The Troll King

I guess that all depends on scale and the budget that the buyer is working with. For me if there was a $50 comic that was hard to find and I really wanted it, I wouldn't lose sleep over spending 60 or even 70 for it. A $1000 comic it would be frustrating to have to shell out an addition couple or few hundred in a bidding war. But then Warren Buffet would be all too happy to throw down $2000 worth of go-away money. Most collectors aren't high rollers and really shop around for deals, and many try their luck bidding on auctions for that great deal. I've struck many of them on coins. Mind you I've also paid a slight premium if it's something I really wanted. But never having the joy of a great deal I would be less inclined to do that from time to time. EDIT: I forgot to add that with a hard close time your shot at the comic is just as fair. Sure, with a soft close you can change your mind about your max bid and keep it going. But then, so can everyone else. In the end no matter how you shake it only one person wins. I'm not sure I would call any comic valued at $50 "hard to find", sorry.

Just a side note, most bidders add cents to their bid for that exact reason. When they don't it's a sign that it could be a shill bid (although it's far from being conclusive). I disagree. Most experienced bidders maybe, but most bidders wouldn't even consider this I believe. My wife would never of thought to do this because she is not an experienced bidder. Which translates to buyers pay more. Out of curiosity, are you a dealer or do you generally sell a lot of comics? I very rarely sell comics. Although, I own some that I know several people would like to have. I disagree. I think when people calmly and rationally come up with the most they're willing to pay that's the true value. When the auction was due to close, your adrenaline is pumping and you're in a bidding war on something you've been watching for days or weeks, I don't think the result reflects true value. Why does it matter any less about the adrenaline value over the preconceived lowball "max" that you imagined. Afterall, I doubt many people plan on paying at or over FMV with their "max" bid. As you yourself stated, you're looking for a "deal". It's the late action that causes that to go up. If it weren't for that, value on the top-tier items would increase even slower than they do now. Here's a notion... auctions aren't meant to always be a "deal" and never have been. Sure there are deals to be had but I doubt Sotheby's or Bonham's is looking to sell anything as a "deal" to anyone. If you want "deals" go to flea markets and garage sales.

If I remember correctly, the Atlantic City copy of Action #10 recieved bids during soft end times, resulting in a higher hammer price of over $50,000 or more. Same thing with the Action #13 It's difficult to use any of these items are arguing points. Who's to say the action 10 would not have achieved a higher price with a hard end time? The reason people put in bids during the soft end time is because they were allowed to put in bids, and they knew this before the auction started. Bid your maximum and let it ride is only a good philosophy if you're bidding your maximum in the last minute. If you put in your max bid early you are just asking to have the item bid up in small increments. I think people also have difficulty distinguishing the highest price they would be happy to pay and the highest price they're willing to pay. I agree nobody except the ones bidding know for sure. Watching the auctions closely, I felt that these books sold for much more than they would have without the soft end times. I agree with both of you. I think the Actions would have went higher than they did at the end of the original soft time if there was a hard end time. I also think though that the soft end time raised the final price at least about $5,000. I think at that point, the 2 top bidders went back and forth a few times and went above their planned MAX bid. Once you're that close to a book you really want, whats another few % to get it. Soft end time definitely helped those Actions imo. You seem to be contradicting yourself. How can they have gone higher with a hard end time yet had a monetary raise of at least $5000 with a soft? Apparently i didnt explain it very well. Knowing there was a soft end time and they could raise it, i dont think that the top bidders put in their actual max bid like they would have with a hard end time. That being the case, i think with a soft end time, the hammer price at the original end time(before any extended bidding) was lower than if there was a hard end time. BUT, i do think the extended bidding took the final price over what it would have been if there wasa hard end time. I was watching that extended bidding and i would bet that the last 2 bidders went over their PLANNED max bid at least a couple times during the extended bidding (thumbs u Gotcha.

Same here! I actually had buyers remorse for the underbidder on an item last week. I don't have the time to sit around a computer all day to watch auctions end so I put in a final day bid on an item for $167.89 on eBay which was well above the current bid. When it ended I looked at the bid history. It was obvious that someone had put in a snipe bid. Their amount? $167.00 I won the item over them by 89 cents. Sure I was happy to have actually gotten the item but at the same time I felt bad for the underbidder because they may have really wanted it as well. It is a nice piece. Also to note: Soft bid times also would generate more revenue based on full auction increments being met rather than my example above where I won the item by an increment of $0.89. I honestly believe that you would start to see what things are really worth and valued at with soft end times in auctions. I believe many items are over-inflated yet at the same time you would see the generally rarer items go for even higher. If this were the case, even with the same book in different grades you would see a greater spread in price between high and low grade.

I think I would too but the clear difference (and disagreement) I believe is what we collect. You and I aren't collecting books that come up for auction once a month or more. We are valuing books on obtainability as well as our budget which I believe is why sometimes you see those extreme high multiples of guide price. There is a specific book that I've been seeking for a number of years and I know where 3 copies are available. I've managed to get my hands on all 3 copies to evaluate them and have determined that the grade just isn't quite high enough on them for my tastes (plus one is restored). When and if this book finally comes up for auction in a higher grade I'm sure I'll be bidding plenty and then will run the risk of being sniped in the end.

If I remember correctly, the Atlantic City copy of Action #10 recieved bids during soft end times, resulting in a higher hammer price of over $50,000 or more. Same thing with the Action #13 It's difficult to use any of these items are arguing points. Who's to say the action 10 would not have achieved a higher price with a hard end time? The reason people put in bids during the soft end time is because they were allowed to put in bids, and they knew this before the auction started. Bid your maximum and let it ride is only a good philosophy if you're bidding your maximum in the last minute. If you put in your max bid early you are just asking to have the item bid up in small increments. I think people also have difficulty distinguishing the highest price they would be happy to pay and the highest price they're willing to pay. I agree nobody except the ones bidding know for sure. Watching the auctions closely, I felt that these books sold for much more than they would have without the soft end times. I agree with both of you. I think the Actions would have went higher than they did at the end of the original soft time if there was a hard end time. I also think though that the soft end time raised the final price at least about $5,000. I think at that point, the 2 top bidders went back and forth a few times and went above their planned MAX bid. Once you're that close to a book you really want, whats another few % to get it. Soft end time definitely helped those Actions imo. You seem to be contradicting yourself. How can they have gone higher with a hard end time yet had a monetary raise of at least $5000 with a soft?

Actually, there would be no more satisfied buyers than there would under hard end times. You have a hard end time, there is one buyer who is happy. You have a soft end time, there is one buyer who is happy. The only thing soft end times achieve is to push up the price, the only winners being the seller and the auction house. Not saying which is right or wrong, just dealing with the fallacy. Your point is valid but I pose this to you as I know it's happened to myself and many others: If I'm bidding on multiple items and things start to go higher than expected with a soft end time I would have the option of letting some go to focus my funds on those which I really want. Hard end times often can result in complete shut-outs. Less shut-out bidders results in more people being satisfied overall correct? Once again, I just want the option of deciding for myself.

When you're dealing with one of a kind items (which in many cases we are, at least those of us that don't collect junky bronze forward) it's nice to have the option of being able to rebid. I'm not just talking about comics, but everything vintage or rare. If you decide that you're max is $1000 on an item that you've been searching 5 years for, or a one of a kind piece of art (comic or otherwise) and then when it comes down to it the item sells for $1015 I think most everyone could not argue that given the option to bid again that the extra 3% above you're original max is acceptable. I'm not saying this is the case in everything that sells because quite frankly most of what many on these boards collect is much more common than people like to admit. (i.e. Hulk 181) In those cases there again you have the option of knowing that another one will come along if you don't want to bid any more on one that is currently for sale. The current system allows for no option whatsoever. It's a set it and forget it mentality of which is taken advantage of by shills.

How does higher prices make for more satisfied buyers? Why would the buyer or the seller want higher buyer's premiums? The premium percentage stays the same but it doesn't take a genius to understand that a BP of $50 against a BP of $75 means that the final value is higher making for happy sellers. As far as buyers, see my previous response.

(thumbs u Why would buyers be more satisfied with higher prices and premiums? Texas law allows for pretty much anything. I haven't read all the responses yet but this should answer a few of you: As a buyer if given the opportunity to go ahead and go a small percentage over what I had initially decided was my max if it's an item that I really want I would prefer to have that option. THAT makes for happier buyers. As it currently stands with most online auctions you aren't given the choice. I like to have options in life. As far as Texas is concerned, it's not the only state that allows auction houses to bid on items so you can take your weak attempt at Texas bashing and stuff it.

It doesn't work if bidders are focusing on consecutive lots and end up having to oversee several lots at the same time due to the time extensions, which forces them to either overlook one of the lots or change their bidding strategy. I much prefer a quick end to an online auction as it allows you to regroup quickly if you lose. CC's auctions do not reflect real auctions which are over rapidly and do not overlap. Heritage's live bidding model is much better. It's better because it's regulated and is run the way an auction is suppose to be run. (thumbs u Do the shills get to bid 'live' too? :shrug: You guys have no memory retention at all. Texas law allows for bidding by the auction house.

It doesn't work if bidders are focusing on consecutive lots and end up having to oversee several lots at the same time due to the time extensions, which forces them to either overlook one of the lots or change their bidding strategy. I much prefer a quick end to an online auction as it allows you to regroup quickly if you lose. CC's auctions do not reflect real auctions which are over rapidly and do not overlap. Heritage's live bidding model is much better. It's better because it's regulated and is run the way an auction is suppose to be run. (thumbs u

So far Comic Connect is the only auction site that seems to offer exactly the way it should be handled. I know you guys are probably tired of hearing me say this over the years but an auction site should increase the close time of an item if a bid is placed within the last 5 minutes (or so) of closing. This is how a REAL auction works in a live setting. This gives ample time for second/third/fourth bidder to counter the bid if they feel they are willing to pay that $10 more than they originally would have. Auctionuniverse.com (which is long gone but was better and BEFORE eBay) started with this practice 1995. The systems set up by eBay, Heritage, CLink and the rest of them FAIL because it allows people to force up maximum bids using shills (with usual little risk of the shill winning the item) and it allows sniping and auction in which case everyone loses. Before anyone gets upset by this statement hear me out. Soft end times for items would lead to increased values on items, increased buyer's premiums, and more satisfied buyers! It's a complete no-brainer and I have no idea why eBay or anyone else is so set on their ways about this. I know the argument is that "only bid what you're willing to pay" but the truth is, for any of you that have actually been to a live auction if you decide before the auction that you're only going to pay $100 for that box of Strawberry Shortcake dolls and you're in a situation where only one other person is bidding, more often than not you'll get caught up in the action and will go ahead and pay that $110 for that box. It's easy for us to rationalize the extra $10 when we only have a limited amount of time to make the decision. In the end, as I said, everyone comes out ahead, and everyone is happy.

100% in agreement. I had about half a decade from the 60's that I sold individually on eBay about 8 years ago. Even then I only got less than $5 a piece. Craiglist is full of full collections also.

Thank you... I got bid up pretty good on it and only won it by $0.89 Thank goodness for non-whole number bids.

Picked this up from Dan Morton on eBay tonight

Recent pick ups. I haven't been trying too hard lately.

My SDCC pickups for those that don't read general. Mike Mayhew Vampirella 1 page 1 Dan Brereton cover prelims Laurie B Vampi Wonder Woman my wife picked up from Tony DeZuniga

I looked at your other photos and it looks now like you have a near complete Marine dress blue set which includes the pants, white belt, shoes, and hat. You're only missing the jacket which would have red piping.

Nice lot you have there. Most likely those Joes were produced between 1970-1973 as '74 is when Kung Fu Grip was introduced. Due to the unfavorable image of war and the military of the early 70's your Joe's are officially "Adventure Team" Joes has Hasbro changed the line because their sales were dropping to the Vietnam War. With that said, many of the pieces you have are actually earlier pieces than the dolls you have and I wouldn't put any of those hats on the dolls as the flocking will come off. Most of the items I can identify including what appears to be the pants to a Marine Dress Blue uniform which holds a little value. Also,most of the items you have go with the paperwork you have also which is the "set" of the Secret Mission to Spy Island. Keep in mind the popularity of James Bond films at the time and many of the sets released in the early 70's reflected those type of "missions". I sold vintage toys mostly full time for about 10 years and Joe's where one of my specialties. Tell me the markings on the motorcycle as it's definitely not Evel's but it looks familiar and I can't immediately place it.

Another Heroes pick-up. I think this is all of them now.

A couple more from Heroes, damn I gotta lot of stuff! Gene Gonzales Phil Noto

I know right? I can't seem to focus!