Secrets Behind The Bid Button + Lawsuits That Could Reshape The Hobby + Are Auctions Stuck In The Past?
Sports Cards Live 290 continues with hobby attorney Paul Lesko joining Jeremy for a sharp follow up to the auction house discussion with Jeff Marren of Rockhurst Auctions. This second of four segments from the November 22, 2025 live stream digs into bidder privacy, collusion concerns, and a stack of current hobby lawsuits that every collector should understand.
In this episode you will hear:
Jeff answering viewer Skeppy’s question about how important privacy and anonymity are in the auction world, and why most bidders and consignors do not actually want their identities shared.
A hard look at the push for more transparency in bidding, what collectors really want to see, and why public bidder identities can open the door to collusion, harassment, and back-channel deal making.
Jeremy’s comparison to real estate offers and client lists, and Jeff’s blunt take that bidder and consigner data is proprietary relationship capital for an auction house, not something the public has a “right” to.
Chat reactions from vintage and “new school” hobbyists who were raised on eBay and mall card shows, why reserves and 150 year old rules feel archaic, and what it means to “vote with your wallet.”
Discussion of fixed price and “buy it now” style listings on traditional auction platforms, private treaty sales, and how auction houses try to balance consignor risk with a functioning marketplace.
Paul’s legal lens on bidder anonymity, client lists, and why courts often treat that information as protected business property under protective orders.
Then Paul kicks off a rapid fire legal update round, including:
Upper Deck vs Ravensburger (Lorcana case) – How Upper Deck claimed Lorcana stole game mechanics from its unreleased Rush of Ichor TCG, why game mechanics are very hard to protect with copyright, and how a multi year fight led to Ravensburger being cleared and only a small settlement with the individual designer.
Blank vs Beckett – A new case where a collector alleges Beckett lost 87 rare Stan Lee autograph cards that he values at around 250 thousand dollars, and why the terms you click on for grading companies matter when cards go missing.
Lance Jackson vs Collectors Universe and PSA – The nightmare scenario of sending in a key Kobe Bryant Topps Chrome rookie, getting it back with a lower grade and visible damage, and what a live trial could mean for how grading companies handle damaged cards and declared values.
The “lost” T206 Honus Wagner vs BGS – A wild allegation that a Wagner was submitted 12 years ago and never returned, what statutes of limitation really are, and why waiting a decade to sue is usually a fatal mistake no matter how strong the story feels.
A bigger conversation about terms of service, arbitration clauses, class action waivers, and why collectors almost never read what they are agreeing to when they click “I accept.”
Jeremy’s question about whether anyone in the hobby will ever differentiate by surfacing key terms in plain language and forcing users to acknowledge the important parts, instead of burying everything in boilerplate.
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