Ebay Hi-Jinx

eBay item 2197946147 (Ends Oct-26-03 18:05:08 PST) - Neil Armstrong Autographed Picture COOL !!

Here is an interesting lot. This is an undoubtedly real Neil Armstrong Autograph. Somehow, this flew below the radar and the winner, a friend of mine, picked it up for a bargain price of $90. This item could easily get around $1,500 if it was properly promoted. My buddy was excited and posted the story of his bargain in a few public message boards. Now, the story takes a bad turn.

Shortly thereafter, the seller informed my friend that the photo was accidentally torn and no longer available. Not too likely. What really happened was that someone contacted the seller and offered him more money for the photo. Unfortunately, there is nothing that anyone can do to "prove" this and force the sale to the rightful winner.

We can learn a lesson from this story... There are a lot of underhanded sleazeballs out there, and never brag about a great bargain until it's in your hands!

Watch Out For Shill Bidding

While many people have been buying on eBay for some time, a lot of people still don't know about Shill Bidding. It's a problem that affects all areas of eBay, but you do see it often when there is a high priced collectible that may not be going as high as the seller wishes.

Shill bidding is when the seller under a different name (or someone working with the seller), pushes the bid up to get more money for an auction. Shill bidders can also raise the price high enough so the seller is satisfied, or shill bidders can "win" the auction so the seller doesn't have to let the item go to someone for a bargain price. In effect, shill bidding can create a hidden reserve. It's usually easy to see when this happens IF you know where to look.

When the auction is over, look at the bid history. A shill bidder usually places a number of small bids to push the price up. Remember, the shill bidder often doesn't want to win, so they usually won't place one or two competitive bids. Instead, you'll see something like five small bids all placed 2 minutes apart. If someone really wanted to win an auction, would they bid that way?

Also, shill bidders usually have zero or a few feedback points, because they never really win or sell anything. And yes, if you see a seller you suspect is using a shill bidder, check out their other auctions. Chances are you'll see 3 or 4 different zero feedback bidders that frequently bid on their items. These are all shill accounts.

This problem is epidemic. Go to eBay and check out the bid history on 15 - 20 completed auctions... I'll bet there are a few that fit this shill biding pattern.

I always check the bid history when I win an item, and if I think there was shill bidding I refuse the buy the item. If the seller was shill bidding, they won't have the nerve to report you for not paying.

Nothing in the history of man has brought out con-men, cheats and crooks like eBay. If there is a way to rip someone off, you can bet someone on eBay is trying it. It's much easier to rip people off when you don't have to look them in the eye and you can change identities with a few mouse clicks.

Signed Comic Books

I've collected autographs for about 5 or 6 years now. My first hobby was collecting comic books, which I've done since I was about 5 years old in 1973. Recently, I've started going to comic shows and getting many of my comics autographed by the artists and writers. I'm very happy with the results so far.

The artist/writer guests at comic shows usually sign your items for free, and seem to be thrilled to casually chat with fans. Also, they typically have original drawings and prints available for purchase at very reasonable prices.

It's a real thrill to meet the people who wrote and drew comics which have given me so much pleasure over the years. And, I find signed comics to be very compelling and dynamic additions to my comic and autograph collections.

The Beginning

To add a more personal element to my page, I've decided to start this journal. Admittedly, the idea is not entirely original. Stephen Beck has an Autograph Notebook on his page, and I've always found it to be interesting, and a good reason to return to his site. I'd like to publicly thank Stephen for all his help over the past year. I've collected autographs for some time, but Stephen was very helpful in getting me going on "through-the-mail" collecting. He is a class act and his input is sincerely appreciated.

That said, I think there is more than enough room for several ongoing Collector's Journals. I plan to fill the Journal with insights and information that may not be categorized neatly in any other section of this site. I hope you enjoy reading the journal, profit from the information and make this site a regular stop in your web surfing. As always, your comments are welcome.