According to long-time memorabilia collectors – the market for genuine vintage memorabilia has changed dramatically over the last decade. In the late 1980's, the market consisted of a very limited supply of genuine articles (e.g., vintage balls, checks, old books, letters, and the rare cut). These items were almost exclusively traded among a select group of collectors through a well-defined network. However, at present, the market is literally flooded with tens of thousands of vintage items (including bats, balls, jerseys, helmets, pictures, magazines, pieces of papers, posters, lithographs, and record albums and other items) that are simply counterfeit.

Sources in this investigation have relayed to the FBI that the current market in vintage memorabilia (traded through local sports shops and mail order companies) is almost entirely comprised of forgeries. Some sources believe the huge market of vintage memorabilia sold by retailers is directly attributable to the special skills of Angelo and Greg Marino. For example, vintage cuts were almost non-existent prior to the Marinos beginning to forge these items. Today, there are thousands of these counterfeit items in retail businesses across the country.

The counterfeit market has been able to flourish because of the role played by authenticators who fraudulently (or mistakenly) certify forgeries as genuine signatures. This investigation has found that numerous middlemen dealt exclusively in counterfeit memorabilia.