Auction Hall of Shame!

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:51 pm

Richv1 wrote:So far the comics I've bought have been in the condition that was advertised. I've ben buying and collecting comics for around 25 years now so I know something about judging the condition of them.

Hey, great!

I always get VERY, VERY nervous when people say they've been collecting for 25 years or more. Why?

Because 25 years ago, there were three grades: Good, Fine, and Mint. And the percentages were: 100% for Mint, 66% for Fine, and 33% for Good.

Unless the cover was falling off, it was Fine.

If it was even CLOSE to today's Fine or better, it was Mint.

The standards were a LOT different then, and anyone who started collecting then learned under the OLD standards.

Make no doubt about it...one of the very few GOOD things about not collecting before I did was that I didn't end up paying for mid to low grade books and LOSING money because of the realities of the high grade vs. the mid and low grade markets.

What most folks forget and don't focus on is that, while prices soared in the 90's for Silver Age books, they only soared for the TOP GRADES. Understandably, top grades are much rarer than average, and, they're obviously more desired.

But prices for MID-grades and lower ACTUALLY WENT DOWN in the re-structuring of percentages done by Overstreet through much of the 1990's. Consider Amazing Spiderman #1. In the 1993 Overstreet, the Fine price was $2550. In the 1998 Overstreet, the Fine price was $2100. (I'm sure the spread was even worse in 94-96, but I don't have those copies at my fingertips at the moment.)

Think about that.

One of the most desired books of the entire comics world, in the midst of the most amazing valuation pushes in history....actually WENT DOWN IN PRICE in mid-grade.

If you bought a Fine copy of Spidey #1 in 1993....by 1998, even though the NM price had QUADRUPLED....you LOST money!

Same book. Same (theoretical) grade.

Now, where once the Good value of a typical Silver Age book was 33% of the Mint price, now it's more often 2.5-6%.

Therefore, those who bought mid-grade or lower books in the 80's and 90's suffered a SEVERE loss of value due to nothing other than the realities of the market. Those who bought when dealers didn't care about grading (and many STILL don't) and bought a Good copy for a significant percentage of the Mint value (ie, 50% or more) turned out to have made some very bad investments.

This was especially catastrophic for Silver DC collectors, as DC Silver established its market and value in the late 70's/early 80's, as opposed to Silver Marvel, which didn't have its value explosion until the early 90's, but it obviously affected Silver Marvel in the 90's, too.

So...forgive me of being wary of those with "25 or more years of collecting experience." It's not that you folks are necessarily BAD...you just learned under a WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF RULES, and unless you were diligent and observant (and come on, now....comic guys keeping up with grading trends?) then you haven't updated or polished your grading skills.

Those who's grading I trust the most? Those from the coin/stamp/card fields, because they work with such a much smaller field, and a 1/32" mark can affect the grade, sometimes substantially. They are trained to LOOK for those tiny flaws, and are therefore going to be MUCH less forgiving and willing to gloss over flaws as insignificant, which may or may not be to someone else.

But hey, you could be that exception that proves the rule!

childres · Post by **childres** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:53 pm

Your lucky Rich. There are some great sellers on ebay but for every 1 that says NM and its a fact, there are 20 that say NM and will send a Fine or Fine -. I've been fortunate on Ebay for the most part, the difficulties I have had recently have been Getting items from other places on the net.

.

-Joe

Richv1 · Post by **Richv1** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:40 pm

Well a few times I bought something straight from the comic company off here and I didn't have any problems with that.
As for knowing about grading I didn't really get into that when I first started collecting comics. I either bought them new or from a second hand store. I only got realy into collecting them in the last 15 years or so as in finding out about grading and collecting series.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 2:40 am

http://cgi.ebay.com/HARBINGER-10-CLASSI ... dZViewItem

How many errors can YOU find in this delightful little auction?

Closest to actual total without going over wins a prize!

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:35 am

ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:http://cgi.ebay.com/HARBINGER-10-CLASSI ... dZViewItem

How many errors can YOU find in this delightful little auction?

Closest to actual total without going over wins a prize!

I see 5. And that's just in the item desciption.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 2:16 pm

I lost count - especially after I saw "Frank Miller cover" so near to the word "scarce" the I couldn't stop laughing..........

-slym

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 2:35 pm

I like this line from the auction....

Valiant comics are fast becoming the "It" comic.

So naturally that makes Harby #10 worth a lot of money.

And this one

...Add to this the fact that all the Valiant/Acclaim properties are up for sale and expect to be picked up by other MAJOR comic companies.

Ha, ha, ha.....

childres · Post by **childres** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 9:09 pm

I like the fact that the word expert is in the sellers name. With the prices he asks how could he be wrong!

-Joe

Brother J · Post by **Brother J** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:50 am

Anyone need a Bloodshot Platinum? Don't bid on this one, then!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 6598591986

GGSAE · Post by **GGSAE** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:49 am

Brother J wrote:Anyone need a Bloodshot Platinum? Don't bid on this one, then!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 6598591986

hahaha, he probably thinks he has all 5 of them!

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:54 am

Brother J wrote:Anyone need a Bloodshot Platinum? Don't bid on this one, then!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 6598591986

OMG, here I've had four or five copies of this book all along and just didn't realize it.

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:11 pm

Brother J wrote:Anyone need a Bloodshot Platinum? Don't bid on this one, then!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 6598591986

Has anyone had the heart to tell him?

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:23 pm

Yeah, I can just see it now. Uh excuse me, but the book you have is only worth about a dollar not the big money you read it was worth.
Poor guy will probably start crying after that.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:55 pm

jedimarley wrote:Has anyone had the heart to tell him?

I just did. My entire message verbatim:

"That's not the platinum version."

-slym

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:59 pm

slym2none wrote:
jedimarley wrote:Has anyone had the heart to tell him?
I just did. My entire message verbatim:

"That's not the platinum version."

-slym

That's so cold.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:23 pm

jedimarley wrote:That's so cold.

Some people need a slap in the face sometimes.

*SQUEE*, now I KNOW I'm getting beat up in NY.....

-slym

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:27 pm

slym2none wrote:
jedimarley wrote:That's so cold.
Some people need a slap in the face sometimes.

*SKREE*, now I KNOW I'm getting beat up in NY.....

-slym

I wont beat you up slym......

I'll just hold you down while some else does.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:29 pm

I knew you were a nice guy.

-slym

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:36 pm

slym2none wrote:
jedimarley wrote:That's so cold.
Some people need a slap in the face sometimes.

-slym

And maybe next time he'll do a little more research.

myron · Post by **myron** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:08 pm

better a slap in the face than a kick in the 'nads

myron · Post by **myron** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:10 pm

after looking at that auction...I think the dip knows it's not a plat. and is just trying to rip someone off that doesn't know better... :x

childres · Post by **childres** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:15 pm

I figure your right myron. The seller is probably hoping for a couple of unknowing bidders to drive the price up. If called on it the seller probably plans to plead ignorance.

-Joe

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:07 am

Ignorance is no excuse for the law.

-slym

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 6:37 am

slym2none wrote:Ignorance is no excuse for the law.

-slym

Alright, Alright. Calm down.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 9:50 am

Hey now, I'm calm, I'm cool, I'm nobody's fool...

-slym