Why don't some people understand that the comics that they list for sale are delicate items? 3 3

[Get Marwood & I]

Usual story. Some sixty year old comics are listed on eBay by a seller with a long history of positive feedback. They are immaculate. Nothing pricey, but I collect them and they are immaculate. 

I win, and send the usual message - "Please pack them well (smiley face)". I add a few suggestions as to what that might mean, being careful not to insult them - they have 100% positive feedback, after all.

A week later they arrive loose in a jiffy bag. No cardboard, no bags, no boards. During the journey, the bag has been folded, creased, dented and crushed, entirely as you would expect. The comics, whilst still lovely and clean, are now creased, dented, split and effectively ruined. They survived 60 years, somehow, in a wonderfully preserved state. The seller takes the trouble to sell them. And then proceeds to destroy them.

I will never understand why they do that. I will never understand the mind that places paper comics in an unsupported A4 bag, and does not for one second, seemingly, consider the chances of that paper comic arriving at its destination in the same condition. I can only conclude that these people are morons. Utter morons. As are those that leave them the 100% positive feedback that they - inexplicably if this is indicative of their normal packing methods - manage to acquire. 

Poor comics. 

You can't be a comic collector of course, and expect never to experience this. It goes with the territory because other people go with the territory. And sometimes, other people cannot be trusted. Because they are morons. 

[Tghutcn]

I have had this problem so many problems with this is why I rarely order online anymore. I ordered  a Fantastic  Four 55 once it looked to be probably a 7.0 when it arrived it was destroyed it looked like someone had stamped on the Jiffy bag they sent it in. Honestly it doesn’t hurt to use common sense it’s a comic it isn’t going to survive the post service in a unsupported Jiffy bag 

[comicdonna]

The last time I gave packing instructions, the thick cardboard was placed in the centerfold, ruining the HG comic.  The time before that, the book was wrapped in plastic, and shrink wrapped with heat to a size smaller than the comic.  These days, I only buy from reputable sellers on the boards, reputable dealers and a few auction houses.  

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2021 at 1:31 PM, comicdonna said:

The last time I gave packing instructions, the thick cardboard was placed in the centerfold, ruining the HG comic

Damned if you do....

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2021 at 12:05 PM, Tghutcn said:

Honestly it doesn’t hurt to use common sense

It's common sense failure on several levels. Not only are they destroying a precious item through a lack of reasonable care, the seller is sabotaging their own sale, almost guaranteeing a return and inviting reputation impacting problems. It's a lose lose. 

[Tghutcn]

On 10/16/2021 at 1:36 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

It's common sense failure on several levels. Not only are they destroying a precious item through a lack of reasonable care, the seller is sabotaging their own sale, almost guaranteeing a return and inviting reputation impacting problems. It's a lose lose. 

Exactly but I imagine if you tried to explain this to the seller they would probably ignore you and tell them to stop wasting there time cause they think they know everything that tends to be the case

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2021 at 2:08 PM, Tghutcn said:

Exactly but I imagine if you tried to explain this to the seller they would probably ignore you and tell them to stop wasting there time cause they think they know everything that tends to be the case

That can happen, yes. People are often reluctant to admit their own failings I find. I had a slabbed 9.6 Spidey #179 with MJI sent to me from the US once. That arrived in a jiffy bag, smashed to pieces. When I contacted the seller they said that that had never happened to them before, and implied it was my fault. With some people you can argue your case and they will accept and respond to a logical argument. Others will insist that a slab sent around the world in a jiffy bag should arrive undamaged. You can't reason with people like that. "I've hit windows with a sledge hammer a hundred times and that's the first one that's ever broken". 

[Bookery]

 

[Ken Aldred]

On 10/16/2021 at 2:08 PM, Tghutcn said:

Exactly but I imagine if you tried to explain this to the seller they would probably ignore you and tell them to stop wasting there time cause they think they know everything that tends to be the case

Or they’ll make it appear that you’re a pest and an exception…

’We’ve shipped to many satisfied customers the world over, without issues.’

That happened to me in a similar Jiffy Bag incident.

[Buzzetta]

Meanwhile all of the other collectors in other areas must think we are packing nerds. 

 

This was for a Toy Sale on FB. I packed it the way I felt it should go out.  I get this though a LOT.  I think that we, as comic collectors, are a bit more sensitive in ensuring that all items are sent out the way we would want to receive them. 

 

 

[JollyComics]

On 10/16/2021 at 7:34 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Damned if you do....

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2021 at 3:42 PM, JollyComics said:

 

[Qalyar]

Right? I've had a couple of terminally underpacked items arrive intact, which I assume only feeds the willingness of shippers to send items out into the world unprotected. But I've had more arrive mangled than miraculous. Notably including a newsstand variant of a book no one else cares about, which was mailed to me, unsupported, in a manilla envelope.

As usual with this sort of thing, the seller's response was to shrug it off. "That book isn't worth anything, so condition doesn't matter anyway." I continue to disbelieve the number of times I've been told that. It's even sadder when people treat items that do have a significant market value in the same way.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2021 at 4:48 PM, Qalyar said:

Right? I've had a couple of terminally underpacked items arrive intact, which I assume only feeds the willingness of shippers to send items out into the world unprotected. But I've had more arrive mangled than miraculous. Notably including a newsstand variant of a book no one else cares about, which was mailed to me, unsupported, in a manilla envelope.

As usual with this sort of thing, the seller's response was to shrug it off. "That book isn't worth anything, so condition doesn't matter anyway." I continue to disbelieve the number of times I've been told that. It's even sadder when people treat items that do have a significant market value in the same way.

Too much to hope for, but it would be nice if ebay could somehow compel sellers to sign up to some minimum packing standard for collectibles, with penalties for poor attempts. Hard to administer I suppose, but at least make them watch a best practice video before being allowed to sell. If a seller can take the trouble to grade and list a comic as a 'high grade' item, they shouldn't be able to cite low commercial value as a reason why poor packing, and any resultant damage, doesn't matter.

[MattTheDuck]

I regret to inform everyone that "common sense" is out of fashion across societies at the moment, as is any and all criticism of anyone for being a dope.  Unfortunately, it's not only comics that are being maimed.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2021 at 5:07 PM, MattTheDuck said:

I regret to inform everyone that "common sense" is out of fashion across societies at the moment, as is any and all criticism of anyone for being a dope.  Unfortunately, it's not only comics that are being maimed.

Indeed. Just look at the moderation thread...

[Get Marwood & I]

On 10/16/2021 at 3:17 PM, Buzzetta said:

Meanwhile all of the other collectors in other areas must think we are packing nerds. 

 

This was for a Toy Sale on FB. I packed it the way I felt it should go out.  I get this though a LOT.  I think that we, as comic collectors, are a bit more sensitive in ensuring that all items are sent out the way we would want to receive them. 

 

 

That'll be a hard avatar to lego of Buzz 

 

 

[The Lions Den]

On 10/16/2021 at 6:08 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Usual story. Some sixty year old comics are listed on eBay by a seller with a long history of positive feedback. They are immaculate. Nothing pricey, but I collect them and they are immaculate. 

I win, and send the usual message - "Please pack them well (smiley face)". I add a few suggestions as to what that might mean, being careful not to insult them - they have 100% positive feedback, after all.

A week later they arrive loose in a jiffy bag. No cardboard, no bags, no boards. During the journey, the bag has been folded, creased, dented and crushed, entirely as you would expect. The comics, whilst still lovely and clean, are now creased, dented, split and effectively ruined. They survived 60 years, somehow, in a wonderfully preserved state. The seller takes the trouble to sell them. And then proceeds to destroy them.

I will never understand why they do that. I will never understand the mind that places paper comics in an unsupported A4 bag, and does not for one second, seemingly, consider the chances of that paper comic arriving at its destination in the same condition. I can only conclude that these people are morons. Utter morons. As are those that leave them the 100% positive feedback that they - inexplicably if this is indicative of their normal packing methods - manage to acquire. 

Poor comics. 

You can't be a comic collector of course, and expect never to experience this. It goes with the territory because other people go with the territory. And sometimes, other people cannot be trusted. Because they are morons. 

I feel your pain, my brother...  

For me, this is probably the single most disheartening part of the hobby. Even though I always send a friendly reminder (such as: Please package this item VERY securely to prevent any damage during shipping) I still occasionally receive books with severely malnourished packaging. It drives me    crazy...

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 10/16/2021 at 12:22 PM, The Lions Den said:

I feel your pain, my brother...  

For me, this is probably the single most disheartening part of the hobby. Even though I always send a friendly reminder (such as: Please package this item VERY securely to prevent any damage during shipping) I still occasionally receive books with severely malnourished packaging. It drives me    crazy...

 

I’m curious if you browse their feedback prior to sending this friendly reminder.  I ask because I’ve had a couple of these come in, and it kinda bothers me as a seller.  I take packing very seriously and it’s clear that I do from my feedback comments.  

[zzutak]

And then there are the conscientious sellers that treat a paper collectible the same way they treat fragile china.  You do not protect a comic against bends, creases, and corner dings by encasing it in bubble-wrap!    Rather, you attempt to create a bullet-proof brick by sandwiching/securing the comic between stiff sheets of slightly oversized cardboard (that has not already been creased and weakened).