frozenheroes

Well thanks all for the comments on my 'Buyer Beware' blog post. I won't respond to each and every comment individually as I think it is obvious by what was said who the buyers and sellers are.

Just to follow up on the original reason for the blog post this message was just received from the seller. The same seller who said not to contact him anymore and then continued to email me.

"Get over yourself. We aren't liars and it was jealousy on your part, not an honest intrest in us, that made you post us. Your comment that "people like us" are part of the problem on Ebay was out of line and since Ebay never coontacted us about your snivvling whining accusatory nonsense, we remain assured that your rant was not from the heart at all. Ebay has told few have a record like ours but since there are stalking ™™™™™™™s like you out there, we closed our store. There's other ways to get rid of these things. It isn't worth it anymore. Since your prices are so out of whack we know you dont want to sell anything. Save your anal BS for someone else...got it hoser?"

My reply to this so-called seller's comment is simple. I am not jealous as my thirty-five years in this hobby proves that I have nothing to be jealous about. I have never been accused of cheating, ripping off, artificially increasing prices or giving advice for personal gain. If my prices are so out of whack I seem to get a lot of collectors who appreciate the fact that I don't charge above Beckett for my 'guide listed' items and in fact sell at 50% off the guide in my store everyday, even for hot rookies such as Nugent-Hopkins. Yes there are exceptions such as non-guide listed scarce items where we do our best to give the item a realistic price or consignment items where the card owners have set there selling price but our basic practice for our stuff is 50% off guide. The bottom line is there is a Beckett guide which clearly states what is or isn't a rookie card and in this case it isn't. Why should someone deem that while it isn't booked as a rookie by a hobby expert I'm going to sell it as one and then when the purchaser brings it to someone who knows what is what and tells them that it isn't a rookie they get the big disappointment ? As for the closing of your store I thank you on behalf of all honest collectors. The only reason eBay didn't say anything is because I couldn't be bothered to go any further with the issue and get them involved. I was so pissed off and wanted to leave the hobby myself because I've had enough of dishonest sellers ripping collectors off (this feeling comes at least three times a year). When people come into my store and say that people selling cards are like car salesmen or life insurance salesmen it hurts even though the comment wasn't directed at me directly. It starts to beat you down and you question why you even bother trying to make the hobby better. Then you get a comment from a collector (this is exactly as we got it unedited or changed) like the following and you feel a lot better.

You wonder if there are still people around who remember why people collect.....then this is the place. I met Doug a couple of years ago....back at the old location (would you like a tatoo with your rookie card ;) ), I met Doug and Angie, and I found someone who has a heart. That is really rare in this field, as many, many people care about the almighty $. Now don't get me wrong, I know this is necessary to survive, but the two of them are not in it to get rich. They do it for the love of collecting, and are honest with people. These two have given the shirt off their backs for people, because it is the right thing to do. I have always said that karma exists, and for these two they deserve all the positive karma that is out there. People need to visit this store for not only the product, not only the cards, but for the people. With Mike involved (Mr. Cup ;) ), I think Durham Region will now get what it has been missing for years, a true blue (and that is hard to say being a Philly fan), genuine card/memorabilia store. Come see what will be an amazing place.