In the past month or so various auction houses and authentication services have published “Codes of Ethics” that each company will incorporate into their business procedures. Robert Edward Auctions, MEARS and now Mastro Auctions have all actively promoted these new policies on how they are willing to make the hobby a better place.

There is no question that between collectors’ message boards, and customers willing to voice their opinions, that all major auction houses have taken notice about industry concerns.
In a hobby that has been plagued with fraudulent memorabilia and shady practices for many years it is about time that the some of the big players realize that something has to be done.

I have been ripped off many times in my collecting career, and although I have become very knowledgeable because of it, it still doesn’t get rid of the bitter taste in my mouth.

I will never forget the top three times I got taken:

-    When I was about 14 years old, my uncle and parents took me to an antique mall in Appleton, Wis. In one of the showcases there was a full Super Bowl I ticket. It even had a sign on it that described it as such. The price was $80, and even though I didn’t have the money at the time, my uncle bought it for me as a Christmas gift. I loved this ticket, but years later I found out that it was not real.
-    In 1997 I placed a bid on a pair of Brett Favre game worn cleats from “the 1995 season and from an impeccable source.” I paid about $600 for them, and barely could afford them, as I was a freshman in college. I went through game tape of every contest from the 1995 season and found out that Brett never put these shoes on for NFL use.
-    Years later I traded nearly $3000 worth of memorabilia for a Favre game-worn helmet, accompanied with a COA from a well-known authenticator. I used Getty images to find out that the decals were in the wrong place and the helmet was really not even close. The Packers equipment manager later confirmed my assumptions.

With companies taking a proactive stance like the email I recently received from Mastro (below), hopefully there will be fewer collectors that will have to go through the garbage that I went through.  
Dear Valued Customer:
    
     

         When it comes to business ethics and integrity, Mastro Auctions has operated ever since its inception under the premise that actions speak louder than words. We thought, perhaps naively, that that was enough. I have talked to a lot of customers over the last few months, both at the National Convention and through my travels, and have come to the conclusion that our customers, in fact, expect more.
    
     

         As the hobby continues to evolve and new concerns plague our industry, the time to assume a proactive stance has arrived. To that end, Mastro Auctions is taking our unwritten code of professional conduct to the next level by enhancing the code and memorializing it in writing (see below). This act of leadership is not required by law or by the industry, but it represents the high standards of commitment and responsibility that Mastro Auctions has always embodied.
    
     

         Since we just missed our deadline for the October Classic sale to make this announcement, this code will appear in and be in full effect for our December Premium Catalog sale. As always, we greatly value your support and assistance. By working proactively as a team, we can make a difference in the hobby we all enjoy today -- and ensure that it is headed in the right direction for future enthusiasts.
    
     

Sincerely yours,
Doug Allen
President & COO
Mastro Auctions
    
     

Mastro Auctions

Code of Professional Conduct

1.    Disclosure of Ownership

Mastro Auctions allows employees, authenticators, the Mastro Auctions corporate entity and other third party affiliates to own and consign items in Mastro Auctions’ sales. Mastro Auctions will disclose in its catalogs which items are owned by any of the aforementioned parties. PLEASE NOTE: The definition of ownership extends to spouses and immediate family members associated with the aforementioned groups.  

2.    Mastro Auctions Employee Bidding Rules

Certain Mastro Auctions employees are also collectors, and, similar to the practices followed by other major auction houses (e.g. Sotheby’s, Christies, etc.) are permitted to bid in Mastro Auctions sales. The following restrictions have been placed on the bidding practices of employee(s) to ensure fairness for all auction participants: ·        Mastro Auctions employees do not have access to ceiling or “top-all” bids. One designated administrative employee will have access to this information for the sole purpose of responding to bidding questions or for correcting bid errors. That designated individual will not be allowed to bid in the auction. ·        Mastro Auctions employees, the Mastro Auctions corporate entity, and all third party affiliates (authenticators, service providers, etc.) are considered related parties. These related parties are prohibited from bidding on each other’s consigned items. PLEASE NOTE: The definition of the Mastro Auctions “related parties” extends to family members.

3.    Disclosure of Restoration

If Mastro Auctions believes or has knowledge that an item has been altered in any way, this information will be fully disclosed in the auction catalog. Occasionally, we will have items restored in order to improve their presentation quality. In these cases, the extent and nature of any restoration will be fully disclosed. Under no circumstances will we have restoration work done on trading cards.  

4.    Trading Card Guidelines

Mastro Auctions prohibits its employees from altering trading cards. Our policy on altering trading cards is in strict compliance with standards set by all major grading companies.

5.    Use of Third Party Authenticators

Mastro Auctions is a company of experts. In almost all of the collecting genres handled by the company, there is an employee on staff who specializes in that area. As a result, before an item ever reaches a third party authenticator, it must first pass our scrutiny.  Once an item that requires third party authentication has been accepted by Mastro Auctions, the following process will be employed: for each auction, the catalog will identify approved third party authenticating sources by category. We will not sell an item unless it has been authenticated by one of the listed third party authenticators.   

6.    Bidding Records

Effective for auctions held in 2007, all Mastro Auctions bidding records are maintained into perpetuity. These records are considered private and confidential. In order to maintain the privacy of our customers’ information, these records will not be voluntarily shared with any third parties.
    
     

This e-mail was sent from an information only e-mail address and cannot receive incoming messages. Please send e-mail to CustomerService@mastroauctions.com.


As a little Friday treat I am going to post one of my favorite Youtube.com videos... These guys are opening packs that I am sure most of you are familiar with... I cracked up when I saw this video because it looked like these guys were opening up the packs on their lunch break. I guess it brought back some memories. CLICK HERE TO SEE JOE'S VIDEO