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 Thursday, August 30, 2007
I'm not quite done with bigboydsportscards3 yet
Posted by Steve
 I don't usually pick fights. I pick on people a lot, but they know I'm kidding and I rarely have to get "mean" to get my point acrossed. This situation with bigboydsportscards3 has gotten me a little irritated though. This joker continues to rip people off on a daily basis and I'm getting sick of it. Every time I see these listings, I think about our conversation when he basically justified what he was doing by saying, "I don't have many of them left." Anyway, one reader was extremely helpful with this situation and I'm posting everything he sent to me. He purchases a 1985-86 Star Co. Michael Jordan #288 card from bigboydsportscards3 on Aug. 2, 2006 for $222.50. He paid for it on Aug. 8, 2006. Then he sent it in to Global for grading on Feb. 9, 2007 and they received it on Feb. 15, 2007. Global sent the card back...unslabbed and with a "Questionable Authenticity" sticker on it. That's polite grading company talk for "FAKE". So there we have it, my word against his word. It's a fake. And with the card in hand as I speak, it's a really bad fake. Remember how I've discussed how these counterfeiters rebuild the fonts around the original image. Take a look at the scan and you'll see that they couldn't even match the same font on the "8" and the "6" in the upper right where it says "Star '86." Forget about the telltale apostrophe, one number is normal and the other is in italics or something. Nice job, crooks. At least if you are going to be a criminal, try to be a good one. In an amazing turn of events (sorry, I'm really sarcastic), it matches perfectly with the one bigboydsportscards3 is currently selling on eBay. And by the dates on the invoice I have, it means he's been selling this crap and ripping people off for at least a full year. No wonder he doesn't have many left in stock. Is this enough proof for you, Terry Boyd, or do you still believe they are real? Someone that does deal with Global has helped you out and sent in one of your fakes for you. If you are confused with any proof here, all the documents and cards are scanned below, including the original invoice from bigboyd, the paypal receipt and the submission form to Global. I'm guessing I'll be getting another email from Terry with another threat that he'll talk to his lawyer about this.   
8/30/2007 11:17:13 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Funny post on the Beckett boards
Posted by Steve
 I was reading the Beckett forum yesterday and stumbled across this thread. You gotta love this guy. His patch card was pulled from eBay for being doctored so he starts posting on the forum about his sad story of "buying it off a buddy of mine who (he) watched pull it from a SEALED BOX!" Unfortunately, he got busted later in the post because someone else saves all scans from that set and posted an image of the same serial-numbered card (#322/699) with a single-color patch instead of the crazy, 103-color (possibly an exaggeration) logo patch that was currently on the card. OOPS. The poster was obviously trying to flash the card and hoping someone offered to buy it from the forum, but got busted and embarrassed. I wonder if he will ever show up on those boards again. And it wasn't even bigboyd this time. I'm sure he'll be shopping the card around on other boards soon. All that trouble for a Ciatrick Fason card.  Did you see the news of former 2001 No. 7 pick Eddie Griffin dying? The former Rockets, Nets and T-Wolves forward ran through a barrier and crashed into an oncoming train close to a week ago. His body was so badly burned that it took four days and dental records to identify who it was. It's a sad ending to a once-promising career that was filled with bad choices from drugs and alcohol. Griffin was a great athlete and one of best shot blockers in the league, but could never get his personal life on track. R.I.P.
8/23/2007 2:54:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
My conversation with bigboydsportscards3
Posted by Steve
I spoke with Terry Boyd of Big Boyd Sports Cards for about 30 minutes last week and we discussed my blog. I'm still amazed at how someone justifies selling probably $50,000-$100,000 of counterfeit Star Co. cards through eBay. He continued to claim he didn't know they were fakes and doesn't think they are and his primary contention with the whole issue is that "he doesn't have very many left." Great stuff. Much of the conversation went like this: Me: You are selling counterfeit goods, which is illegal. Terry Boyd: How do you know they are counterfeit? PSA and Beckett don't grade them. Me: Because I used to run a grading company that learned how to tell the difference and worked with Steve Taft to grade them. He now helps GAI. You should send a few of them to GAI because they are fakes. Terry Boyd: I don't deal with Global. Me: I'm telling you they are fakes and you refuse to acknowledge it. Terry Boyd: We only have a few of them left. How do you know for sure they are fakes? Me: I just explained that to you, plus I've posted pictures on my blog with real ones and fake ones and you have the exact same fakes that we busted two years ago. Terry Boyd: Well why don't PSA or Beckett grade them? Me: I have no idea because it's not that tough to tell the difference. My guess is that they don't consider it a big enough part of the market to take the time to learn. I'm telling you they are fake. I know it. Taft knows it. GAI would tell you they are fake and you know that, which is why you refuse to send them in for grading. Are you telling me you are going to keep selling them? Terry Boyd: Uhhhhh....well.......(he knows I'm recording this) He indiciated that he has spend "way over $20,000" on those cards, but mysteriously doesn't know who he purchased them from. I told him find out who he bought them from. It's not the end of our conversations, but it's clearly time for the Internet Task Forces in the Ohio to get involved and time for me to call my good friend in the FBI, who orchestrated Operation Bullpen and many other busts. Here are a few random posts about bigboydsportscards3 from messages boards like PSA, Beckett and Trading Card Central. "Great post. I must add a few comments since I am one of the more experienced SLU collectors on this board. From what I have seen from 'bigboydsportscards' on ebay, it appears only key HOF SLU cards from 1988 and 1989 were counterfeited. I actually purchased a 1989 Ripken SLU card from 'bigboydsportscards' and these folks did darn good job in reproducing the card. I knew something was up last year as these cards were being sold on a weekly basis."
"Worst thing is he is still selling them. Obviously must know they are fake."
"I sent Terry the link to the blog. He also believes his Star cards to be real. I am sending mine back to him tomorrow on the agreement that once he receives them back I will be getting a full refund."
The great thing about this one is that he takes them back because the buyer says they are fake and issues a refund, then relists them immediately and rips someone else off.
"If you have more than 46,000 feedback, you should know what you're buying and selling, no? There is no NFL logo patch in the world that's real that I've ever seen with a huge 1/1 sticker on the back like that. If you've bought and sold this many cards, you should know what you have and what you're listing and whether its real or not. Not calling him a faker or anything at all, but bigboyd has been around the block."
"I bought a box of 06 contenders from boyd, it was a resealed box also, I sent the box and the cellophane back and eventually got my money back."
"It angers me that this guy is still selling. I bought a Star Jordan from him last summer and waited 6 months to grade. Of course it came back fake. And I had no recourse from eBay and Terry pretty much told me to F off. We should start a post of everyone who's ever been burned by this guy and sue his ass."
"You've been in business for over 11 years and you dont know what a fake is and what isnt? Nor do you pay attention to large buys? Sounds completely shady to me. Bottom line is I think you should pay more attention to what you sell."
"This BigBoyd character is a Big Joke. As Blades said, anyone that refunds automatically if the buyer wants a refund, its just shady, and the fact that the cards get relisted. The Seller is continuing to sell star fakes. SCAMMER!"
"Big Boyd needs to be shut down after all of the crap he's pulled."
I used to collect Star Co. cards back in the day,and I remember the first counterfeit scare in the mid-90s. It was depressing.If you know the cards well enough,you definitely can tell the fakes,but it still became more of a hassle dealing with people and vice versa. Nice blog,and thanks for keeping us informed!"
8/15/2007 5:17:48 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, August 10, 2007
Kevin Garnett could mean big things for Celtics' fans
Posted by Steve
 It's still hard to believe Kevin Garnett got traded. The most loyal man in the basketball agreed to play for the Celtics, which basically opened the floodgates to a deal that's been in place since before the NBA Draft. Garnett vetoed a trade before the draft, which killed the deal and allowed the Celtics to trade its No. 5 pick to Seattle for Ray Allen. Having Allen and Pierce both in Boston had to be enough to sway Garnett, who then accepted the though of playing for them. He was then dealt for Al Jefferson (aka the centerpiece of the deal), Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract. What does it mean for the C's? Having Garnett, Allen and Pierce puts them in contention for the Eastern crown immediately. Rajan Rondo is the perfect point guard for them. Although he's young, he's a defensive stopper, who is fine without scoring a point. They'll have one weak spot on the roster and have a thin bench inside, but Kendrick Perkins is still there and draft picks Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt might also be able to help some. Also, don't count out the possibility of a veteren signing with them for the minimum just to try to win a championship. They better do it in the next 2-3 years though, because GM Danny Ainge mortgaged the future for this one. As for the T-Wolves, they weren't contending with Garnett and won't immediately after dealing him. They do have a ton of young talent though and might be a very good team in a few years. Randy Foye, Corey Brewer, Rashad McCants, Jefferson, Green and Telfair could all be very good. Since Garnett was going to walk in another year (probably) and they would be left with nothing, this deal was probably about all they could do. Expect Garnett's cards and memorabilia to be on the rise. He's no longer in a small market and the C's are going to be on television a lot and could be one of the better teams in the league. The T-Wolves will have a lot of young players, who are going to get the opportunity to play immediately so it will be good for them also.
8/10/2007 10:41:12 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, August 06, 2007
Bonds benefits from his own success
Posted by Steve
 Who stands to most benefit from Barry Bonds' success? Barry Bonds, of course. Bonds is one of the most avid buyers of his own game-used memorabilia. According to a story on MLB.com, Bonds spends "thousands of dollars every season" buying uniforms, caps, wristbands and more that he uses on the field. "I pay for everything I wear out of pocket except for my shoes; I have a contract for that," Bonds told the website, adding that he writes out a check to the Giants every year to pay for his equipment.  Bonds said somewhere around the time he hit his 600th career home run (Aug. 9, 2002) he began authenticating everything he wears from each home run and stores the items in his home. Items from key moments in his career go on display in a special climate-controlled trophy room in his house. Bonds said items from his 756th career home run will be on display in that room, right next to a display featuring items from his 715th career home run that put him ahead of Babe Ruth on the all-time list. While game-used Bonds uniforms can sell for more than $10,000 each, he told MLB.com he pays closer to $100 per jersey. "It's not like we have to pay full price," he said. Bonds hit his 755th home run on Saturday night in San Diego and will try for the 756th tonight at home vs. Washington.
8/6/2007 5:45:33 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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