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Auction find... wait garage sale find... 5 copies of Marvel SW 1 PV

Started by comicwiz,

23 posts in this topic

comicwiz

comicwiz

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Posted

I've been following a particular sellers activities. Initially with the intention of trying to purchase one of 5 copies of SW 1 35¢ PV that were first said to be found in a box at an auction.

 

eBay_auction1_zpsw5ryw9ap.jpg

 

After seeing the seller reneg on that listing (which consequently led to a neg being posted to his feedback), I didn't think there was a chance of obtaining a copy.

 

Less than a month later, one of the copies from the alleged find reappeared as a CGC copy. The s/n checked out, but the story changed as the description mentions the original find of the 5 copies was made by the sellers wife "at a garage sale."

 

eBay_auction2_zpshteohmnm.jpg

 

This is either one of the greatest improbable BA finds made by a "non-collector" or a scheme to lure buyers with a crafty description into a risky off-eBay deal for ungraded copies of a book seemingly experiencing an upswing in circulating fakes.

 

I should also mention I've exchanged some emails with the seller and apart from the above mentioned, the whole situation seems off enough that it's worth posting a buyer beware warning.

 

Sucks really because seeing that many copies of a SW 1 35¢ PV coming to market would otherwise be pretty darn impressive!

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KolmarAvenue

KolmarAvenue

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It's also being discussed over here.

 

Caution makes sense but I think it's legit. Tennessee, legit cgc#, seller has a low number of sales and feedback over a couple of years, if it's a long con then it's spectacular and it checks out.

 

That's a serious amount of coin and I don't blame the seller the least bit.

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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It's also being discussed over here.

 

Caution makes sense but I think it's legit. Tennessee, legit cgc#, seller has a low number of sales and feedback over a couple of years, if it's a long con then it's spectacular and it checks out.

 

That's a serious amount of coin and I don't blame the seller the least bit.

 

Caution is warranted.

 

He's changed his story. Let's face it, it's strange that on a find of this magnitude, you can't remember if you found them in a box at an auction or a garage sale?

 

There is at least one other person I'm aware of other than myself that he's tried to steer in the direction of selling "3 remaining" ungraded copies for $15K, which he purportedly had checked out by a comic dealer, and range in grade from "4.0 to 7.0."

 

No offer to have them graded - he wants to sell them ungraded.

 

This would also be a photo-less purchase as he hasn't replied to a single photo request by myself or one other party. I should also mention the one thing that was really strange is how he skipped the discussion of price and photos and remarked in his last email to me that his wife would be in touch to proceed with the purchase.

 

The handing-off of the deal to his wife is either a common con or just plain foolish since it was his wife who allegedly had access to his eBay account and originally undersold these. When I was scammed some years back, the investigator on the case revealed to me that handing-off to an accomplice is a common con meant to complicate a potential implication in a crime of opportunity scam.

 

Every other post I've caught of this guy on the eBay forums has been unusually careful in what he lists, soliciting for advice on how he lists the items, which descriptions to use, and those were on a find of worthless stamps and a book. I should also mention that for someone who uses the "I'm not a collector angle" (which too conveniently gives him an out in a counterfeit claim) he used lingo in emails to me, including remarking on the current hot state of the SW market in anticipation of a string of new movie releases, that you just wouldn't expect from someone who always includes "I'm not a collector" in his collectible listings.

 

On a find of this magnitude, none of this adds up. It could very well be that it's simply a situation of a seller who likes to complicate things, has a penchant for not answering to questions or requests, and is more a case of a deal that screams trouble than any intent to decieve. Based on what he's expecting to get for ungraded copies, I would be surprised if he honours the deal for the CGC copy that recently sold.

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valiantman

valiantman

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It would take a bit of investment, but if someone purchased a legit Star Wars #1 35-cent variant and cracked it to be regraded by CGC, they would establish that they do own one legit copy.

 

If they're willing to sell their fake copies off eBay, after they prove they have one legit copy, they can sell a lot more than 5 fake ones... as long as each private untraceable offer is for 4 or fewer.

 

It's potentially a $50,000+ scam that only costs about $2,000 to $3,000 to try to pull off... as long as you put the idea that at least one copy is legit (the one purchased specifically to pull off the scam), then you've got more evidence than the general eBay scams which use borrowed photos or non-CGC books.

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Artboy99

Artboy99

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If I was willing to spend $15,000 on 3 books then I think I would also be willing to take a plane trip to be able to pick them up locally and meet the seller.

 

Suggest a meet in person and see how the story spins, I guarantee he won't agree to this. You could even comfort the seller and agree to meet at a police station to complete the transaction. But no, the seller won't do that, and that will certify that this is a scam.

 

 

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comix4fun

comix4fun

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It's also being discussed over here.

 

Caution makes sense but I think it's legit. Tennessee, legit cgc#, seller has a low number of sales and feedback over a couple of years, if it's a long con then it's spectacular and it checks out.

 

That's a serious amount of coin and I don't blame the seller the least bit.

 

 

 

This is one of those great, real world, "what would you do?" scenarios.

 

Everyone wants to believe they are virtuous and ethical and moral, and in the abstract they'd never admit to themselves (usually) that they'd violate ethics or laws.

 

However, if you wave enough Benjamins in someone's face, in the actual and not the abstract, it seems everyone has their price.

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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If I was willing to spend $15,000 on 3 books then I think I would also be willing to take a plane trip to be able to pick them up locally and meet the seller.

 

Suggest a meet in person and see how the story spins, I guarantee he won't agree to this. You could even comfort the seller and agree to meet at a police station to complete the transaction. But no, the seller won't do that, and that will certify that this is a scam.

 

 

I think this is a fair proposition.

 

I had what I consider an extremely fair propostion of my own, which if we got along far enough, would have guaranteed payment provided everything checked out.

 

The only problem as I saw it is the seller had an unusually evasive approach, and a few of the messages were so off que that I wondered if he had intended to send the message to someone else.

 

For the amount of money being discussed, it just wasn't possible to even screen the deal in a way that would make me feel comfortable.

 

 

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DarthBane

DarthBane

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If I was willing to spend $15,000 on 3 books then I think I would also be willing to take a plane trip to be able to pick them up locally and meet the seller.

 

Suggest a meet in person and see how the story spins, I guarantee he won't agree to this. You could even comfort the seller and agree to meet at a police station to complete the transaction. But no, the seller won't do that, and that will certify that this is a scam.

 

 

I think this is a fair proposition.

 

I had what I consider an extremely fair propostion of my own, which if we got along far enough, would have guaranteed payment provided everything checked out.

 

The only problem as I saw it is the seller had an unusually evasive approach, and a few of the messages were so off que that I wondered if he had intended to send the message to someone else.

 

For the amount of money being discussed, it just wasn't possible to even screen the deal in a way that would make me feel comfortable.

 

 

:hi: ((In an unrelated topic, I am sure you saw the SW 4 CGC 9.9 on CL currently @ $3100 bid that ends tonight. The hammer will be potentially highly entertaining.))

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Michelangelo

Michelangelo

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To the OP, this is totally shady and I wouldn't waste my time.

 

An illusive seller who beats around the bush, can't seem to send pictures and is selling 5 ultra rare copies of a book on eBay ...

 

there are red flags popping up all around here.

 

if it's too good to be true..... y'know how this ends

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