Any Opinions on the Helmar cards on Ebay ?

[sirraffles]

This is Charles from Helmar again. Thanks, guys, for the comments...both complimentary and skeptical. I encourage forthright discussion because I recognize that what Helmar does is a step away from your usual collecting. Whether or not you ever purchase a card, I would like the collecting community to be knowledgeable and comfortable with our art. This is a great hobby and I feel that we bring a little added dimension, a little added vibrancy to it. I would like collectors to consider Helmar a credit to the hobby, whether or not they choose to collect.

First the compliments (of course!): Thank you for the reviews! In addition to some nice comments here, you truly wouldn't believe some of the kind phone calls and emails that I receive. Obviously our art resonates with a certain portion of the market. I can't express how much the compliments mean to all of us and how grateful that we are for them.

More importantly, the skepticism: The main issue seems to be that some of you believe the auction prices realized are "too high". Because of this, you suspect shill bidding. I think that about sums it up. I'll respond to each of these concerns separately, starting with the shill bidding accusation by anonymous member T206DK:

1. Shill Bidding, you would have to agree, is a stupid recipe for long term success. In fact, it makes long term success impossible. You just can't have a viable, long term venture based upon a fraud, especially one as prone to suspicion as shill bidding. We don't engage in shill bidding for three reasons. First, it is immoral. Second, it would eventually doom the business and third, we don't need it.

Take the two R319-Helmar Joe Jacksons that sold this week, #205 for $96.54 and #81 for $89.88. The dollar amounts were pretty close. On the #205 there were six bidders in at $75 or more. On the #81 there were also six bidders in at $75 or more. Remarkably, between the two there were eleven different bidders and only one duplicate (he dropped out around $79 each time). With that many bidders, who needs to shill?

T206DK also states that there are some bidders that tend to bid on many different Helmar auctions. Of course...they collect Helmar! And if you want to buy a Helmar art card, where else are you regularly going to find them? I'm sorry, I just find that criticism not very well thought out.

I also wonder where all those phantom shill bidders are when cards go cheaply. And in every auction there are real bargains. This past week, for example, I can think of at least half a dozen cards that went for half or less than normal.

2. High Prices. An auction is the most democratic way to sell and I love using that venue. I have nothing at all to do with the price collectors pay, other than to set a minimum bid (usually a very modest $3.99).

I'm not quite sure what is meant when I read that Helmar auction prices are "too high". I mean, compared to what? There isn't anything exactly like a Helmar card when considered in its totality. If you auction two houses of the same size and in the same neighborhood, is the one with the highest auction price "too high"? No, not if you consider the houses in their totality.

Lastly, I suspect that some collectors think that we get these cards for "free". Our costs have little to do with the little square of cardboard and everything to do with the other costs needed to keep us in business. The cost of the art is foremost. I always lose money when I auction the original artwork. In fact, the prices realized on original art doesn't come close to getting us to even. I generally don't look to make a profit on any new card for the first full year.

I hope that this has been somewhat helpful in understanding more about our art cards. Again, I have enjoyed the conversation. Best, Charles