My experience with 3 high-volume eBay sellers....

[rjpb]

I bought "uncirculated" copies of Blazing Combat 2 & 3 from Koch about 4-5 years ago on ebay. I've been around long enough to know that "uncirculated" is not the same thing as NM, so when they both showed up in about FN+ I wasn't too surprised - the total cost including shipping was $13. Around the same time I also picked up Psycho 1 & 2 ( the underground with early Dan Clowes stuff - not the horror mag) from Koch for about the same amount - andd they ended up being high grade - but they're from 1982 not 1966.

 

I've found neatstuffs grading on GA/Atom Age to be on the soft side but not way off - they have so much stuff you can still find bargains.

[october]

Yeah, deals can easily be found on Neatstuff's auctions. I got a bunch of early bronze age horror from them awhile back in VF or better for like $2 a pop. In fact, I remember someone started a thread slamming them and I was the ONLY person to come to their defense. I can honestly say that when I got good deals from them, I let everyone know. Just as I am letting everyone know now about my lastest transaction...

[shrunkenhead]

I had a few problems with Koch orders, but he always made good, and responded to emails promptly. That's more than I can say for most, so he still gets a "pass" from me.

[CainTheCaretaker-migration]

I could've saved you the time on these guys if you had asked. Thanks for the public service announcement.

[CainTheCaretaker-migration]

But what is insidious with that cosmic-king auction is that the posted pic IS NOT the book you got. Major no no in my opinion, and hence your disgust totally justified even if you won it for .01. Sounds good that you are even getting your money back, although it sounds like a "you busted me, so I'll bail myself out" ala comic-keys.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

I had a few problems with Koch orders, but he always made good, and responded to emails promptly. That's more than I can say for most, so he still gets a "pass" from me.

 

I just received my first Koch.com order yesterday...and five of the nine "VF/NM" books I ordered would barely pass for Fines. Still haven't responded to my email yet either, but it sounds like I least have a hope of getting the situation rectified.

[Kramerica]

You got burned by 3 of the biggest & well known lousy sellers on Ebay. These three have all been discussed multiple times here on the boards. All 3 KNOW they are being "lenient" with their grades. They're taking advantage of the fact that 98% of Ebay BUYERS can't grade either. I'm not surprised and you shouldn't be either with your results. The truth is that 98% of all comic sellers on Ebay overgrade. Either they are deceitful or ignorant or both. Too many buyers are so preoccupied with getting a "deal" that they would rather pay 20% of guide from a questionable seller than 50% from a reliable one. As if paying 50% of guide was a bad thing... But what almost always happens is that you end up paying 50% or more of the guide price because your VF is going to end up being a FINE. You go lowballing on a site that is already built for deals and you're going to get burned. It's worse for members of the forum here because we arguably have the strictest grading criteria out there. It's almost silly to expect that we are going to be happy with the books we purchase at 20% of guide from Ebay. A 1 to 2 grade difference is almost expected when purchasing from Ebay at ANY price, not to mention when we get a "good deal". What makes it worse is that sellers who once accurately graded their books are now lowering their standards as well since they know they are seldom going to get called on it. I don't buy into the "the seller did make good, gave a refund" routine either. 75% of the time they gave you a refund only because of a little thing called feedback. C'mon: over half of the dealers at any con overgrade. What makes you think it'll be better on Ebay? There's even a few forum members I've purchased from that either can't grade or are overgrading on purpose. Some used to be strict and have lowered their standards as well. The term "you get what you paid for" has never been truer and when you do get a "good deal" (until you recieve it of course) there is usually a reason be it a lousy track record, poor scan, shady description or all of the above. C'mon, these three sellers have built their Ebay model on deception: One advertises 9.4's or 9.6's when they have already pulled the true NM/NM+ books and had them graded and are selling them under another name. Another claims ignorance since they have so many of the same copy that it's easy to make a mistake. And the other has so many negatives that it makes me wonder why anyone would buy from them regardless of the deal they are getting. When you buy from someone you've never bought from you're gambling and the house almost always wins. Sure, you'll get lucky once in a while but a forum member buying on Ebay is like ordering Dominos, Papa Johns or Pizza Hut: most people are happy but those with discriminating tastes know they're getting burned. And that's how I liken the 3 sellers you purchased from. Making things worse is that everyone is afraid to leave feedback since they'll get retalitory feedback in return. They are so worried about this little red number that they are willing to let it slide because it was "only a grade or two off and that's actually GOOD for Ebay!" or they are afraid of their feedback rating being tarnished. "Heavens forbid that anyone should say anything bad about me" This quest for universal acceptance has them shaking in their boots every time they contemplate leaving negative or even neutral feedback. Personally, I think my feedback rating is like 72% or something like that on my buying account since I left so many negatives to Ebay scum. People have a responsibility to leave negative feedback to shady overgrading, poor packaging fleabags. Go get yourself a a buying account to go with your selling account. When one of these jerkoffs pulls a shady transaction go postal on them. Don't worry about your feedback, just neg them and maybe you or I or a fellow board member will see it and think twice about buying from them. Then none of us gets reemed and has to spend good time emailing the seller, packaging and returning the book and generally spending good time complaining about it on the boards like me: I'm sick and stuck at home with nothing better to do so I'll just complain about a universal flea market where the potential to get screwed is not only a possibility but a virtual certainty when buying from unscrupulous, overgrading trash.

[october]

That about sums it up. I already left a negative for Koch and the other two might shortly follow (I have a "buying" ID as well). I take the good with the bad. I have gotten things for 10-20% of guide because a seller can't grade and low balled it, and sometimes I get the flip side, like with these three. I have gotten GREAT deals from Neatstuff, but at this point it just isn't worth the hassle. I have 5-10 eBay sellers I am comfortable buying from (you are one) and from now on I will stick to that unless the scan is large or the price is ridiculous.

[Sal]

now that is a rant i can get behind! well done indeed

[mr_highgrade]

Well said Mark!

[johny myman-migration]

You got burned by 3 of the biggest & well known lousy sellers on Ebay. These three have all been discussed multiple times here on the boards. All 3 KNOW they are being "lenient" with their grades. They're taking advantage of the fact that 98% of Ebay BUYERS can't grade either. I'm not surprised and you shouldn't be either with your results. The truth is that 98% of all comic sellers on Ebay overgrade. Either they are deceitful or ignorant or both. Too many buyers are so preoccupied with getting a "deal" that they would rather pay 20% of guide from a questionable seller than 50% from a reliable one. As if paying 50% of guide was a bad thing... But what almost always happens is that you end up paying 50% or more of the guide price because your VF is going to end up being a FINE. You go lowballing on a site that is already built for deals and you're going to get burned. It's worse for members of the forum here because we arguably have the strictest grading criteria out there. It's almost silly to expect that we are going to be happy with the books we purchase at 20% of guide from Ebay. A 1 to 2 grade difference is almost expected when purchasing from Ebay at ANY price, not to mention when we get a "good deal". What makes it worse is that sellers who once accurately graded their books are now lowering their standards as well since they know they are seldom going to get called on it. I don't buy into the "the seller did make good, gave a refund" routine either. 75% of the time they gave you a refund only because of a little thing called feedback. C'mon: over half of the dealers at any con overgrade. What makes you think it'll be better on Ebay? There's even a few forum members I've purchased from that either can't grade or are overgrading on purpose. Some used to be strict and have lowered their standards as well. The term "you get what you paid for" has never been truer and when you do get a "good deal" (until you recieve it of course) there is usually a reason be it a lousy track record, poor scan, shady description or all of the above. C'mon, these three sellers have built their Ebay model on deception: One advertises 9.4's or 9.6's when they have already pulled the true NM/NM+ books and had them graded and are selling them under another name. Another claims ignorance since they have so many of the same copy that it's easy to make a mistake. And the other has so many negatives that it makes me wonder why anyone would buy from them regardless of the deal they are getting. When you buy from someone you've never bought from you're gambling and the house almost always wins. Sure, you'll get lucky once in a while but a forum member buying on Ebay is like ordering Dominos, Papa Johns or Pizza Hut: most people are happy but those with discriminating tastes know they're getting burned. And that's how I liken the 3 sellers you purchased from. Making things worse is that everyone is afraid to leave feedback since they'll get retalitory feedback in return. They are so worried about this little red number that they are willing to let it slide because it was "only a grade or two off and that's actually GOOD for Ebay!" or they are afraid of their feedback rating being tarnished. "Heavens forbid that anyone should say anything bad about me" This quest for universal acceptance has them shaking in their boots every time they contemplate leaving negative or even neutral feedback. Personally, I think my feedback rating is like 72% or something like that on my buying account since I left so many negatives to Ebay scum. People have a responsibility to leave negative feedback to shady overgrading, poor packaging fleabags. Go get yourself a a buying account to go with your selling account. When one of these jerkoffs pulls a shady transaction go postal on them. Don't worry about your feedback, just neg them and maybe you or I or a fellow board member will see it and think twice about buying from them. Then none of us gets reemed and has to spend good time emailing the seller, packaging and returning the book and generally spending good time complaining about it on the boards like me: I'm sick and stuck at home with nothing better to do so I'll just complain about a universal flea market where the potential to get screwed is not only a possibility but a virtual certainty when buying from unscrupulous, overgrading trash.

 

[embarrassing lack of self control] ruthless I love it!!

[Kramerica]

now that is a rant i can get behind! well done indeed

Thanks! We really shouldn't hesitate to tell it like it is and leave negs where needed. Some of these sellers just don't deserve a free pass.