Dinesh_s:
You were there? Really? Were you sitting on my lap looking into my smartphone when Albert texted me? Were you also there with me and Shelton Drum and his employee as we entered in Albert's credit card information to pay for the piece? Were you also with me as I frantically tried to figure out with Shelton on how the hell was I going to get this humongous 20x30 painting back to Albert on a Sunday when FedEx is closed? You may have been in the room but that does not mean you know what the happened. I don't know you well but I do know what you look like and you weren't anywhere around me when Albert texted me. So I'm not sure on what basis are you and Xatari making these reckless accusations about me.
You don't even know me. I am just a collector. I'm not a dealer nor someone with a world famous collection. I have zero ownership in any dealer or entity that sells or deals art. I have been a collector of comic art since 1987. I've been around for most of the growth and development of this hobby. Maybe not Pete Koch OG but maybe in the wave after that. I've seen it all. I've heard about all the various fads (some may say scams) and goings on that my collecting brethren have engaged in like this or that hot artist, indy boon, weird sketch themes, getting OA published pages colored, first appearance, and lately mystery sketches (I'm still not sure how that works!). I've never indulged in them but at least I understood why someone would. This whole shilling up a piece and then actually winning it is a new one on me. Why would anyone do that? and why would you and Xatari so quickly think that I would engage in this? Like who thinks of this stuff??? Yes, I am friends with Felix and help him at shows. I am also friends with Albert and help him at shows. Other reps I've helped at shows include Spencer Beck at the Artists Choice and Jason Schachter at Essential Sequential. I am friendly with and respected by most dealers because I do what I promise. A lifetime of paying on time and honoring my commitments has afforded me that respect and trust. This wasn't even the first time this year I've helped a friend bid on something at an auction he couldn't be at. Don't we all do that? I don't get why, unless you two have an agenda with Felix, you would bend over backwards and accuse me of being dishonest about a simple proxy bid that we all have done for friends.
I don't have anything but my reputation. Many of the posters here know me. They know I'm honest to a fault sometimes (ok always) people off with my opinion. For you two to go around making statements like "I was there, this is not what happened" is reckless since you were NOT there with me when I was asked by Albert on my phone to bid. I was the one who did the auction bidding. I was the one who went to the table to pay. Nobody else. Felix had nothing to do with it at any point other than posting it on IG before the auction. And now he's being accused of something only because I'm his friend. and THAT is really awful .
I can back up what I'm saying with my phone text records and both Albert and Heroescon have receipts of payment. I also have various witnesses who can attest to various parts of the events as things unfolded down to finally finding an art mule who drove to bring the art back for him to give to Albert at another con later this month. None of this was planned. If it were, I'd have been far better prepared.
Lambo
(sorry guys, I've been off here for so long that I forgot my old log in, feel free to msg me and i"ll insult you so you can be sure it's me). ;)