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PinPics Grading Service is Live

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markheardjr said:
Well, Pixie kind of put on her China hat. She says unbiased but then kind of skews it. I can appreciate her, um, dedication to her opinion, but it was not "unbiased" Switzerland.

I'll try to post a synopsis of rumors and happenings, in a neutral way. But as rumors are usually negative, that's how they may come across, FYI.

Rumors, and actual happenings, with the new owners of PinPics, aka LANSAM, have been on going since they bought PinPics like 18 months ago. Someone who actually cares can put the exact date if they know it.

Things like, wanting pay for an already free service. (While a valid business enterprise, frowned upon by the masses.) Taking away features and information and reserving it for paying customers eventhough the data was free before and was submitted under the pretense it was for public use. Not allowing "groups" on the new site. Requiring you to log onto PinPics to see new Trade Requests (drives traffic to site which makes their site and it's advertising more valuable, exploitation 101.) Removing scrapper warnings on pinpics descriptions. Removing names of pin submitters on Pinpics, some say so it looks less like a public submission and more like PinPics owns the data. Banning accounts for disagreeing with them openly. Sending emails meant to be private that were not flattering and you wouldn't want your mommy reading. Making misleading statements like "Exclusive" pin sales when in fact it was an item open for sale to the public for a while. Trying to prove grading makes sense and instantly makes your pins super valuable. Calling it PinPics Grading Service when in fact they are a middle man and it's really Tomarts. And Questionably selling them at high values in a Hakes auction, where everyone knows the buyer and seller don't know who is who and therefore proof could never be supplied to actually paid that amount.

I will not get into the rumors of one of the actual persons who owns part of PinPics. But there are more rumors, probably on ALOT shakier basis than the above I dare not speak of here.

In general, people don't care for change, especially of a tried and true systemt that works. And usually asking for money for something that has been free all along is not going to win you any fans.
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THIS...times 1000.
 
And now you will hear the rest of the story........ Paul Harvey :wavey: :anxious::anxious::anxious: :wavey:
 
I find it disturbing that Tomarts is a supposed expert on pins yet they have the Tangled Marquee as a B or B+ in their book. Um? The last edition was published in May of 2012. Tangled was around $250 at that time and was over $150 before the end of 2011. There are many triple digit pins in that book that are listed below B+. Which makes no sense to me.
 
Molly said:
That is like me writing a book about spit, I have a lifetime of experience with it after all, self publishing it and then holding myself out as an author or better yet a spit expert.....come on.
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And that nearly made me place a mouthful of it on my monitor... :) I love that whole sentence... :lol:

Molly said:
I stick by my original belief that this "service" will fail miserably. I only hope that people that are actually considering using it look into what exactly qualifies these people to seal up your pins in plastic boxes and charge you an obscene amount of money for doing so.
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One advantage might be to help identify the 'pin sharks' and profiteers. These are the types of people that will flock to this grading scheme and then try to double/triple their prices as they've now been branded priceless works of art. Anyone selling encapsulated pins is just in it for the money. Buy your pins from true pin hobbyists, not the people just trying to make a buck.
 
I guess Hakes doesn't allow second chance offers..so there must be multiples of those pins..right? They cannot be the same pins..with the same grading score!? Nah...coincidence...
 
TiggerNut said:
I guess Hakes doesn't allow second chance offers..so there must be multiples of those pins..right? They cannot be the same pins..with the same grading score!? Nah...coincidence...
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Sorry but I don't understand. What exactly are you saying? Do you think they are the same pins being sold in both auctions?
 
disneykins said:
Sorry but I don't understand. What exactly are you saying? Do you think they are the same pins being sold in both auctions?
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If you look at Hakes Auction #209 and look at the pictures provided for those auctions (#2150, #2138,#2154, #2134 and #2136), you will see some sort of identification number on the encapsulated pin, along with the grade. If you look at the Ebay auctions for the encapsulated pins and compare the numbers, they are the same pins.

So what does that mean? That's the speculation. However, we were told at the time of the Hakes auction, that there were elements of the greater Disneyana collecting community that were eager to get into high end pins, if there was just some way they could know for sure that the pins were authentic, and protected. And the entry of these types of collectors into the market would mean that some highly desirable and rare pins would be snatched up, never to be seen again as they went into the hands of real collectors. However, in the case of these 5 pins, they were obviously not destined for someone's personal collection, removed from the pool of "accessible" pins. It appears to be, at best, someone dabbling in the speculative market (but what a price they paid for the privilege). The worst case scenario is some sort of collusion and intentional market manipulation. (Note, I am not saying that is what is happening, just that if it were happening, it would be worst case scenario)
 
FYI: the person selling the graded pins on ebay is not affiliated with Lansom in any way that I know of. :) So lets just table that sort of speculative rumor unless someone can prove something shady... shall we?
 
well its nice to know they are not behind one of the many shady things going on as of late. Not sure that helps there case. ( so many other things still look bad.) but as I said in the past. time will tell. Judging by what people say around here, it wont be long before most of us don't use PP anymore anyways. So best of luck to them. They are the ones that did everything the shady way. now they can try to save face, but I bet its to little to late. they dug the hole, now hey can la in it.....
 
Can you understand why someone would think, "Someone apparently paid over $7000 for 5 pins in July (the price paid, and the date sold, is online for everyone to see) and then is now selling them in December, that seems weird."

I don't have a clue what is going on, but that in itself, just seems weird. If you have that much money available for just "speculation," it just seems like there are other ways to do something like that. Like day trading in the stock market. Flipping DSF pins that just came out...that I understand. Speculating with even some $40 or $50 pins, especially if you picked them up at a good deal, I understand that. Is this something just new that comes along with graded pins...people paying a premium for pins to then "flip" them?

Everyday, we make evaluations when we determine which Ebay auctions we want to bid on, which trades we want to enter. Weigh everything we know about a seller's location, the other types of pins they sell to try and suss out which sellers/traders are dealing in authentic pins, which people are scammy, which people have friends shill bidding, etc. And in 99% of circumstances, other traders would say that "doing your due diligence" to make sure everything is on the up and up is wise. Even if proof is in short supply, and we're mostly working with "gut feelings."
 
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Psycho Pixie said:
FYI: the person selling the graded pins on ebay is not affiliated with Lansam in any way that I know of. :) So lets just table that sort of speculative rumor unless someone can prove something shady... shall we?
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Is that actual knowledge or presumption!? If they had their pins made into paperweights..they are involved with Lansam..even if it is an arms-length transaction. While it may be their choice..sounds and smells like drinking the kool-aid to me.

As an aside and to refresh the history of why LANSAM is evil....

1) Removed the SKU Numbers of various pins at the SAME TIME the fakes were popping up on Ebay;
2) Lenny, the L of LANSAM was convicted of grand theft (in Orange County, CA) Public record; and has/had numerous suits against him for fraud;
3) The An & Sam - Anthony & Samatha were paraded about in the beginning as the owners of Pinpics, when in fact they were puppets who knew very little about pins; and were covering up the true owner being Lenny. (see Figgy original announcements...no L). Example of acting shady..why not be open about who you are when you bought it.
4) Various strong-arm tactics...like sending me a Cease & Desist when the truth started to be unveiled.
5) Banning not only people who had opinions contrary to their own; but going after those peoples' innocent friends for no reason other than being associated with those they didn't like...

And so on....

Yes, some of this is circumspect; however there are some here that yell, they want proof of Lansam being shady -and have never established what evidence could one show?

Okay..off my box for now..
 
I know it hasn't been done in awhile, but I think this thread could use a daily dollop of:

Ice_Cream_dessert_02.jpg


A REALLY LARGE IMAGE!!! O_o
 
TiggerNut said:
Is that actual knowledge or presumption!? If they had their pins made into paperweights..they are involved with Lansam..even if it is an arms-length transaction. While it may be their choice..sounds and smells like drinking the kool-aid to me.
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A little bit of both actually. :) Much like some of the other comments both for and against Lansom, knowledge and presumption, based on partial information and a simply putting 2 and 2 together.

I KNOW the names of the people who are selling the 5 graded pins on eBay. I am aware of them in the pin community. I MAY have met them face to face for trading, but I am not great at putting names to faces. I have not EVER heard their names linked to any part of Lansom. Being someone who hears much from both sides of the spectrum, I make a logical assumption that without knowing for sure, the comments about them possibly being in some sort of conspiracy are inappropriate.

Therefore i make the logical comment of "Lets table that sort of speculative rumor."

Gossip and rumor hurt the people they attack. I would hate for someone who may NOT be guilty of anything to be implicated in this sort of situation. I have been put in those kinds of situations before and would not wish it on anyone who may be innocent of what they are being accused of. I think you can agree with that logic.

Regarding the rest of your reply, I may be contacting you via P.M.
 
TiggerNut said:
Is that actual knowledge or presumption!? If they had their pins made into paperweights..they are involved with Lansam..even if it is an arms-length transaction. While it may be their choice..sounds and smells like drinking the kool-aid to me.

As an aside and to refresh the history of why LANSAM is evil....

1) Removed the SKU Numbers of various pins at the SAME TIME the fakes were popping up on Ebay;
2) Lenny, the L of LANSAM was convicted of grand theft (in Orange County, CA) Public record; and has/had numerous suits against him for fraud;
3) The An & Sam - Anthony & Samatha were paraded about in the beginning as the owners of Pinpics, when in fact they were puppets who knew very little about pins; and were covering up the true owner being Lenny. (see Figgy original announcements...no L). Example of acting shady..why not be open about who you are when you bought it.
4) Various strong-arm tactics...like sending me a Cease & Desist when the truth started to be unveiled.
5) Banning not only people who had opinions contrary to their own; but going after those peoples' innocent friends for no reason other than being associated with those they didn't like...

And so on....

Yes, some of this is circumspect; however there are some here that yell, they want proof of Lansam being shady -and have never established what evidence could one show?

Okay..off my box for now..
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BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE. Seems like some seriously sound reasons to question the company in general. I still haven't seen anyone from PP denying ANY of the accusations that she makes and it has been said several many times..... I'm just sayin.

I can personally vouch that reason #5 is true, as my PP account was deleted without warning, I was singled out and attacked/infracted by a DPF Mod who is on the take from PP but refused to admit it until I pointed it out to the higher ups here (now a former MOD) and several others have had the same experience.

I could also add reason #6 to the list of things that prove that PP is a SHADY business. It seems that PP has tried everything in its power to prevent ANY competition by making some seriously dirty and unscrupulous moves to interfere with other websites. Honest business people do not sink to these levels, they are more concerned with making their current customers happy so that they want to stay, not because they HAVE to stay.

Side note, for 3K you cant even put it in the box straight?
$_57.JPG
 
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Hmm... But like some already said, why pay for something that is mainly been made by 'us' (pictures and info)
Not talking about the making of the site, I can understand that took a lot of time
 
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