The number of trading card transactions conducted online seems to be growing each year, and there is a never ending stream of new accounts creating content on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. A surprising number of these transactions are done with anonymous users who hide behind avatars and fake names. Trust is being given without having the slightest idea of who is actually behind the account.
Do you know who you are dealing with?
Do you know who is behind the latest social media account who has gained a big following?
Over the last few years we have seen some big anonymous accounts get caught scamming collectors. We hear stories of deals gone bad where the vicim has nothing more than a Twitter username to go off of. Why do we do this to ourselves?
Recently, my friend Ivan (@watchthebreaks) made the Tweet on the left. He asked, why in 2024 are we giving any time of day to accounts that aren’t transparent about who they are. He’s been an advocate for transparency for years.
I completely agree. We as a hobby community deserve to know who we are dealing with when we buy and sell cards. We should expect to know the true identity of social media content creators if we are going to invest our valuable time in reading and viewing their content. Our attention is providing them with sponsorship dollars and ad revenue. We should at least be able to know who they are. Without transparency there is no accountability for unethical behavior, conflicts of interest, etc.
The CardPorn account on Instagram was the self-proclaimed “Hobby Watchdog”. His identity was a mystery to the community, however he built a massive following through his posts. We gave him trust and credibility. Well, eventually he got caught scamming. Check out this video from Sports Card Radio for the details. He scrubbed his accounts and was gone. Luckily, his true identity was eventually uncovered so we know who to look out for in the future.
A few weeks ago, a new user popped up on Twitter calling himself Michael and declaring he had a new service which would use AI to “pregrade” cards. His account was called @cardgraderai and he was using a fake image avatar as his photo.
Understandably, collectors were a bit skeptical when a brand new account comes out of nowhere, tries to build a following and then make claims about a new business. People started questioning his claims about the service and began asking some basic questions about how it worked. They asked what his background and experience were in the hobby? Well, he started blocking blocking people who asked questions.
No, nothing suspicious about that.
cardporn built a huge Instagram following anonymously before eventually getting caught scamming.
This prompted some sleuths to uncover an eBay account which appeared to be connected to him which was also selling suspicious autographs. People asked more questions and the story continued to change. More claims of alleged unethical business transactions were found from his past. Eventually, “Michael” also scrubbed his account. He’s reappeared and disappeared multiple times, so who knows what his account status will be by the time you read this. The bottom line is, he was expecting collectors to send him money for his service without us knowing who he was.
Luckily, it seems he shut things down before anyone could get burned.
Junk Wax Hero did a great video on this topic if you want to learn more.
And then there is “The Collectibles Guru” Eric Whiteback who has grown a massive following by taking the content of other creators and posting it on his account. He gave very little attribution for the original creator if at all. It turns out Eric Whiteback is merely a pseudonym for his Twitter persona and his real name is Ben Haines. Why use a fake name? Why would you want to grow a big audience with the intent to profit of it and not be willing to use your real name? What do you have to hide?
Interestingly, Ben will admit who he is if pushed and it looks like his LinkedIn account self-identifies his Eric Whiteback identity. But, the act of using other people’s content without proper attribution to build a following under a fake name could create suspicion about his eventual motives.
Stop giving these questionable accounts your time and attention.
Expect more! Demand Transparency from hobby entities you buy from, sell to, or engage with.
Don’t buy and sell with businesses and social media accounts who are not clear about who they are.
Ben Haines AKA Eric Whiteback built an audience by using a pseudonym and taking and reposting other creator’s content .
CardCraderAI used a fake image and blocked users who asked questions about his company or identity.
It’s 2024 and there are plenty of platforms and people to do business with who are clear about who they are, what they stand for, and have build rock solid reputations based on integrity.
There is no reason in this day and age to deal with questionable companies or individuals.
Hi, I’m Mike Sommer.
My picture is on my Twitter profile and is on the About Me page above. I show my face in my YouTube, TikTok and Reels content. If you choose to engage with my content or buy and sell from my eBay, COMC, or Sportlots inventory you know who you’re dealing with!
Thanks for reading.
I’d love to know what you think. Is transparancy a big deal to you or could you care less?
Let me know if the comments below!
Also, if you haven’t heard, I have a Podcast called the WaxPackHero Sports Card Minute! It’s available here directly on the site at the Podcast link at the top of the page, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon and pretty much everywhere else podcasts are found! Check it out, let me know what you think, and tell your friends!