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Merkle923 · 08-07-2017, 09:29 AM

I have now removed nearly all the images that I have posted here the last four years which were the product of my own photography, or for which I had obtained reproduction rights (often in part to share with this community). Some - like the Jesse Jefferson shots - remain.

I will try to explain this unemotionally. The locking of the Topps image hosting site was because of its abuse by one of our members, "Rainmaker," who in his previous incarnation "Rico43," was permanently banned for posting copyrighted images, for personal abuse, and for even identifying members by their actual names - and yet chose to come back anyway under a new account. I have had an informal role at Topps as a consultant since 2001. Upon finding some of its negatives were being sold in print form before they had even come up for auction on eBay the company's initial inclination was to go after the entirety of this site with, at minimum, a cease-and-desist letter. I had, I believed, reassured them that the problem would come to an end and their rights would be fully respected. In the interim, "Rainmaker" led efforts to work around the security measures at the site Topps uses and again I had to make a case that most of this was unknowing and unintentional and would cease. Again, cooler heads prevailed and Topps' focus has since shifted to an Atlanta Braves' fan site with which this individual is associated.

I have also been in conversation with a friend of 15 years, the New York-based photographer Steve Moore, who guards his publication rights jealously and who had sold a few prints of transient players like Brick Smith to the above-named member and was surprised to find them suddenly showing up online when he hadn't been prepared for anything like that.

I hope what has been written here about the Brace images is true. That would be a boon to us as collectors and hobbyists and I would welcome it as I have about 1,000 color Brace images in my collection, mostly of obscure players with obscure teams which I hope can see the internet light of day. Sadly, I don't know what can be believed in this case. I - and others - have repeatedly been told by this individual that he and I worked together on a baseball card project in 1989 at the Guernsey's Auction of Topps production materials in New York. We may have met; I have no recollection of it, or him, nor does reviewing any of the articles or research data I generated at this auction make the slightest reference to him nor refresh my mind in any way whatsoever. He keeps mentioning it and taking umbrage when I do not confirm his claim.

In any event: while this site has often had its share of conflict (with a small "c") and I have been at least as unnecessarily flippant and snippy as anybody else (and for all of that, I apologize), the behavior of this one member has crossed a line for me, and I cannot participate here any longer.

I thank all of those who have been generous with your images and your kind words, and I wish you all good luck with your pursuits and our shared pastimes.

08-07-2017, 09:29 AM	#31408
Merkle923 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 2,185	I have now removed nearly all the images that I have posted here the last four years which were the product of my own photography, or for which I had obtained reproduction rights (often in part to share with this community). Some - like the Jesse Jefferson shots - remain. I will try to explain this unemotionally. The locking of the Topps image hosting site was because of its abuse by one of our members, "Rainmaker," who in his previous incarnation "Rico43," was permanently banned for posting copyrighted images, for personal abuse, and for even identifying members by their actual names - and yet chose to come back anyway under a new account. I have had an informal role at Topps as a consultant since 2001. Upon finding some of its negatives were being sold in print form before they had even come up for auction on eBay the company's initial inclination was to go after the entirety of this site with, at minimum, a cease-and-desist letter. I had, I believed, reassured them that the problem would come to an end and their rights would be fully respected. In the interim, "Rainmaker" led efforts to work around the security measures at the site Topps uses and again I had to make a case that most of this was unknowing and unintentional and would cease. Again, cooler heads prevailed and Topps' focus has since shifted to an Atlanta Braves' fan site with which this individual is associated. I have also been in conversation with a friend of 15 years, the New York-based photographer Steve Moore, who guards his publication rights jealously and who had sold a few prints of transient players like Brick Smith to the above-named member and was surprised to find them suddenly showing up online when he hadn't been prepared for anything like that. I hope what has been written here about the Brace images is true. That would be a boon to us as collectors and hobbyists and I would welcome it as I have about 1,000 color Brace images in my collection, mostly of obscure players with obscure teams which I hope can see the internet light of day. Sadly, I don't know what can be believed in this case. I - and others - have repeatedly been told by this individual that he and I worked together on a baseball card project in 1989 at the Guernsey's Auction of Topps production materials in New York. We may have met; I have no recollection of it, or him, nor does reviewing any of the articles or research data I generated at this auction make the slightest reference to him nor refresh my mind in any way whatsoever. He keeps mentioning it and taking umbrage when I do not confirm his claim. In any event: while this site has often had its share of conflict (with a small "c") and I have been at least as unnecessarily flippant and snippy as anybody else (and for all of that, I apologize), the behavior of this one member has crossed a line for me, and I cannot participate here any longer. I thank all of those who have been generous with your images and your kind words, and I wish you all good luck with your pursuits and our shared pastimes.