Think sports autograph fraud is only a North American problem? Think again.
Prosecutors in the UK say they’ve arrested 46-year-old David Rennie, charging him with running a phony autograph scheme that lasted nine years and defrauded 4,500 people to the tune of over $1 million U.S.
Law enforcement agencies say Rennie and his estranged wife would buy replica jerseys and while claiming they had a network of suppliers staking out some of soccer’s biggest names, were actually selling forgeries they created.
He used some of the proceeds to take expensive vacations to the United States, according to stories like this one that have been prevalent in Great Britain.
Beehive hockey cards were a mainstay in Canada for more than 30 years. The promotion ended in 1967 but the memory lives on in the area where they were made.
St. Lawrence Starch of Port Credit, Ontario offered the 5×7 issue through proofs of purchase for its products, which included Bee Hive Golden Corn Syrup, Durham Corn Starch, Ivory Laundry Starch and St. Lawrence Corn Oil.
Now, the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) in Mississauga is showing some of the cards in the sets through in its Moving Forward museum exhibit.
The black and white photos of NHL players were mounted on colored mats. A collector donated cards and even a promotional flyer from the early 1960s, giving the museum a chance to show off the longest-running mail-in sports collectible promotions the hobby may have ever seen.
Collector Brian Hayes recently opened a box of 1997 Leaf football and had that moment anyone who has ever opened an old box has probably had at one time of another.
Pulled this amazing redemption card for a Len Dawson auto out of a box of 1997 Leaf football. Offer expired 6/30/98 pic.twitter.com/zBWTwLQHY4
— Brian Hayes (@linguaspcards) January 13, 2017
Normally, he’d be out of luck but he decided to write Panini, which purchased Donruss several years later. A customer service representative took a look in the company’s files and lo and behold…
We actually have one left in stock. DM me your address and I will send it to you.
— PaniniCSM (@PaniniCSM) January 10, 2018
On Saturday, Hayes got the card in the mail.
Here is the photo. pic.twitter.com/C02sGCbDNM
— Brian Hayes (@linguaspcards) January 14, 2018
The redemption had expired in 1998 but sometimes it’s worth a shot.
Prices for key Tom Brady rookie cards continue unabated. A PSA 10 example recently sold for a six-figure price. Now, a 9 is on eBay with a current high bid of $30,000. Two weeks ago, an 8.5 went for $22,995.
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Absolutely Guaranteed to be 100 Percent Fake
