simple. At the end of the day, there are a number of preventative measures one can take (i.e., Buy from reputable dealers; Get the autograph yourself; Have items evaluated/graded before purchasing; Have samples for comparison; etc…) that can lower the chances of being hosed on a deal.
All this being said, there will be times when, despite having covered your bases, things go bad. Case in point: the fallout from the London Knights sale of a Mitch Marner jersey. The purchaser, Scott Galbraith, alleged in August of 2016 that the London Knights, rather than providing him with the game-used Mitch Marner jersey he won through a CHL auction, gave him a new jersey that had been doctored to appear as though it had been. While this case was settled out of court shortly after the allegations arose, the suspicions cast on the Knights organization led to other collectors scrutinizing their purchases more closely, and brought forward further allegations, including being sold game worn jerseys:
- for players who were playing for another organization at the time the jersey was authenticated as having been worn
- authenticated as being used in the Memorial Cup when that style of jersey was not worn
- that appeared to be in pristine condition when the player’s style was not conducive to it being in such condition
Furthermore, a former London Knights retail store worker brought forward allegations that doctoring of new jerseys by throwing pucks at them to create the appearance of being game-worn reportedly occurred during his employment.
For the nitty gritty on the stories, head to
the original Mitch Marner jersey story and the more recent
aftermath beyond Marner that will continue to play out. Bottom line here: while going straight to the source for one’s memorabilia remains a solid way to reduce the chance of purchasing fraudulent items, we can see that, should the aforementioned allegations prove correct, it is not sufficient to prevent it. So the key? Avoid blind faith. There is no fool proof method for ensuring the authenticity of any piece outside of being there to witness the handover or get the signature. Barring the ability to do this, the more safeguards you build into the process, the more certainty you can have. Be vigilant…
________________________________________________________________________
Do you have a piece of treasured memorabilia that has a great story behind it? Let me know and you can be featured in an article. Doesn't matter how big or small the piece is, how valuable it may be, or whether it's a common item or more oddball. If you think it has a story, contact me via the information below and we'll chat. In the meantime, check out some previous "Display Case" articles via the links below to see what others have submitted in the past...
______________________________________________________________________
Shawn Gates
[email protected]
Facebook: Shawn Gates
_________________________________________________________________________
Previous "Devil's In The Details" Articles
#1: Beware the "Factory Sealed Box"!
#2: The Price Guide"
#3: What IS A Rookie Card?
#4: Beware the Money Order!
#5: The Counterfeit Gretzky RC
Previous ”On The Market” Articles
Lindros Clears Out His Basement With A Stacked Auction!
Gretzky RC Sets a New Record
The $20,000 Thrift Shop Bobblehead
The $20,000 Thrift Shop Bobblehead UPDATE (So it’s a $10,000 Bobblehead!)
Gretzky’s 1000th Goal Stick
Andrew Shaw’s Cup Final Stitches
Hobby Hits
#1: Leafs "Man Cave", Ovi’s Auto Threat, Beckett & The Hip
#2: Matthews Jersey, Good Guy Laine, Capitals Basement, Cop Card
#3: AllStar Swaps, Backup RC, Series 2 RCs, Tim Hortons Chase, Patrick Roy Exclusive
Previous “Collecting on the Cheap” Articles
2017 National Hockey Card Day
The Thrift Shop
Topps Skate
”The Display Case”
#1: The “Frankenstick!”
#2: Your desk has the right to remain collectable!
#3: Have Pads, Will Travel
#4: Pick a Pekka (Rinne) Autographed Mask
#5: Ted Lindsay Gets Kronwalled?
#6: The Only Thing We Have To Fehr Is Fehr Himself
#7: “Hungary” For Team Canada Swag
#8: The Soldiers Kid and “The Kid”
#9: Fan Appreciation & Player Humility Via The '72 Series
#10: Bobby Orr and....Birth Control?!?!?!
#11: Johnny Bower The “Portrait” Of Health At 88!!!
#12: Scotty Bowman – Stick Detective!!!
#13: Touch 'Em All Joe!!!
#14: Joey and Sergei's European (Lockout) Adventure!!!
#15: I’d Give The Jersey Off My Back For You…
#16: The Case Of The 1940’s Era Leafs
#17: Scrapping The History Of The Isles...
#18: Gretzky “Re-Signs” in Edmonton
#19: Gilmour Is Such A Caricature!!!
#20: Toys In The Attic
#21: The Right King Place At The Right King Time
#22: Momma Bear Takes On A “Killer”!!!
#23: Leafs Lunch Stool
#24: The 50 Goal Stub
Ultimate Set Build
1954-55 Topps
2009-10 OPC Canadian Heroes Autographs
Previous “Who Am I?” Articles
#1,
#2,
#3,
#4,
#5,
#6,
#7,
#8,
#9,
#10,
#11,
#12,
#13,
#14,
#15,
#16,
#17,
#18,
#19,
#20,
#21 ,
#22 ,
#23,
#24,
#25,
#26,
#27,
#28,
#29,
#30,
#31,
#32,
#33,
#34,
#35,
#36,
#37,
#38,
#39,
#40,
#41,
#42,
#43,
#44,
#45,
#46
Previous “According to Twitter” Articles
Randy Carlyle Firing
NHL – NHLPA “Negotiations”
Olympic Gold Medal Game
Olympic Hockey
Kovalchuk Trade
Previous “Hockey Videos”
2012: Week 1
2012: Week 2
2012: Week 3
2012: Week 4
2012: Week 5
2012: Week 6
2012: Week 7
Pain for Pleasure
National Anthems
Dion Phaneuf
Hockey Fans
Hockey Christmas
Nature Versus Sports
Goalie Fights!
Nature Versus Sports: Winter Classic 2014 Edition
NHL and The Tragically Hip
Previous “WHAT IF…?” Articles
#1 What If The NHL Contracted To 24 Teams?
#2 What If Quebec Traded Lindros To The Rangers Instead Of The Flyers?
#3 What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?
#3a What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?: A RESPONSE
#4 What If The WHA Never Existed?
#5 What If The Position Of Rover Had Not Been Eliminated?
#6 What If Pittsburgh Had Not Been Awarded A Team In 1967?
#7 What If Steve Smith Had Not Scored In His Own Net In Game 7?
#8 What If The NHL Had a Cross-Conference Playoff Structure?
#9 What If The NHL Asked For Fan Ideas For Improving The Game??
#10 What If Henderson Had Missed The Net In Game 8?
#11 What If You Could Sneak Into A Stanley Cup Celebration?
#12 What If The NHL Returned To Quebec City?
#13 What if Toronto and Edmonton Had Traded Teams in 1981?
#14 What if You Could Create Your Own Hockey Dream Team?
#15 What if An Active Player in the NHL “Came Out” as Gay?
#16 You Could Assemble Your Own Fantasy Pick-up Hockey Team?
#17 Hockey Had A Champions League Tournament?
#18 Team "X" Did NOT Make Trade "Y" At The Deadline?
#19 Gretzky Had Been Called For he High Stick?
#20 Star Players Hadn't Had Their Careers Cut Short?
#21 Mark Cuban Owned An NHL Team?
#22 Should Divisional Play Be Overhauled?
#23 You Won The Lottery Using Jersey Numbers?
#24 You Could Change Any Teams Name?
#25 You Could Own Any Odd Piece Of Hockey Memorabilia?
#26 You Could Pick One Silver Lining From The Lockout?
Previous “Points To Ponder” Articles
NHLs Latest Concession Does Not Pass The Stink Test
Cancelled Winter Classic Is About NHL Spite, Not Pragmatism
Fehr's Take On Offer Not Reflecting Optimism Of Fans?
Hybrid Icing: An AHL Experiment With An NHL Future?
Hockey Writers: Bottom Of The Barrel?!?!?
161 Players Overrate The Need To Offer Their Opinion
East vs West: Which Conference is Best?
Previous “Would You Rather…?
#1,
#2
Previous “Very Random Thoughts” Articles
August 9, 2012
August 1, 2012
July 24, 2012
Upcoming Signings
Click Here
Previous “Who Knew?” Articles
#1: Gordie Howe
#2: The Zamboni
#3: Maurice “The Rocket” Richard
#4: Ron Hextall
#5: Stanley Cup Abuse, Neglect and Versatility
#6: The Puck
#7: Don Cherry
#8: Cam Neely
#9: The Early Years of Les Canadiens
#10: Hockey Superstitions!
#11: Olympic Hockey Pt1
#12: Jarome Iginla
#13: Mark Messier
#14: Johnny Bower
Previous Product Previews & Reviews
2010-11 Donruss Hockey
2010-11 Panini Score Hockey
2010-11 Panini Certified Hockey
2010-11 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia, 10th Edition
2010-11 ITG Heroes & Prospects
2010-11 Panini Pinnacle Hockey
2011 UD National Hockey Card Day
2011 UD All Star Weekend Redemptions
2010-11 ITG Between The Pipes
Previous Box Breaks
2010-11 Score Hockey
Previous “Devil's Advocate” Articles
Gary Bettman and the Phoenix Coyotes
Previous “Town Without A Team” Articles
Booger Hollow, Arkansas
Hell, Michigan
Previous “Hockey Psychology” Articles
Stress, Motivation & Performance
State Dependent Learning
Arousal and Performance
Depression
Join the Discussion:
»