Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve on January 22, 2014 at 7:22pm

Mike, I agree that it can be tough to read through all those pages, but if there is some important factual information. Most of us learned the hard way and some of us were lucky enough to get our money back, but we don't want others to have to go through what we did. There are going to be an awful lot of people who are going to be very upset if and when they find out that everything they have from Gridiron is fake.

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Permalink Reply by Cory Clarkson on May 11, 2014 at 8:19am

I had PSA/DNA give a QO about a celtics 8x10 i recently purchased that came with a coa from hardwood authentics, the same company as gridiron authentics, and they passed the signatures. 

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Permalink Reply by Steve on May 11, 2014 at 10:47am

I have several Larry Bird signed photo's, including in person, and none of them have the last name signed like that. The connection of the y in larry and the B in bird, plus the downward angle is off in my opinion. I had a McHale signed ball, but he signed it really large, so it is hard to compare. I can't speak for the other signatures.

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Permalink Reply by Cory Clarkson on May 12, 2014 at 8:52am

after doing some research I agree the signatures are off. I'm sending it back, the problem is the guy I bought it off of isn't responding to my emails. looks like i'll have to open up a paypal claim. are there any options other than a opening a paypal claim?

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Permalink Reply by Steve on August 2, 2014 at 2:45pm

Has anybody noticed that Gridiron Authentics and there other closely named eBay accounts have not had anything for sale in about a month. I wonder if they were finally busted.

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Permalink Reply by charlie on August 4, 2014 at 10:45am

Hi,

  A newbie here with a possible answer.

  Earlier this year, a few collector friends passed word to me that Gridiron was selling fake items. My research brought me here and gave me a wealth of info to move on.

   In June, after several attempts to get Joe Lamothe to answer some questions I filed a complaint with the NY AG's office. On July 2, I received a copy of the letter the AG's office sent to Gridiron. I spoke to the AG this morning and found out that they also sent a copy of my complaint and supporting documents to Ebay. Guess Ebay realized that this was a big deal after all.

   The NY AG's office suggested I also file a complaint with the PA AG's office which I did a few weeks ago. I called them this morning and was told that thus far no file number was assigned. Once I explained the situation and told them that a week or 2 after receiving my complaint from the NY AG's office their Ebay listings went dead I was told someone will get back to me.

    As of now, there are 2 AG's offices involved. I encourage anyone that can support that their items are fake reach out to your respective AG's office and send a copy of your complaint to the PA AG's office as well. If you want, you can refer to my complaints with the NY & PA offices. I know it was posted a while back that the AG's office needed more to go on- well I alone am out over $2,000 which is Grand Theft by State rules, the more we pile on the more traction we will now have.

    I put together a whole file with some personal information relating to the owners that I am more than willing to share with any law enforcement group.

     I know a lot of people got burned by these bastards and I apologize for not responding sooner but I had to have the right information support and now I believe we have what we need to go after them HARD. The fact that either THEY or EBAY shut the site right after receiving my complaint tells us everything we need to know.

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Permalink Reply by Steve on August 4, 2014 at 8:34pm

I sure hope more people follow through like we did. It is a shame they cheated so many people and so few people have done anything about it.

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Permalink Reply by charlie on August 5, 2014 at 6:28am

Steve,

   I'm not stopping on this. I want them put behind bars.

   it's really a sad fact that I know of several individuals who got taken for                               a good amount of $$ by these guys and they won't even try to fight? And they were the ones who told me about the whole mess! 

    Look, guys, I know I am new to this board but I do recognize some names from other boards. I did my due diligence here. I selected a group of 6 helmets signed over a period of several years  so as to determine if there was a pattern( full disclosure- I actually had 2 other items I bought from them that had PSA stickers that checked out so yes, they do mix some things around). I had PSA look these 6 over because Joe Lamothe gave me some BS about how Spence had it in for him. I covered the Gridiron sticker to "hide" the taint and they still failed- although, I was told some of them were very good quality fakes.   

     We have a responsibility to go after these guys. Steve and I are only 2 people, any State or Federal body is going to want MORE and we have that here alone. I know Chris W. will agree with this because he and others on another board have done a great job on the baseball side of things.

     Steve if you reached out to the PA AG's office maybe we should get them to look at both of our files in tandem, it goes to a pattern of fraud. Guy's, don't worry about anyone mentioning "Statute of Limitations", this is a State by State Doctrine and your State may give the group an edge. Also, when there is a pattern of fraud, the statute takes this into consideration.

     I know I gave the AG a very complete file with printouts of GA's web site, emails, their personal address, even the names of BOTH owners of the company and it's umbrella company. Hey, I said I did my due diligence didn't I.

      Steve, If there was another organization you contacted send me a PM and I will forward my files to them as well. Seriously, we need to do something about this. We have them on the ropes, it's time for the KO!! Anyone who thinks they're gone is fooling themselves. You know they have a warehouse ( I believe it's in NJ or MA) with this s*** and they will now probably try to move as much as possible. if we don't go at them as a group then the Board might as well end any posts involving anymore forgeries because we're just as guilty. 

   Charlie M.

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Permalink Reply by B Martin on August 5, 2014 at 4:45pm

I commend you Charlie for pursuing this. I have been watching these guys for close to 10 years. I would file with the AG office if I had ever bought anything but I never did. One thing I might suggest if they wanted to look into it, if you do an advanced search on ebay for gridiron legends with that in the title and description, many of their items on the secondary market will show up in ebay listings. Many of them obvious forgeries. Just saw a Joe Namath Alabama mini helmet listed. If the AG office wanted to catch them, should be pretty easy to get a reputable authenticator to look at these items.

Since Gridiron Authentics uses a lot of stock photos of real items, it's hard to pick out fakes from their photos in their listings but the people selling on the secondary market have the actual photo which is usually a forgery.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Steve on August 5, 2014 at 4:55pm

Hey Charlie,

I did file all of my information with the PA AG's office. You mat have read that they were interested, but needed others to contact them. One person calling them was no big deal. We need others to follow through as well. They have scammed millions off of unsuspecting buyers.

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Permalink Reply by B Martin on August 5, 2014 at 5:04pm

Sadly, Steve is right. I believe their scamming is well into 7 figures.

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Permalink Reply by charlie on August 6, 2014 at 8:21am

When you consider they used to post over 20 pages of material a day for over a decade, I would say 7 figures is on point.

I find it difficult to understand how a number of people could complain about buying their crap and when they have a chance to act they fail? Heck, it took me a while to move on this because my schedule is about as crazy as it can get but i took a little time here and there to put it all together.

 My suggestion to all those who have posted on this and several other threads is to get together and file a single unified complaint with the PA AG's office. if they get a consolidated complaint listing a dozen or so victims they will have to act on it. They already have 2, the NY AG's office has already taken action and GA is suddenly silent. Now is the time to act. I also have a suspicion that they or an associate is now moving items out of Largo FL using cert's from In the Game Sports. A search for them shows nothing. 

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