Sports Collectors Digest Disappoints Collecting Industry.

In mid June, the Publisher of SCD, Dean Listle reached out and phoned me and proclaimed Coache's Corner would no longer be welcomed to advertise in SCD.

Dean explained that in about 30 days SCD would be able to comment on this matter.

Well, it's been over 60 days and SCD remains silent on this topic. SCD wanted desperately to show they cared about the industry and wanted to do the right thing. Many readers of this blog told me that they could never forgive SCD for years of looking the other way and accepting Coach's Corner as an advertiser. These readers helped compute the math - it showed that CC had made millions of dollars over the years selling bogus autographs. I told those readers to give SCD a chance, I felt SCD would do the right thing.

Now I must admit that I was wrong - SCD has done nothing and has said nothing. The Coaches Corner auctions continue and it's no secret that collectors could really use some help in letting the industry know how bad Coach's Corner is. Shame on SCD. They could have made a difference but they have done nothing.

Well, this blog will continue and thanks to a bunch of loyal and steady readers we will continue to get the word out.

One person to this site continually brings up Coach's Corner "F" grade from the Better Business Bureau. Others comment about the rash of Michael Jackson signed items and how the Babe Ruth and Mantle forged autographs look worse than ever.

Than there is Lee, who may or may not be the "real" Lee, owner of the auction site. Every once in a while, this Lee person will make soft threats. He knows from our last run in, any threat will be brought to his local authorities attention. I would love nothing better than to file a complaint with them.

Speaking of law enforcement, the FBI continues to look at our industry. I wonder if Lee and his partners are feeling the heat yet? I wonder if Stat Authentic is worried? Perhaps this blog should draw more attention to that company too.

As summer winds down, I promise to be more active and to try to help educate the community to the forgeries at Coach's Corner.

Mike The Ring Guy.

Heard on the net: Coach's Corner Claims They Left SCD & Were Not Kicked Out.

I'm not buying this story that Coach's Corner Left SCD. I don't know much about advertising but I do know that Coach's Corner had advertised in SCD for years and years.

As much as most of us despise CC, if it were not for their successful advertising in SCD how would we all know of Coach's Corner? They needed SCD and SCD needed them, it was a perfect marriage. Just because SCD started their own auction site why would CC pull out if the advertising was helping them sell the garbage that they sell?

In advertising, you don't stop a successful and working campaign. CC probably makes a high profit since we all suspect that they consign their own garbage so why would they care if SCD set up an auction site that went after a different market by offering items that were authenticated by real authenticators?

CC did not object when Leland's, Robert Edwards, Hunt and all the other quality auction houses advertised in SCD. I think they are just trying to spin this situation to their advantage and it's convenient for them that SCD just started their own auction site and CC could claim this is the reason they are leaving.

I also heard that on the CC website they have stated that they will be using direct mail to promote their auctions. If direct mail was a better advertising method for CC they would have done it years ago, when postage and printing costs were less money. Postage just went up again! Companies like Leland's, Robert Edwards and the others can afford to spend $5 - $15 per catalog for printing the catalogs and mailing them because their items are of such high quality that the 17 - 20 % juice covers the costs of producing and mailing the catalogs. Coach's corner will find out soon enough how expensive it is to mail catalogs and it won't help them acquire new customers. Also, as many of their existing customers find out that they have purchased worthless crap, I'm sure there is a lot of turnover of customers at CC and they need to constantly acquire new clients (naive collectors) to keep up their scam.

My gut feeling is that SCD threw them out first. SCD who has lost major advertisers over their relationship with CC - I know because two advertisers told me. The two advertisers also explained to me that they found that advertising in SCD works and produced desired results. I believe this means that advertising in SCD even works for CC.

Others have said that CC also claimed they were scaling back and advertising in SCD even less. That does not make sense to me. We have heard for a while that SCD was going into the auction business and I know it was not that long ago that CC had their full-blown auction advertisements and "paid" auction story (the crap that looks like scd coverage but has the small "paid advertising" notice above the story.

SCD, when the dust settles, I am counting on you to join our fight against CC and helping to rid the hobby of this garbage.

If SCD does not join the fight, you can bet I will be back putting the heat on them too.

I Heard From Two Organizations Today and the Results Could Not Be Different.

I emailed Dean Listle, Publisher of SCD about the NY Daily News Story and asked him if the story was accurate. Dean was kind enough to call me to disucss this matter. It turns out that the folks at SCD can not comment on the story at this point but Dean did confirm the story in the Daily News Blog is accurate. Like a maritial divorce, the seperation of SCD and Coach's Corner will take some time (a few weeks) but I firmly believe it will happen.

Dean, thanks for your time today, I'm sure I speak for many when I say it will be great to have SCD helping us sports collectors. I believe more will come out in a few weeks, we just have to be a little patient.

Next, I received an email from our friends at Coach's Corner. They wrote: "We will get our revenge on anyone who keeps this bullshit up"

As you can see, they continue to threaten and harass me. Please write to them at ccsa@comcast.com and tell them to stop threatening us and to stop polluting our industry with their garbage.

Friends, we can win, we can do it!

Sports Collector's Digest drops Coach's Corner.

From The NY Daily News - I-Team Blog:

Here's one sign that the scandal-stained sports memorabilia biz is getting serious about cleaning up its act: Sports Collector's Digest, the hobby Bible, will stop accepting advertising from Coach's Corner, one of its biggest advertisers.

Collectors and memorabilia industry leaders have complained about Coach's Corner for years, saying the autographed balls, game-used bats and other memorabilia offered by the Souderton, Pa., auction house appears fraudulent and doesn't pass the sniff test.

The marketplace certainly doesn't have much respect for the company's offerings. As the Daily News reported in a story last year, prices for items sold by Coaches Corner are often a fraction of the prices for similar items offered by other auction houses. In a January 2007 Coaches Corner auction, a Josh Gibson-signed ball sold for $1,158, a real steal, since the Negro League star's autograph is very rare and expensive. Robert Edward Auctions, meanwhile, sold a Josh Gibson postcard for $81,000.

Coach's Corner executives did not return calls; SCD publisher Dean Listle declined comment.

Robert Edward Auctions president Rob Lifson was one of those who urged SCD to purge Coaches Corner from its pages. "I think there was a groundswell of opinion that forced them to do something," Lifson said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/iteam/2009/06/sports-collectors-digest-drops.html#ixzz0IKbz0CTM&C

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I would like to add my two cents: First off, I wish to Thank Tom Tresh, and his wonderful video blog for getting the message out that Coach's Corner was no good and the relationship with SCD was unacceptable. Please visit his site at http://www.youtube.com/user/TomTresh2 .

Second, I would like to commend and thank Sports Collector's Digest for doing the right thing and taking a stand. I realize it's easy for people like me to write and demand that you walk away from tremendous advertising revenue, and that Coach's Corner has never been convicted of anything and why should your company pass up an opportunity to accept advertising.

Without rehashing all the arguments from the last few months, I think it's great that Sports Collectors Digest took action. While a cynic might feel rejecting Coach's Corner advertising might have more to do with your new auction site and competing against them, I believe you heard our voices and listened and that some of you insiders (employees of the organization) stood up and was heard by ownership and upper management.

TS - I hope you will reconsider allowing comments on your blog again. I believe there will be much more intelligent dialogue. I have learned from this blog that it may be wise to review all comments before allowing them to post, but two way dialogue between you and your readers would be a great thing.

Last, I just want to say my fight is not over. The owners at Coach's Corner are corrupt but not stupid. I am sure they will continue their auctions. With all the money they are saving by no longer being allowed to adverte in SCD, they can apply those funds to internet search. This means anyone who google's sports auctions or Babe Ruth autographs will find the Coach's Corner web site. I am sure their auctions will continue and I will do everything I can to alert people that their products are garbage. Hopefully SCD and TS O'Connell will join the fight too.

Thanks Everyone!

Mike the ring guy.

Was Bob Lemke here?

Recently Bob Lemke (or someone pretending to be Bob) wrote on this site "I just can't fathom why this website must continue. How is it benefiting anyone? Also, why does "Mike the Ring Guy" hide behind anonymity. No real name or contact information, except a lousy cell phone number."

Bob, or whoever you are, here is my response:

1) This site must continue because what SCD and CC are doing is awful. CC is polluting our industry with garbage. Why does SCD get to choose what infractions they will report on and which they will ignore (hint: it has to do with whether or not they have an advertising and business relationship with the company that violates ethics in our industry).

2) You wrote, "I just can't fathom why this website must continue. How is it benefiting anyone?" This website must continue because SCD is hiding and not reporting on important problems in our industry. Worse, SCD shut down our ability to leave comments on O'Connell's blogs. This website benefits everyone (except cc and scd) by allowing us to be heard!

Last, you wrote Also, why does "Mike the Ring Guy" hid behind anonymity. No real name or contact information, except a lousy cell phone number."

Funny, SCD and all of the other publications and people associated with SCD have hidden too. They are completely inaccessible to those of us in the industry who wish to discuss this matter.

So what if I am anonymous? I am not the story or focal point: CC and SCD is the story, not me. I'm just producing the blog by which hobbyists and express their ideas, and opinions on this matter. Besides, how am I anonymous? As you pointed out, my cell phone and email address are on my website.

Bob, here I am, email me or call me. I'd love to talk to you or anyone else at SCD. Unlike TS, I won't leave you on hold for thirty minutes hoping that you go away, and I won't bury my head in the sand and ignore you!

Subscribers & Advertisers Abandon Sports Collectors Digest:

It appears Sports Collectors Digest is on the ropes. Who knows how much longer the publication will be around? Current subscribers (the few that are left) are noticing and reporting how thin the publication has become. Most advertisers have left the publication. So have some of the talented writers. Fortunately, TS continues to write to his hearts content: He loves to promote his newest book, or remind us of his days as a dealer. What TS does not write about is SCD's relationship with Coach's Corner and how it has helped to destroy Sports Collector's Digest. For more on this story, please visit www.autographalert.com/news.html where you can read more about the decline of SCD.

I wish to share with you two emails I received this week on this topic:

The first was written to Dean Listle, who holds the title of Publisher of SCD.

Dear Mr. Listle,
I am emailing you about my decision to NOT renew my subscription to SCD. I have been a long time subscriber to your publication since it's inception and have finally decided that I have had enough. Though I had enjoyed SCD for many years, I feel that it has taken a drastic turn down the wrong path. First, is the cutback of 42 pages as opposed to the 100 or so pages of several years ago. It usually took me a few days to go through it on my free time and read all the interesting articles. Now, it takes me only 1/2 hour to look through it, and most of it is auction related material (which brings me to my next reason for ending my subscription). I am VERY VERY upset that SCD is ignoring the blatant forgery of auction items from your biggest advertiser COACHES CORNER. As the corner stone of our hobby, you have a responsibility to listen and respond to your fellow subscribers and collectors about all the fake autographs that these people are putting into our hobby. Did you forget about the Operation Bullpen investigation and why it was so important to help clean up our hobby of mass forgeries? Well, Coaches Corner will continue to throw forgeries back into the marketplace until someone finally stops them. And this should begin with YOU by stopping them from advertising this junk in your publication. Until YOU take a stand in this matter, I have lost all respect for you and your publication and will never again read another SCD. Please listen to the collectors out there who are only trying to help and educate other collectors in this vicious forgery game. IT STARTS WITH YOUR ACTION.

GJ
(Mike, the ring guy is withholding his name)


PS: I would like to see you put this in next editorial with a response.

(No response was ever given and the letter was never published by SCD.


The second email I received:



Mike,
Like you I was a vocal opponent of SCD's relationship with CC via SCD's blogs. I've been challenging them on this subject for several years now. Here's a recent email exchange I had between two guys (CEO and president) at the company that owns SCD. You're wasting your time with Listle and everyone else at SCD, as you probably know. Btw, never got a response from either David after the last email. I'll forward a few more exchanges I had with T.S. and Dean along with their responses. Good luck and keep up the good work.

Roger

From: Roger
(Mike, the ring guy is withholding his name)


Date: Thu, May 28, 2009 at 1:27 PM
To: david.nussbaum@fwmedia.com, david.blansfield@fwmedia.com

Gentlemen,
Good afternoon. Like many people, I once subscribed to SCD. I subscribed off and on for about 20 years. And like many or perhaps even the majority of former subscribers, I stopped patronizing your publication because of its relationship with an auction company called Coach's Corner. You've no doubt heard of them. In fact, I believe they are SCD's largest paid advertiser, at least according to Coach's Corner's own website. Further, I believe SCD is the only print pub Coach's Corner advertises in. (Below you'll find several links to discussions about Coach's Corner and its unfortunate ties to SCD.)

Over the years, gentlemen, I and who knows how many others have tried to engage SCD's publishers and senior-level employees like Dean Listle, T.S. O'Connell, Steve Bloedow, etc. in an open and honest discussion about SCD's involvement with CC. Quite simply, Coach's Corner has one of the worst reputations in the hobby. Over the years they have single-handedly sold thousands upon thousands of forgeries to the public. These forgeries include mostly autographs, but also artwork and game used items. These forgeries are exceedingly bad; they are poorly executed fakes with the intent to deceive. This is a serious problem and one that I and thousands of other people are sick of dealing with. Our question is a simple one, yet one that nobody there has had the guts to answer candidly. That is, if SCD is truly on the side of the collector, one of the "good guys" if you will, than why do you continually accept money from a company that's so obviously bad for the hobby. These people are low-life scumbags, yet SCD happily grants them an unobstructed voice every single month. It's sickening. Everyone there should be ashamed of themselves for allowing it to continue.

SCD is dying, guys. You know this. The only way to save it, assuming it's still possible, is to cut all ties with Coach's Corner, admit your mistakes (publicly) and ask for forgiveness (publicly) from the people you've been pretending to serve. Quite frankly, many collectors have no interest in seeing the magazine survive. I'm 99% there myself. Should the magazine continue its relationship with Coach's Corner, then there's no question that our hobby would be better off without SCD.

Oddly, nobody I've corresponded with at SCD seems to want to accept responsibility for CC's presence in the magazine. When questions are asked, they are ignored. When a phone call takes place, we're given veiled and roundabout answers, if not grade school finger-pointing. It's honestly a little embarrassing to witness.

Would one of you please tell me why SCD is still doing business with Coach's Corner given everything we know about them? SCD dumped advertisers like this in the past (e.g., Stan's), why not now?

Thank you,
Roger P
(Mike, the ring guy is withholding his name)


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Readers, care to comment?

The Industry Fights Back Against SCD.

TS O'Connell wrote to me and asked that we leave the blogging to him. I wrote back and told him "No, absolutely not." I added that he can shut down his blog but you won't silence us. TS - your publication's association with Coach's Corner is wrong! You are helping them to flood the market with forgeries and garbage. How do you sleep at night? Shame Shame Shame!

Well the hobbyists have spoken. Here is the latest story to be found at www.autographalert.com/news.html

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Sports Collectors Digest, R.I.P.?

Today our mailbox was filled with emails from readers upset with Sports Collectors Digest (SCD). There are just too many emails to personally respond to so we will just group some of the comments together with our reply.
“Autographalert.com we can really use your help...I have been shut out at SCD’s web site, as T.S. O’Connell (SCD Editor) has shut down his blog comments from frustrated readers who find him to be wrong....”
It is our opinion you are wasting your time with O’Connell. Several years ago, O’Connell and his merry band of men was told by one on the staff of autographalert.com that if he continued along the path he was taking, SCD will implode. Since then SCD has lost nearly all it’s advertisers and it’s latest issue has been reduced to a measly 42 pages. Not thick enough to open and let our dog use it for a latrine.
The “Voice of the Hobby” is gagging for breathe of air yet your voices are not heard. We strongly suggest all of you express your dissatisfaction to Dean Listle, the publisher @ dean.listle@fwmedia.com. Another one you can contact would be David Nussbaum, Chairman & CEO of F+W Publications.
We gave up with SCD a few years back. Seemed like we were paying $29.95 for a bobble head and getting a free weekly newsletter was no longer worth it.
As far as some of the things sold through auctions advertised in SCD we no longer feel sorry for those who purchase an autograph worth $3,500 and pay only $500 for it. There is enough printed on the internet to educate those who are foolish enough to think they got a bargain and not smart enough to realize they got it at such a low price because those who have expertise know the item was not genuine and did not bid.
Some of our readers have emailed us stating they are so outraged they have created blogs on their sites “to allow their voices to be heard.”
Some have requested http://www.autographalert.com/ tell our readers about their problems with SCD on their blogs. Two we can publish are:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TomTresh2
http://www.sports-rings.com/ Go to Sitemap and click on Sports Blog.
It is our opinion that SCD’s latest actions may be the final nail in their coffin. Talk about a possible conflict of interest, they have gone into associating themselves in the auction business with a June 2009 debut. They are dealing with a depressed and vanishing readership have made the decision to go up against some of the few advertisers they have left. A legitimate competing auction house and advertiser would have to pay up front about $1,000 to get a full page ad in SCD. To get the attention of readers the auction house may want to follow up with a few additional ads. SCD can publish all the full page ads they want for the mere cost of ink and paper. The few auction houses, to date, that remain with SCD can no longer be competitive.
To put a lid on this, we stopped complaining when it fell on deaf ears and no responses. We no longer subscribe, so have no desire to complain.

Another blog wrote this about SCD:

It can be found at: http://frozenpondauction.com/blog/

Readers, what do you have to say?