It was March of 2005.  Vince Carter had recently been traded to the Nets and Chris Bosh was the Raptors new superstar in waiting.  More playing time resulted in a huge surge in his points-per-game average and the youngster was now being viewed as the face of the franchise.  Bosh had been anointed the leader around whom Toronto would build.

The timing was perfect for Frozen Pond to bring in-store our first ever basketball player as an autograph guest.  We had to keep in mind that basketball players are not hockey players.  Our ice heroes are well known to be the friendliest of the four major sports groups.  We had some involvement in one prior basketball experience and it was not pleasant.  Damon Stoudamire had agreed to do an appearance for a friend of ours, and matter-of-factly cancelled the night before.  But we figured that aligning ourselves with the Raptors most marketable player could only have positive benefits.  After all, what could possibly go wrong?

I arranged to pick Bosh up at his downtown condo on the Saturday of the signing at 3:00 p.m.  We had scheduled the public appearance to begin at 4:00, so this allowed plenty of time for us to get uptown to Frozen Pond and for Bosh to sign all our pre-ordered (mail order) merchandise.  I buzzed Chris from the lobby at 2:45 and he said he would be right down.

 

3:00 p.m. came and went.  3:15.  3:30.  3:45.  4:00 – still no sign of Bosh and my calls to him were going unanswered.  At 4:15, Chris came out of the elevator – with his mother, cousin, and a couple of friends.  Since Bosh is quite large (6’10”), there was no way all those people were going to fit into my vehicle.  Chris’ cousin went to get her own car.  Now it was 4:30. 

 

Bosh and his mother Freida drove with me.  I love the drives up to the store with the athletes.  This is where the bonding experience takes place.  This is where we spend time in uninterrupted conversation and where I get to learn the personality of the player.  Except in this instance, Bosh decided that taking a nap was more important than acknowledging my questions.  Luckily Freida was very conversant and pleasant.

We arrived at the store just before 5:00 p.m., almost an hour after his scheduled starting time.  The crowd was large, but I was told it was even larger before a number of frustrated people had asked for a refund and left.  Normally when a player is late, I keep in contact with the store so they can inform the customers of a new timeline.  In this instance, I had no idea what was keeping Bosh or what time he would be arriving in his lobby, so we were as much in the dark as the customers.  I was never given a reason why I was kept waiting for so long.

 

We sat Bosh down at the autograph table immediately upon his arrival.  He did not address the crowd or offer any kind of apology for his tardiness, in fact, he barely spoke to people at all.  He spent long periods of time watching the NCAA tournament game on one of the televisions.  He repeatedly checked his phone and sent text messages, often at the same time while he was signing an autograph.  Not only did he not answer people when they asked questions, he did not even look at or acknowledge them.  I learned the hard way why basketball players have the reputations they do.

Freida Bosh, on the other hand, was phenomenal.  She bought all the Raptors mini-basketballs we had and gave them to kids standing in line.  She talked to everyone about Chris and what it was like being the mother of an NBA star.  But it would have been nice if she talked to her son about respecting his fans.

 

We had paid for a two-hour appearance.  Chris got through the line and signed the mail order items in about 90 minutes.  We pulled out a pile of basketballs and photos for him to sign for our own stock.  He signed for about 2-3 minutes, and then got up to watch some more of the basketball game.  His cousin told me not to worry; that he would sign the remainder of items before he left.  Shortly thereafter, he walked out the door.  His cousin gave me a look of “Oh well – I tried” and then disappeared into oblivion herself.  A drawing that a child had made for Bosh was left sitting behind on the table.

We immediately put in a call to Bosh’s agent’s office.  We explained that he came late, left early, and was quite rude to the public.  The gentleman we dealt with agreed that this type of behavior was not at all acceptable and said he would make sure the remainder of our items would get signed.  A few days later, I received a phone call from a higher ranking person in the same office who decided that Chris had upheld the terms of his contract and we had no further autographs forthcoming.  I repeatedly asked how leaving half-an-hour early could be deemed as meeting the requirements of our agreement and was never given an adequate answer.  I was basically told I was SOL.

 

This agent did ask how many customers had been given refunds and said she would send me that money as compensation.  I guess that $400 got lost in the mail.  She kept telling me that she heard how Freida had bought everyone basketballs.  I agreed that Freida was great (although Chris signed all those balls for free – hence cutting into my profits), but that didn’t change Chris’ commitment to the appearance.  After several weeks of getting nowhere, I sent an email to Chris’ cousin.  I told her that I had 400 unsigned photos leftover, and I would let her keep 300 of them if Chris signed the other 100 for us.  I thought it was a fair offer, and she knew we had been rooked in the deal.  I received a reply from her telling me that I have to deal with the agent.  So much for compassion.       

 

I then had to decide if I wanted to sue Chris Bosh.  I would have won.  I took it to my lawyer and the breach was obvious.  Bosh upheld few of the “implied” terms (be cordial, be pleasant, smile) and violated several of the stated ones (arrive late, not stay for agreed upon length of time).  It was ludicrous that the agent did not want to make me happy, especially after her underling had agreed that Bosh defied our agreement.

 

In the end, I just let the whole thing go.  It would not be in my best interests to sue a local superstar, especially one that plays on a team also owned by the local hockey club with whom I do a lot of business.  Bosh could have soured my name in the dressing room, and who knew if I ever needed him for something again.  It made sense to leave open the option.

 

It’s not the first time I was finagled by a professional athlete, but it never gets easy to deal with.  Bosh was paid an obscene amount of money for writing his signature, and the least he could have done was uphold the terms of his contract.  Who knows, maybe he was having a bad day, or maybe he grew up in a sheltered environment and no one told him what was expected of him.  I think we all know that’s not the case here, but why not offer a possible excuse for his behavior?  Bosh was well-known for his philanthropy while in Toronto, as well as his work with youth groups.  Unfortunately, I was preconditioned to never get that warm and fuzzy feeling when I read about such efforts.

 

Have fun in Miami, Mr. Bosh.  You certainly didn’t make any friends under this roof.  Hopefully the Florida sunshine will help warm your personality to the public.

 

I’m not trying to open a can of worms or anything, but did anyone else notice Canada had an unfair advantage at the Vancouver Olympics?  It seems that Scott Niedermayer was playing with a tree…

Here is another photo that I’ll bet you haven’t seen.  Do you think that the Prime Minister’s office will license it for distribution?  What is a Sidney Crosby/Stephen Harper signed combo photo worth?

While on the topic of the Olympics, here is a breakdown of the auction prices realized for the Team Canada’s jerseys worn for the game versus Switzerland:

 

Bergeron - $4,550

Boyle - $4,050

Brodeur - $5,100

Crosby - $35,100

Doughty - $3,750

Fleury – Game-Issued (not worn) - $2,609

Getzlaf - $3,302

Heatley - $2,850

Iginla - $5,655

Keith - $2,550

Luongo - $4,700

Marleau - $2,550

Morrow - $3,050

Nash - $2,950

Niedermayer - $4,401

Perry - $2,275

Pronger - $2,550

Richards - $3,800

Seabrooke - $3,550

Staal - $4,350

Thornton - $2,850

Toews - $8,839

Weber - $4,150

 

Not too shabby for jerseys that were only worn one game.  It’s interesting to do a comparative amongst the players.  Is Jonathan Toews really 2X-3X as popular as most of his teammates?  Should Patrice Bergeron be as valuable as Roberto Luongo?  Is Dan Boyle 50% more popular than any of his Sharks brethren?

 

For a similar comparable, Frozen Pond auctioned off a number of autographed Olympic pucks in the days after the Closing Ceremony.  Here are the results:

 

Brodeur - $170-$330

Datsyuk - $95

Doughty - $75-$151

Fleury - $57-$129

Gustavsson - $60-$77

Heatley - $67

Iginla - $127

Kessel - $49-$62

Langenbrunner - $264

Luongo - $89-$184

Malkin - $112-$153

Ovechkin - $200

D. Sedin - $45

H. Sedin - $74

Zetterberg - $51

 

All of which proves one thing – that Jamie Langenbrunner is the most popular player in hockey, by far.  J  Either that or two people really wanted the only signed puck of the U.S. captain that was available on NHL.com at the time.

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Did anyone else find it coincidental that Sidney Crosby’s missing stick and glove were both “found” on the same day?  Basic instinct told me there was more to this story than what was being let on, and a little investigating confirmed my suspicions.  Apparently the stick was on its way to a wealthy and influential Russian hockey stick collector named Sergei Afanasiev.  The Globe and Mail even reported on the incident, although for some reason, it was not widely distributed.

 

So a Team Canada equipment person (or someone closely affiliated with the club) “accidentally” puts Crosby’s stick into a bag bound for the “IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame in Russia”, even though no such entity exists. What do you suppose this “person” was paid for his transgressions, and why has this not turned into an international incident?  Why did Hockey Canada lie about it, since even Afanasiev admits the stick was given to him for his own collection?

 

Or was the entire episode nothing more than a series of innocent mistakes?  Since I may have to work with some of these people in the future, I will leave the conclusions to the reader.    

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I went grocery shopping at Sobey’s the other day, and the cashier would not give me a penny off on my $80 bill in order to prevent me from breaking a twenty.  So I asked for my cash back, and put the entire purchase on my Visa, thereby burdening the supermarket with a credit card expense of about $1.50.  I will also no longer shop at that location.  Kind of a high price to pay for a penny, don’t you think?

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So Vesa Toskala is traded to Anaheim, cannot get a Visa to work in the U.S., and then is traded back to a Canadian team (Calgary).  Why is a player who lived and played in the U.S. for a number of years suddenly being denied a work Visa?  Again – is this purely innocent, or is there more to the story?  Was Calgary just looking to clear cap space at the end of the season, or am I in a conspiracy theorist mood today?

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We recently had an Alex Ovechkin autographed puck up for auction and someone decided to send us a query under the “Ask Seller a Question” link.  The email read “Alex – did you really sign the puck?” 

Wow – the fun we could have had replying to that one.  “Dear Sir – Yes, my $120+ million contract (not to mention endorsements) barely covers the cost of my vodka and caviar bill, so I have now taken to signing pucks and selling them myself via internet auctions. You can be assured that the signature is real as it includes a COA from a third-party authentication service.  Sincerely, Alex.  P.S. – I have to go score lots of goals now.”

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I am a Pierre Maguire fan, but there are those that say he talks too much and says far too little.  This great quote came while talking about Drew Doughty during the Canada vs. Switzerland Olympic game – “He tries to be strong but he doesn’t be strong.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

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This email was sent to us a couple of months ago.  Talk about a bargain, and just look at that quality signature…

Thank goodness for their lifetime guarantees and third party autograph authentication, otherwise I would have been really concerned about the legitimacy of this piece.     I see Muhammad Ali and Mickey Mantle autographs being offered all the time for $99 each and wonder what kind of ignorance it takes to purchase something at five-to-ten cents on the dollar and assume you are acquiring a legitimate signature.  That is assuming that any of these items are actually being sold.

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Tim Tebow – an exceptional college quarterback with marginal professional prospects who may end up in the CFL – recently had his first-ever public autograph appearance at a mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  The former Heisman and national championship-winning quarterback is admired by the masses in Gator country for his accomplishments on the field and his clean-cut nature and religious devotion off it.

Regardless, many felt the asking price of $160 for an autograph and $75 for a photo with Tebow was a tad bit excessive.  Apparently this wasn’t the case for the 900 people that showed up and kept Tebow at the appearance for over 4 hours.  Wow – they either really love their college football in Florida or this guy is beyond larger than life.  That price is astronomical and possibly the worst autograph investment I have ever heard.  But alas, I have preached many a time that sports collectibles should be purchased due to love of the game and not for ROI purposes, so congratulations to those that waited up to 7 hours and received a thrill by meeting their hero.  I wonder if any of these folks are Leafs fans?    

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Jersey collectors better be prepared to shell out some big bucks come Fall, as eleven NHL teams will be wearing new sweaters next season.

 

The above Sabres jersey has by no means been finalized and may only be worn for the team’s 40^th Anniversary season in 2010-11.  Anaheim, Calgary, Columbus, Dallas, Nashville, NYI, NYR, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Toronto will all be altering either their home/road or third jerseys in some way.

 

For the Penguins, the baby blue third jersey will be replaced, while the Leafs are keeping their thirds intact but updating the striping and patches on their home and road uniforms.  Nashville’s third jersey will become their home sweater and their alternate jersey will be scrapped.  Several other jerseys will not be a surprise, such as the Flyers Winter Classic and the Flames retro jerseys becoming standard attire.  Expect a number of press releases over the summer months to officially debut the new designs.

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It was disheartening this past December when Paul Henderson informed me that he was in the early stages of leukemia. He had not gone public with the news and I respected his privacy in the matter. Now that he has announced his illness, I think some of Henderson’s story should be told.

Paul Henderson is a remarkable man and I have never seen anyone handle such a tragic situation as well as he has. He is the first member of the Henderson family to live past the age of 60 (he is 67) and is thankful every morning he wakes up. He is in the best shape of his life and credits his faith for helping in this time of need. He has an email list of 500 friends and supporters that pray for him every day.

 

It is too early in his illness to diagnose a strategy, so he is actually not taking any medications and his lifestyle has not changed. He has read about some radical treatments taking place in Germany, but says it is far too early to start considering them.  He is banking the knowledge though, should he need it at a later time.  He is in no pain.

 

Henderson is a national treasure in Canada and we wish him the best on his road to recovery.

 

The Pittsburgh Penguins recently held a charity event where each player served as a celebrity team captain for a competing bowling team.  The shirts worn by the players were then autographed and auctioned off on NHL.com.  So whose jersey do you think garnered the highest bid?  Nope – think again.  Nope – not him either.  And no, this isn’t yet another Marc-Andre Fleury plug either.

 

I was thrilled that McFarlane Toys finally decided to do a Marc-Andre Fleury figure, as I have been bugging them for years to do so.  But it would have been nice if they actually took the time to spell his name correctly.

There are actually several variations of the base of his figure, some with a patchwork fix-it job and some that look natural and are spelled correctly.  Regardless, this type of thing should not be happening.

 

 

 

We have noticed a recent influx in knock-off NHL jerseys, the ones that are being illegally manufactured and imported from China.  While the average fan may not notice a difference, the quality of these jerseys is horrendous.  The names and numbers are made from the wrong material and are often sewn in the wrong font.  The jerseys themselves are lightweight and extremely prone to ripping.

When the cost of oil shot up in 2008, UPS started adding a surcharge to all shipments.  Even though fuel costs are now reasonable again, UPS still charges the added fee.  Last year, they added a $1.00 surcharge for deliveries to residential addresses.  That fee has since gone up to $1.50, and now $1.85.  If you spell one letter of a street name wrong, or list the zip code incorrectly, there is an $8 charge.  That amount is up from $5 only two years ago. 

 

 

This jersey was seen at a recent autograph signing:

 

How would you like to be the promoter who booked New Jersey Devils players Niclas Bergfors and Johnny Oduya for an autograph session in New York on March 21?  Both players were shipped to Atlanta in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal.  Talk about bad luck.

I was surprised to learn that 25,000 Olympic volunteers had to PAY for their uniforms, which consist of a top and pants.  The cost – only $700.  I wish I could find some volunteers that will pay for the privilege of working.

 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jean Beliveau.  Good health, my friend.

Signed Olympic jerseys may be tougher to come by this year, as it seems Nike seriously underestimated demand for their product. There are no jerseys to be had at the wholesale level right now, and apparently no more are being produced. I had a request to provide 30 Team Russia jerseys for the wives of the players to wear in the stands, but coming up with the jerseys was an impossibility. We are doing an autograph session with Phil Kessel this week, but have no access to Team USA jerseys.  We have a handful of Canada jerseys in stock, but are debating whether or not to save them for possible higher-dollar sales down the road.

 

I am sure that Nike had vast amounts of unsold product after the disastrous 2006 Olympic hockey results, and played it extra cautious this time around.  Hopefully there will be enough jerseys available to at least come close to meeting customer demand.

 

 

 

Sports Collectors Digest (SCD) has been the sports collectibles industry publication dating back to the 1970’s. It was a must read, and I remember eagerly anticipating each week’s issue and reading it cover to cover. In its heyday, some issues were over 400 pages thick.

 

The economic downturn has obviously hit the company hard. It was not unusual for issues in 2009 to peak at 36 pages, while they rarely exceeded 50.  SCD took to accepting ads from less than reputable companies in an effort to stay afloat. This never would have happened in the old days, when all advertisers were screened and the publication diligently followed up on customer service issues.

 

I let it go the first time, but there’s no way it’s going unmentioned again. The Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate that is also owned by the parent club, sent out an email blast in November promoting their upcoming bobble head nights. I had to send the Leafs an email, making note that 3 of the 5 players listed had their names spelled wrong.

 

Vesa Toskula (Toskala)

Terry Sawchuck (Sawchuk)

Jonus (Jonas) Gustavsson

 

Remember all the Fabian Brunnstrom hype last year? Dallas won the sweepstakes for the free agent Swedish star, and he looked like an amazing find after scoring a hat trick in his first NHL game (only the 3^rd player ever to accomplish the feat).  This year, he has one goal and eight points and has spent time in the minors.

 

We can actually play this game with a lot of players.  Last season I called Kyle Turris a “Jonathan Toews clone” and picked him to win the Calder Trophy. After a disappointing 20-point year, Turris has spent the entire 2009-10 season playing in the AHL.  Viktor Tikhonov and Mikkel Boedker also spent the majority of last season on the Coyotes roster and had huge expectations thrust upon them. Right now, both are struggling to score for the San Antonio Rampage.

 

Other players having disappointing seasons include:

 

Shawn Horcoff – 19 points in 45 games and making $5.5 million a year

Chris Drury – 19 points in 47 games

Sergei Samsonov – 15 points in 40 games (so much for his re-birth)

Dennis Wideman - -8 for Boston after finishing with a +32 last season

Chris Higgins – 13 points in 51 games for the Rangers

Jonathan Cheechoo – 13 points in 51 games for the Senators – did he really win the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2006?

Rod Brind’Amour – 12 points in 49 games

Andrew Cogliano – 12 points in 50 games

Ethan Moreau – 8 points in 49 games

Ville Leino – 7 points in 42 games; Justin Abdelkader – 6 points in 48 games – see my comments on them in “The Pond Chronicle”

 

McFarlane Toys recently released a promotional photo of Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson signing bases that are to be randomly included in packaging for their NHL 24 series being shipped in April.

My favorite part of the image is the framed autographed photo of Patrick Roy in the background.  That was actually my Christmas gift to Jonas.  He idolized Roy as a youth, and the photo is inscribed “To Jonas, Best of luck in your NHL career, Your friend, Patrick Roy”. Thanks for your help Patrick.

Some random observations that have been taking up space in my mind.

NHL hockey pucks from Sher-Wood (formerly InGlas Co) are made in Slovakia. This would just be the rubber puck itself, as they are printed and designed in Quebec.

We recently actually had someone return a signed puck they had ordered because “I wanted a Bobby Hull Blackhawks puck, not a puck from Slovakia.”

 

 

Along those lines, can I make a respectful request to customers in general?  Be nice.  If you wanted an autographed Doug Gilmour Leafs puck and got sent a Calgary puck by mistake, just let us know and we will correct he mistake.  It’s amazing when we receive emails saying “This is entirely unacceptable and I will never do business with your company again.”

By no means are these occurrences frequent, but they do happen.  It is extremely busy during the Christmas season, and quality control suffers a little in the process.  All you have to do is inform us of the situation and it will be rectified.  If your steak dinner is brought to your table with fries instead of a baked potato, do you storm out of the restaurant?  Mistakes are bound to occur in the course of doing business, and we appreciate everyone’s patience while things get sorted out.

 

We are big fans here of Toronto Maple Leafs rookie goaltender, Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson.  Everyone that sees him play says he is the real deal.  He was an extremely late bloomer, not hitting the radar of NHL scouts until he was 24 years old.  At least twenty-five teams showed interest in him in the off-season, and after a marathon tour and a lot of self thought, he decided the Leafs were the best team for him.

He lost his father a few years ago, his mother over the summer, and has since had two heart procedures performed.  Mix in a groin injury and it has been a difficult start to his career on this side of the ocean.

 

But Cookie (I like to call him ‘Cookie Monster’) has taken it all in stride and has the attitude of a champion.  He is still projected as the Leafs goaltender of the future and we foresee him becoming one of the top backstoppers in the league.

In a recent auction of game-used jerseys from the November 7 Hall of Fame game, Gustavsson’s sweater sold for more ($1,550) than any other player on the Leafs.

So a professional athlete had an extramarital affair; what a surprise.  You are rich, you are famous, you are in shape, and you are on the road a lot.  What do you think these guys do with their nights?  By no means am I condoning cheating on your wife – I am just saying it is far more prevalent than you would think.  What would you do if beautiful women threw themselves at you on a regular basis?

 

So Brian Burke’s son is gay.  Good for him and it’s great that Burkie accepts him as he is.  Is this really newsworthy?  I suggest we keep the sexual orientation of celebrity relatives out of the sports pages. 

 

I wrote several months ago about the demise of the BC Sports chain of stores in the Northeast U.S.  I commented how that took away another autographed memorabilia outlet and was not good for the hobby.

 

On a positive note, some stores in the chain have emerged from liquidation proceedings and reopened.  On a negative note, I received an email from a former store employee saying they stiffed several employees on money-owed when they (temporarily) went under and have no plans to make good on these debts.

Has anyone checked out my predictions (made in September) in the current edition of The Pond Chronicle?

Joe Thornton will finish top-3 in scoring.  Ryan Getzlaf and Zach Parise will each get 100 points.  The Red Wings will take a huge step backwards.  The Flyers will have goaltending issues.  Tim Thomas will struggle.  Carolina and Montreal will not make the playoffs.  The Sharks and Flames in the Western Conference and the Capitals and Penguins in the East.

 

I am thinking of renting myself out as an oracle.  Just pay no attention to my pick of Nikita Filatov as top rookie and we are good to go.

 

Thank you for all the positive comments about my last blog, The Autograph Collector’s Manifesto.  Make sure you print out a copy and show it to anyone that questions why you collect what you do.

 

Hobby icon Richard Scott is back with a new collector’s magazine called The Wantlist.  Make sure you check out his new website and consider a subscription to the magazine.  And no, I am not only saying this because I am a columnist. 

Sorry Leafs fans, but it is true.  Phil Kessel was burned in a deal last year and has no desire to make any public autograph appearances in the near future.  This is too bad, because Toronto drives the memorabilia market and Leafs fans really need someone to cheer for.  Someone besides The Monster, of course.

 

Thank you to McFarlane Toys for moving up the release date of NHL Series 23.  The new projected arrival for the first week of January will get us the figures in time for our January 8 autograph session with Marc-Andre Fleury.  Heck – it saves me a trip to Pittsburgh to get them signed.

In the same series is a new Alex Ovechkin figure that has people raving about the unique pose.  While it is definitely a cool figure, am I the only one that thinks it looks exactly like ‘N SYNC’s Joey Fatone?

 

I attended last month’s HOF Induction ceremony in Toronto and in one way it was a very unique experience.  This was my seventh year enjoying the ceremonies, but it was the first time I had ever seen current and recently retired players in attendance.

A number of Devils’ players (Brodeur, Langenbrunner, White, Parise, Pandolfo, Clarkson) shocked Lou Lamoriello by flying in to attend the ceremony.  This was no small feat, as Lamoriello keeps tabs on EVERYONE affiliated with the team, and surprising him is not the easiest of tasks.  Lamoriello even noted their attendance in his speech and comically mentioned that he hoped they anted up for a private plane since they better be back in New Jersey in time for curfew (they had a game the next night).

 

 Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios were in attendance to support Steve Yzerman, and I was able to spend some time with Mike Modano, who along with Brendan Morrow, came to see Brett Hull’s enshrinement. 

 

Obviously the NHL schedule played a part in allowing these players to attend, but it was a great bonus having them in the room.

 

I wrote several months ago about the Autograph Alert website and its commitment to exposing forgeries and fraudulent dealers within the hobby.  While not sports focused, this site is still a must read for anyone that thinks a company is reputable or beyond reproach just because their name is recognizable.  JSA, PSA/DNA, and a number of the large auction houses have been exposed and we commend the proprietors of the site (who are anonymous) for the work they are doing.  While the site often makes a great case, please remember that anyone mentioned in a negative light is innocent until proven guilty.

 

I have explained this philosophy to people on so many occasions that I figured it was about time I put it in writing.  While the readers of this blog are by no means my target audience for this rant, I figure they can relate to the questions being asked and the rationale behind my commentary.

 

 

Why would anyone pay for an autograph when you can get one for free?

 

When you attend a public autograph session (at Frozen Pond or elsewhere), you are not just buying an autograph.  You are purchasing an experience. 

 

Non-collectors can not understand how any sane person could pay $100+ just to get a player to scribble on their keepsake, but let us put that into perspective.  How many people are paying that same amount just to attend a hockey game in most major cities?  10,000 per game?  15,000?  They pay several hundred dollars for tickets to the game and parking.  They get a couple hours of mediocre entertainment and then go home disappointed when their team loses.

Now let’s assume you are paying $100 to meet and receive an autograph from Gordie Howe.  For that $100 you get to meet one of the greatest players ever to play the game.  You get to talk to him for a few seconds.  You get your picture with him.  You get a beautiful signature; potentially personalized just to you.  You get an appreciable asset, something that will have value in the future.  Most of all, you get a memory, something that will never be taken away from you.

 

I can guarantee the person that attended the hockey game will not have any long-lasting memories, and unless their ticket stub holds some value, there will be nothing left over to show for their money spent.  Sure it’s great to watch Alex Ovechkin play, but am I wrong to assume that the majority of people in the seats would eagerly trade in their ticket for an opportunity to meet him in person and get a souvenir autographed photo and a picture with him?

Of course you could spend your day waiting outside the arena or the team hotel for the chance that you see the player and he stops to sign your item.  But is the opportunity cost of your time not worth something?  Will the quality of the signature be anywhere near what you receive at a formal autograph function?  What are the chances you receive nothing more than a scribble, potentially signed in the wrong color and in the wrong location on your item?  What if you don’t get to see the player at all?

 

Why pay for an autograph when you can get one for free?  Why go to a concert when you can listen to the same songs on the radio?  Why go to the Super Bowl when you can watch it for free on television?  Sometimes I find the ignorance of this question to be mind-boggling.  Sure you can wait for the chance opportunity that the athlete will be signing fee autographs at a local sporting goods store.  You can arrive four hours early and get the exact same experience as I described above; all the power to you.  But using the same logic, why buy a car or flat-screen television or iPhone when there is a chance it will eventually go on sale?  Do people not buy things because it makes them feel good?

 

Canadians and Americans are fascinated with celebrities.  I can guarantee that whenever you meet or see one, you tell everyone you know.  So why do some consider it such a bad thing for people to pay for something that brings them enjoyment? 

I read a quote in a chatroom where someone was comparing autograph dealers to the lowest forms of life.  Why?  If you do not want to meet Marty Brodeur or Joe Thornton or Guy Lafleur, that is your prerogative.  No one is forcing you to spend your hard-earned money on something in which you have no interest.  But when we have 1,000+ people show up for some autograph appearances and lineups that last for over five hours, does that really make us bad people?  Is giving people what they want not the definition of capitalism?

 

 

 

I don’t understand how a player can possibly charge for his autograph.  Am I not the one paying his salary?

In most cases, the player is not charging for his autograph; the promoter is.  I am buying two hours of Doug Gilmour’s time and then re-selling it to the public in the form of an autograph.  Is that bad?

 

If you want a player to appear in your commercial, you have to pay him for his time.  If you want him to speak at your function, he needs to be compensated.  Time is money and it is naive to assume that everything these people do should be free.  Professional hockey players make countless hospital visits and community appearances without being compensated.  They also donate far more to charitable causes than most of us ever will.  But what kind of life would they have if they were expected to do everything asked of them without being offered any kind of remuneration?

 

Sure you help pay their salary.  But you also pay the salaries of school teachers, bus drivers, and politicians.  Does that give you the right to show up at their houses and expect them to do your laundry?

 

Most collectors realize how lucky it is that there is a formal industry in place to make athletes accessible to their fans.  It is much tougher to get near actors and musicians, since there are rarely formal autograph sessions in those realms.  I should know.  I tried for years to meet Shania Twain (the future Mrs. Borenstein).  I have a bunch of friends in the music industry, but they could not get me near her.  She was just too big; one of the most popular people in the world at the time.  The closest I came was an offer to sit in on a MuchMusic “Intimate and Interactive” session in downtown Toronto.  But I had already been to her concerts and did not want to see her sing or hear her talk.  I wanted a picture of the two of us, a personalized photo, and a memory.

I eventually ended up with the high bid in a charity auction and enjoyed a quick “Meet and Greet” with her in Detroit in 2003, but the experience cost me a five-figure donation to Shania’s charity.  It was worth every penny, but if there were “Frozen Pond’s” in the music business, I could have saved myself an awful lot of money.

How many hundreds of thousands of tween Jonas Brothers or Justin Bieber fans would right now pay anything for the opportunity to meet their pop idols?  If such a service was available, would it not be beneficial for both parties?    

 

I went to a Hollywood Autograph show over the summer and met the cast of Happy Days and got them to sign my picture.  I was even able to spend a few minutes talking to Ralph and Potsie.  At the same show, I was able to speak with and get my picture taken with Davy Jones.  I love the Monkees – who wouldn’t want to meet the guy that sings Daydream Believer?  A few years ago, I went to a similar show in Burbank and met Don Knotts.  Now that Mr. Furley is no longer with us, this memory is more special than most. 

Do I chastise the promoters for putting on such a show?  Do I berate the celebrities for having a fee attached to their signature?  Of course not – I value the fact that I was able to meet the people that brought me a great deal of entertainment over the years.  My office is lined with photos of these celebs and I truly treasure my encounters with them.

 

We have a great hobby, one that pays my salary and keeps me entertained year in and year out.  I just wish the naysayers would tone it down a little.  Our industry provides a ton of enjoyment and keeps famous people clothed in Armani suits long after their playing days are over.  Is that all bad?

 

I apologize for the delay since the last “Hersh Blog” and I appreciate all the calls and emails asking for an update.  I hope to get back on a regular schedule of 1-2 blogs a week.  I have definitely gathered enough material over the past few months, now I just have to find the time to write the darn things.

 

I apologize, but my post-playoff celebrations have caused me to fall way behind on my blog.  In order to speed things up again, I will provide brief summaries from a number of recent events.

The NHL Awards – Las Vegas, Nevada

 

It was an ambitious undertaking to try the league’s annual trophy presentation in a market where ice is most prevalent in hotel vending machines and casino drinks.  Nonetheless, there was great fan support at the function itself, even if the majority of cab drivers and casino employees had no idea the event was even taking place.

That being said, the televised show was a travesty, with endless poor choices and terrible production values.  Nothing says NHL Entertainment like Chaka Khan and Robin Thicke (roll eyes).  I mean – who comes up with these things?  Chaka Khan?  What the heck does she have to do with hockey?  Has she even had a paying gig since 1984?  With all the talent in Las Vegas, someone in some meeting somewhere actually said, “How about Chaka Khan?”, and got the approval of dozens of others.  What were they thinking?

 

It was bad enough that they had her perform TWICE during the televised portion of the show, but those in attendance had to agonize through three additional performances during commercial breaks.  Needless to say, the washrooms filled up quickly each time she was announced.  The Super Bowl gets Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones; we got Chaka Khan and the son of Alan Thicke.   Ugh!!!

 

There were some high points though.  The appearance of Vladimir Konstantinov as a presenter was a great treat.  Turning the event informal was also nice.  Why should people be sweating in tuxedos in the Vegas heat.  The attire ranged from three-piece suits to t-shirts and shorts.  As Daniel Negreanu said to me, “In Vegas, you are never overdressed and never underdressed.”  I would have to think that those in t-shirts were definitely underdressed.

 

Entourage’s Kevin Connelly introduced the Stanley Cup, but forgot to mention Coach Dan Bylsma, who escorted it in.  I hope he didn’t fly to Vegas just to be forgotten.  Alexander Ovechkin concluded his acceptance speech for the Pearson Trophy with, “What a life”.  Watching this guy in action both on and off the ice, he may be the happiest person on the planet.

 

What can be done about speeches from Russians at the Awards?  Ovy speaks pretty well (unlike at the MuchMusic Video Awards), but both Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk struggled.  They both tried and were somewhat entertaining, but it did not make for good television.  Kirk Muller may as well have been speaking in Russian since you couldn’t understand a word that he said.

 

It was a nice change last year when they decided to hand out the Jennings, Ross, and Richard Trophies during the Stanley Cup playoffs.  Why bore an audience by introducing a trophy where the winner has already been pre-determined?  This year, they went back to boring us. 

 

For the majority of awards, they did not even show the nominees in the audience.  Would it not make sense to have their images on screen, a la the Oscars and Emmy’s, so you can see reactions once the winning name is announced?  I was not even aware Martin St. Louis was in the room until I saw him afterwards in the hotel.  I did see plenty of shots of Brian Burke chewing gum and Pavel Datsyuk walking past a seat-filler to accept his awards.

There were numerous Poker Stars commercials played during the broadcast, each featuring Torontonian Daniel Negreanu.  The charismatic Negreanu is well known for wearing Leafs or Team Canada jerseys when he plays poker events, and is probably better known across the U.S. than any hockey player that was in the room.  Negreanu was in the room as a spectator, but was not included in the telecast.  Why?  Michael Buble was brought on stage twice, but was not asked to sing.  Did they not want to hurt Chaka Khan’s feelings?  Connolly and Jeremy Roenick were also brought on stage two separate times.  Did they not have enough presenters?

 

Were you aware that the World Series of Poker (WSOP) commissioner, Jeffrey Pollack, is the brother of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman?  And that the Stanley Cup was part of a WSOP bracelet presentation?  Is poker not gambling, and is there not a fine line being crossed when the Cup is being used to promote a gambling event being run by the commissioner’s brother?  Somewhere, Rick Tocchet has a big smile on his face.

Tim Thomas is a true showman and made everyone laugh on a couple of occasions.  He said that over the years he’d been more concerned getting his name on a roster than on the Vezina.  It’s nice to cheer for the underdog.

 

The Bridgestone NHL Leadership Award was presented to Jarome Iginla.  I’m not sure I like that concept.  Next year, are they going to introduce the GoDaddy.com Hart Trophy and the Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Calder Award?

 

The after-party was a lot of fun, as the giant pool area of the Palms Casino was a unique setting.  Only a handful of players stayed for an extended period, but they were each given their own catered cabana.  Getting near Ovechkin’s cabana was quite an undertaking, but I eventually was able to get in and congratulate one of my favorites.  I was given a hug in return.  Mike Green and Pavel Datsyuk were much easier to get near.

 

The next two Awards shows are in Vegas as well, as the NHL cut a three-year deal with the Vegas Travel and Tourism Bureau.  Lucky us.

 

 

 The NHL Draft

 

I got to Montreal early on Draft day morning to do an autograph session with Marc-Andre Fleury.  This was his first post-Cup autograph event and his merchandise is prevalent on our website.  I am still really happy for the kid and had no problem giving him copies of each photo that he requested for his father.

I stuck around for five hours awaiting the start of the picks and intended to stay for the entire first found.  It did not work out that way.  Not only did every team feel the need to congratulate the Penguins on winning the Cup and thank the Canadiens and the city of Montreal for their hospitality, but this year it seemed each club had to send up their token Francophone employee to speak to the crowd in French.  Then there were in-arena interviews broadcast over the scoreboard with each of the top picks.  Add in the fact that each team seemed to take their full allotted time frame to head to the stage and it really became a monotonous affair.  It was so boring it was painful.  I waited until the Leafs called out the name “Nazem Kadri” with the seventh pick, then headed for the door to drive back to Toronto.  Luckily there was endless construction near the airport in order to ensure my arrival after 2:30 a.m.

 

 

Recent Signings

Doug Gilmour was an autograph guest a few weeks ago and he is still a great guy.  He talks to everyone, writes whatever you want, and comes around the table to you for pictures.  “Killer” is still immensely popular in the Toronto, although his coaching gig in Kingston has severely limited his time for this kind of event.

Dave “The Hammer” Schultz followed Gilmour’s appearance and Schultzie is also a treat.  How many guests do we get to sign hammers?  I thought his career was cut short by injury, but Schultz said that wasn’t the case.  Scotty Bowman hated him in Pittsburgh and he was never given a chance to play.  I will have to yell at Scotty for that one.

Larry Robinson made his third appearance at “The Pond” and he is still amongst my favorite guests.  He is also amazing with everyone and does whatever is asked of him.  Larry has taught me about hunting and polo and other topics that were foreign to me.  When Larry was given the Cup for a day following New Jersey’s 2003 Stanley Cup championship, I spent several hours celebrating with him and his family.  That day will always hold a special place in my memory bank.

Finally, Bobby Hull was our in-store guest last week.  Bobby has been packing them in since we first met in the mid-90’s.  He is one of the greatest and most popular players in the history of the sport, and always takes the time to repay the fans that come see him by speaking to each and every one and regaling them with stories from his playing days.  Bobby is not healthy these days and he signs very slowly.  His body has been through a lot, but his personality continues to shine through.  All hockey fans should own a Bobby Hull autograph.

 

 

1992-93 Blue Jays World Series Reunion Dinner

I am thrilled to be involved with the planning of the 1992-93 Toronto Blue Jays reunion weekend.  I was there when Joe Carter hit his Series-winning home run and it may be the last Toronto sports championship I get to see in my lifetime. 

 

Information on the August 8 gala dinner is available on our website and I hope to see a lot of you there.  So far there are 37 members of these teams that plan to be in attendance.  Team-signed product will be available, and WAMCO (White, Alomar, Molitor, Carter, Olerud) will be making an in-store appearance at Frozen Pond.  Net profits will be directed to the Children’s Aid and Jays Care Foundations, so please come out and support some great causes.

 

 

Free Agency

 

What’s with the Blackhawks only offering Martin Havlat a one-year contract?  That’s a nice way to treat your team MVP.

I’m surprised that no one has made an offer to restricted free agent Jiri Hudler.  He has a great future and Detroit’s salary cap issues would probably prevent them from matching any reasonable offer.

I’m happy that my friend Rick Nash signed a $62 million contract, but I still have no clue why he wants to play in Columbus.  This guy has repeatedly proven that, given the proper linemates, he can be amongst the best players in the league.  Unfortunately the Blue Jackets refuse to give him anyone to play with.  Their big free agent signing this season – the offensively challenged Sami Pahlsson, coming off an 18-point season.  Nasher’s supporting cast is one of the worst in hockey.

 

An idea for Jim Balsillie.  Why not start up your own team by signing a pile of the remaining free agents to “personal services” contracts.  Then the NHL will have to pay attention to you.  Think about it – he could put together a pretty good team for under $40 million:

 

G – Biron, Nittymaki

D – Beauchemin, Boucher, Schneider, Sydor, Zubov

F -   Afinogenov, Comrie, Koivu, Kovalev, Kozlov, Lang, Marchant, D. Moore, B. Morrison, Peca, Satan, Sundin, Sykora, Tanguay, Zednik

  

 

Sure they would be old and slow, but just look at how many All-Stars and Stanley Cups are on this roster.  And they would still finish ahead of the Leafs.

 

 

Roger Federer

The guy wasn’t even sweating.  Is he superhuman or something?

Being in this business, I have to remain impartial.  Therefore, I don’t care who wins the Stanley Cup, as long as it is Marc-Andre Fleury.

 

Go Pens!!!

 

All I have to say is that the Wings seem only able to win on weekends, which should make Friday’s game a lock.

 

(I apologize to all our customers that are Wings fans.  I have known “Fleurs” since he was 18 and he is my favorite player in the NHL.  Also – a Penguins win would be immeasurably better for the sport of hockey, plus I will get to go to the parade.)

Through my twenties and into my early-thirties, I would spend Sunday nights at my sister’s house watching “The Simpsons” with my two nephews.  This became a ritual I truly enjoyed and rarely missed.  As a result, I have always maintained a close bond and special relationship with Max and Eric and we have Homer, Bart, et al, to thank for it.

 

We went to the World Premiere of the Simpsons “Toronto” episode together.  We went to see Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart) perform her one-woman show.  We went to The Simpsons Movie on opening night.  We’ve been to multiple Simpsons animation art shows.

 

We also buy each other Simpson gifts with regularity.  The kids brought me back a hand-made Homer puppet from Italy this past Christmas, and I have “gummy” Simpsons from Mexico.  I own several bottles of “Duff” beer, a can of “Flaming Moe”, and an actual “Squishee” machine.  Needless to say, my collection of Simpsons merchandise is quite extensive.

 

 

The City of Glendale (Arizona) is trying to prevent the Phoenix Coyotes from moving to Hamilton by claiming to the court that such an action would cost the city in excess of $500 million, consisting of lost jobs, tourism dollars, and embarrassment to the local economy.  I don’t think the city councilors are seeing the big picture here.  Would they rather the team went bankrupt?  All the same things would happen in that scenario.  Does it not make sense to sell the team and at least recoup some of the money owed to creditors, most of which are likely Phoenix-based?

 

In a perfect world, the Coyotes would be sold for $200+ million to an entrepreneur that intends to keep the team in town, but this is not going to happen.  The team is bleeding $30-$40 million a year and no rational individual will willingly sustain those kinds of losses.  Instead of crying to the courts, why do the cities of Glendale and Phoenix not do everything possible to try and sell more season tickets or whatever is necessary to make the team more attractive to its residents?  If none of the locals care about the franchise, than why are they attempting to save it, and why should anyone care?

I believe Muhammad Ali’s last public autograph appearance was at the 2003 National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago.  My friends at Steiner Sports were running the autograph area and told me I could get a personalized 16X20 photo and my picture with “The Greatest” for the sum of $400.  It wasn’t the money that scared me off, but the fact that the lineup at the time was at least an hour long and I did not have the patience to wait.  So I bypassed the opportunity.

 

Fast forward to the present day, and Ali autographs have almost completely dried up.  We are talking about a guy that signed a TON of autographs over the years and was a steady seller for us until around 2007.  I always had Ali product in stock and we were sure to bring at least one item to each charity auction in which we participated.  Then the prices started going up - considerably.  A framed Ali photo that once sold for $999 was now retailing for double that.  Boxing gloves and robes disappeared entirely.  Charities were getting upset because we were no longer able to provide their most profitable raffle items.  I was under the impression Ali was still participating in at least one private autograph session per year, but I now believe these events have ceased as well.

 

We recently had a customer inquire about an Ali autograph, so I went looking to see what I could find.  The cheapest signature available to me was $1,800 U.S. and went up to $4,000 U.S. for a signed punching bag.  These prices were wholesale.  I know Ali’s battle with Parkinson’s disease has had an effect on “The Champ’s” ability to pen his signature, but I would be curious to know if his autographing has stopped altogether.  At $2,000-$4,000 per signature, Ali would easily be the most expensive living autograph.

 

More than anything, I’m really angry at myself for not standing in line for an hour back in 2003.

 

Do people still say that defense wins games?

 

Last year, the Toronto Blue Jays had the best pitching staff in the baseball and finished in the middle of the standings.  Until mid-May of this season, their offense was the best in baseball, their pitching staff was being held together by threads, and they were first in the American League.

 

The Minnesota Wild had the second-best defense in the NHL this season and finished 19^th overall.  I think it’s time to change the old adage – defense keeps you in games, but you can’t win without scoring.

 

There are a lot of fans that think HOF broadcaster, Bob Cole, should have retired a number of years ago and I am starting to join the masses.

 

After Detroit clinched their Quarter Final series versus Anaheim, Cole said they “would be on their way to the Western Conference Final against the winner of the game between Boston and Carolina.”  Uh – Bob.  The last time I checked, both Boston and Carolina played in the Eastern Conference.  Maybe a map of the U.S. would come in handy.

How come Detroit and Chicago haven’t worn their Winter Classic jerseys for any of the playoff games?  Oh yeah – they were sold off and in the hands of collectors within seconds of the conclusion of the January 1^st game.

All Toronto fans of my generation are shocked and saddened by the loss of Peter Zezel.  It seems like the fan-favorite played 8-10 years for the Leafs, but it’s surprising to learn he only skated in 204 games over 3 seasons.  He visited Frozen Pond as a customer on a couple of occasions and now I’m kicking myself for never bringing him in as a guest.  44 is much too young an age for an admired athlete to leave us.

In case you were wondering, these were the best-selling NBA jerseys over the past season:

 

1. Kobe Bryant

2. Lebron James

3. Chris Paul

4. Kevin Garnett

5. Allen Iverson

6. Dwyane Wade

7. Paul Pierce

8. Nate Robinson

9. Pau Gasol

10. Ray Allen

 

Allen Iverson and Nate Robinson?  I realize there’s the whole regional thing to take into account, but does Dwight Howard not play in the NBA.  Tim Duncan?  Yao Ming?  Tony Parker?  Dirk Nowitzki?  When I think of a Top Ten list, Nate Robinson is not a name that comes to mind.

My boy Marc-Andre Fleury goes for Lord Stanley’s hardware once again.  I am off to Detroit (probably) and Pittsburgh and will give you a report upon my return.  I will also have a follow up on Coach’s Corner and Sports Collectors Digest, which will definitely make for an interesting read.

 

One company that I have yet to touch upon in any of my rantings is Coach’s Corner Sports Auctions out of Souderton, PA.  This may be the most controversial company in the hobby right now, and not in a positive way.

 

I had one dealing with the company in the mid-1990’s.  At the time they were known only as Coach’s Corner and had not started their auction business.  The experience was mind-numbing.  I was only sent a fraction of my order, but charged for the whole thing.  The quality was terrible (smudged autographs), they massively overvalued the shipment for insurance purposes (resulting in a HUGE brokerage bill), and no one would return my calls.  They eventually sent random merchandise, without discussion, to make up the balance of my invoice.  Obviously they did not have what I ordered in the first place.  Would it not have made more sense to just credit my Visa, or to have charged me only for what shipped?

 

I dealt with a gentleman named Lee Trythall who called himself the General Manager but I am pretty sure is the owner.  Almost fifteen years later, it seems little with this company has changed.

 

They now run what are easily the largest sports memorabilia auctions in the industry.  Once a month, they buy roughly 23 full-page ads in Sports Collectors Digest (SCD) to advertise their latest 4,500+ lot offerings.  The listings are vague, the display is amateurish, and the prices realized are a fraction of what the items are worth.

 

SCD gives this company a lot of credibility by reporting on each upcoming auction while giving results from their previous sessions.  They have also been bestowed Coach’s Corner with the formerly prestigious “Krause Publications 15-Year Customer Service Award”.  Coach’s Corner is easily SCD’s largest advertiser and it seems that enhanced editorial coverage is part of what they are purchasing.

 

What makes this all the more interesting is that several years ago, Coach’s Corner ran into deep financial difficulties and SCD was a large creditor.  SCD ran a story how they were going to work with Coach’s Corner to rebuild the company and over the years it has become obvious that a close partnership has ensued.  As a publication, SCD is only a fraction of what it used to be and the advertising revenue derived from Coach’s Corner may be the only thing keeping it afloat.  It was not unusual for weekly issues of SCD to top 300 pages in the 1990’s, while an average issue these days is 40-45 pages.  But it has now become obvious that SCD is far from objective when they report on Coach’s Corner auctions, and a definite conflict of interest should be brought to the reader’s attention.

 

The internet is full with observations and accusations about the auction house.  Their listings contain blurred or no images at all, yet the majority of lots seem to receive bids.  They advertise the “lowest consignment fee in the hobby”, yet their 20% charge is on the high end of standard.  They also willingly and publicly allow shill bidding on their items.  A direct quote from their auction site reads “Consignors may bid on their own lots (reserves) however will be charged the full commission if the item does not sell to another bidder.”  Interesting.

 

They seem to have a never ending supply of high-end merchandise that is not available anywhere else, yet it sells for pennies on the dollar.  A Neil Armstrong signed baseball recently sold for $61 when the market price for such an item would be $1,500+.  Coach’s Corner claimed they went to his house and obtained the signature in person, when it is common knowledge that Armstrong would never sign under this circumstance.  J. K. Rowling signed Harry Potter books generally sell in the $1,000-$3,000 range, but a July/2007 Coach’s Corner auction had one hammered down for $50.  Other recent auctions have included the sale of Abraham and Mary Lincoln autographs for $725 and a LBJ and JFK combo photo for $662.  Both these sale prices border on laughably low.  Why would anyone sell legitimate valuable autographs at a minute percentage of what they are actually worth?

Another major problem with the company is their seemingly indifferent attitude to sell just about any item consigned to them, regardless of its authenticity.  Take a look at these different Three Stooges items sold over the years and make note that both were authenticated by STAT Authentic.  If both items were deemed legitimate, should the autographs not at least look the same?

http://www.myccsa.com/Lot.aspx?LotID=87304

http://www.myccsa.com/Lot.aspx?LotID=85457

 

In the second photo, there wasn’t even any attempt made to differentiate the handwriting between the two Howard brothers.

 

How could both of these Thurman Munson baseballs be legitimate?

http://www.myccsa.com/Lot.aspx?LotID=86056

http://www.myccsa.com/Lot.aspx?LotID=87008

 

Just to deepen the conspiracy theory a little, STAT Authentic is run by a gentleman named Ted Taylor who has been involved with SCD as a friend and writer for over 30 years.  Taylor apparently also works for Coach’s Corner as their head of Public Relations, and is quoted in a testimonial on their website as saying they are his “number one choice for buying and consigning”.

 

A collector in an online chat room made the following observation about this arrangement:

 

“How can the authentication done by one of their own employees – who also writes for SCD – and also buys and consigns to them?  How can an independent authenticator buy and consign at the same auction house at which he is employed as an authenticator?”

 

Good questions.  Here’s another post:

 

1/30/2008 4:38:01 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
”There’s been a lot of discussion in the past about Coach’s Corner, and the fact that they seem to routinely sell autographed baseballs of guys like Josh Gibson, Amos Rusie, Jim Thorpe, etc. — balls that should be worth tens of thousands of dollars if real, but typically sell in the high hundreds. There’s also been a lot of discussion in the past about the fact that SCD lends credibility to Coach’s Corner by running their multi-page ads twice a month.

I had always assumed that SCD agreed to run Coach’s Corner’s ads for one simple reason — SCD needed the money. But I noticed today that the connection between SCD and Coach’s Corner appears to run much deeper.

 

Coach’s Corner’s autographs are usually authenticated by Stat Authentic. The Amos Rusie in their current auction is authenticated by Stat, as are dozens of others. Who operates Stat? It turns out that one of the two owners / authenticators is Ted Taylor. Ted Taylor writes for SCD. In fact, he writes “news” stories for SCD about Coach’s Corner’s auctions. The stories he writes are full of fawning praise, using phrases like “fully certified” to describe the autographs in the auction. Coach’s Corner uses the same phrase in its ads, so it may be that the “news” stories are actually written by Coach’s Corner, with Ted Taylor’s name just added by SCD. There’s also a link on Stat’s website to Coach’s Corner’s auctions.”

 

The other authenticator used by Coach’s Corner is a gentleman by the name of Christopher Morales.  Mr. Morales states on his resume that he was employed in the Department of Forensic Sciences at George Washington University, but this claim has turned out to be completely fraudulent, as has the majority of his bio

To put it a little more succinctly, I found the following quotes:

“We will never use Morales,” says Rob Lifson, president of Robert Edward Auctions. “If somebody says they have a piece they want to consign that has been authenticated by Christopher Morales, we choose not to pursue it. I’m not saying it is bad. I’m just saying it’s not a valuable use of our time.”

Lelands president Mike Heffner is even more dismissive: “I can’t tell you that I’ve ever seen anything he’s authenticated that is actually real.”

The marketplace, moreover, apparently also does not value Morales’ opinion. Autographs that Morales has authenticated routinely sells for a fraction of the price similar items authenticated by others fetch.

“A ball signed by Hall of Famer Mel Ott and authenticated by Morales, for example, sold for $2,315 in Coach’s Corner’s February auction; an Ott ball sold by Mastro Auctions in 2004 sold for more than $52,000. A Lou Gehrig autographed ball authenticated by Morales sold in Coach’s Corner for $3,100; less than half the $7,000 a similar ball fetched through Hunt Auctions.”

But that means someone still shelled out $2,315 for a likely fraudulent Ott ball and someone else is out $3,100 for a fake Gehrig.  There is a recent sale of a Babe Ruth single-signed ball authenticated by Morales for $2,641, which is about 10% of the current market value.  A January/2007 auction featured a Josh Gibson autographed baseball selling for $1,158, a ridiculous bargain for the Negro League superstar whose autograph is one of the rarest in the business.  Lifson was quoted as saying he once had a Gibson autographed postcard that sold for $81,000.

Another collector had the following to say on a bulletin board post:

“I’ll make it real simple:
Coach’s Corner + Stat Authentic = Christopher Morales x Value = worthless.

If there is any doubt to this equation, please find me an authentic autograph on the newest Coach’s Corner auction that is authenticated by Stat. I’d be forever in debt to you if you do as I’d love a signed Joe Jackson baseball for $1,500 or a signed Beatles Sgt. Pepper LP (There’s one about every 2 months on there) for $750.

Why is no one doing anything to stop these people?  The answer is simple.  Coach’s Corner is apparently very good at refunding money to unhappy customers, and doing it quickly.  So if they sell 2,000-3,000 items in an auction and 100 people complain, those people immediately have their money sent back.  As a result, who is left to follow up to higher authorities?  The rest of the bidders are obviously happy with their purchase.

Coach’s Corner has sold the only known “signed” Beatles guitar to come to market for $15,000, when a truly legitimate example would sell for $100,000+.  They sold an obviously doctored Robert E. Lee check from 1866 for $278, which is 1/10 of their estimate.  They sold a James Dean signed picture with an imprinted copyright date from a year after he died (a letter from the buyer to SCD about this went unanswered).  In fact, they advertise that they have sold close to 1 million items over the years.

Another online collector made the following post:

“we’ve seen it before, but this is past ridiculous.  got my coaches corner auction brochure in the mail today. give me a break. someone call the cops on this. sitting bull, davy crockett, george bush 911 comm NYFD sign cap, marciano signed magazine, walt disney hand drawn sketch??!!!! please, we’re talking about items worth serious money here. Their website lists items but does not show photos. signed baseballs, joe jackson, babe ruth, honus wagner. including a ball signed by mantle, maris, satchell paige and jackie robinson. come on, someone got the 4 most valuable autographs on 1 ball and MB is 200 dollars. beatles, JFK, marilyn monroe, george custer. would 60 minutes please investigate these guys.”

There is a gentleman who is so fed up with Coach’s Corner that he has taken to filming videos and posting them on You Tube.  Yes – he is dedicated to proving to the collecting world at large that Coach’s Corner and their authenticators are knowingly and willingly selling fake autographs.  He has done 15 videos so far and they are well worth watching.  You would think that if an auction house was going to put multiple autographs of a player in the same auction that they would at least make sure the signatures are somewhat similar.

This gentleman is great for the hobby.  He asks what kind of collector would purchase these items and analogizes the gentleman bidding several years ago on a Don Drysdale signed Starting Lineup figurine from 1995, when Drysdale had passed away in 1993.

Here is one last chatroom link about the company. I find it humorous that in Coach’s Corner’s rules to consigners, they state that “Any lots returned due to authenticity will be the responsibility of the consignor. The consignor will pay the full commission for the item in question.”

That basically means that if your STAT Authenticated Walter Johnson ball (worth $25,000) that sold for $368 gets returned by the purchaser, you still have to pay Coach’s Corner their $73.60 commission.

Quite a company.