Anyone think this looks Shilly?

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidderProfile&mode=1&item=201163602479&aid=e***i&eu=&bidtid=1109258069010&view=BUYER&ssPageName=PageBidderProfileViewBids_Buyer_ViewLink

 

199 bids, 100% with the same seller

 

I know it isn't definitive. Could be he just really likes sparkles but I don't like paying for stuff I was shilled on. Just on general principle.

 

Anyone aware of any shenanigans with sparkle?

The first thing I noticed was all the garbage on the scanner.

 

 

[lizards2]

 

 

 

[Aces]

Every book looks overgraded by at least two grades.

 

This.

 

Nah, some are only overgraded by one grade.

[Aces]

Sparkle-you're up.

 

Why bother. What do you expect them to say? Oh yeah sorry, we were shilling.... oops busted.... we'll never do it again?

 

 

Those responsible for the shilling have been shilled.

[shadroch]

I stopped even looking at their stuff. Its over-graded and or overpriced. Either they have a couple of loyal buyers willing to overpay on everything they offer or something isn't kosher. I hate to think that, as I have a lot of respect for the guys.

[1950's war comics]

you guys are right , I didn't notice they stopped selling CGC comics, wow only raw lately and no way one person would bid 199 times on only one company

my eyes have been opened !!! thanks

[Heronext]

What I will say, if anyone is interested in one dude's humble opinion, is that I see a lot of people on these boards very quick to accuse people of shilling. Nine times out of ten it's sour grapes because the bids rose beyond a buyer's reach or expectations. In other cases, those accusations have been dead-on, and we've seen instances where shillers caught in the act have come on here to admit their wrongdoing, and in some cases to be shamed out of the community. Good for those boardies for their detective work, for presenting convincing evidence, and for bringing these cases to light.

 

But some considerations should be made for this situation. An eBay user has been identified who has placed a lot of bids on 31 Sparkle City auctions. What I think serves no purpose is to jump to the conclusion that someone at Sparkle City, or the company in general, is dirty, when there are so many other possible explanations for this.

 

This could be a new user who bid on 31 items in one auction. This could be a user who indeed who has bid only on 31 Sparkle City auctions (not hard to believe). Or, this could be a user who has consigned items to Sparkle City and is bidding on (shilling) their own consignments.

 

Regarding this last possibility, we all know this can happen in any online auction and there is absolutely nothing that can be done to stop it. It can happen in Heritage auctions, ComicConnect auctions, myComicShop auctions, ComicLink auctions, Hake's auctions, Morphy's auctions, auctions that happen here on the boards, and yes, on Sparkle City's eBay auctions. The auction hosts may identify cases where someone with a user id has identifying details (for example name and/or email) in common with their consignor, but they can do very, very little to stop use of false identities or shilling rings.

 

Let's consider all the other possibilities, without pointing a finger at likely the last place it should be pointed. Or suggest something that can be done about the plague of anonymous shilling. We can be vigilant, but shilling that can't be identified is something we just have to live with in this hobby if you choose to participate in online auctions. At least eBay has some tools available to us to spot suspicious bidding patterns; something none of the other auction venues has. For using this venue, this is arguably one reason Sparkle City should be above reproach, at least relative to all other auctioneers.

[The-Collector]

Every book looks overgraded by at least two grades.

 

This.

 

+1

 

Lots of stuff looks super toasty and they don't seem to deduct for it all.

 

I have noticed an increasing trend for them to sell books raw, maybe because their auctions command strong prices no matter what the actual grade of the book is. If they put 9.4 as an estimated grade on a raw book it seems to sell close to the price of a 9.4 slabbed book.

[The-Collector]

I've felt this way for a long while. They made their name selling CGC books and now are using that brand loyalty to sell very over graded raws. Their defense of course will be, well you can see the pictures and bid accordingly, and our auctions start at 0.99 so you can get a great deal (which sure, you can some times).

 

Ah I see Jaybuck has beat me to it.

[Heronext]

I've felt this way for a long while. They made their name selling CGC books and now are using that brand loyalty to sell very over graded raws. Their defense of course will be, well you can see the pictures and bid accordingly, and our auctions start at 0.99 so you can get a great deal (which sure, you can some times).

 

Ah I see Jaybuck has beat me to it.

 

Including a grade in the auction title seems to be a new thing. I feel like for a long time in this "raw era" they did not do that, although whether they included it in the listing description or not, I'm not sure.

 

I assume that the cost of slabbing is maybe cutting too much into their bottom line.

[kav]

What I will say, if anyone is interested in one dude's humble opinion, is that I see a lot of people on these boards very quick to accuse people of shilling. Nine times out of ten it's sour grapes because the bids rose beyond a buyer's reach or expectations. In other cases, those accusations have been dead-on, and we've seen instances where shillers caught in the act have come on here to admit their wrongdoing, and in some cases to be shamed out of the community. Good for those boardies for their detective work, for presenting convincing evidence, and for bringing these cases to light.

 

But some considerations should be made for this situation. An eBay user has been identified who has placed a lot of bids on 31 Sparkle City auctions. What I think serves no purpose is to jump to the conclusion that someone at Sparkle City, or the company in general, is dirty, when there are so many other possible explanations for this.

 

This could be a new user who bid on 31 items in one auction. This could be a user who indeed who has bid only on 31 Sparkle City auctions (not hard to believe). Or, this could be a user who has consigned items to Sparkle City and is bidding on (shilling) their own consignments.

 

Regarding this last possibility, we all know this can happen in any online auction and there is absolutely nothing that can be done to stop it. It can happen in Heritage auctions, ComicConnect auctions, myComicShop auctions, ComicLink auctions, Hake's auctions, Morphy's auctions, auctions that happen here on the boards, and yes, on Sparkle City's eBay auctions. The auction hosts may identify cases where someone with a user id has identifying details (for example name and/or email) in common with their consignor, but they can do very, very little to stop use of false identities or shilling rings.

 

Let's consider all the other possibilities, without pointing a finger at likely the last place it should be pointed. Or suggest something that can be done about the plague of anonymous shilling. We can be vigilant, but shilling that can't be identified is something we just have to live with in this hobby if you choose to participate in online auctions. At least eBay has some tools available to us to spot suspicious bidding patterns; something none of the other auction venues has. For using this venue, this is arguably one reason Sparkle City should be above reproach, at least relative to all other auctioneers.

In that case it would be up to Sparkle city to notice possible shenanigans and err on the side of caution and not take that person's consignments. If indeed that mysterious bidder is bidding on items from one consignee, thats a smoking gun and Sparkle should act. it's their rep on the line.

[Heronext]

In that case it would be up to Sparkle city to notice possible shenanigans and err on the side of caution and not take that person's consignments. If indeed that mysterious bidder is bidding on items from one consignee, thats a smoking gun and Sparkle should act. it's their rep on the line.

 

I'm sure Sparkle City is busy enough sourcing, listing and processing books to spend the hours upon hours it would take to scrutinize bidding histories to that degree (99% of such effort would turn up nothing).

 

Even if they became suspicious, all they have is a scrambled ebay username. What are they supposed to do, report it to eBay? Do you think they would do anything? I'm not saying they wouldn't, I just don't know. Without the cooperation of eBay, they have very flimsy evidence, nothing on which they could "ban" a consignor.

 

I wonder if any of the auction houses have ever banned a consignor for the same reasons. We can't hold SC up to standards when we don't even know what the standards are across the entire online comic book auction landscape.

[The-Collector]

In that case it would be up to Sparkle city to notice possible shenanigans and err on the side of caution and not take that person's consignments. If indeed that mysterious bidder is bidding on items from one consignee, thats a smoking gun and Sparkle should act. it's their rep on the line.

 

I'm sure Sparkle City is busy enough sourcing, listing and processing books to spend the hours upon hours it would take to scrutinize bidding histories to that degree (99% of such effort would turn up nothing).

 

Even if they became suspicious, all they have is a scrambled ebay username. What are they supposed to do, report it to eBay? Do you think they would do anything? I'm not saying they wouldn't, I just don't know.

 

Just because they are busy does not absolve them of responsibility.

[Dick Pontoon]

Sellers can the the ebay name of all bidders on a particular auction, they are not scrambled.

[Heronext]

In that case it would be up to Sparkle city to notice possible shenanigans and err on the side of caution and not take that person's consignments. If indeed that mysterious bidder is bidding on items from one consignee, thats a smoking gun and Sparkle should act. it's their rep on the line.

 

I'm sure Sparkle City is busy enough sourcing, listing and processing books to spend the hours upon hours it would take to scrutinize bidding histories to that degree (99% of such effort would turn up nothing).

 

Even if they became suspicious, all they have is a scrambled ebay username. What are they supposed to do, report it to eBay? Do you think they would do anything? I'm not saying they wouldn't, I just don't know.

 

Just because they are busy does not absolve them of responsibility.

 

Have any of the other auction houses ever banned a consignor for the same reasons? We can't hold SC up to standards when we don't even know what the standards are, across the entire online comic book auction landscape.

[kav]

Even if they were scrambled if I had 100 items on consignment and all 100 were being bid on by t***h I would notice that pretty fast and without spending a lot of time 'researching' it.

[Heronext]

Sellers can the the ebay name of all bidders on a particular auction, they are not scrambled.

 

OK fair enough even so if they had a username and suspected shilling they would need eBay's cooperation to investigate further. And what can they do if further information provided by eBay in no way ties back to the consignor?

 

It would be great if there was no shilling ever, but I think it's unreasonable to expect Sparkle City to have a Shilling Investigator on staff, because it would take a full-time employee. OK I would expect it if it's a standard, but I haven't heard that this is the standard. 5 of the 6 auction venues, as I have stated before, are complete black boxes in this regard. If you asked them I'm sure they would say they look out for it, but I'm just as sure that they actually do nothing. I suppose a place like Heritage could block a consignor's Heritage account from bidding on their own auctions; does anyone know if they do this?

 

This is a reality we all have to live with, at least those who choose to participate in online auctions.

[Heronext]

Even if they were scrambled if I had 100 items on consignment and all 100 were being bid on by t***h I would notice that pretty fast and without spending a lot of time 'researching' it.

 

OK and then what would you do, if you are SC?

[kav]

Why do they need ebay's consent? They can end the auctions and return the books.

[Heronext]

Why do they need ebay's consent? They can end the auctions and return the books.

 

End an auction because they suspect shilling? Or end the auction because they suspect shilling by the consignor?

 

Do you know that you can consign books to SC without providing your eBay name? Do you know that if they asked by policy, that you could probably give a false one?