Batman 11 journey Solved

[sufunk]

I ended up picking up my All-American # 21 from him at a solid GPA-low after he finally relented and sold it at auction.

 

But his 5.0 or 5.5 All-American 17 just pissed me off. I was the 1st or 2nd underbidder on it in the C-link auction about 3 years ago, where he snagged it for ~$2,700. And promptly posted to his eBay store with a Buy-It-Now of $4,400.

 

I haven't gone back to check, but it may be the same copy that Disneyart now has showing on eBay for the same amount.

 

like that drives me NUTS!!!

 

Dont get me wrong, i have nothing against any dealers or them making money. It sucks when you lose out to one in an auction though for a book you REALLY want for your collection only to see it in their store with an OBSCENE BIN price. Again, i know they are out to make money and thats fine but this strategy rarely works.

 

If a book sells in auction for $3000, what in the hell makes you think anyone is going to pay $4500 for it the next week??? If someone wanted to pay nearly that much they would have just bid on it in the 1st place. Sure people miss auctions or dont know about them but still, the auction price is usually a pretty good indicator of what FMV for a book is. trying to sell it for 50% more a week later just makes no sense and they usually end of sitting there FOREVER. I'm sure once in a blue moon it pays off but usually it just sits and sits and sits

 

its definitely annoying to see a book you wanted badly sitting in someones eBay store for months/years with a BIN 50-100% over gpa

[Guardian Comics]

even really

 

blatant

 

super dooper

 

shilltastic douchebaggery

 

 

Ouchy.

 

These are just the newest examples...Timmay had different examples last month. I'd avoid him like the plague but I always like the head in the sand, "but he's got books I want, so he's a good guy" response.

 

JJ

[shrunkenhead]

even really

 

blatant

 

super dooper

 

shilltastic douchebaggery

 

 

Ouchy.

 

These are just the newest examples...Timmay had different examples last month. I'd avoid him like the plague but I always like the head in the sand, "but he's got books I want, so he's a good guy" response.

 

JJ

 

 

Oh man, those are terrible. Crossing this guy off my list.

[Guardian Comics]

even really

 

blatant

 

super dooper

 

shilltastic douchebaggery

 

 

Ouchy.

 

If I wanted the book, what better way to make sure I get it than walk the bid up and snipe it at the end?

 

What's the point of the "walk up" bids? Why not just put in the snipe and let it ride, less hassle, less time and a chance to get it cheaper because when people see 30 different bids they think they are missing out on something special and bid more. Your "technique" seems to be the polar opposite of the "better way". Just my as I'm not suggesting or accusing you of anything.

 

Jim

[SparkleCityComics]

We sold the book on 6/26, the high bidder was mbhighlander63. He never paid us for the book.

 

We have no idea why he listed the book for sale since he never paid and never received it. He has since been blocked from bidding on our account.

 

We re-listed the book last night...

 

Earlier this week we received an email from an eBay member and long time boardie basically telling us that we are shilling. He was basing this on the fact that he lost an auction to a bidder with a high % of wins with us. He claimed to have talked to eBay and had been told that the winning bidder's address was the same as our address (I can't believe that as I know for a fact after speaking to my rep that ebay customer service does not have access to that information, nor would they ever share it due to legal concerns). Thankfully this boardie contacted us before posting the false accusation here on the boards, although he did threaten to do so.. After providing the boardie with information proving that there was no shilling we did receive an apology.

 

We certainly understand the concern about shilling, but the seemingly endless suspicion and accusations do get frustrating. We have been running true no reserve auctions for over a year now. We have received many excellent prices but also sold stuff at bargains for people. How long does it take to get the benefit of the doubt here?

 

Sparkle City Comics does not Shill.

[chromium]

How long does it take to get the benefit of the doubt here?

 

 

4 years or 2750 (non-graemlin) posts.

[8milemax]

We sold the book on 6/26, the high bidder was mbhighlander63. He never paid us for the book.

 

We have no idea why he listed the book for sale since he never paid and never received it. He has since been blocked from bidding on our account.

 

We re-listed the book last night...

 

Earlier this week we received an email from an eBay member and long time boardie basically telling us that we are shilling. He was basing this on the fact that he lost an auction to a bidder with a high % of wins with us. He claimed to have talked to eBay and had been told that the winning bidder's address was the same as our address (I can't believe that as I know for a fact after speaking to my rep that ebay customer service does not have access to that information, nor would they ever share it due to legal concerns). Thankfully this boardie contacted us before posting the false accusation here on the boards, although he did threaten to do so.. After providing the boardie with information proving that there was no shilling we did receive an apology.

 

We certainly understand the concern about shilling, but the seemingly endless suspicion and accusations do get frustrating. We have been running true no reserve auctions for over a year now. We have received many excellent prices but also sold stuff at bargains for people. How long does it take to get the benefit of the doubt here?

 

Sparkle City Comics does not Shill.

From my point it was not about you, I was worried about mbhighlander owning the book and shilling it during your auction

[Sal]

We sold the book on 6/26, the high bidder was mbhighlander63. He never paid us for the book.

 

We have no idea why he listed the book for sale since he never paid and never received it. He has since been blocked from bidding on our account.

 

We re-listed the book last night...

 

Earlier this week we received an email from an eBay member and long time boardie basically telling us that we are shilling. He was basing this on the fact that he lost an auction to a bidder with a high % of wins with us. He claimed to have talked to eBay and had been told that the winning bidder's address was the same as our address (I can't believe that as I know for a fact after speaking to my rep that ebay customer service does not have access to that information, nor would they ever share it due to legal concerns). Thankfully this boardie contacted us before posting the false accusation here on the boards, although he did threaten to do so.. After providing the boardie with information proving that there was no shilling we did receive an apology.

 

We certainly understand the concern about shilling, but the seemingly endless suspicion and accusations do get frustrating. We have been running true no reserve auctions for over a year now. We have received many excellent prices but also sold stuff at bargains for people. How long does it take to get the benefit of the doubt here?

 

Sparkle City Comics does not Shill.

 

You could send out free comics to influential or veteran Forumites as a show of goodwill

[Buzzetta]

even really

 

blatant

 

super dooper

 

shilltastic douchebaggery

 

 

Ouchy.

 

If I wanted the book, what better way to make sure I get it than walk the bid up and snipe it at the end?

 

What's the point of the "walk up" bids? Why not just put in the snipe and let it ride, less hassle, less time and a chance to get it cheaper because when people see 30 different bids they think they are missing out on something special and bid more. Your "technique" seems to be the polar opposite of the "better way". Just my as I'm not suggesting or accusing you of anything.

 

Jim

 

Some books in my Spider-man collection were more difficult to find at auction than others. The realized auction prices were almost always less than the buy it now prices. Walking up the bids let me know what the high bidder is absolutely prepared to pay and I make a snipe bid at the last minute to outbid the high bidder. You also have to know how the eBay increments work.

 

Basically instead of seesaw bids going back and forth, I slightly tip the seesaw than crash it at the last second. Whenever I place an outright snipe at the end I never win. Whenever I walk it up first and then snipe, I win almost every time.

[Transplant]

I don't have any reason to think that SC shills their auctions. Why would they? They seem to get great prices based on a diverse pool of buyers.

 

mbhighlander is the problem. From what I've seen in other threads and on ebay, he's definitely shilling most any "auction" of his.

[SparkleCityComics]

We sold the book on 6/26, the high bidder was mbhighlander63. He never paid us for the book.

 

We have no idea why he listed the book for sale since he never paid and never received it. He has since been blocked from bidding on our account.

 

We re-listed the book last night...

 

Earlier this week we received an email from an eBay member and long time boardie basically telling us that we are shilling. He was basing this on the fact that he lost an auction to a bidder with a high % of wins with us. He claimed to have talked to eBay and had been told that the winning bidder's address was the same as our address (I can't believe that as I know for a fact after speaking to my rep that ebay customer service does not have access to that information, nor would they ever share it due to legal concerns). Thankfully this boardie contacted us before posting the false accusation here on the boards, although he did threaten to do so.. After providing the boardie with information proving that there was no shilling we did receive an apology.

 

We certainly understand the concern about shilling, but the seemingly endless suspicion and accusations do get frustrating. We have been running true no reserve auctions for over a year now. We have received many excellent prices but also sold stuff at bargains for people. How long does it take to get the benefit of the doubt here?

 

Sparkle City Comics does not Shill.

From my point it was not about you, I was worried about mbhighlander owning the book and shilling it during your auction

 

Fair enough. Thanks for that.

 

Perhaps we are a bit sensitive to being associated with any shilling or being implicated in any way as it something we are vehemently against and do not engage in. Having our name mentioned in relation to shilling allegations on a public forum just doesn't seem like a good thing.

 

[SparkleCityComics]

We sold the book on 6/26, the high bidder was mbhighlander63. He never paid us for the book.

 

We have no idea why he listed the book for sale since he never paid and never received it. He has since been blocked from bidding on our account.

 

We re-listed the book last night...

 

Earlier this week we received an email from an eBay member and long time boardie basically telling us that we are shilling. He was basing this on the fact that he lost an auction to a bidder with a high % of wins with us. He claimed to have talked to eBay and had been told that the winning bidder's address was the same as our address (I can't believe that as I know for a fact after speaking to my rep that ebay customer service does not have access to that information, nor would they ever share it due to legal concerns). Thankfully this boardie contacted us before posting the false accusation here on the boards, although he did threaten to do so.. After providing the boardie with information proving that there was no shilling we did receive an apology.

 

We certainly understand the concern about shilling, but the seemingly endless suspicion and accusations do get frustrating. We have been running true no reserve auctions for over a year now. We have received many excellent prices but also sold stuff at bargains for people. How long does it take to get the benefit of the doubt here?

 

Sparkle City Comics does not Shill.

 

You could send out free comics to influential or veteran Forumites as a show of goodwill

 

We must have a few cases of Heroes Inc. in our basement somewhere....

[Transplant]

I don't know I think that some of the accusations of shill bidding on eBay and other auctions sites are the results of nothing more than sour grapes. A couple of months ago I was tempted to respond because someone pointed out that a couple of listings where I was the underbidders and thought that I was a shill bidder. I did not want to say anything at the time because I was legitimately going after the books (Spider-mans for my 1-100 set) and I thought it might work against me. They noted the massive amounts of tiny bids determined to walk a bid up slightly under the other bidders' maximum bid. Yup, that was me. Guilty as charged. If I wanted the book, what better way to make sure I get it than walk the bid up and snipe it at the end? Quite a few books that were charged with involved shill bids are sitting in my collection.

 

Not all competitors are shill bidders. Some just want the books.

 

This word is the only thing saving this post from being flat out dumb. Take a second and look at mbhighlander and then I think you'll see where folks have some strong arguments for his shilling his "auctions."

[Buzzetta]

I don't know I think that some of the accusations of shill bidding on eBay and other auctions sites are the results of nothing more than sour grapes. A couple of months ago I was tempted to respond because someone pointed out that a couple of listings where I was the underbidders and thought that I was a shill bidder. I did not want to say anything at the time because I was legitimately going after the books (Spider-mans for my 1-100 set) and I thought it might work against me. They noted the massive amounts of tiny bids determined to walk a bid up slightly under the other bidders' maximum bid. Yup, that was me. Guilty as charged. If I wanted the book, what better way to make sure I get it than walk the bid up and snipe it at the end? Quite a few books that were charged with involved shill bids are sitting in my collection.

 

Not all competitors are shill bidders. Some just want the books.

 

This word is the only thing saving this post from being flat out dumb. Take a second and look at mbhighlander and then I think you'll see where folks have some strong arguments for his shilling his "auctions."

 

Thanks, I would of been distraught had my post qualified as "flat out dumb"

[Guardian Comics]

I don't have any reason to think that SC shills their auctions. Why would they? They seem to get great prices based on a diverse pool of buyers.

 

mbhighlander is the problem. From what I've seen in other threads and on ebay, he's definitely shilling most any "auction" of his.

 

Exactly...Sparkle City and its reputation was never at question here, it's all about the awesomeness that is MBHighlander, but thanks to Sparkle City we also now know he is a Non- Paying bidder as well.

 

JJ

[DeliBebek]

We sold the book on 6/26, the high bidder was mbhighlander63. He never paid us for the book.

 

We have no idea why he listed the book for sale since he never paid and never received it. He has since been blocked from bidding on our account.

 

We re-listed the book last night...

Wow. My guess was not far off.

[Mephisto]

Yeah--mbhighlander is the dealer who basically bought up all the decent slabbed copies of All-American # 17-25 back in 2010 to capitalize on the Green Lantern movie hype.

 

He then relisted them at insane (30-50%) mark-ups in his eBay store and they sat for a year+ until he finally let them go at auction, where many sold for less than he paid because the GL movie hype didn't really extend to the Golden Age Alan Scott character.

 

 

Damn, reading your first paragraph I was going to ask if they saw a spike, since Alan was not GL in the movie and looks different. Plus those books are already high priced. Movie spikes tend to do best with lower and medium end books as there are more fish in the pool to make prices insane.

[comicdonna]

He has since been blocked from bidding on our account.

This is good news! After reading another post about him buying early Actions, I am guessing he was bidding against me on the 6.5 #22 I got from you guys. Very nice book BTW.

[SparkleCityComics]

 

Earlier this week we received an email from an eBay member and long time boardie basically telling us that we are shilling. He was basing this on the fact that he lost an auction to a bidder with a high % of wins with us. He claimed to have talked to eBay and had been told that the winning bidder's address was the same as our address (I can't believe that as I know for a fact after speaking to my rep that ebay customer service does not have access to that information, nor would they ever share it due to legal concerns). Thankfully this boardie contacted us before posting the false accusation here on the boards, although he did threaten to do so.. After providing the boardie with information proving that there was no shilling we did receive an apology.

 

 

I wonder if this boardie would like to out himself, since he believes so much in justice and speaking out. Then other boardies can question his integrity (for lying about getting info from eBay reps and being quick to be paranoid/accuse people). The grilling would stop (and apologies can begin) soon as he could provide the board with proof that he is not really mentally weak

 

Not necessary, I actually give this guy credit for contacting me before launching a full scale attack. I'm not saying he was lying about the info he got from eBay, more likely is that either the rep or he confused our info with that of the high bidder's. If anything, what upset me about this incident was the manner and tone in which we were contacted and the accusations levied. In the end the boardie did communicate and consider the facts. He apologized for his actions and we genuinely forgive him. He is a respected collector and a good guy. There are no hard feelings at all.

 

I brought the incident up only to explain the frustration we have about this topic and being associated or implicated in this type of wrong-doing based on nothing more than speculation.

[SparkleCityComics]

He has since been blocked from bidding on our account.

This is good news! After reading another post about him buying early Actions, I am guessing he was bidding against me on the 6.5 #22 I got from you guys. Very nice book BTW.

 

Thanks for your business & Congrats on the gorgeous #22!