UPDATE: 1460 interview with Powerbuyer23

Today I received an update from Powerbuyer23 through email. This is regards to the previous interview I did with him, found here.

Again, this was sent to me via email and is unfiltered. I have asked him a few more questions, via Hychang5 from Hobby Kings. I hope to post his response once if he decides to answer the questions and email me back.
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hi, sorry to bother you again , i want to add something , can you help me to edit ? thank you .

Q: What is your relationship to joe parenti? he goes by the ebay userID: jeterman2, crystalballer32, dropsofjupiterrr.

hi , my location is taiwan . he help me send cards to bgs or psa company to grade before 3 years ago and help me to receive items in usa . i think this is the reason why most people misunderstand and consider i am joe .

as you know , many usa sellers do not ship outside usa or charge expensive shipping cost if i ask them send to taiwan directly . to save my cost , i need some people help me to receive items in usa .

he help me receive thousands of dollars my winning items in usa each month and also help me to check quality , if cards with any problems , he also inform me but still send to me and let me make final decision . i do not understand what happen between joe with original seller . but at least , he do not rip off my money or cards till now .

regarding your mentioned three account . i know jeterman2 is his account since i contact him . i am not sure the remaining 2 accounts are joe’s account or not , i hope you can undersatnd .

UPDATE: here are a few questions, posed by Hychang.
Q: Do you know anything about the Blake Griffin Next Day Auto situation?
A: sorry , i do not know anything about the blake griffin next day auto situtation , you note my auctions for a long time and you can find my major selling items are jordan or kobe inserts .

Q: If you were not involved with the Blake, do you realize some people may have blocked your ebay id because they do not want to ship to Joe.
A: if some people really block my ebay id because they do not want to ship to joe . i will try to explain when i bid or ask them send to my uncle’s address in usa .

Q: If you were involved and the cards were bought for you, why did you return the cards even though there is no question they are real? PSA is not the guarantor of the autograph, Panini is.
A: sorry , i have not meet this condition . because all my auto graded card are bgs graded cards with auto 10 scoring .
in my past experience , if my winning items with problems when i get , i will contact seller and let them know this condition , if seller want to resolve and agree to return , to protect both , i will contact seller and tell him i will still file on paypal , but i will resend by express and cover express shipping cost by myself . the most important , i will offer express tracking number via ebay and paypal system , thus seller can be confidence and check status on paypal .
after i receive refund payment , i will ask seller send metual message via ebay system and help seller return his ebay final fee and still leave positive feedback .
if seller do not want to resolve it , i still list item on ebay , but i will write what problems about this cards in detail . maybe damages , bent , creases or other bad condition .
i realize it will cause me lost money , but if i want to sell and live on ebay continually , i can not tell lies . especially i am international seller . if buyers can not trust me , i can not sell my items in good price .
of course , if buyer really do not satisfy his winning item , although i note i do not accept return items on ebay listing , but in fact , i always let buyer return item even cover his shipping cost to taiwan . i refund full payment to buyer when i receive return items . i do my best to let all buyers satisfy when they purchase my items .
if you have other question , please do not hesitate to contact me . thank you in advance and with best regards

1460: Interview with ebay buyer/seller Powerbuyer23

This third interview sprang up unexpectedly.
It came about from this thread I have on Freedom Card Board. I had incorrectly identified ebay buyer Jeterman2 with Powerbuyer23, regarding a questionable deal on ebay that was brought up on Hobby Kings. For that, I apologize to Powerbuyer23. I have since corrected my post.

I then sent an email to ebay buyer/seller Powerbuyer23 regarding some questions I had for him. Here are his responses, unfiltered. He is from Taiwan, so although the grammar is slightly off, the message is understandable.
UPDATE: I have Powerbuyer23’s first and last name (at least that which showed up on my wordpress, when he contacted me) and it is NOT Joe. I will not disclose that information at this time. Anyone is welcome to email Powerbuyer through the “ask seller a question” link on ebay, as I did.

Q: What is your relationship to joe parenti? He goes by the ebay userID: jeterman2, crystalballer32, dropsofjupiterrr.
A: hi , my location is in taiwan . he help me to send cards to bgs or psa company to grade and also help me to receive some my winning items in usa . this is the reason why you misunderstand and think i am joe.
as you know , many usa sellers do not ship outside usa or charge expensive shipping cost if i ask them send to taiwan directly . to save my cost , i need some people help me to receive items .
i do not know what happen between you and joe . so i am not sure are these accounts all joe’s account , i hope you can understand

Q: Have you ever shilled your auctions?
Q: What do you have to say to the collectors who believe you shill your auctions?
Q: many of your auctions (especially jordan cards) tend to end at prices higher than most other sellers. how do you believe this is happening?

please be aware that i plan on posting your answers on my blog. thank you
A: this is not first time that some body say i am shilling bidding and even some sellers report ebay . but if i really shill bidding , ebay already close my account and i can not sell items till now .
you can check my listing items . i use special methods ( small pictures ) to list my selling items on ebay and anyone who interest my auctions and link these pictures directly . you have not seen the same listing method from other seller . it really attract many bidder’s eyes

beside these small pictures , each picture of my selling item are all very clear , if item with any probelm , i will note in item description .
there are many the same cards on ebay . how to catch bidders eyes and customers satisfation are very important . i charge very reasonable shipping cost from taiwan to worldwide and pack strongly and safely when i send card and offer tracking number via ebay system after i sent . i do my best to maintain top-rating seller . you can check my feedback from winners and email to them have they really won these items and how about my service after them paid .
i spent a long of time on ebay to find cards , i also collect jordan inserts . not only a top-rating seller , i am also a buyer . you can see my feedback from sellers .
when my selling price are higher than other sellers , many taiwan super collectors prefer to consign their great items to me . this is why i have a lot of different great cards to sell . if you have more and more great items to sell . more and more bidders will interest your auctions .
if you have any question , please do not hesitate to contact me . i know some sellers are jealous and spread rumors . please also help me to explain .
thank you in advance and with best regards .

1460: an interview with John (slobbythegreat)

Welcome to the second installment of 1460, where we interview collectors and people in the hobby. In this post, we meet one of the most well known Scottie Pippen collectors, John, aka Slobbythegreat. His photobucket, which features refractors, autographs and jersey/patch cards can be found here. To contact John, you are welcome to email him at Slobbythegreat@hotmail.com

Q: Why do you collect Scottie Pippen?
A: I first came across pippen when he was playing for the USA at the 92 Olympics. My lucky number has always been 8 and I saw a guy hit a running jumper wearing number 8 and thought it was pretty cool. It was Pippen so he became my favourite player. I didn’t know he played for the Bulls as the NBA didn’t get much coverage in Australia at the time. My basketball cards got stolen at school so I decided instead of collecting multiple sets I’d just collect one player and Pippen was it.

Q: How long have you been collecting him?
A: I started collecting him in 1995. I had to stop around 1998 when the cards shops here in Australia closed up due to the decline in the hobby. I came across ebay in 2003 and haven’t looked back since!!

Q: What differences have you noticed in your collecting habits, since his retirement?
A: I still go hard on things I need and I still get emails from around the world from people offering me cards which is greatly appreciated. However since Panini signed him ive found that there are an abundance of cards that don’t really do much for me. Parallels etc. I like what Panini are doing I just wish they didn’t do it in EVERY product. I really do believe Panini are good for our Hobby but they need to ditch the same old routines (lots of logomen, stupid 1/1’s that are exactly the same as a base, and the incredible amount of parallels)

Q: What card is currently atop your wantlist?
A: Currently it’s a 97-98 PMG Red. If anyone out there has one, please send it to its rightful home!!!

Q: Any stories of obtaining a certain card after waiting/not seeing the card for a long time?

A: I have 2. I managed to get an 04/05 Extra Exquisite Jersey. Then I got the 04/05 Extra Exquisite Auto Jersey #d 2/5 so all I needed was the dual numbered to 10 to complete the trilogy. I couldn’t find it anywhere but eventually found it in Japan on rnb21. The trilogy chase took me all over the world. The game used from the USA, the auto from Germany and the dual from Japan!

The 2nd one is about the ever elusive holy grail…the 97-98 PMG Green. I knew a guy on HK who had one and had spoken to him about it about 8 months earlier. Then at Christmas 2010 he said he may be looking to move it. He contacted me in January and said he wanted it to go to its rightful home. He let me save the money and BOOM! Here it is!!! BGS 8 PMG GREEN baby!!!!

Q: What are some collecting goals you have for 2011, as far as pippen goes?
A: I need to a get a PMG RED. Thats what im hunting. I need it to have them both! Somebody’s got to have one I can have!!!!

Q: Can you share any deals where you got a really good deal on a card?

A: I got a great deal on 2009-10 National Treasures 1/1 Auto. A guy here in australia pulled it from a case when he went to the Nationals. He turned down ALL offers whilst over there just so he could send it to its rightful home. He did me a great deal as he wasn’t looking to flip it. Great guy and one of the greatest collections of Jermaine O’Neal you will ever see! Thanks Garth!

Q: How do you feel about the competition on ebay between you and other pippen collectors?
A: I hate it. Especially since he retired there are fools out there who don’t know what they’re doing. You see it with the fake auto patches that come up. I wont be lured into a bidding war with any newbies or set collectors who want to bump up the price because he retired. Ill own the card eventually so no point in going to war on it….anyway, if I did go to war with you over a pippen, you wont win!!!

Q: What card are you most proud to own? (or top 3)

A: 97-98 PMG Green #4/100, 2004-05 Extra Exquisite Auto #2/5, 2005-06 Sweet Shot Wood Auto #33/35

Q: Can you share the story how you acquired them?
A: I told the story of the PMG previously however with the Extra Exquisite Auto. A German Pippen collector was selling his cards and asked if I wanted first crack. I knew he had it and it was the first one I took! The sweet shot wood was my first jersey numbered pippen. I had to negotiate quite a bit with a seller in the states to acquire it. It was on ebay for weeks with a very high BIN. We eventually came to a pretty good deal!

Q: How do you feel about the new Panini cards of Pippen?
A: I think there are way too many parallels. I like the general idea of breaking up his autos and cards in to blazers and bulls but not sure why they haven’t don’t rockets stuff yet. Im pretty impressed with their designs though. They’re doing a pretty good job considering UD and Topps and Fleer decided to ruin it.

Q: How many total Pippen cards do you have?
A: breakdown:
base: HEAPS!
insert: 950+
numbered inserts: too many to list
autographs: 71
memorabilia: 195
1/1: 28 (including plates)
Jersey numbered: 16

Q: If you just started collecting today, what active player would you collect?

A: James Harden. Im a big fan of him, so too Russell Westbrook and Blake Griffen. Not really a fan of superstars when they first come into the league but like guys who work hard and become great and a superstar…..Griffen was already there, Westbrook is on his way and I think Harden will be huge one day.

Bonus questions, via Henry, aka Hychang5 from Hobby Kings:
Q: What’s the rarest card you own that’s not a 1/1? For example: I have a card /100 that I think is rarer than those /25, not necessarily lowest numbered because it doesn’t always mean it’s rarer.

A: This would have to be the 2004-05 UD Immaculate Glossy. Only seen one of pippen on ebay since 2003!

Q: What is your favorite card?

A: Gotta be the PMG Green!!!!

Q: What is your dream card?
A: It was the PMG Green but I now own it. I really want to get my hands on a sign of the times triple auto with pippen/rodman/Jordan as well as the Exquisite titlest as well as the Exquisite Emblems of Endorsement and the Exquisite Number Pieces.

Q: What’s your dream card that’s never been made?
A: I would have liked someone to do a “6 rings” insert set with a picture of each ring on each card. Doesn’t have to be an auto but maybe a game used piece from a championship jersey.

Q: What’s the craziest thing you’ve given up to get a card? i.e. eating Spam for 2 months because you’re broke.
A: I raided my brothers old footy cards (rugby league) and some of my old cricket cards to sell to get cash for the PMG. I raided absolutely everything I could to get money for that card. I was even about to sell some old electrical appliances out of our pantry. I had to let go of some pretty rare cricket autos that I held pretty close but I was focused on the green!

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Stay tuned for our next interview with fzk from Hobby Kings, a collector of 08 Topps Chrome Reds /5! If you would like to ask him questions, please write them in the comment box and I’ll be sure to add them to the interview!

1460 upcoming interviews and more…

The latest edition to Hupe Royalty has been pretty successful, and I’m excited to hear that many collectors are as curious as me, to learn stuff about others in the hobby.

I have two people on deck – slobbythegreat and fzr, both from Hobby Kings. Slobby is Scottie Pippen collector and fzr collects 08 Topps Chrome Reds, among other things. I am still trying to figure out some questions to ask them, and if anyone would to add any questions for their interviews, please leave me a comment below this post!

1460: an interview with Stan (da_man1980)

Welcome to 1460, the first installment of interviews I plan on posting on some my favorite basketball card collectors and their stories.

The premiere interview goes out to Stan, aka da_man1980, from the HobbyKings message board,  known as one of the resident Michael Redd collectors. Recently, he unveiled his incredible collection of 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Reds that caught my eye. I wanted to get further insight on how/why he started collecting this set, and well, that’s how “1460” was born. I am hoping to get in touch with other collectors for interviews on their collections, and hopefully this will become a a staple section of Hupe Royalty.

As for the title “1460?” It was derived from “15 minutes of fame” or, put differently… 14 minutes and 60 seconds.

Q: How long have you been collecting this set?
A: I can’t remember exactly when I started this set, but it looks like the first trade I made for this set was with Tobias (Tobse) in Feb 2008. I was able to get 4 of them from him and the chase started from there.

Q: What appeals to you about the set?
A: I’ve always been a fan of 1990 inserts, and I decided that I wanted to try and complete a “higher end” set from those years. At that time, there was already talk of the PMGs being one of the most popular sets from the 90s, and I thought I’d go and try to complete that set. It wasn’t until I actually had one in hand did I truly appreciate the appeal of the card. I love how the Red background “refracts” on the card, and how there are only 90 of each card (since the first 10 are green).
I thought about trying to complete both the Red and Green sets, but I don’t have the funds for such an endeavor.

Q: Do you have a favorite card that you have acquired so far?
A: I think my favorite card from the set so far is probably the John Stockton. He’s one of the few Hall of Famer cards I have, and I have yet to see another copy. It also has very few chipping on the card, which is very common for this set.

Q: What do you feel has been the best deal you’ve got on a card?
A: I can’t remember all the deals that I got, but the best deal I can remember is that I bought the Steve Nash from my good friend Ryan Keller (keller13) a while ago for $80. Now I see the Nash consistently go for $250-$350.
My biggest regret was passing on the Kobe and Iverson PMGs from someone on the boards, who offered to sell me the Kobe for $450 and the Iverson for $300. I didn’t have the funds at that time, nor was I willing to spend that much on a card, so I passed. I now regret passing on both those cards, .

Q: How do you feel about the 08 PMGs vs the 97 PMGs?

A: This is an easy one to answer. At first, I was excited to hear that they were coming out with the new 08 PMGs. Especially since it meant that current superstars like Lebron, Durant, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose would be included. Also, my PC player, Michael Redd, was also included in the set.
It wasn’t until I received my Michael Redd PMGs did I notice that the new version of the card didn’t have the red “refractor” finish on the card. It was basically a normal insert with a red background. It was then did I realize that nothing will ever compare to the original, and I’m still surprised at how well the 08 versions are currently selling for these days.

Q: What has been the toughest obstacle in obtaining the cards?
A: Obviously the toughest obstacle for this set is the price. When I first started this set, many of the cards were semi-affordable. But now with the popularity of the set, a bunch of the higher end players are consistently going for 2-3x what I could have bought them for even just a year ago. Especially now that I have a 3-month old daughter, it’s definitely harder for me to justify spending so much.

Q: Do you plan on getting your cards graded? Would you pay more to buy graded versions?
A: I have never been a big fan of graded cards. Especially with this set, where chipping is quite common, I care less about the condition of the card and more about just being able to obtain the card. If a graded card is going to sell more than an ungraded one, I’m more than willing to wait for the next ungraded one to pop up.

Q: How common are the vertical lines (such as in the Tom Gugliotta) and other blemishes on the cards, not including chipping?

A: I think the vertical lines aren’t too common for this set, but it’s not uncommon either. I think the rate is the same as you would find on any regular Finest or Chrome Refractor. You do see it from time to time, but it’s not a prevalent issue. Obviously, I’d rather have one that didn’t have the lines, but I’m willing to live with it if it will help me get closer to finishing this set.

Q: Have you ever actually pulled any from packs?
A: Nope, I did buy a lot of cards in the mid-90s, but I think I only bought a few packs of the 97-98 Metal Universe. All the cards from the set I’ve obtained individually.

Q: Aside from jordan and kobe, what card do you think will be most difficult for you to get? (either because of price or because of rarity showing up online)
A: That’s a great question. Other than those two, I think one of the ones I will have a hard time getting is probably a Scottie Pippen. I’ve at least seen most of the other big names in the set for sale at some point, but I can’t recall if I’ve ever seen a Scottie Pippen.
Actually, let me change one of my answers. The one about the hardest one to get besides the Jordan and Kobe. I want to change answer to Tim Duncan, because it’s his rookie year, and he’s one of the best forwards ever to play the game. I’ve always admired his style of play, and besides the MJ and the Kobe, that is probably the card I wish I was able to get.

Q: How much of your collection has been acquired thru: a) ebay
b) trading online, c) card shows, d) other
A: I would say about 85-90% of the cards I’ve received I’ve gotten through e-bay. The other 10-15% I’ve gotten through these boards. There aren’t really any big card shows that I’ve been too recently, but if people know of any card shows in the Boston area, I’d love to go to a few.

Q: Contact info for other collectors to get a hold of you?
A: If anyone has any PMG that I’m missing that they’re willing to part with, they can PM me (da_man1980) or e-mail me at da_man1980@yahoo.com