I recently noticed an inconsistency on a game used bat description in the current American Memoriabilia auction. Although I have serious concerns about bidding on items in many of the auctions in general and American Memoriabilia in particular, I thought I would at least do some homework and give the auction house a chance to respond. After waiting several days for response to my email, no response came.
It occurred to me that auction houses have become lazy about verifying even basic information on the items in their auction. They fully expect the buyer to conduct due diligence on the item offered. And I concur that we should be educated buyers. But the auction houses have a responsibility to get basic information correct. As long as we as collectors buy from the auction houses, they will never take their responsiblity seriously.

This is not an exclusive problem with aucton houses.

I recently had an experience with a national dealer/expert who offered to sell me a bat manufactured almost 2 years before the player was drafted in pro baseball. I confronted him about the issue and he ignored my request for an explanation.

It seems the best way to handle most of these situations is for all of us to go back to the way we all started, trading and buying from fellow collectors. Open up our own market place and forget the auction houses and experts.

Just one collector opinion.