Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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12:11:42pm
I have noticed that also, Theresa. I do not understand why a person would go to all the trouble involved in Selling, and then do something almost guaranteed to negatively influence bidding.
However, that being said, my biggest complaint is something which doesn't appear in the images - scents which permeate the albums, pages and even the stamps. The two biggest offenders are mold and cigarette smoke. I purchased one album about a year ago, and it so reeked of cigarette smoke, I had to dissemble the album and air the pages out for over 2 months (they still smelled, but not as strongly). Sure wish collectors wouldn't smoke while stampin' if they intend to sell their stamps. 
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Bobby1948 said, " Sure wish collectors wouldn't smoke while stampin' if they intend to sell their stamps."
On the other hand, if they smoke they may well die prematurely of any of various cancers, and then their collections will go into the philatelic marketplace for us! 
boB
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The messy surroundings may also tell you how they take care of their stamps.
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I bought a new desk last year. It's in a contemporary style, with a solid glass top.
Although I scan in stamps, I do take photographs of items too bulky or awkward to scan. I usually shoot from above. Well, the first photo of a larger item that I was planning to sell very nicely included my feet! (Which were not included in the deal.)
So, I managed to get to a fabric shop and bought lengths of several shades of a nice burlap material, which I now spread on the desktop before shooting.
I just wasn't thinking through all the implications of a glass-topped desk when I was out furniture shopping ...
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I think these particular sellers and many like them are hoping to tap into a primitive nerve with a little clever, albeit unsanitary-appearing, marketing.
The expectation is that they don't really know what they have, are dunderheads, etc. etc.
For some reason, the perception seems to drive otherwise normal people--crazy with desire to steal the hidden treasure which surely must lay buried amidst all the detritus.
That's what I see beyond the dirt, anyway.
Bruce
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"my biggest complaint is something which doesn't appear in the images - scents which permeate the albums, pages and even the stamps. The two biggest offenders are mold and cigarette smoke."
Isn't that the worst? I've actually resoaked some stamps that were super saturated - even slightly yellowed although that might have been my imagination. They seemed whiter to me after a bit of a bath.
I may get some flack from the cat lovers, but have you ever opened an envelope and gotten a handful of cat hair mixed in with a bunch of stamps that reek of litter box? Yup - another batch that goes in the sink. I've found that a drop of the orange cleaner I use to get rid of "stamp snot" (a phrase coined by a witty stamporama member) also works well to remove smell from the stamps when soaking.
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Hi Everyone;
As long as we are ranting about lousy photos of stamps or anything offered on the internet, how about what we can't see or smell in the photos. Namely the object for sale!!!
Even on here I've seen photos that are so dark, if you turn all the lights in the room out, you still can't see anything. It made me want to go have my eyesight checked out. Or how about the item, that is so out of focus, one can barely tell if it is right-side-up. Seen that on here too!! Cel phones are not good at focusing objects close-up. Most average folks don't have a clue what a macro lens is or how to use one.
I don't think that this is intentional, to make us think that the sellers are offering a rare item and are ignorant of the value of stamps. I've had buyers on eBid.net that had 19 non-payment to sellers, and had their accounts closed. Many times this is a case of little Susie wants to be just like Mom or Dad and do stuff on the computer. They are logging on with or without their parents permission, and more importantly without parental supervision, and listing or buying stuff.
If you look closely at some of these listings you can see that the seller is not very good at spelling or punctuation either. Too many adults allow their children to do things without proper supervision or guidance. Does it really seem like a good idea to have a ten or twelve year olds drive a four-wheel ORV. Just because they can steer a tricycle down the sidewalk, doesn't mean they could handle such a heavy machine off-road.
Sorry for getting so off-topic again.
Happy collecting
Ken Tall Pines
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10:41:10pm
Bravo, Ken.
" ....Even on here I've seen photos that are so dark, if you turn all the lights in the room out, you still can't see anything. It made me want to go have my eyesight checked out. Or how about the item, that is so out of focus, one can barely tell if it is right-side-up. Seen that on here too!! Cel phones are not good at focusing objects close-up. ...."
There are several members who should really take a look at how what they display appears to the prospective buyer.
One, in particular seems to offer pages of items in miniscule illustrations. I've gotten to just scrolling past his, or her, items as fast as the website can respond. We've, (especially me) mentioned it several times in discussions but the seller apparently never reads the Discussion Pages or is totally oblivious to the fact that the politely negative comments are meant for him.
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I've ranted about this, too. Above all else, philately is a visual hobby. God gave us computers (well, actually, it wasn't God), but stamp collectors in general haven't really figured out what marvellous adjuncts they are to the hobby. To me, the ability to scan stamps and covers to share them with other collectors is way beyond sliced bread in the quality-of-life equation. Why collectors, and especially sellers, don't bother to learn how to scan effectively is just beyond me.
Bob
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One of the guys in our local club swears that the bulk lots do better if the picture looks like a disorganized mess. He also lists things as "Grandpa's Collection" and stuff like that. His unsearched lots are very well searched with only common material in them. He justifies unsearched as meaning they are not cataloged or graded. He says the more vague you are the better chances of finding the bidders that are looking for a steal when the seller appears to lack knowledge. I tell him his practices are very misleading and dishonest. He sees no problem with any of it. Buyer Beware.
I only make it to that club a couple times a year, and it has been better than a year since I have seen him. I bet that is still his strategy, if he is still around.
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Postmarks said, "One of the guys in our local club swears that the bulk lots do better if the picture looks like a disorganized mess. He also lists things as "Grandpa's Collection" and stuff like that. His unsearched lots are very well searched with only common material in them. He justifies unsearched as meaning they are not cataloged or graded."
In my opinion, he should not be a member of a stamp club. Such practices would certainly not be accepted in the APS, or so I hope! I've stood in my pulpit for years, preaching that the best thing about stamp collecting as a hobby is that the stamps and covers we collect have value. Unfortunately, the fact that they have value is also one of the worst things about our hobby, in that it encourages sleazebags to be be sleaze baggy!
Bob
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@Theresa,
I am a cat lover, and I know exactly what you mean. Cat hair gets into everything !!! 
Regards ... Tim.
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Hi Everyone;
What do they call a person who preys on the greed in human nature....a con man!!! 
nuff said
Ken-as-honest-as-the-pines-are-tall 
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04:17:58am
".... the best thing about stamp collecting as a hobby is that the stamps and covers we collect have value. Unfortunately, the fact that they have value is also one of the worst things about our hobby ...."
Yes, as Mr. Dickens wrote " ...It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, ......."
Have you been reading about Paris and London, Bob ?
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An example of an eBay listed image I found some months ago:
Apparently, this is a postage due from Hong Kong.
It beggars belief!
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It happens on more than just stamps. Model railroad items are photographed in darkness as well, or what really gets me, the closed box that the item comes in is photographed, but the item itself is never shown. "Trust me". Umm, yeah, right...
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There is a stamp company that sells large collections on ebay who photograph the collections spread out on a table in front of a really filthy wall. YUCK! I sent a message saying they might want to display them with a more pleasant back drop, but so far they haven't washed the wall. Am I the only clean freak philatelist? It seems to me that taking the most appealing photo possible is a no brainer. So, what's up with that?
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
24 Aug 2014
12:11:42pm
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
I have noticed that also, Theresa. I do not understand why a person would go to all the trouble involved in Selling, and then do something almost guaranteed to negatively influence bidding.
However, that being said, my biggest complaint is something which doesn't appear in the images - scents which permeate the albums, pages and even the stamps. The two biggest offenders are mold and cigarette smoke. I purchased one album about a year ago, and it so reeked of cigarette smoke, I had to dissemble the album and air the pages out for over 2 months (they still smelled, but not as strongly). Sure wish collectors wouldn't smoke while stampin' if they intend to sell their stamps.
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re: Good photos do matter when selling!
Bobby1948 said, " Sure wish collectors wouldn't smoke while stampin' if they intend to sell their stamps."
On the other hand, if they smoke they may well die prematurely of any of various cancers, and then their collections will go into the philatelic marketplace for us!
boB
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01:58:05pm
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
The messy surroundings may also tell you how they take care of their stamps.
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re: Good photos do matter when selling!
I bought a new desk last year. It's in a contemporary style, with a solid glass top.
Although I scan in stamps, I do take photographs of items too bulky or awkward to scan. I usually shoot from above. Well, the first photo of a larger item that I was planning to sell very nicely included my feet! (Which were not included in the deal.)
So, I managed to get to a fabric shop and bought lengths of several shades of a nice burlap material, which I now spread on the desktop before shooting.
I just wasn't thinking through all the implications of a glass-topped desk when I was out furniture shopping ...
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06:00:22pm
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
I think these particular sellers and many like them are hoping to tap into a primitive nerve with a little clever, albeit unsanitary-appearing, marketing.
The expectation is that they don't really know what they have, are dunderheads, etc. etc.
For some reason, the perception seems to drive otherwise normal people--crazy with desire to steal the hidden treasure which surely must lay buried amidst all the detritus.
That's what I see beyond the dirt, anyway.
Bruce
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re: Good photos do matter when selling!
"my biggest complaint is something which doesn't appear in the images - scents which permeate the albums, pages and even the stamps. The two biggest offenders are mold and cigarette smoke."
Isn't that the worst? I've actually resoaked some stamps that were super saturated - even slightly yellowed although that might have been my imagination. They seemed whiter to me after a bit of a bath.
I may get some flack from the cat lovers, but have you ever opened an envelope and gotten a handful of cat hair mixed in with a bunch of stamps that reek of litter box? Yup - another batch that goes in the sink. I've found that a drop of the orange cleaner I use to get rid of "stamp snot" (a phrase coined by a witty stamporama member) also works well to remove smell from the stamps when soaking.
Login to Like
this post
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
Hi Everyone;
As long as we are ranting about lousy photos of stamps or anything offered on the internet, how about what we can't see or smell in the photos. Namely the object for sale!!!
Even on here I've seen photos that are so dark, if you turn all the lights in the room out, you still can't see anything. It made me want to go have my eyesight checked out. Or how about the item, that is so out of focus, one can barely tell if it is right-side-up. Seen that on here too!! Cel phones are not good at focusing objects close-up. Most average folks don't have a clue what a macro lens is or how to use one.
I don't think that this is intentional, to make us think that the sellers are offering a rare item and are ignorant of the value of stamps. I've had buyers on eBid.net that had 19 non-payment to sellers, and had their accounts closed. Many times this is a case of little Susie wants to be just like Mom or Dad and do stuff on the computer. They are logging on with or without their parents permission, and more importantly without parental supervision, and listing or buying stuff.
If you look closely at some of these listings you can see that the seller is not very good at spelling or punctuation either. Too many adults allow their children to do things without proper supervision or guidance. Does it really seem like a good idea to have a ten or twelve year olds drive a four-wheel ORV. Just because they can steer a tricycle down the sidewalk, doesn't mean they could handle such a heavy machine off-road.
Sorry for getting so off-topic again.
Happy collecting
Ken Tall Pines
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
25 Aug 2014
10:41:10pm
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
Bravo, Ken.
" ....Even on here I've seen photos that are so dark, if you turn all the lights in the room out, you still can't see anything. It made me want to go have my eyesight checked out. Or how about the item, that is so out of focus, one can barely tell if it is right-side-up. Seen that on here too!! Cel phones are not good at focusing objects close-up. ...."
There are several members who should really take a look at how what they display appears to the prospective buyer.
One, in particular seems to offer pages of items in miniscule illustrations. I've gotten to just scrolling past his, or her, items as fast as the website can respond. We've, (especially me) mentioned it several times in discussions but the seller apparently never reads the Discussion Pages or is totally oblivious to the fact that the politely negative comments are meant for him.
Login to Like
this post
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
I've ranted about this, too. Above all else, philately is a visual hobby. God gave us computers (well, actually, it wasn't God), but stamp collectors in general haven't really figured out what marvellous adjuncts they are to the hobby. To me, the ability to scan stamps and covers to share them with other collectors is way beyond sliced bread in the quality-of-life equation. Why collectors, and especially sellers, don't bother to learn how to scan effectively is just beyond me.
Bob
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this post
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
One of the guys in our local club swears that the bulk lots do better if the picture looks like a disorganized mess. He also lists things as "Grandpa's Collection" and stuff like that. His unsearched lots are very well searched with only common material in them. He justifies unsearched as meaning they are not cataloged or graded. He says the more vague you are the better chances of finding the bidders that are looking for a steal when the seller appears to lack knowledge. I tell him his practices are very misleading and dishonest. He sees no problem with any of it. Buyer Beware.
I only make it to that club a couple times a year, and it has been better than a year since I have seen him. I bet that is still his strategy, if he is still around.
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re: Good photos do matter when selling!
Postmarks said, "One of the guys in our local club swears that the bulk lots do better if the picture looks like a disorganized mess. He also lists things as "Grandpa's Collection" and stuff like that. His unsearched lots are very well searched with only common material in them. He justifies unsearched as meaning they are not cataloged or graded."
In my opinion, he should not be a member of a stamp club. Such practices would certainly not be accepted in the APS, or so I hope! I've stood in my pulpit for years, preaching that the best thing about stamp collecting as a hobby is that the stamps and covers we collect have value. Unfortunately, the fact that they have value is also one of the worst things about our hobby, in that it encourages sleazebags to be be sleaze baggy!
Bob
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re: Good photos do matter when selling!
@Theresa,
I am a cat lover, and I know exactly what you mean. Cat hair gets into everything !!!
Regards ... Tim.
Login to Like
this post
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
Hi Everyone;
What do they call a person who preys on the greed in human nature....a con man!!!
nuff said
Ken-as-honest-as-the-pines-are-tall
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
31 Aug 2014
04:17:58am
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
".... the best thing about stamp collecting as a hobby is that the stamps and covers we collect have value. Unfortunately, the fact that they have value is also one of the worst things about our hobby ...."
Yes, as Mr. Dickens wrote " ...It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, ......."
Have you been reading about Paris and London, Bob ?
Login to Like
this post
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
An example of an eBay listed image I found some months ago:
Apparently, this is a postage due from Hong Kong.
It beggars belief!
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05:33:41pm
re: Good photos do matter when selling!
It happens on more than just stamps. Model railroad items are photographed in darkness as well, or what really gets me, the closed box that the item comes in is photographed, but the item itself is never shown. "Trust me". Umm, yeah, right...
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