Make $200,000 from Floor Sweepings

Ted Tyszka

Here you go. Minimum bid is $50,000 for what is, literally, a collection of floor sweepings. On top of that the (wheeler) dealer assures you you can “piece it out” for $200,000.

https://www.hipstamp.com/listing/selling-my-whole-collection/45520263

Bill O'Malley

Unbelievable. How does this garbage allowed to be on this site?

Phil Merrill_

1.) If I got this in kiloware, I'd send it back.
2.) Notice that at his "store" the items in the scans are offered separately as well.

Greg Doll

Just brutal....words cannot...OMG!!!!

Rene Bravo

This truly does demean the Hipstamp platform if these philatelic lawn clippings are allowed to be listed in total absurdity. This is pure SCAM, rubbish and dishonest. I say EVERYONE report this.

Phil Merrill_

3.) No returns ( of course) and postage for this $50K garbajanza is only $2.00.
4.) I don't know why, but almost everyone who does crap like this thinks "vintage" is an important word to use with stamps. "Rare vintage red Washington stamp, used, very mint."

Michael Dodd

I reported it. I hope others do. We need to get a message across to Hipstamp this and so much like it is undermining the credibility of the marketplace.

Scott Payton

Don't worry, I'm sure it will vanish soon enough.

Luree Hughes

Going Going Gone!

Scott Payton

Ding ding.

John Eckhardt

Bill this garbage is not allowed on this site, but you can't prevent it from being introduced to this or any other site that allows the general public to post listings unless a high listing fee were charged and I'm sure we don't want that to happen because it would destroy the site.

Scott Payton

And for our next trick...
https://www.hipstamp.com/listing/scott-544-coil-wast-perf-11/44895590

Please report this one as well... I've sent it in twice, and yet this garbage is still on the site.
Another 0 feedback seller, I honestly don't know why they allow this one to stay.

Bogusly states as well "First day of issue". It's postmarked 22 Dec 1922, the EKU is 17 Dec 1922....
Completely fraudulent listing. It's a plain 498.

Phil Merrill_

I've just asked that fraudster why there are no certificates. If several of us bother them enough, they might go away on their own.

Don Leischner

I reported it as well.

Luree Hughes

Did you look at the only other one they have listed? Rare stamp? Since when is a 1c Washington "rare'? Really bad photo of both postcards, too. They say make an offer, maybe I'll play with them and offer 12c! she says with an evil grin.

John Eckhardt

I previously reported both stamps and my ticket was closed with no taken by HipStamp.

Michael Generali

Facebook Marketplace is full of shit like that. Everything is the rarest of the rare. If I go by the prices of these fraudsters, then my collection can pay off the national debt, and I'll still have enough left over to buy a ranch on Mars.

Phil Merrill_

B"bye! B'bye!

Scott Payton

Excellent... sometimes it takes a village.
Both are gone.

Greg Doll

The villagers rose against the monsters in the village. Stay vigilant.

Bill O'Malley

Unbelievable. How does this garbage allowed to be on this site?

Scott Payton

Bill, I think what happens is, anyone can open a store, by paying the $2 basic subscription. And then they start listing. Usually only one or two items like this (for the fraudsters). They get posted, then the community like us, find them, report them, and they are removed. It's a cycle. In fairness the site has over a million listings. No one can look at all of them. Through they could do a better job with a small resource, it's still never ending, and things slip through the cracks.
At least, unlike The Bay, they actually do remove things, especially when enough people report it...
But they could have a simple search on obvious items, like reprints of the pictorials (how many of those "no grills" do people think exist, and for the largest part, there are easy examples of all known issues), or simply have a policy that any stamp with a value over $1,000 needs to have a cert with it...
It's difficult there's just so many variables, and high value items out there. Best we can do is keep at it. It benefits everyone, and as I mentioned, at least the staff here will take action eventually.

Bill O'Malley

Scott,

Yes you are right but I would think if one or two people have an issue they would at least look into it.
I think that the people who have to do the looking unfortunately do not know what they are looking at.

Scott Payton

Bill, you are right... but it also prevents people from frivolously attacking someone who has legitimate items. Personally I think the policy should be "if it's questioned, and it doesn't have a cert of some other strong evidence that it is what is stated", then it should be removed.

There's far too little proof, and for some reason the phrase "Let the buyer beware" rules the day, rather than, "Let the seller bear the burden of proof", which is what should be the norm.

Don Leischner

Is it reasonable to expect Hip to review every listing? I don't think so, I don't even think it would be practical or necessary. It would be an easy matter of programming that if a certain set of variables occur within a listing, that the system flags it for further review. Say a stamp over $1000 with a seller that has little to no inventory and little to no feedback. Let's face it, what are the odds that a new store with no inventory is going to only have one super expensive stamp to list? Even if that was the case, if the seller has a clue, the stamp is certified. It wouldn't be that hard to at least vet some of these listings.

Having gone there, it isn't really Hip's job to examine/evaluate these listings at all. They are here to provide us with a venue. Hip makes money by leeching off of our effort. They have no motivation to take these listings down. WE will not get any traction with them taking these listings down by complaining about the price. The price is the price. When we contact Hip about these listings stay away from the argument about the price, instead point out all the ways the listing is fraudulent. They seem to jump on fraud.

Scott Payton

Don, it's simpler than that...
Value over $1,000 + Has a cert, no need to check it.
No cert, it gets flagged.

Agree, no need to check 100% of listings. But there could be a database created of "Highly Faked" issues, there really are not that many Scott #s that this applies to. This is a simple lookup. If it hits one of those (and this could easily be built over time), and there is no cert, then it flags for a "real review" before the listing goes live.

Hell, I'd even volunteer to be a reviewer. They don't have to make it a paid position, just a trusted one...