MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Collecting sports memorabilia is big business
these days — but how do you know if you’re getting the real deal? Before
you buy a fake, FOX6′s Contact 6 says it’s important to know what can
happen.
Baseball is America’s popular past-time, and like most sports, baseball has generated a memorabilia business worth billions.
“I consider myself very knowledgeable about what a real one and a fake one is,” Mark Mench said.
Mench has been an autograph collector for 30 years, and is very confident he can spot a fake. However, his batting average took a hit recently.
“A Steve Prefontaine autograph you almost never see. So, he advertised for things that almost everyone would be interested in who collects what I collect,” Mench said.
The “he” Mench is referring to is Carl Myer.
“The way he fooled me is because – how he spoke. He knew dealers, he knew the business, he knew basically everything I knew about autographs and I`ve collected 30 years,” Mench said.
Based on these conversations, Mench bought several items — cards for Roberto Clemente, Steve Prefontaine and Mel Ott.
“When the autographs came, I did recognize them as fake immediately and I tried to return them. I attempted to contact him. He actually threatened my life if I came near him and basically I was left holding the bag,” Mench said.
“Several sports collectors filed a mail fraud complaint with USPIS claiming they bought forged autographs,” U.S. Postal Inspector Ryan Amstone said.
Mench was one of 56 victims who paid Myer more than $74,000 for items.
“A lot of the victims submitted those autographs to professional sports authenticators who confirmed they were in fact forgeries,” Amstone said.
Postal inspectors say when Mench filed a complaint, they already had a file started on Myer.
“Using the mail was his undoing,” Mench said.
Myer was prosecuted in federal court on mail fraud charges and is serving a two-year prison sentence now.
“I`m glad he paid a price because I`m sure he fooled more people besides me. I feel like I`m a person who would be hard to fool. It`s the first time in 30 years I've been fooled,” Mench said.
Myer was also ordered to pay more than $65,000 back.
Order your copy of Autograph Hell and join me as I explore a mind-boggling world of autographs that aren't what they seem, run by people who aren't what they claim. This book provides both an enlightening and disturbing expose' of the rampant treachery in the world of autograph collecting. Before you buy one more autograph you must read this book!
To order my book Autograph Hell, please click HERE
For more information about my Summit Murder Mystery series, please CLICK HERE
Order my newest book Murder on Kilimanjaro by clicking HERE
Follow me on twitter, HERE
'Like' my Facebook page, HERE
Subscribe to my YouTube channel, HERE and HERE
article source: fox6now.com
“I consider myself very knowledgeable about what a real one and a fake one is,” Mark Mench said.
Mench has been an autograph collector for 30 years, and is very confident he can spot a fake. However, his batting average took a hit recently.
“A Steve Prefontaine autograph you almost never see. So, he advertised for things that almost everyone would be interested in who collects what I collect,” Mench said.
The “he” Mench is referring to is Carl Myer.
“The way he fooled me is because – how he spoke. He knew dealers, he knew the business, he knew basically everything I knew about autographs and I`ve collected 30 years,” Mench said.
Based on these conversations, Mench bought several items — cards for Roberto Clemente, Steve Prefontaine and Mel Ott.
“When the autographs came, I did recognize them as fake immediately and I tried to return them. I attempted to contact him. He actually threatened my life if I came near him and basically I was left holding the bag,” Mench said.
“Several sports collectors filed a mail fraud complaint with USPIS claiming they bought forged autographs,” U.S. Postal Inspector Ryan Amstone said.
Mench was one of 56 victims who paid Myer more than $74,000 for items.
“A lot of the victims submitted those autographs to professional sports authenticators who confirmed they were in fact forgeries,” Amstone said.
Postal inspectors say when Mench filed a complaint, they already had a file started on Myer.
“Using the mail was his undoing,” Mench said.
Myer was prosecuted in federal court on mail fraud charges and is serving a two-year prison sentence now.
“I`m glad he paid a price because I`m sure he fooled more people besides me. I feel like I`m a person who would be hard to fool. It`s the first time in 30 years I've been fooled,” Mench said.
Myer was also ordered to pay more than $65,000 back.
Order your copy of Autograph Hell and join me as I explore a mind-boggling world of autographs that aren't what they seem, run by people who aren't what they claim. This book provides both an enlightening and disturbing expose' of the rampant treachery in the world of autograph collecting. Before you buy one more autograph you must read this book!
To order my book Autograph Hell, please click HERE
For more information about my Summit Murder Mystery series, please CLICK HERE
Order my newest book Murder on Kilimanjaro by clicking HERE
Follow me on twitter, HERE
'Like' my Facebook page, HERE
Subscribe to my YouTube channel, HERE and HERE
article source: fox6now.com
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