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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;SuperDave, post: 98313, member: 1892&quot;]I propose a consolidated database of poor traders/dealers operating on the various auction venues. Such a database exists within the cross-forum community of computer enthusiasts who buy, sell and trade computer parts, and during my tenure as a moderator at one such forum I found the database to be the most powerful weapon against those who would deceive and steal from their fellows.</p><p><br /></p><p>In the numismatic world, especially at the auction venues, there are some very high-volume and powerful dealers who deliberately mislead their customers as to the quality of their offerings. I strongly feel that these are the greatest threat to our hobby - indeed, they are now large enough to permanently damage the reputation of numismatics as a whole. There is a big difference between two TPG&#039;s who would grade the same coin AU58 or MS62, and one who would crack a mint roll and sell the contents as MS69-70 under the deceptive guise of an in-house &quot;TPG.&quot; These activities dilute the reputations of the true TPG&#039;s and honest dealers everywhere.</p><p><br /></p><p>Fraud is happening on a scale which would certainly warrant the attention of law enforcement, especially when considering that such fraud being perpetrated in interstate commerce is a Federal offense, and that there are law enforcement agencies whose sole mission is to combat such activities.</p><p><br /></p><p>Given my love for numismatics, and my experience as a watchdog over trading activity, this topic has been on my mind since I realized that there were straight-up criminals among us, operating under the guise of &quot;reputable&quot; dealers. Somewhere, somehow, someone must begin taking a stand against these frauds. I fully understand the implications of what I propose - this effort would require careful groundwork including legal research, and much cross-forum coordination and communication with TPG&#039;s and the larger, more reputable dealers. It would likely involve the formal participation of some of the larger names in the industry. </p><p><br /></p><p>Frankly, I believe that numismatics is no longer under the complete control of honest collectors and businessmen such as you and I. It would be the greatest possible service to our hobby if we were to retake that control. Imagine the alternative.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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