I find this one hard to swallow AF #15 %91,000 + from he who must not be named

[sborock]

 

[pigman-migration]

Just finished at

Winning bid: US $117,600.00

Ended: May-30-04 20:30:00 PDT

Start time: May-20-04 20:30:00 PDT

[drbanner]

Is this book hammer's swan song?

 

Did hammer just sell his ultimate, unrestored copies of AF 15 and ASM 1 to both "cash out" his collection as well as leave the carnage behind with two legitimate sales, at eye-popping prices!?!?

 

After 20(?) years of buying/selling as many high grade copies of these books as anyone, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if these books are unrestored. His inventory has certainly thinned over the last year or so compared to a couple years ago, and now all of the sudden these show up, AFTER the CBG article and the wide exposure of his scandalous practices on the net?

 

I'm down for $20 that these books are unrestored...

[Rip]

Your talking about the poorly photoshoped AF15 right?

[drbanner]

Your talking about the poorly photoshoped AF15 right?

 

Yep...the AF 15 for $100k+. Just b/c the scan was "restored" doesn't mean the book necessarily was. You in? I need to make one up from the last time you beat me!!

[Murph]

How would we ever know if it's restored? Watch for a new high grade restored copy to show up on the census?

 

Brian

[drbanner]

How would we ever know if it's restored? Watch for a new high grade restored copy to show up on the census?

 

Brian

 

The proof will be readily apparent once it's revealed...

[Rip]

Yea, why go through the extensive trouble of faking so many aspects of the book if it were real.

One example aside from the lack of pixel bleed on the cover edges is try running that back cover through curves by draging the midtones down. I'm not seeing any minor imperfections revealed at ALL!

[delekkerste]

I'd really like to know who in their right mind would plunk down that kind of money for this book based solely on the word of a convicted felon. I mean, I'm not sure if even a reputable dealer could get away with selling this book raw for that kind of money (not that a reputable dealer would have any reason to sell it unslabbed). Smells like Shill City, USA to me, baby. Either that, or He Whose Name Shall Not Be Spoken reeled in the mother of all gamblers/suckers. Even if the book turned out to be unrestored (by some divine miracle), it really does indicate an enormous lack of common sense on the part of the buyer (if there really is one) to roll the dice in this situation with so much money at stake (no matter how much money he might have to burn).

[Rip]

I'm guessing he's going to file a non-payment with e-bay to recoup his costs.

[Murph]

Read above, Hammer claims this buyer is the same guy who bought his ASM 1. I believe he said today that the wire transfer is pending from this guy for the AF 15...

So he says it has sold.

 

Brian

[drbanner]

Yea, why go through the extensive trouble of faking so many aspects of the book if it were real.

One example aside from the lack of pixel bleed on the cover edges is try running that back cover through curves by draging the midtones down. I'm not seeing any minor imperfections revealed at ALL!

 

On ebay, he's selling the scan so the scan needs to look like a 9.6...but once in the hands of the buyer, he's selling the unrestored label, so the book needs to be unrestored. Would hammer refund the purchase price if CGC says it's a 9.2 (U) instead of a 9.6?

[Rip]

[drbanner]

I'm guessing he's going to file a non-payment with e-bay to recoup his costs.

 

Why in the world would he shill this auction? This is the payday auction for years of "hard work"...he wants to sell this book!

[the_Greatest]

Everything about this screams to me "Oh look at what a big Ebay power seller I am, You think you are messin with me, I'm King of the World." Shill City Indeed. Get back to me when you have a picture of Hammer holding this beautiful book. That would be just SO HARD of him to do right? He could even wear a Spider-Man mask to "hide"his face.

Why has he auctioned his "9.8" copy of # 122 three times, the last one ending at $1300 less than an earlier auction? Because he, and all of his blustering buffoonery are just that.

Latest # 122 auction........snore.

[Rip]

Interesting point, but any buyer forking over 100K should have enough sence to do a little research on the scan and the seller before slapping down 100K. Even if the book was a 9.2 wouldn't Hammer be leaving himself open to a case of fraud?

I still strongly say this is a fake book with a fake sale.

[delekkerste]

Why in the world would he shill this auction? This is the payday auction for years of "hard work"...he wants to sell this book!

 

Makes it look like people trust him enough to buy $100K+ books from him RAW. Lulls them into thinking they can trust him on his lower-priced auctions.

 

On the other hand, maybe he did find just a terribly naive buyer. Like I said, even if the book does turn out to be unrestored, any prudent person would have still stayed far, far away from this auction at that kind of price level.

[Rip]

To show newbies he gets high prices for raw books, hence, he is a proven trustworthy salesman who's grading ability is worthy of being trusted in the same manner as CGC.

[goldust40]

Why in the world would he shill this auction? This is the payday auction for years of "hard work"...he wants to sell this book!

 

Makes it look like people trust him enough to buy $100K+ books from him RAW. Lulls them into thinking they can trust him on his lower-priced auctions.

 

On the other hand, maybe he did find just a terribly naive buyer. Like I said, even if the book does turn out to be unrestored, any prudent person would have still stayed far, far away from this auction at that kind of price level.

 

The buyer (if he exists) would not only have to be incredibly naive and insanely wealthy but have poor eyesight. That scan simply doesn't look like a real comic, and that's not just due to the obvious photoshopping and impossibly straight edges.

[dolphinsrwj]

i would be very surprised if this book was unrestored because if so why would he not have put it up when all of that cbg stuff was going around? he could have sent it to cgc under a different name then when it came back unrestored he could have put it up on ebay to show not everything he has is restored.