Sports Card Exchange owner Luis Papa is suing Panini America and Beckett Grading Services (BGS) over a trimmed 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady autograph rookie card.
Papa is seeking damages of at least $200,000 and an additional amount for mental anguish.
Card dorks are a special breed.
Louis Papa
Here is the backstory on the case.
Panini released 2016 Honors Football, and inside boxes were some buyback autograph cards.
The biggest hit in the entire product was a 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady autograph rookie card.
Papa didn't pull the card directly, he purchased the card from a fellow dealer in 2018.
After acquiring the card, Papa sent it to BGS, and the card came back an 8.5.
Papa wanted BGS to put a special '1/1' designation on the holder but BGS refused.
Upset, Papa took the card to Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). When PSA looked at the card they said it was trimmed.
Upon hearing the card was trimmed according to PSA, Panini & BGS took another look at the card. After a second look, on August 14, 2018 BGS came back and agreed with PSA, the Brady card was trimmed.
Papa now wants BGS and Panini to provide compensation for the trimmed Brady.
This case could help solve another hobby mystery. Was the Brady Contenders pulled by Dustin Clay of DnT Sports Cards on the now infamous 'Brandin Cooks #/99' video?
>DnT Sports Cards Group Break Scam<
Papa denies knowing Clay.
Panini in their response to the lawsuit made several compelling points.
>Panini America's Legal Response
- Panini is not the manufacturer of the card. Playoff Corporation printed and released the Card sixteen (16) years before Panini acquired the card, which Panini re-released in its 2016 Honors Football set.
- When Panini acquired the card, it had already been graded, sealed, and slabbed by Beckett Grading Services.
- Papa, who purchased the card from a third—party on the secondary market did not acquire or receive the card directly from Panini; nor did Panini make any representations to Papa in the context of that transaction, two years after Panini released its 2016 Honors Football set.
A jury trial is currently scheduled for 8/31/2020.
After some initial communication, Papa blocked an account associated with Sports Card Radio. Papa requested to appear on a podcast, but Sports Card Radio was not interested.
What happened with this case?
So first he blocks them and then has the gall to ask to appear on their podcast. Did he really think they were going to allow him to appear.
I hope he gets hosed for millions of dollars.
I’m hearing now that no longer than a year ago Louis knowingly tried to trade off the contender without disclosing that it was trimmed for another huge card on his bucket list. Talk about mental anguish for the guy who’s going to have to call him out on this mess.
It is 100% not Paninis fault.
It is also ironic that he is okay with the BGS grade if his clearly trimmed Lebron Exquisite RPA /99.
[…] Trimmed Tom(2020) Sports Card Radio […]
Sports cards companies are like slum lords in my eyes
Luis Papa is one of the nicest guys in the hobby. Paninis points are invalid. They advertised an unaltered Brady rookie and they delivered a trimmed card. Just another example of panini not giving a shit about collectors.
He is also one of the stupidest PERIOD, buying millions of dollars in trimmed cards. LOL What a goof ball. If I had had money, I’d burn mine, however.
No matter how nice of a guy,he was also caught red handed trying to trade the contender without disclosing it was trimmed no matter how you try to spin it he’s a piece of shit who shouldn’t be trusted.