My friend had a crazy day at local auction house

[Fan Boy]

On Saturday my friend Adrian and me were scouting the comics which were up for bidding for Sunday yesterday. We each decided which lot to get. Wrote down the numbers. Come Sunday, me at my home and him at his home were online waiting to put our bids. It was raining hard that day.

 

Adrian being that it is his first time to try out with this auction, I explained the basics and few tips about bidding and to be careful with the amounts. Then he was on his own.

 

I lose out with the lots I wanted. There was one guy - "comicon2013" (from NWT up north) grabbing so many lots. Naturally that ticked me a bit, but since I only had 2-3 lots I was interested and I had put my max bids which I was conformable. If that guy want them badly - let him pay more.

 

But not to my friend... he got more ticked by this bidder grabbed some of the lots he wanted. One by one they slipped out of his hands. So he texted me that he was mad and go after the last remaining lots by bidding more. I texted back "be careful".

 

I did warned him that the auctioneer can decide to do "grouping up" the lots instead of single lot one by one. One bidder can end up be stuck with 4 or 7 or more lots with one single bid ... if that bidder has the most lots in this group But the bidder need to check off which lots he wants to avoid be stuck with everything. That process I said - this is how the auctioneer speed up the slow pace to finish up the day.

 

And... that was when Adrian made his mistake in there. With the NWT bidder about to snatch the lots Adrian wanted. He, getting pissed, checked ALL the lots by accident at the certain timing the auctioneer lower the opening bid from $100 - 90 - 80 ... to $20. No one wants to take too many lots with some comics (dreks), right? Somehow, Adrian won all 13 lots at $20 each!!

 

I laughed as he was telling how he didn't want be stuck with too much. I told him I did warn him. I got roped into helping him pick up the lots from the auction house. All totaled, he paid $260 plus fees and tax.

 

What he got are 5 short boxes and 7 lots of older / special books. At about 130-140 comics in each short box ... that worked out about 12-15 cents each comic at $20 per box. Not bad, I said to him. Many books are from 1970s to 1990s. Not "A" tier, but "B" and "C" tier superheroes.

 

Here are some photos what he got: (the 7 lots)

 

#1 lot - Star Wars #1 won bid $20

 

 

 

[Fan Boy]

# 2 lot - Flash #137 and 149 (1st and 2nd of Prof. Zoom) won bid $20

 

 

 

 

[Fan Boy]

#3 lot - Ghost Stories (8 books up to last issue #37) and one signed/numbered HC volume won bid $20

 

Showing each side of the slipcase

 

 

this volume with the cool artwork!

 

 

[Fan Boy]

# 4 lot - Batman: Black and White #1 & 2 (signed and limited with certificate) won bid $20

 

 

 

I will see in taking few more photos of other lots later on long weekend. Adrian gave me the command to sell some of his new acquired books to recap his expenses. He is more of a reader than a collector. He was just looking for cheap deals but got stuck with these! So, I have to help him out.

 

Adrian - well done on your first auction experience, grasshopper!

[Columbia Comics]

Flash 139

 

The Flash 139 and SW 1 are probably worth $200 so $60 for the rest is not a bad deal at all.

 

I'd say he did well, even with his mistake.

[Fan Boy]

Yeah, I would say the same, columbia comics.

 

What I'd like to know more is the HC volume - Black Cat Mystery, do this book has any value? I can't find in the guide - it's not listed. Anyone here know more about the slipcase volume?

 

I have never seen this edition before.

[Kahnadah]

Yeah, I would say the same, columbia comics.

 

What I'd like to know more is the HC volume - Black Cat Mystery, do this book has any value? I can't find in the guide - it's not listed. Anyone here know more about the slipcase volume?

 

I have never seen this edition before.

 

It's from a company called PS Artbooks. Link below!

 

http://psartbooks.com/catalog/black-cat-tabbed.html

 

They're still selling them at £69.99, which is about $113USD.

 

I have the hardcover books and I love them. The reprints are clear and sharp, and they're complete.

 

James

[Transplant]

CRAZY day, indeed. Crazy, man. Just crazy.

[Chip Cataldo]

More like CRAZY GOOD day.

[aardvark88]

Able Auctions bidding was confusing for those at the live auction most of Sunday. They would lump 9 lots in a row and ask for high bidder to choose their fave 1 or 2 lots at that price (say $175) then I guess balance of 7 comic lots would be proffered to the 2nd high bidder, and they would do this fast as online live bidding was in place.

I was going to bid $100 plus 15% buyer's premium + 5% tax + 2% if u use cr card on 1 lot. I would probably have been outbid by Flatliner and Beamer who were standing next to me but the lot was bundled up and went for $175 plus fees.

First half of the auction was for furniture, movie posters, miniature ship models at 10:00 a.m. to about noon. I went for lunch, came back to try to bid on the comic lot I wanted. Several comic collectors stayed for 6.5 hrs straight skipping lunch to await their comic lot in the afternoon.

Some of the animation cel backgrounds were just 33c color laser copies, not painted so u may have been bidding on junk, not 70s collectibles. Buyer beware !

[Fan Boy]

Able Auctions bidding was confusing for those at the live auction most of Sunday. They would lump 9 lots in a row and ask for high bidder to choose their fave 1 or 2 lots at that price (say $175) then I guess balance of 7 comic lots would be proffered to the 2nd high bidder, and they would do this fast as online live bidding was in place.

I was going to bid $100 plus 15% buyer's premium + 5% tax + 2% if u use cr card on 1 lot. I would probably have been outbid by Flatliner and Beamer who were standing next to me but the lot was bundled up and went for $175 plus fees.

First half of the auction was for furniture, movie posters, miniature ship models at 10:00 a.m. to about noon. I went for lunch, came back to try to bid on the comic lot I wanted. Several comic collectors stayed for 6.5 hrs straight skipping lunch to await their comic lot in the afternoon.

Some of the animation cel backgrounds were just 33c color laser copies, not painted so u may have been bidding on junk, not 70s collectibles. Buyer beware !

 

If you don't mind me asking... what was the reaction on floor? The moment when auctioneer decided to bundle up #1587-1599. From what I had seen online, it got mucked up and shifted into bundle lot. Then it got bidding to a quick wrap up.

 

Yes. .. it get quite crazy in there. I image that got bidders on floor talking?

[aardvark88]

Comic bidders on the floor were confused as the lot they REALLY wanted got into a bundled lot bid that people could not really understand if u choose 1 or had to buy all the 9 lots in that bundle. All of a sudden, comicon2013 outbid collector/dealers on the floor ... again. Only onsite bidders would have seen the hidden X-men 94 low grade in a banana box.

[Fan Boy]

What of the #1658 and 1678? My friend and I did had a look in 1678 and found 2 boxes of comics - one full of 1990-2000 dreks, but the other had many nice high grade Dells and GK books (about 100+). We missed #1658 so that one is a mystery ... wondered what were inside these boxes on top shelf?

 

One lot - #1678 was by the far side near washrooms. That lot sold for $350.

 

Yes, comicon2013 was a force upon many locals like you and me. He took ASM #129 mid-grade for $850. I thought that was a tad too much if you ask me.