We are an eBay affiliate and may be compensated for clicks on links that result in purchases.

Is everything from GAI fake?

I was thinking recently about the amount of fakes that are authenticated by GAI, so I went through my items and located 5 pieces authenticated by them. I looked up the corresponding number on their website (what's left of it anyway) and found that two items aren't even listed. The database shows no item exists. Two of the three items I know are legit as they were from a private Willie Mays signing a few years back and included the Say Hey authentication plus the MLB authentication. The other three I believe are bad. Two are Stan Musial 8x10's and one is Bart Starr 8x10.

What I find interesting is that you would assume that people who have legitimate authentic photo's used the GAI service. There should be a quantity that are real! But, it appears that almost everything I come across is FAKE! Did they authenticate anything real, or did they have a network set up where they had people produce known forgeries and then they authenticated them? It seems to be the latter. I wish I could remember who I bought these three from and contact them. You wouldn't think they would spend their time on Musial and Starr. Any opinions on this?

2 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by CJCollector on June 18, 2011 at 6:12am

Here's another beauty certed by ACE (Priddy).

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve on June 20, 2011 at 2:07pm

The big deal is that first you said that you didn't know that he was your friend. People just don't appear on your page as a friend, you have to accept them. Then you said you removed him, but he was still there. It all comes down to credibility. Just like with the bowling alley baloney. You don't want to tell us the name of the lanes and what city it is located in. Why? Because it is easily verified. I know you think that nobody knows you, other than Christine, but you are dead wrong. Every time you open your mouth, another BS story comes out. Ex: you were drafted to play baseball by the Yankees and the scar on your arm was from surgery which ended your career. Truth: you had an accident as a kid which resulted in the surgery. Never have been an athlete, never will. Ex: your wife died in Afghanistan. Truth: you are completely full of SH*T. Again, all easily verified. There is someone who will be on this site very soon who will fill everybody in on the Mike Aring BS Tour. I'm seriously surprised that you have been touring so long. Although, with no education and nothing to do but sit in your parents house, you do have quite a bit of free time on your hands.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Waterhouse on June 21, 2011 at 11:33am

It's time to set the record straight. I read all of the comments and it didn't say you were injured in a car accident. It said you claimed that you had arm surgery. You had an accident as a kid, you told me the same BS story about the Yankees. I happen to know that you didn't play any sports in college. You know why? You didn't go to college! Mike, you can pretend that everyone is out to get you, you have done this to yourself. These people are not using fake names, these are people who have dealt with you and known you for almost 20 years.

Here are the facts: Mike Aring is a pathological liar. The problem is that he tells so many lies, he cannot possibly keep track of them. He tells such absurd stories, he doesn't realize how easily verified all of the information is. He then rants and raves that everybody else is the bad guy, it's everyone else's fault. He claims he owns a bowling alley, so the simple question was posed: What is the name of the lanes and what city is it located in? Any reply? Of course not. He knows he got caught in another lie. He knows anyone can look up the name and the city or even call the place to verify. If he would just keep his mouth shut, he would be so much better off. Same with his wife. My brother is a Colonel in the Army, he verified that the story is false.

More facts: Mike Aring is a forger, cheat, and crook. Take a few minutes and type his name into Google. You can add forger, liar, etc. and take a look at how many times his name is listed in association with these behaviors. He has been taken off many other autograph sites for the same reason.

How do I know this? I am an adjunct professor in Economics and I used to go out to get autographs throughout the 1990's. There was a regular group, but I didn't stand out like the others because I was a little older and dressed nicely. I was a witness to Mike forging signatures, bragging about it, etc. Did you ever wonder why we all stood together on one side of the street and you stood on the other side by yourself? That was when you were claiming to be a karate expert and trying to bully everyone. We did get a good laugh out of it though. I ran into Big John (he had the kid in the wheelchair) the other day and he was still talking about how crooked you were and if you were still around. People don't forget. At first, Mike would put in the time, but when he came out empty handed or didn't get an item completely signed, he finished it off himself. Items mysteriously showed up in a sports store fully signed and always perfectly, always in the right spot. Funny how that only occurred on Mike's items. How about the items you used to supply to the weekly auction that was at the hotel off of I-17. Huge standees of Schwartzenegger and Agassi perfectly signed. Of course, the story then was that your brother was a professional photographer in California and you got them through him. More BS, your brother lived at home in your parents house with you. How do I know this? I have been to your house, I have seen your forged items sitting in piles in your closet. You once bragged to me that you are an artist. You had some nice drawings, I'll say that. You then decided to combine your artistic skills with your need for money. This creates a huge problem. When you have the need for money, but you are uneducated, with no job, but you have some artistic skill, and there is a huge market for sports and music memorabilia. Plus you are a pathological liar, well there you have it! You saw an opportunity and took advantage. If you want to cheat yourself by convincing yourself that you are all these wonderful things that you claim, that is fine. However, that crossed over into cheating others who you conned into believing that you were legitimate. Even the police had to get involved to get some people their money back. Is the picture getting clearer?

It is so sad, because you are no better off than when I knew you back then. This is it for you, it won't get any better. You can keep running to different sites, trying to convince others, but you will always be found out. There are way too many people who know about you. I was talking to Steve Sipe the other day and even he knew about you, and it wasn't good. How do you get such a reputation? Well, if you have read any of the above, I think you will understand why.

This site is supposed to be dedicated to abolishing forgeries and those that do the forging of signatures. Mike Aring, however, is one of those that has been involved in the illegal side for years. If this wasn't how he chose to make a living, then things might be different.

So, do yourself a favor and check him out online. Mike, do yourself a favor and seek some counseling, seriously. Do you really want to live the rest of your life like this? Can a person be a victim of so much circumstance? Only your own!

By the way, not everybody puts up a photo because some of us are not good at it. You don't have a picture up of yourself, just a symbol.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by christine murphy on June 21, 2011 at 11:53am

AMEN

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve on June 21, 2011 at 3:56pm

You can run from the truth, but it will always catch up.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by christine murphy on June 21, 2011 at 9:57pm

translate, are you saying we are the Holly Trinity

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by christine murphy on June 22, 2011 at 9:38am

You just don't get it, or maybe you do. This this not about Justin, it is about you. If Justin certifies fake items, then he will have to pay the consequenses for it as any authentication company would have to do. We want to know what your excuse is for what you do. If I were you, I would go off this site and clean things up and stop annoying all these people for a while. You do have quite a reputation in the autograph world as you said, but not in the way you would like people to think. I am sorry people, I know you just want to hear about facts on this site and we have gotten away from that. If you want to know the facts, go on the internet and read about the people who are posting comments on this forum. That is the best way to decide if it true or garbage.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Waterhouse on June 22, 2011 at 10:21am

Christine,

You are absolutely correct. Mike has a way of convincing himself that he is the victim. He actually believes his own BS, which is why he is in the position that he is in. Of course, the only way for him to confront things is to start accusing others. That is what a pathological liar does, they are able to convince themselves that they are being wronged in order to avoid the truth. Can you imagine having to live with what goes on in his mind? Mental illness is not a joke, that is why someone should have stepped up years ago to get him some help. Do you like how he turns this into poor Mike and how it is about Justin. No Mike, this is 100% about you. And don't worry, there are plenty of people out there who don't know you yet, but once they become familiar with you, it will be time for you to move on again. Word of mouth spreads fast and there will always be someone there to share the truth about you.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Darren Ruskin, III on July 16, 2011 at 3:27pm

i have to say whenever i see GAI in the title on ebay i tend to not even click on it because 90% of the time they are bad (speaking movies & music only). i have found a few things over the years that are good but i always pull the sticker off of it once i receive it from the seller.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Darren Ruskin, III on July 20, 2011 at 11:32pm

People fighting with stinkFOOT, stop it, it's not worth it, he is the lowest degree of scum that has ever slithered across the earth, a buddy of mine used to save the images of ALL of his ebay forgeries before he got kicked off. Hundreds and hundreds in his files. Guys if you purchased ANYTHING from BAREFOOL PLEASE post it on this website ASAP. My god, I cannot believe you are still around. HOLY GOD

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve on July 20, 2011 at 11:36pm

See, this is what I have been talking about. Here we have another person who found there way to the Mike Airing game show. Darren, please take some time and read the entire thread relating to Mike and let us know if we are spot on. I can almost guarantee that you have the same stories as we do relating to Mike.