Hundreds of "Photocopy" listings on eBay 3 3

[Dr. Balls]

On 5/20/2023 at 4:28 PM, L'Angelo Misterioso said:

Yes I've noticed this too when browsing eBay, and it's just another thing that convinces me to not buy golden age on that platform

I've taken a few risks on Ebay raw GA books and I'm not a fan of buying that era there. Way too much leeway in people's grading. I think I've been vaguely dissatisfied with all my PCH purchases there, and have sold them off (except for a few beaters). Had the same problem at one of the auction houses, too. This place is the place to buy raw Golden Age, IMHO.

[Paul © ® ⚽️💙™]

On 5/20/2023 at 10:51 PM, skypinkblu said:

It's been going on for about 20 years...where has everyone been, lol?

Exactly.  

In other news it seems pressing is not restoration.... 

[Professor K]

I check the GA listings a few times a day sorted by newest, hoping to find something I'd like at a fair price. About once a year I actually find one. I see a lot of overpriced to the point of ridiculousness stuff but not enough photocopy books to really get in the way. Even if e bay made a separate section for them people would still post them in the GA section.

On a side note Buy it Now is pretty much dead and buried at this point. A good auction though does come around once in a while.

[Cat-Man_America]

I've been intending to post on this topic awhile, even considered reviewing the quality of some of the photocopies I've picked up as fillers since some books rarely come up or are beyond reach in grade price-wise. Since photocopies are relatively inexpensive and sold bagged and boarded, they're at least worth a look, but keep your expectations in check. 

The one dealer with eBay auction listings that I've purchased from clearly lists replicated books as photocopies for reading purposes. The quality is very much a dice roll though. Some aren't replicated well, others are much better than expected.  They'll never replace the real thing and aren't intended to, but the better ones are very good reading copies and nice enough to display.  Note: I'd occasionally use better photocopies when lecturing on GA at conventions, passing them around to educate the audience about GA covers, interior art and ads. 

One of the better photocopies acquired through eBay recently was of Police Comics #11 with nice color and art replication from cover to cover (the photocopies I've seen are thicker than the original comics, printed on heavier bond paper throughout).  I won't mention the seller's handle, but the dealer also sells or auctions other collectibles, toys, etc. through his eBay store. 

[L'Angelo Misterioso]

On 5/20/2023 at 6:41 PM, Dr. Balls said:

I've taken a few risks on Ebay raw GA books and I'm not a fan of buying that era there. Way too much leeway in people's grading. I think I've been vaguely dissatisfied with all my PCH purchases there, and have sold them off (except for a few beaters). Had the same problem at one of the auction houses, too. This place is the place to buy raw Golden Age, IMHO.

Yep, this has to be the best place to buy these. The few transactions I've had here have been perfect. People pack better here, grade better, and offer fair prices. Even though the turnover rate of prime golden age books is low (this is one reason that collecting golden age is totally different from collecting bronze or even silver age), enough nice golden age comes through here that you can amass a very nice collection if you only buy on the boards. What I'm saying it's not just dreck that people get rid of here, it runs the gamut of all golden age.

On 5/20/2023 at 8:58 PM, Professor K said:

I check the GA listings a few times a day sorted by newest, hoping to find something I'd like at a fair price. About once a year I actually find one. I see a lot of overpriced to the point of ridiculousness stuff but not enough photocopy books to really get in the way. Even if e bay made a separate section for them people would still post them in the GA section.

On a side note Buy it Now is pretty much dead and buried at this point. A good auction though does come around once in a while.

Underscoring this. I have no idea what the goal is with these prices that are in many cases DOUBLE what the going rate is. I'm not sure if it's because amateurs find a 10-cent comic and automatically assume it must command a +$800 price, or if it's experienced dealers who set farcical prices in hopes of luring buyers who aren't experienced with the golden age market. When I found in my house the comic that kicked off my interest in comic collecting, Haunt of Fear 17, I thought I was rich because, well, everyone was putting up mid-grade copies on the Bay for like $1,500. It is worth nowhere near that in 3.0-5.0, and those listings are probably still up to this day, because no one will pay that much for a relatively common EC book such as that one. I hadn't yet learned that the sky-high asking prices are a bad yardstick.

Edited May 21, 2023 by L'Angelo Misterioso

[Flex Mentallo]

I find it really annoying that so many authentic Golden Age listings get in the way of my search for photocopies.

[fifties]

On 5/20/2023 at 6:41 PM, Dr. Balls said:

I've taken a few risks on Ebay raw GA books and I'm not a fan of buying that era there. Way too much leeway in people's grading.

Yes, sellers are forever pushing the grade they assign upward from the reality.  There are some however who won't venture an opinion of grade, but instead advise to review the scans for one's own determination.  Unfortunately W/O the book in hand, it will be but an educated guess.

For those auctions that do assign a grade though, I normally will consider it to be a half to full grade less, which then determines what I'll bid.

[sfcityduck]

What pisses me off more:  There's now folks selling prints of fine art pieces.  Usually, that's done by a museum selling a poster or print of a picture in its collection.  But now there's folks pulling images off the internet, usually dealer listings, and issuing posters/prints of those stolen images.  And, in fact, a print of an original piece I own was lifted off the dealer website I bought it from and is selling for $79.99.  This pisses me off for two reasons: (1) A relatively obscure artist is now spammed all over ebay listing with what infer are print on demand images and (2) its my frigging piece. I have the original on the wall and images (obviously of lesser quality) with its distinctive signature and a previous collector's stamp are being offered for sale.  That seems wrong.  I expect that soon that will happen with OA, if it has not happened already.  

[bobpfef]

When I go to cons these days there is always at least one dealer selling photocopies of original art.

[stock_rotation]

A reminder that all of these sellers selling the photocopy books are just taking the free scans available at places like Comic Books Plus and Digital Comics Museum and printing them out on their home inkjet and/or laser printers (hello, threeauctioneers!), or in some cases taking them to a place like Kinko's. You could do the same. Yes, some of them are selling non-public domain books, but I can almost 100% guarantee these sellers are also selling printouts of available scans.

[Cat-Man_America]

On 5/21/2023 at 11:30 PM, stock_rotation said:

A reminder that all of these sellers selling the photocopy books are just taking the free scans available at places like Comic Books Plus and Digital Comics Museum and printing them out on their home inkjet and/or laser printers (hello, threeauctioneers!), or in some cases taking them to a place like Kinko's. You could do the same. Yes, some of them are selling non-public domain books, but I can almost 100% guarantee these sellers are also selling printouts of available scans.

I don't think 100% of the photocopies the seller obtains are lifted from those sources, but most probably are. I know of at least one case where the cover of a Church copy in my collection was copied by this seller  ...but I'm assuming the images available are all public domain and the interiors had to have been been sourced elsewhere, so it didn't bother me that much.  

On-line reading of scans isn't as enjoyable as holding a book, even if it's just a photocopy. If I choose to buy a replica I'm not expecting something indiscernible from the original, just a decent reading copy with good reproduction that's inexpensive. As you say, we could probably print these out ourselves, but it would take a bit of work to do it right with full wraps and staple placement.

On 5/21/2023 at 8:07 PM, bobpfef said:

When I go to cons these days there is always at least one dealer selling photocopies of original art.

Unless the artist is reproducing his/her own work this way it troubles me a bit more than photocopies of GA comics. Original art that's duplicated and sold often isn't in the public domain ...unlike mass market periodicals from three quarters of a century ago... and the income should be going directly to rights-holders, artists and their heirs. (my 2 cents; inflation adjusted)

Edited May 23, 2023 by Cat-Man_America
More ALE!

[Robot Man]

Other than clogging up the GA section, I don’t care. Very tedious to scroll past them when I look at New Today.

I even bought a few. Suspense #3 and a couple books I will never own any other way. A couple of EC romance issues as well.

Better than reading “on line” anytime.

They are just like the tons of other non GA books listed there. Annoying but an occupational hazzard I guess.

Too bad they just can’t be listed in a reprints section but probably would end up in the GA section anyway.

And, I think in some cases, they really stretch the limits of Public Domain. 

[Cat-Man_America]

On 5/22/2023 at 9:35 AM, Robot Man said:

Other than clogging up the GA section, I don’t care. Very tedious to scroll past them when I look at New Today.

I even bought a few. Suspense #3 and a couple books I will never own any other way. A couple of EC romance issues as well.

Better than reading “on line” anytime.

They are just like the tons of other non GA books listed there. Annoying but an occupational hazzard I guess.

Too bad they just can’t be listed in a reprints section but probably would end up in the GA section anyway.

And, I think in some cases, they really stretch the limits of Public Domain. 

Excellent points. There's no reason why reprints would be any less sought out by those interested in them if listed with a "section" filter with the option to seek or omit. Just my opinion, but I think reprints perform a useful service by providing a doorway for the curious into GA collecting, but I can certainly understand the criticisms and applied caveats. 

[Yorick]

I have made up a few new searches that eliminate a specific Seller's listings from appearing in my results.  Yet every time feebay changes their search functions, I have to go and create a new "saved search".  I tried for months reporting the seller for violating terms and spam listing in the wrong categories.  Golden Age books were not PRINTED yesterday!