"please keep in mind the picture is not the exact stamp as you will receive, but it is very similar and in great condition."
This person is in Canada. "Based in Canada, micha_marty has been an eBay member since Jun 17, 2014"
I know some who did a trade with him, but he never sent the stamps according to them.
Three bids from people willing to plunk down over $400 on a stamp sight unseen. Well, based on what d1stamper says, they'll pay for a stamp that may remain unseen.
The seller does say that he will honour returns up to a year after purchase. But, yes, it is strange to sell a valuable stamp— or anything! — without showing a good image of it. I get emails from an auction house that provides images for perhaps 5% of their offerings, and there are many on-line sellers who offer lists of often-expensive material without providing or even offering images, not to mention some Stamporama sellers who don't even try to improve their images. I just don't get it.
Bob
As long as people are willing to pay for expensive stamps without an image or with just a bad image, these sellers will continue to operate like this.
we had something similar happen here: that seller is no longer a member. Two different approaches to the same problem.
David, the steel-toed auctioneer
Sold for $714.99.
utterly amazing. $700 for unseen stamp and guy with 40 sales. Hmmmmmm.
I just don't know what to say. This is just absolutely amazing!
Lars
If *I* were to spend $700 on a stamp, it would have to be the one that I was bidding on and I'd want to have the seller send me extra pics if there was only one on the listing. Most sellers that would sell high value stamps that are honest, include several pics online plus offer to send more detailed ones - particularly if they mention there is a "small thin" or something and they will happily send the scans enlarged to show the thins. I also would never pay $700 for a stamp from someone who didn't have a stellar feedback and see samples of his previous sales. Not that I'd spend that much money on a stamp, but just sayin'.
Any high dollar Washington/Franklin like that also needs a certificate.
"Any high dollar Washington/Franklin like that also needs a certificate."
I see that all but 2 bids were by a seller with zero feedback. Could there have been a shill involved?
"I see that all but 2 bids were by a seller with zero feedback. Could there have been a shill involved? "
It appears to me that the guy with 0 feedback made just one bid. Since the bids attributed to him are increments of the minimum raise, then the presumption is that they were proxy bids in response to others trying to outbid him, one of whom eventually succeeded (the winning bidder). Until there is more evidence, I'll reserve judgment as to whether the seller is a scam artist and shill bidding boosted the final price.
"Until there is more evidence, I'll reserve judgment as to whether the seller is a scam artist and shill bidding boosted the final price. "
"It appears to me that the guy with 0 feedback made just one bid."
You are right, Steve. I was reading the screen wrong. I am still not willing to concede he was shilling for the seller based on that, though. Really doesn't even make me suspicious as this is exactly how I bid on an item I really want but do not wish to enter a large maximum bid. Also, when I find an item I like, I almost always click on the other items for that seller and very often enter bids on many of that seller's auctions. I just hope others do not think I am shilling based on my bidding pattern.
I attended a live auction back in 1984 with my father, who was very loyal to his friends. He also loved his Scotch. So in the midst of the auction, after far too many drinks, when his friend's Silver Bolin-made saddle came up for bids, he decided to help his friend out. The bidding started at $5k and rose in $1k increments. Well, to make a long story not so long, bidding reached $22k, and stopped. My father had misjudged the zeal of the other bidder and had purchased the, admittedly beautiful, but definitely out of his league, silver saddle. I later inherited what became known in the family as "Barnhart's folly." I still have that saddle and a first hand understanding and intense dislike for shill bidding.
Saw this on eBay:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/us-356-pair-unused-light-hinge-great-item-/221622380535?ssPageName=ADME:SS:SS:US:1120
Looks good at first, but note the caveat buried in the listing:
"please keep in mind the picture is not the exact stamp as you will receive, but it is very similar and in great condition."
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
This person is in Canada. "Based in Canada, micha_marty has been an eBay member since Jun 17, 2014"
I know some who did a trade with him, but he never sent the stamps according to them.
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
Three bids from people willing to plunk down over $400 on a stamp sight unseen. Well, based on what d1stamper says, they'll pay for a stamp that may remain unseen.
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
The seller does say that he will honour returns up to a year after purchase. But, yes, it is strange to sell a valuable stamp— or anything! — without showing a good image of it. I get emails from an auction house that provides images for perhaps 5% of their offerings, and there are many on-line sellers who offer lists of often-expensive material without providing or even offering images, not to mention some Stamporama sellers who don't even try to improve their images. I just don't get it.
Bob
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
As long as people are willing to pay for expensive stamps without an image or with just a bad image, these sellers will continue to operate like this.
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
we had something similar happen here: that seller is no longer a member. Two different approaches to the same problem.
David, the steel-toed auctioneer
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
Sold for $714.99.
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
utterly amazing. $700 for unseen stamp and guy with 40 sales. Hmmmmmm.
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
I just don't know what to say. This is just absolutely amazing!
Lars
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
If *I* were to spend $700 on a stamp, it would have to be the one that I was bidding on and I'd want to have the seller send me extra pics if there was only one on the listing. Most sellers that would sell high value stamps that are honest, include several pics online plus offer to send more detailed ones - particularly if they mention there is a "small thin" or something and they will happily send the scans enlarged to show the thins. I also would never pay $700 for a stamp from someone who didn't have a stellar feedback and see samples of his previous sales. Not that I'd spend that much money on a stamp, but just sayin'.
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
Any high dollar Washington/Franklin like that also needs a certificate.
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
"Any high dollar Washington/Franklin like that also needs a certificate."
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
I see that all but 2 bids were by a seller with zero feedback. Could there have been a shill involved?
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
"I see that all but 2 bids were by a seller with zero feedback. Could there have been a shill involved? "
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
It appears to me that the guy with 0 feedback made just one bid. Since the bids attributed to him are increments of the minimum raise, then the presumption is that they were proxy bids in response to others trying to outbid him, one of whom eventually succeeded (the winning bidder). Until there is more evidence, I'll reserve judgment as to whether the seller is a scam artist and shill bidding boosted the final price.
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
"Until there is more evidence, I'll reserve judgment as to whether the seller is a scam artist and shill bidding boosted the final price. "
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
"It appears to me that the guy with 0 feedback made just one bid."
re: Gotta love this listing for a 356!
You are right, Steve. I was reading the screen wrong. I am still not willing to concede he was shilling for the seller based on that, though. Really doesn't even make me suspicious as this is exactly how I bid on an item I really want but do not wish to enter a large maximum bid. Also, when I find an item I like, I almost always click on the other items for that seller and very often enter bids on many of that seller's auctions. I just hope others do not think I am shilling based on my bidding pattern.
I attended a live auction back in 1984 with my father, who was very loyal to his friends. He also loved his Scotch. So in the midst of the auction, after far too many drinks, when his friend's Silver Bolin-made saddle came up for bids, he decided to help his friend out. The bidding started at $5k and rose in $1k increments. Well, to make a long story not so long, bidding reached $22k, and stopped. My father had misjudged the zeal of the other bidder and had purchased the, admittedly beautiful, but definitely out of his league, silver saddle. I later inherited what became known in the family as "Barnhart's folly." I still have that saddle and a first hand understanding and intense dislike for shill bidding.