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CL's October Golden Age auction looks to be a good one...

Started by nearmint,

361 posts in this topic

bluechip

bluechip

Posted
Posted

 

 

Sometimes it is mistakes and sometimes shifting policies. Issues from Stan Lee's personal collection were initially all designated on the label as having been owned by Lee. Then, mid-stream, CGC changed its policy and suddenly refused to designate books as owned by Lee unless they were 4.0 or higher. That meant a bunch of Lee-owned books ended up being described only as "signature series," and thus indistinguishable from booiks that were simply presented to Lee at a convention "signature series" signing event. (especially since the previous policy meant there were plenty of books out there less than 4.0 which were still labelled as once owned by Lee.

 

Addint to the confusion even more is the fact that the Crippen copies are labelled as once owned by Crippen even if they are much less than 4.0 (like the Detective 28 which is coverless).

 

Common sense would lead you to think all pedigree and provenance books should be treated the same. Or that if they weren't consistent, then it would be the more famous person's name that would stay on the label instead of the other way around.

 

bumpit.gif

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Point Five

Point Five

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Posted
1459330-supe6.jpg

 

So....some of you probably remember me winning this Superman #6 in ComicLink's October GA auctions. One of my all-time grails...

 

...But unfortunately, when I received the actual book, the cover looked much dirtier & more “rumpled” than the auction scans led me to believe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more of a discrepancy in eye appeal between auction scans and an actual book. In the scans, the yellow & white backgrounds look very bright and clean, with just a hint of surface wear. IMO, the auction scans were likely brightened/enhanced somewhat (which in fairness, could have been an honest mistake by whoever scanned the book, perhaps done to compensate for the initial scans coming out too dark).

 

Here's the book I received (hopefully the difference is as obvious on your screens as on mine)...

supe6new.jpg

 

I've since returned the book. frown.gif Really hated to do it, but the combination of the dirt and the obvious resto was just too much.

 

To ComicLink's credit, they were helpful, polite and professional when I gave them a call, and seemed to "get it" right away. Despite the disappointment, I would have no problem dealing with them again in the future. thumbsup2.gif

 

So, onward... and hopefully there's another #6 out there for me somewhere. 893crossfingers-thumb.gif

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Point Five

Point Five

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sorry to hear about your experience Jon, but don't worry, your grail is out there,.. just waiting for you,.. somewhere, someday, you'll get it.. thumbsup2.gif

 

Thanks Alton. And you of all people should know! smile.gif

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sacentaur

sacentaur

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Despite the disappointment, I would have no problem dealing with them again in the future.

 

You're much more forgiving than me, P5 (I've renamed CLink as CLunk) - what an egregious situation. I've found over the years that we - as hobbyists - are often a very forgiving lot.

 

STEVE

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metropoliscomics

metropoliscomics

Posted
Posted
Despite the disappointment, I would have no problem dealing with them again in the future.

 

You're much more forgiving than me, P5 (I've renamed CLink as CLunk) - what an egregious situation. I've found over the years that we - as hobbyists - are often a very forgiving lot.

 

STEVE

 

What's a hobbyist?

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sacentaur

sacentaur

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New arrival from the CLink auction. Somewhat of a strange book ...(see the 'Confessions of a CGC crack addict' folder for more info):

 

100_1253.jpg

 

STEVE

 

I used to have that book. First story has what may be the earliest Hitler parody

 

Perhaps this particular copy of Fight 1 was the very first comic book in American history to take a "bite" out of Nazi-ism! Buy it Now for 10x Guide (first come, first served!).

 

100_1260chew.jpg

 

STEVE

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JiveTurkeyMoFo

JiveTurkeyMoFo

Posted
Posted
Despite the disappointment, I would have no problem dealing with them again in the future.

 

You're much more forgiving than me, P5 (I've renamed CLink as CLunk) - what an egregious situation. I've found over the years that we - as hobbyists - are often a very forgiving lot.

 

STEVE

 

Well, let me be one to offer a word of appreciation for Comiclink's service. Yesterday, I received my winnings from the October Auction and they were well packed, and problem free.

 

Of course, the fact they were in slabs probably didn't hurt. wink.gif

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Point Five

Point Five

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Just placed a bid on the Mastro Auctions Superman #6. Hope springs eternal! acclaim.gif

 

Good luck. 893crossfingers-thumb.gif

 

Thanks! ...not looking too good, though. 15 days to go, but someone has already (already!) bid it up to my maximum. I will need to be pretty lucky to go home with this one...

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sacentaur

sacentaur

Posted
Posted
Despite the disappointment, I would have no problem dealing with them again in the future.

 

You're much more forgiving than me, P5... I've found over the years that we - as hobbyists - are often a very forgiving lot.

 

STEVE

 

What's a hobbyist?

 

<long post>

 

Good Question - according to the introduction of the "Collecting Golden Age Comics for Dummies" handbook:

 

"What is a Golden Age Hobbyist ?

 

A hobbyist belongs to an unusual club, a grouping of talented and intelligent individuals who are passionate about and dedicated to their collecting hobby yet they almost universally display one tragic flaw - they allow [insert name of Big Name disreputable Dealer or manipulative Auction House here] to sell them overgraded and overpriced books, sometimes with undisclosed restoration, on a recurring basis. After a period of incredulity and frustration, they invariably return to the same source and the cycle repeats itself all over again.

 

No one has been able to explain this phenomenon, but several likely theorys about the Golden Age hobbyist do exist.

 

First, as a niche collecting environment there exists few venues for hobbyists to pursue the rare objects of their desire. It's not like the hobbyist can simply walk into the local market and pick up old and valuable books off the rack. Some purveyors of these rare comics are well aware of the facts of a restricted market economy, so they stretch grades, push prices, and foist comics with hidden restoration upon unsuspecting buyers because they know that they can.

 

Second, the hobbyist is in a sense an 'addict' for these books so they often return to the 'dealer' for product to satiate their need, even after being taken advantage of (often repeatedly). Why does the wife stay with the husband who abuses her? Why do the residents of our nation's capital elect a crack cocaine user as their Mayor? Why do women line up by the dozen to marry serial killers? Why do Golden Age aficionados do business with entities that they know continue to display unethical business practices? We suspect the answer lies somewhere in the realm of yet unexplained human nature.

 

Third, Golden Age hobbyists are ultimately optimists who hope that their books will increase in value and though they may have been burned this time around, the next transaction will go better (we hope). They are a very forgiving bunch, still willing to eat the soup served by the waiter though the fly is still swimming in the broth. We have also learned that many comic collectors are [insert name of floundering and hopeless baseball team here] fans displaying a 'wait till next year' philosophy for their team to finally win the World Series.

 

Fourth, mitigating factors such a collector gatherings, mutually satifying private deals, and chat boards help ease the pain for the hobbyist who has been misled down a path of thorns more times than they care to recount. These gatherings, private deals, and chat boards restore a sense of balance to the hobbyist and so allows them to continue on before anger, frustration, and remorse can overwhelm them.

 

Finally, the Golden Age hobbyist does not yet comprehend that they - and not [insert name of Big Name disreputable Dealer or manipulative Auction House here] - are the ones in power in this whole business. Both the comic dealer/auctioneer and the collector are stakeholders in a hobby with a fragile existance. If either supplier or consumer shuts down completely, the other would surely wither away and die. If Golden Age collectors - as a group - would stop rationalizing away the egregious actions of the shady characters and greed merchants who rule their beloved hobby, positive changes would have to occur. Collector confidence could be restored as the more infamous comic book sellers would have to display more integrity, thus invariably increasing their sales. A new surge of energy could infuse the Golden Age market, transforming a collecting arena of overhype, wary and caution to one of dynamic vitality. More cash would flow and more books would be sold - everybody wins.

 

But as it stands now, a heavy cloak of uncertainty often hangs over old comic book collecting as new and insidious ways are devised to fleece the hobbyist sheep of their wool, sheep whom the farmer knows will rapidly grow a new coat to soon be harvested once again (and over and over and over again). Though a few rays of sunshine and rapture indeed do break through this mantle of disappointment, it lingers on nonetheless because the hobbyist permits it to do so.

 

So who will prevail, [insert name of Big Name disreputable Dealer or manipulative Auction House here] or [insert your name here]? Will deception and fraud triumph over honest disclosure and fair play? Will pernicious practices be overcome by fortitude and a determination to invoke change? Will irresolute buying habits be replaced by confident spending? Will market manipulation continue on unabated because hobbyists have already resigned themselves to its perpetuation?

 

These are questions that only time - and the hobbyist - will be able to answer."

 

I hope that answers your question, Stephen.

 

STEVE

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