Just Uncovered: Two More Altered 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Cards from Gary Moser/PWCC

[superdan49]

As most folks reading Blowout Forums are well aware, the trimmed/altered card scandal has rocked the hobby in the past few weeks. Members of Blowout have uncovered a huge trove of altered cards, beginning with modern and leading into vintage cards.

The uncovering of trimmed vintage cards began with a post from member astrotrevor, who had privately tried to purchase a raw 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle, of which he posted photos. The ungraded Mantle astrotrevor unsuccessfully tried to buy was identified by him as the same as a PSA 4.5 graded example being offered in a PWCC auction. This fact was confirmed the analysis of paper fibers and print marks unique to the Mantle card.

Subsequently, other Blowout members began searching for cards with PSA serial numbers in close proximity to that Mantle, under the thinking that if the Mantle was altered, there were possible other cards in that order which were altered. And there were. After a few finds the floodgates opened, and members were finding before and after photos of dozens of vintage cards, mostly certified by PSA, and virtually all brokered through PWCC, the Lake Oswego, Oregon-based auction house, which uses the eBay platform to sell trading cards.

Soon, veteran hobby members from the Net54 message board began helping the cause, and through examination of eBay feedback it was determined that Long Island-based dealer Gary Moser was the source of these altered cards. Moser would purchase a card, many times from PWCC, with the intent of altering it, which is a forbidden practice in the hobby and greatly devalues cards if known about. He or a surrogate would then submit the altered cards to PSA for grading. PSA, whose mission it is to certify and authenticate trading cards and grade them a 1-10 scale based on their physical condition, failed to catch Moser's alterations, and thus encapsulated them and vouched for them being authentic and unaltered.

Next, Moser would consign the PSA-graded cards to PWCC, who would sell them without disclosing the fact that they had been trimmed, recolored, chemically soaked and brightened, and/or had wrinkles pressed out. An article in a hobby news site also found Moser had placed shill bids using his whitman111 eBay account, which he has subsequently made private and changed the username to ricky-leo.

Furthermore, many of these Moser cards would be given a special sticker denoting it had excellent "eye appeal" for its awarded PSA grade. This decision was made by PWCC CEO Brent Huigens, who personally inspected each of the cards, allegedly in a blind process. However, Blowout member 3124508 on COMC (commonly referred to as 312), found evidence that the eBay account pwcc_auctions (prior to 2/27/2015 known as prewarcardcollector) had purchased cards which were then trimmed, graded, and resold through PWCC auctions. This is a huge development, as it destroys any claims of deniability that PWCC did not know what Moser was doing. In fact, the implication here is that PWCC worked hand in glove with Moser to profit off of altered trading cards, all the while deceiving their clients.

In any event, the two Mickey Mantle cards presented here are just further evidence of the fraud that has been foist upon the hobby:


PSA Cert #:28639878

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle BVG 2.5 to PSA 2.5

Sold on 8/10/2017 as a BVG 2.5 by PWCC to whitman111 (Gary Moser) for $13,523.23
Consigned to PWCC and sold on 4/11/2018 as a PSA 2.5 for $15,488.00
Value gain of $1,964.77!


This Mantle was cracked out of its BVG 2.5 case by Moser and then chemically soaked to remove some staining on the back. Most troubling is the fact that Moser attempted to reshape the upper left corner of this card. The third image proves this fact.

The purple circles show common print flaws. The green squares highlight the reconstructed corner. Please note: There is also an errant print dot on Mantle's nose found on both cards, confirming the match. I didn't circle it for aesthetic reasons.


BVG 2.5: https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/items/1527229
PSA 2.5: https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/items/1638761






-----------------------------------------------------------------

BVG Cert #:0010618069

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle BVG Authetic-Altered to BVG 4.5

Sold on 7/9/2017 as a BVG Authentic-Altered by PWCC to whitman111 (Gary Moser) for $7,877.00
Consigned to PWCC and sold on 8/13/2018 as a BVG 4.5 for $20,199.00
Value gain of $12,322.00!


This Mantle was found to be altered when first authenticated by Beckett Vintage Grading (BVG). After it was purchased with the whitman111 eBay account and sent to Gary Moser, its heavy staining was chemically removed. Look at the color difference in flesh tones between the before and after photos. It appears Moser's chemical wash process has the effect of causing color fading in the card. Most troublesome of all for the owner of the BVG 4.5 Mantle is the fact that, unlike PSA and SGC, Beckett does not guarantee their grades. The only likely remedy for this victimized collector is through civil and/or criminal courts.

The purple circles show common print flaws and areas of wear.


BVG Authentic-Altered: https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/items/1513493
BVG 4.5: https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/items/1720807

[dizzydolse]

Unbelievable, these guys. They are surely going down though. Great work as always! Profit gain for second card would be $12,322 though?

[mattglet]

This is why we can't have nice things.

Well done Dan, thanks again.

[superdan49]

I fixed the math, thanks dizzydolse.

Just to have it in this thread, this is the third 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle we've found to be altered by Moser and sold through PWCC. Corndog previously nabbed this one here:

Originally Posted by corndog

PSA Cert #26223944


1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311

Value gain of $5,567.00

This card was sold by PWCC to whitman111 (Gary Moser) as a PSA-1 on August 01, 2016 for $9,233.00. PWCC Marketplace link: https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/items/1319134
Same card was sold by PWCC as a PSA-1.5 for $14,800.00 on November 22, 2016. PWCC Marketplace link: https://www.pwccmarketplace.com/items/1379679

Yellow circles are fiber or print mark identifiers.
Red circles show glue residue before and after. The circles at the top right and right are creases that were smoothed out.

[rainmaker]

i cant stand seeing the 52 mantles and tobacco and other old treasures that are now forever ruined. thanks for your efforts. with each passing day i fear the worst more and more for mid/high grade vintage market.

[ThoseBackPages]

sad indeed

[marlinsmaniac20]

Invest in vintage they said...

[Hdpooh34]

Vintage and PSA is dead now unfortunately

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by Hdpooh34

Sports cards are dead now unfortunately

fixed

[pspa123]

Originally Posted by Hdpooh34

Vintage and PSA is dead now unfortunately

Not at all, unfortunately. Check out current auctions.

[superdan49]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

i cant stand seeing the 52 mantles and tobacco and other old treasures that are now forever ruined. thanks for your efforts. with each passing day i fear the worst more and more for mid/high grade vintage market.

To me, that is what hurts the most. The desecration of these artifacts from our history. Especially when it's a '52 Mantle.

[Hdpooh34]

It will be very tough for anyone to fork over a significant amount of money for anything vintage or PSA anymore. Too many questions marks

[pcptrade]

Originally Posted by pspa123

Not at all, unfortunately. Check out current auctions.

Some collectors do not even know that BO exists. Once the news of fraud and investigation spreads more, we should see its effects on PWCC auctions.

[pspa123]

Originally Posted by superdan49

To me, that is what hurts the most. The desecration of these artifacts from our history. Especially when it's a '52 Mantle.

To me what hurts the most is the destruction of what should be an enjoyable hobby, or even investment, by rampant and shameless fraud and fraudsters and their enablers.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by Hdpooh34

It will be very tough for anyone to fork over a significant amount of money for anything vintage or PSA anymore. Too many questions marks

and BVG

[pspa123]

Originally Posted by pcptrade

Some collectors do not even know that BO exists. Once the news of fraud and investigation spreads more, we should see its effects on PWCC auctions.

I hope you are right. I fear you are wrong.

[tier1dc]

Excellent post.

[ThoseBackPages]

he sure is

[pspa123]

Dan fyi the missing pixel you circled is common to all variation B 52T Mantles and not a unique identifier.

[mrdallas]

Thanks again Dan. Simple to follow and anyone who can read should be able to piece together the corruption between Moser and PWCC.

[jefflasvegas]

PWCC currently has three Mantle PSA's for auction. Has anyone looked into these three to see if they have been altered?
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...c&LH_Auction=1

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by jefflasvegas

PWCC currently has three Mantle PSA's for auction. Has anyone looked into these three to see if they have been altered?
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...c&LH_Auction=1

no reason to believe they are not altered

[sethc1020]

Disgusting!

[superdan49]

Originally Posted by pspa123

Dan fyi the missing pixel you circled is common to all variation B 52T Mantles and not a unique identifier.

Got it, in the upper left quadrant. I'm 100% they are still the same cards.

[pspa123]

Originally Posted by superdan49

Got it, in the upper left quadrant. I'm 100% they are still the same cards.

Yes, they may well be, just pointing it out for accuracy. All the ones with the missing bottom border in the Yankees box are missing that pixel. It's one of the ways to tell a fake from a real one.