Rick Probstein spent 21 years building credibility on eBay, selling nearly $1 billion worth of cards. Last month, he took the leap and launched his own auction platform: Snype.
On Monday, as the first auctions closed, everything fell apart.
The Crash
Probstein pulled the site offline and blamed "high volume." The platform's signature feature—last-second "snyping"—backfired spectacularly, triggering auctions to end prematurely. Other auctions froze completely.
"We're experiencing a system-wide technical issue due to high volume," the official statement read.
But that wasn't the real story.
A Pokemon forum user discovered something far worse: Snype's entire backend database was exposed to the open web. No authentication required.
Anyone with basic technical knowledge could access:
- Full bidder and consignor information
- Names, emails, phone numbers, addresses
- Birthdates and payment information
- Complete bid histories
All of it. Just sitting there. With full API documentation conveniently provided in the browser console.
Every user's personal information was completely exposed.
The Shill Bidding Bombshell
The security breach wasn't even the worst part.
The exposed database revealed something damning: a cluster of suspicious accounts, all linked by shared addresses to Probstein, his wife, and associate Kevin Burge.
Then came the smoking gun:
One account placed 11,277 bids. The username? "Hunny Bunny."
The email address? Rick Probstein's.
THE DATA LOOKS REALLY BAD
It appears that Probstein created several accounts and also had associates like Burge bid on THOUSANDS of cards.
Often bidding together. Making a listing appear to have multiple bidders.
Here is just one funny example.
Probstein uses 2 accounts to bid on the card, Burge uses his account to bid, and then the original consigner places a bid too
KABOOM LOL!
KEEP IN MIND
You are only seeing some of the data to protect innocent users.
The person compiling the data is able to tie accounts together via addresses & CREDIT CARD NUMBERS.
Probstein used MULTIPLE accounts to bid on hundreds of items.
And his own website being trash exposed him!
Alleged Probstein accounts:
HunnyBunny123
Created: 11/4/2025
Email: probstein123@gmail.com
Source: Elite Forum
JohnnyPicoly56
Created: 11/5/2025
Email: rickprobstein@gmail.com
Source: Elite Forum
ChariZardi
Created: 11/5/2025
Email: rick.probstein@mail.com
Source: Elite Forum
kenny-rogers
Created: 11/9/2025
Email: kenny-rogers@dr.com
Source: Elite Forum
HERE YOU CAN SEE SEVERAL ACCOUNTS BIDDING ON THIS CARD!!
RICK WOULD CONSIGN & BID ON HIS OWN ITEMS!!!
A $20 card?! Really Rick??
I signed up for Snype and you did have to verify your email address
The Hunny Bunny account was apparently created 24-48 hours after the initial launch of Snype.
If this was some kind of fraudulent account, that somehow was using the email of Probstein, they had plenty of time to figure it out.
Source: Elite Forum
The account "won" 11 items.
The most expensive was a Ken Griffey Jr Game Used and Signed Seattle Mariners Hat for $666.
With 11,277 bids placed, perhaps the account was being used to place a floor on a ton of items?
The email used for the Hunny Bunny account, probstein123@gmail.com has been widely associated with Rick for many years.
Here is a Collectors Universe (PSA) forum post from 2014 discussing the various emails for Rick.
Source: Collectors Universe Forum
Stay tuned for updates!
Updates 11/20/2025
- Some on Reddit are saying Probstein is telling people he is moving back to eBay.
- VIDEO - Rattle Pokemon covers the situation
Updates 11/21/2025
- No word from Probstein, or one of his buddies who run cover for him, during the first 24 hours of the news breaking.
- The user who exposed the data is back. They posted more bids & wins made by Probstein and the other suspicious accounts. The 'Hunny Bunny' account placed 12,081 bids and won 25 items according to the new data.
Updates 11/22/2025
- Crickets from Probstein. Yikes.
- VIDEO - PROBSTEIN GETS CANCELLED!!! (Snype Controversy Explained)
Updates 11/24/2025
- Probstein confirms Snype is done. Attempting to re-launch on eBay. Didn't address the shill bidding allegations. Yikes.
- KetchumAllCollectibles says he spoke with Probstein.
🚨Probstein BUSTED?!🚨
— Sports Card News (@SportsCardNews) November 20, 2025
Rick Probstein spent 21 years on eBay, selling nearly $1 billion worth of cards. Last month, he took the leap & launched his own auction platform: Snype.
On Monday, as the first auctions closed, everything fell apart.
"We're experiencing a system-wide… pic.twitter.com/CFRD8ZcUHQ
🚨Missing Person‼️
— Sports Card News (@SportsCardNews) November 21, 2025
It's been over 48 hours since the security breach was discovered at Snype & Probstein has said nothing publicly.
His surrogates are doing damage control on social media, floating theories & defenses. But where's Rick?
The Pokemon forum user who exposed… pic.twitter.com/xzOiAhOlc7
🚨FBI Time⁉️
— Sports Card News (@SportsCardNews) November 22, 2025
Still no word from Rick Probstein. But the data keeps talking.
It appears that Probstein created several accounts and had associates like Kevin Burge bid on hundreds of items during Snype's debut auction.
Often bidding together on the same listings. Making items… pic.twitter.com/Zik8mQbdjI
🚨Busted‼️
— Sports Card News (@SportsCardNews) November 24, 2025
Probstein just confirmed Snype is dead after one failed auction. He's crawling back to eBay.
He didn't address the data breach or alleged shill bidding in his statement to Cllct.
Probstein told the website he was looking into the possibility the platform was the… pic.twitter.com/7KysydCpAd
Other Named Associates
Kevin Burge
In the dataset, an email and D.O.B. connected to Kevin Burge is examined on the Pokemon Elite Forum.
Burge is well known in sports card circles as a scammer dating all the way back to 2003.
We've documented his crimes, both in and out of the hobby here.
Source: Arrests.org
His Snype account was allegedly created on the day the website launched 11/3/2025.
The account placed 2,904 bids for $182,384.
The account won 7 auctions:
2002-03 Topps Finest Basketball #178 LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers RC Rookie PSA 10 - $2,000
2023-24 Panini Donruss Optic Basketball Amen Thompson #7 Rookie RC Rookie Holo Phazes - $100
2015-16 Panini Immaculate Collection Basketball Nikola Jokic RPA RC Rookie 3-Color - $2,999
2022-23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League Soccer Black #AP-EH5 Erling Haaland - $3,999
2022-23 Topps Dynasty UEFA Champions League Soccer LIONEL MESSI - $4,499
1994 Skybox Emotion Basketball N-TENSE #3 Michael Jordan HOF Chicago Bulls PSA 10 - $1,000
2018 Bowman Chrome Baseball #1 Shohei Ohtani Batting Angels RC Rookie PSA 10 - $1,800
His industry reference to be approved as a "Super Bydder" was Rick Probstein.
Source: Elite Forum
Keith Koenig
Associate and business partner of Burge, Keith Koenig, also appears in the data set. He is the owner of Cardboard Gems, LLC.
In a December 2022 lawsuit between Alt & BGS, it's alleged Koenig submitted a trimmed Stephen Curry RC to the grading company.
In February 2024 its alleged Koenig & Burge are responsible for trimming a PSA 10 Charizard.
These people should be prosecuted for these crimes. Enjoy your time with Maestro in prison.