Grader Question

[nochips]

I have always looked at your comic-keys auctions with great interest. I really need to see the true feedback before I bid. I need to know if you are selling what you appear to be and that the customers are keeping the books.

 

I have no idea if the FF or Spidey book I was looking at was a return from two months ago. I have no feedback to compare it to? Even if I return a book, I give the seller good feedback. As long as I get my money back, I don't slam them. With 3 negatives, open up the feedback. I would buy from you if I could see what others are saying. I trust what others do by their actions, who they buy from, who the like, etc.. I know nothing about you. I would like to know a bit more.

 

 

Private feedback bothers me. I see you only have 3 negatives, but why the "blocked" status?? Three negatives is nothing to hide or block??

 

My comments are not meant to attack you, I just need to understand the private/blocking?

[hammer-migration]

Like I've said before (about 500 times on these forums, or so it seems), once someone wins a $1,000+ book (or sometimes even just as much as BIDS on one), the chances are that they will be inundated with SPAM from Ebayers and non-Ebayers who can easily contact them if their email address is their handle. How many here have won an item and been besieged with offers the likes of, "Hello, I saw where you recently won a Spiderman 1 in VF from ______. I happen to have #2-100, all CGCed, all 9.6, and you can have them for $7500", or something on that order? When you're selling $5000 and up books, the spamming increases. $10,000 and up, the spamming can be continuous and most that purchase these books would rather that their identity remain anonynous for a multitude of varying reasons. Then you have an isolated case where a winner (the LAST TIME I WILL EVER explain this) was inundated with junk mail after winning a $28,000 book from me. His spammer had "every book in the world" and would not stop his spam onslaught even though his target made it quite clear that he had NO INTEREST. After 2 weeks of this nonsense, he told the spammer that if he didn't stop, he would have no choice but to report him to his ISP. The next morning (a Saturday), his child was accessing the family PC (the same one he uses for Ebay when at home) and inadvertantly opened an email attachment meant for my winner, thinking it for her (titled, "a special message for you") from one of her online buddies, and was greeted with the sight of two men performing a sex act with a two word greeting pasted over it. Ebay determined that since his handle was his email, it could have been ANYBODY. Not necessarily an Ebayer. The spammer was also using an anonymizer ISP service that proved to be untraceable to it's source. My buyer was beside himself with frustration and anger. I gave him my word that it would NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN and took the necessary preventative steps, same as I gave Arch my word that the topic of slab opening would NEVER be discussed with anyone, on or off the Forum. To this day, my feedback has been shielded. At the time I made it private, my record was 450-0. That's right..NO NEGATIVES. If an 853-3 record isn't good enough for anyone to bid on my auctions with complete confidence, and the Platinum Power-Seller status and Square Trade membership means nothing to you, than God Bless, because then, the problem of paranoia is with you, not me, and I can't help you with that.

[nochips]

I hear what your saying.

 

I don't agree with it at all.

 

I get spammed all the time. MCI calls me three times a week. I hang up on them, as for the internet I delete the spam. It's the 80-20 rule, you are worrying about the 20%, I am looking at the 80%. You are probably losing buyers. I know I won't bid. I aprreciate your time.

 

Thanks

[hammer-migration]

That's your opinion. The father of the child that was treated to the vision of two men fornicating and I, as a father myself, don't share your frivolous optimism. I suggest passing on my auctions. I think I'll be OK without your participation. Do you pass on all Heritage catalog auctions because you don't know the identity of the winners/bidders? Does Heritage auction material that auctions as restored 5.0's, that return to be re-auctioned as UNRESTORED 5.5s give you similar pause? How about Heritage/Cage offered Marvel Mystery 8.0s that return 6 weeks later as 9.2s with pencil erasures? Just curious as to how biased your opinions are. Sometimes, you have sellers that get WILD approval from a poster here and someone will irresponsibly say something like, "I still don't trust him". You can't please everyone. Especially those that haven't dealt with you but have already made up their closed mind that in doing so, nothing but bad will come of it. I'm not looking to convert anyone here. That's Rudd's job.

[Tomega]

Do you pass on all Heritage catalog auctions because you don't know the identity of the winners/bidders? Does Heritage auction material that auctions as restored 5.0's, that return to be re-auctioned as UNRESTORED 5.5s give you similar pause? How about Heritage/Cage offered Marvel Mystery 8.0s that return 6 weeks later as 9.2s with pencil erasures?

 

Actually I pass on Heritages auctions because of all those reasons but you forgot ot mention their possible shill bidding using Heritage employees. That is one company I really do not trust at all.

Tomega

[sfilosa]

Regarding possible shill bidding at Heritage or eBay, that only matters if you bid early and high. But the fact is, before there was eBay, Heritage, etc. the only way to buy a book (not in person) was to order through the mail and pay the price the seller wanted.

 

My point; why would you pay at an auction more than you would pay someone outright for the book?

 

If you get caught up in the moment and pay more because someone else will, that's your fault. You should always set a maximum price you are willing to pay and if you get the book for that price (or lower) you should be happy.

 

I have been very pleased with Heritage and have got almost every book I've won (not too many) below guide (and they were all CGC'd).

 

 

And back to the real topic on hand, just remember:

 

In the comic book world, you get what you pay for and sometimes you get less than what you paid for (i.e. overgraded and/or restored books). This is not directed at anyone seller as I have dealt with many dealers and returned books from most of them. As long as they are willing to accept returns, and have a lot of positive feedback (i.e. there auction is not a scam) then bid your heart away. If you win and the book isn't EXACTLY what you expected, then send it back. If you find a dealer who always overgrades, bid accordingly.

[Lofwyr]

Actually I pass on Heritages auctions because of all those reasons but you forgot ot mention their possible shill bidding using Heritage employees. That is one company I really do not trust at all.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they do shill bid, since i've seen mysterious "boosts" in prices that bump the reserves closer to their own estimates. I think this is blatantly illegal activity and the feds can and will get involved if someone has definitive proof. Heritage is big enough where a big targeted investigation would be a possibility. However, this is all just speculation and anything more is leaning towards the slander department.

 

I don't trust them completely either but I haven't had a problem with winning stuff from them at decent prices. I just snipe to protect myself from aggressive shilling tactics.

 

 

 

 

[blowout]

I wouldn't be surprised if they do shill bid, since i've seen mysterious "boosts" in prices that bump the reserves closer to their own estimates. I think this is blatantly illegal activity and the feds can and will get involved if someone has definitive proof. Heritage is big enough where a big targeted investigation would be a possibility. However, this is all just speculation and anything more is leaning towards the slander department.

 

This is not speculation at all, as Heritage openly admit that their own employees can and do bid on books in their auctions. It is not illegal however, but is certainly ethically questionable.

[Lofwyr]

This is not speculation at all, as Heritage openly admit that their own employees can and do bid on books in their auctions. It is not illegal however, but is certainly ethically questionable.

 

Right..but there's still a difference between having your employees artificially shill bid to inflate prices (with no plans to actually purchase the books) as opposed to doing it legitimately with their own accounts with the intention to purchase what they win.

 

If someone can prove they are re-listing books their employees supposedly "won" then I think that is pretty darn illegal and you can report it to the feds.

[blowout]

If someone can prove they are re-listing books their employees supposedly "won" then I think that is pretty darn illegal and you can report it to the feds.

 

Cleaned and Pressed is the way to go.

[Lofwyr]

Cleaned and Pressed is the way to go.

 

I remember those pretty sketchy 'nicolas cage' resubmittals they put back up without mentioning they were cleaned. The problem is, only collectors with eagle eyes notice stuff like that. It'd take a heritage whistleblower to reveal what's going on behind closed doors.

 

[Ares]

If someone can prove they are re-listing books their employees supposedly "won" then I think that is pretty darn illegal and you can report it to the feds.

 

Al we need are the serial numbers

[nochips]

Hammer, it's obvious you will be OK without my money, I am just one ebay buyer. Maybe one day you will open up the feedback vault.I eagerly await that day.

 

I have not won any books from Heritage. I did sell some through them, I hated the prices they realizedf and I see the books are for sale by them again?? No reserves, yet they are back for sale?

 

I sent them an email asking about that, I have not heard back from them. What's weird is the fact that some forum members won some of the books, only they didn't win them???

 

I gave them to Heritage, they put reserves on them and bought them for resale, that's they way I see it.Not really sure what went on there?

[Bugaboo-migration]

Hammer, it's obvious you will be OK without my money, I am just one ebay buyer. Maybe one day you will open up the feedback vault.I eagerly await that day.

 

I have not won any books from Heritage. I did sell some through them, I hated the prices they realizedf and I see the books are for sale by them again?? No reserves, yet they are back for sale?

 

I sent them an email asking about that, I have not heard back from them. What's weird is the fact that some forum members won some of the books, only they didn't win them???

 

I gave them to Heritage, they put reserves on them and bought them for resale, that's they way I see it.Not really sure what went on there?

Why is it that the more I hear about Heritage in here, the worse the "stink" surrounding their auctions gets.