Question/Concern Buddy Hall Autograph

[Jeff]

Ok, I just bought a Signed Buddy Hall 9 ball on ebay

I am (was) sure it was real because it comes with a Certificate Of Authenticity from the Glass City Open.

So I'm looking on ebay and the same guy has more balls for sale and I'm looking and he is using the "SAME" pictures to sell another signed 9 ball from Buddy.

So my question is......

Which ball am I getting? Am I getting the one that is pictured or one that may and probably looks different?

I liked the one I bought because his sig is right on top of the "9" and will display nicely.

Should someone use the "same" pictures to sell different items, even though they are similar?

The one I bought

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230198984503&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=013

The other auction

http://cgi.ebay.com/BUDDY-HALL-AUTOGRAPHED-SIGNED-BILLIARD-9-BALL_W0QQitemZ230203737149QQihZ013QQ

 

[bignasty]

well.....

bring your ball and your butt to the derby and buddy will tell you if he sighned it or not!

 

[steveinflorida]

signed by Buddy Hall, picture of.

My strong opinion is that you should recieve the item pictured. If the item is not the one in the photo, it should be made very clear to all. Other wise, I think you have every right to a full refund, including s & h. I hope the signed ball you get is the same or one that is just as satisfactory to you.

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

I Think That You Got A Fair Deal

The seller, Tom Gearheart (sp) is a reputable person and I'm certain that he didn't sell you a pig in a poke...
Doug

 

[ShootingArts]

same image, two different auctions

I just skimmed both auctions but I saw no indication that this was just a representative image. He sells many signed balls according to his own statements so we are left to wonder which ball is this the image of or is it even the image of either ball. The jpg file name and byte size is an exact match for both images.

My opinion is that if you are not satisfied with what you receive and it fails to match this image exactly you have every right to return it for full return of all funds including shipping both ways.

The seller may be a great guy but unless he is very specific that the image isn't of the item being sold it is a sloppy business practice to use the same image over and over for something like the ball.

Hu

 

[PoolBum]

The seller, Tom Gearheart (sp) is a reputable person and I'm certain that he didn't sell you a pig in a poke...
Doug

The auction is definitely legit, but you probably won't get the ball in the picture.

 

[PoolBum]

My opinion is that if you are not satisfied with what you receive and it fails to match this image exactly you have every right to return it for full return of all funds including shipping both ways.

The seller may be a great guy but unless he is very specific that the image isn't of the item being sold it is a sloppy business practice to use the same image over and over for something like the ball.

Hu

FWIW, I bought a signed ball of Steve Mizerak from Tom, and the one I got wasn't the ball pictured in the auction. I had assumed it would be because the auction did not indicate otherwise, and when I talked to him he was willing to refund my money, but he no longer had the ball pictured.

My own opinion is that with autographs you really should be able to see what you are bidding on, because as a collector's item the quality of the autograph matters. I know it is a hassle for the seller, but I think the ball in the auction picture should be the one you get, and if not the auction description should make very clear that it is not.

 

[Jeff]

My own opinion is that with autographs you really should be able to see what you are bidding on, because as a collector's item the quality of the autograph matters. I know it is a hassle for the seller, but I think the ball in the auction picture should be the one you get, and if not the auction description should make very clear that it is not.

My thoughts exactly. When I saw the other auction with the same picture, I wasn't really concerned that it was fake, I was mainly concerned that the ball I would receive would not be the one pictured in the auction I won.

 

[JAM]

Ok, I just bought a Signed Buddy Hall 9 ball on ebay

I am (was) sure it was real because it comes with a Certificate Of Authenticity from the Glass City Open.

So I'm looking on ebay and the same guy has more balls for sale and I'm looking and he is using the "SAME" pictures to sell another signed 9 ball from Buddy.

So my question is......

Which ball am I getting? Am I getting the one that is pictured or one that may and probably looks different?

I liked the one I bought because his sig is right on top of the "9" and will display nicely.

Should someone use the "same" pictures to sell different items, even though they are similar?

The one I bought

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230198984503&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=013

The other auction

http://cgi.ebay.com/BUDDY-HALL-AUTOGRAPHED-SIGNED-BILLIARD-9-BALL_W0QQitemZ230203737149QQihZ013QQ

I was there when Buddy Hall signed each and every cueball at the Glass City Open in Toledo, Ohio, for Tom Gearhart. What you have there is a genuine pool collectible of a pool legend.

In fact, he paid Buddy Hall not only for signining the cueballs, but Buddy and several other players, including my horse, received other compensation at that tournament in addition to signing the cueballs. Both Buddy and Keith really appreciated this promoter paying them monies.

The staff at the GCO always did try to help the players with expenses to attend their event. As far as signing the cueballs, I am sure what you have is the real deal.

I just happened to be there when Buddy signed the cueballs, and here's a picture! One box is Keith's, and the other is Buddy's.

JAM

 

[RunoutalloverU]

Its called a stock photo.

 

[JAM]

Its called a stock photo.

I am not sure what you mean by "Its [sic] called a stock photo."

The photo is mine. I took it with my camera. I was there and witnessed Buddy Hall signing the cueballs. GEESH!

JAM

 

[punter]

I think Runout was referring to the photo of the ball on ebay that Jeff was talking about. A stock photo which shows one of the autographed balls.

 

[Pushout]

Welcome to the world of autograph collecting! If the seller has many balls signed by Buddy, he probably wanted to use just one photo, rather than an individual one for each ball. I think any major autograph dealer would use a photo of each specific ball, but the Pool world is really just beginning to get involved with autographs, such as signed cue balls and other items.
Just so you know, any major autograph dealer will guarantee the autograph for the life of the autograph. This means just what it says, as long as the autograph and the dealer are around, it's guaranteed. Certificate of authenticity is NOT a guarantee, much to the chagrin of many sports memorabilia dealers. They are way too easy to forge with an inkjet printer.
If you are going to collect autographs, {and I have, though I don't at this time} you should read up on the subject. There are many good books and internet sites available to any beginning collector.

 

[Pushout]

Just looked at the auction and the item is guaranteed for life. I think you can trust the seller, as people who know him have already said.

 

[tomgearhart]

From Tom Gearhart/Glass City Open

I've been selling autographed balls on eBay for 10-years and have 100% positive feedback. Yes, it is a hassle to shoot another picture when you have hundreds of the same item. You, to the best of my knowledge, are the only one to complain about this. I will review my policy...in this regard.

If you are not happy with the ball you have, I will refund your money or send you another....no questions asked.

Tom Gearhart

 

[bigskyjake]

I've been selling autographed balls on eBay for 10-years and have 100% positive feedback. Yes, it is a hassle to shoot another picture when you have hundreds of the same item. You, to the best of my knowledge, are the only one to complain about this. I will review my policy...in this regard.

If you are not happy with the ball you have, I will refund your money or send you another....no questions asked.

Tom Gearhart

Hey Tom you got any Brian Gregg or Scott Frost cueballs squirreled away

 

[ShootingArts]

stock photo

Tom,

If the ball is something other than a cue ball, signature placement may mean a lot to a person. It seems that you should mention that the image is a stock photo, not the actual item being sold. Probably a good policy regardless since an autographed ball is being sold as a collectable, not one of thousands of identical production items.

People would then have the option to bid knowing that they aren't getting exactly what they are looking at or request a photo of the actual ball. If you don't want to provide images of the actual ball that will lower some people's maximum bid but that is fair too since they are buying a little bit of a pig in a poke.

You obviously have a good reputation, why risk it using a practice that is usually the mark of less scrupulous operators?

Hu

I've been selling autographed balls on eBay for 10-years and have 100% positive feedback. Yes, it is a hassle to shoot another picture when you have hundreds of the same item. You, to the best of my knowledge, are the only one to complain about this. I will review my policy...in this regard.

If you are not happy with the ball you have, I will refund your money or send you another....no questions asked.

Tom Gearhart

 

[PoolBum]

Tom,

If the ball is something other than a cue ball, signature placement may mean a lot to a person.

Hu

Not just the placement of the autograph, but also the quality. Autographs are collectibles, and they are valued in part for their quality. For that reason I think the buyer should be able to see the actual autograph that he or she is buying.

 

[freddy the beard]

I sure do

Hey Tom you got any Brian Gregg or Scott Frost cueballs squirreled away

I have Brian Gregg cueballs and can probably get a Scott Frost. Cue ball in a plastic trophy case = $25 plus shipping.

the Beard

 

[tomgearhart]

Tom,

If the ball is something other than a cue ball, signature placement may mean a lot to a person. It seems that you should mention that the image is a stock photo, not the actual item being sold. Probably a good policy regardless since an autographed ball is being sold as a collectable, not one of thousands of identical production items.

People would then have the option to bid knowing that they aren't getting exactly what they are looking at or request a photo of the actual ball. If you don't want to provide images of the actual ball that will lower some people's maximum bid but that is fair too since they are buying a little bit of a pig in a poke.

You obviously have a good reputation, why risk it using a practice that is usually the mark of less scrupulous operators?

Hu

Thanks to all for their input. I will take your suggestions to heart and make some changes to the way I put up auctions. Either I'll shoot individual pics and/or put language to that effect into the descriptions and overlay "stock photo" on the pics. Unless you've sold multiple items on eBay you don't know the hassle, not to mention the time, to reshoot pictures on 10 to 20 auctions. If this was all I had to do in a weeks time, it would pose no time constraints.

I only do this with current pro players....those I have several hundred items of each of. Deceased player autographs, along with not so well known players, get individually shot. One poster said something about "quality" of the signatures. I grade signatures on a scale of 1 to 10. All my balls I post without a mention of the signature grades are, in my opinion, a 10. If the people who win my auctions don't agree, then I'll replace them or refund their money. (I've had to do this twice out of 789 transactions in 10-years).

Anyone not happy, for any reason, can just email me and I'll shoot a few pictures of balls and let them choose a replacement.


To Big Sky Jake: I sold my last Scott Frost ball 3-months ago and don't have any Brian Gregg...sigh. However, the Beard says he has them, and at a great price, too.

To JAM and Smorgie: Thanks for the kind words and I hope you both (plus Keith) are doing well.

I hope everyone at the Derby (the first one I've ever missed) is having fun and happy New Year to all...

Tom Gearhart