The man believed to be behind the scheme is a longtime stamp dealer living in upstate New York. He has been investigated by law enforcement, suspended by eBay and exposed in Internet forums devoted to stamp collecting. Yet the massive operation continues to churn out philatelic fakes, burning collectors and, some say, undermining the very foundations of the hobby.

A retired FBI agent who worked numerous stamp fraud cases during his years with the bureau describes it as the "the most prolific and most notorious" scam ever perpetrated in eBay's problematic stamp-collecting category. (MSNBC.com is not identifying the suspect because he has not been charged with a crime.)

The scheme was exposed on MSNBC.com in 2002, in a two-part series looking at whether eBay adheres to its stated anti-fraud policy. Months later, eBay suspended accounts identified in the article, but a small group of collectors that uncovered the scam says the forger merely moved the operation to another Internet auction site for a few months before returning to eBay, setting up new accounts and picking up where he left off.

The scheme's most recent incarnation ground to a halt Jan. 29, when eBay security suspended two accounts after the collectors produced conclusive evidence that forged stamps were being sold. But the frustrated philatelists say there is little doubt that the crook will soon be back in business on eBay — the leading Internet auction site, with tens of thousands of stamps listed for sale at any one time - cloaked in new online identities.

Romomania has spread to the collectibles industry, where he has become a hot commodity. Rookie cards of the former backup rank high on collectors' Christmas lists, as do autographs, jerseys and anything else with the likeness of the newest Cowboys sensation.

That is, of course, if you can find them.

"The demand for his cards came in the day he was named the starting quarterback, and we've been out of them ever since," said Al Gilliland, the owner of Triple Cards and Collectibles in Plano. "Every day people are calling and asking if we have any Romo rookies, and we don't have any. We'd like to get some in, but we haven't had any luck."

Romo's rookie cards, which came out in 2003, are the hottest items. Beckett Media, which publishes a monthly football card price guide, has the quarterback ranked as the No. 2 player on its sports hot list, behind former TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers.

How hard are Romo cards to find? In the current price guide, Romo's top-of-the line rookie card is listed at $100. The card, a 2003 SP Authentic Gold Autograph, recently sold for $1,200 on eBay. There were only 25 of that card produced.

A Bowman "Signs of the Future" autographed card, issued by The Topps Company, Inc., features a photo of Washington from the waist up in his green Jets jersey with his arms folded across his chest - and appearing to make obscene gestures with both hands.

Washington said Wednesday there was nothing naughty about the photo, which was taken during a shoot with Topps a few months ago. He said he was making an `E' with both hands to honor his hometown, but some fingers are hidden under his armpits.

"All it is is that I'm from the east side of Jacksonville - that's my community," Washington told The Associated Press. "It looks funny, but maybe I should've taken the picture a different way. That's all it really is - nothing more than that."

The apparent obscenity has increased the popularity of the card. Topps is offering collectors the chance to return the card and receive another in its place after saying its release was an oversight by editors.

Union Products Inc. stopped producing flamingos and other lawn ornaments at its Leominster factory in June, and went out of business Nov. 1 -- a victim of rising expenses for plastic resin and electricity, as well financing problems.

The small privately held firm had been in talks with a pair of rival lawn ornament makers interested in buying the molds and resuming production of the flamingos, designed in 1957 by local son Don Featherstone.

"We think the flamingo will go on," Keith Marshall, Union Products' chief financial officer, said at the company's aging brick factory, where just a few years ago more than 100 employees churned out flamingos by the millions.

Just a couple of workers were still around to wrap up business. At the front desk stood a lone flamingo with the words "Happy 50th birthday" written with a black marker on the side, symbolizing hope that the flamingo will rise phoenix-like from the ashes to be reborn.