Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on February 18, 2016 at 5:48pm

I posted a link to Doug Allen's Damage Analysis/Shill Bid list in the main Mastro discussion, here:

http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/former-owner-of-mast...

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Permalink Reply by Don Webster on February 18, 2016 at 6:09pm

Thanks for posting the full shill bidder list Steve...

 

The names of the shill bidders first appear on page #13

Two questions if I may...

Are any of the folks listed as serial shill bidders members of this forum...I mean other than John Reznikoff ??

Second query....there's a company listed in the sellers column as "Historical Collectibles". You can see them listed on page 53...

 I can find absolutely no information on this company. A Google search proved fruitless. Do we know you owned or runs/ran Historical Collectibles ?? 

The reason I ask is because they seemed to have received a whack of shill bids from the combination of Reznikoff/Mastro. That's the way the F.B.I. have it listed. Anyone know who operated "Historical Collectibles" ?

 It would be extremely interesting to know...

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on February 18, 2016 at 6:37pm

Don,

Something we have to realize, out of fairness, is that none of the people on the list have been charged with shill bidding except for the three Mastro executives. I know some people want to hang them first and ask questions later, but we don't know the facts yet.

We don't know how the list was assembled. We haven't seen the evidence. We don't know if in some cases Mastro employees used their bidder accounts to place bids.

Is everyone on this list culpable? Are only some of them? I don't know.

But we owe it to the autograph field--and them--to get the facts before we string 'em up.

You can look up the names on our member list: 

http://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/members/

The only other name on the list that I know is a member of Autograph Live is Ken Goldin. There are probably others.

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Permalink Reply by Don Webster on February 18, 2016 at 6:49pm

Thanks Steve and I agree with you that only a handful have been charged, convicted and sentenced to date.

And the legal system assures that one is innocent unless proven otherwise. I believe in that philosophy as much or more than you do I assure you.

Unless I am mistaken this list of suspected shill bidders was compiled by the F.B.I. as well as government investigators and certified forensic accountants. Knowing that could we expect Mr. John Reznikoff and Mr. Ken Goldin, two gentlemen who are members of this forum to continue their "radio silence" or could we expect them to come here and discuss their innocence ??

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Permalink Reply by sling on February 18, 2016 at 7:28pm

If they are under legal investigation, their lawyers might advise them to not speak out. This advice is oftyren given whether you are innocent or guilty

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on February 19, 2016 at 3:34am

Since this is an opinion site, I will render mine. This site is best when the merits of a specific autograph is discussed. Is it authentic or is it not? We learn something which helps us. When it gets reduced to gossip or accusations toward an individual without a justifiable cause, that is unproductive and slanderous.

When we work together to expose fakes and those who sell fakes, we are providing a service to the public. Discussion like this one offers little value to the public but can harm a reputation.

A Jesus said, "Let those without sin cast the first stone."

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on February 19, 2016 at 5:12am

Joe, well stated and I could not agree more.  Since there are 4 pages so far on this thread, apparently it draws some general interest, but I find it boring and not very productive.  And thank you Steve C for changing the original title.

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Permalink Reply by Don Webster on February 20, 2016 at 9:35am

 

Mr. Rich Consola is listed in F.B.I./government -- court documents as  being a shill bidder in some Mastro auctions. How disappointing is that news ??

I was taking my time going through the more than one hundred pages of F.B.I./government/court documents from the Mastro/Doug Allen sentencing and there he was.

Rich Consola's name appears several times as a shill bidder.   

Mr. Consola is as we speak PSA/DNA's number one go-to guy when it comes to authenticating Elvis. 

Just wow....

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on February 20, 2016 at 9:52am

I do not know Rich Consola and cannot speak to the specifics of the matter regarding him. However, the list of shills may not be what it seems in some cases.

Apparently, if an authenticator bid on a lot that he or she authenticated, it was a technical violation of the house rules and was captured in the list. So they could be listed as a shill, even if they were placing bids in good faith. Kevin Keating, who was also listed in the document, has come forward and explained the matter in great detail on Net54: http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=217793

It has been said here before, but you need to be more careful with peoples' names and reputations. You may not be in possession of all the facts.

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Permalink Reply by Don Webster on February 20, 2016 at 10:09am

Thanks for your reply Steve...

You are correct about Mr. Keating. He has indeed responded to his name being on the list. We have his word only to my knowledge that he did nothing "wrong". And if I a wrong about that then please update me.

 

Isn't Mr. Keating the O-N-L-Y person named on the list that has come forward publically. If you read the nearly one hundred pages of the thread at your link the membership at net54baseballl is asking for others to step up and explain. And I believe the hundred page thread concerning the topic there is entitled..."The list of criminals is revealed"

You've got to agree is one heck of a thread title!!

 

And correct me if I am wrong once again but the invitation to have them speak to the situation from members at net54baseball 100 page long thread (which is fantastic reading by the way) has been met with....crickets....silence.

Just to be clear and deal only in facts....the list comes from the F.B.I./government investigators and forensic examiners. I assume all of these parties to be highly qualified in putting such a list together. Let's be clear....the list of names does not emanate from the National Enquirer.

Everyone has the opportunity to speak to and or discuss, or if you prefer defend themselves just has Mr. Keating has done.

I didn't compile the list. But I believe I'm right in saying that it's resulted in 3 court cases with 3 convictions and two jail terms to date ? Is that close ? And you may not take this bet but I'd wager that there are more arrests to come...that's  what I hear through the grapevine. There would seem to be PLENTY of evidence...

Usually, not always...but usually where there is smoke....there is fire....

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Permalink Reply by Joe W. on February 20, 2016 at 10:00am

Shill bidding and authenticating, in my opinion, are two different topics. A person can know their autographs and be tempted to "bump" up an item to make more money. The problem with any online auction is that someone has access to "max bid amounts". And, it is a real problem when a party knows that "secret" max bid amount and can knowingly run up the item till it reaches and comes close to that amount. Does it happen, absolutely. I would not have any idea who has or been involved in shill bidding. But, reasonable minds could see this happening far more often than our trusting selves want to believe. Even on ebay I use auction sniper. And, at least ebay itself, could care less what anything sells for. When people's livelihood is at stake, well let's just say, it can and does happen. Not pointing fingers in any direction specifically.

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Permalink Reply by Don Webster on February 20, 2016 at 10:43am

I can't help but fully agree with your opening statement Joe..."shill bidding and authenticating are two different topics"...

Just pointing out that Mr. Rich Consola's name appearing on the shill bidders list was not placed there because he was authenticating any autographs ....he is listed as being a shill bidder.

In this instance the two (authenticating vs. shilling) appear to most certainly be mutually exclusive...

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