Goldin's Vintage Auction Preview is open and wow

[JollyElm]

196. Hyperbolshitter
Someone who completely overhypes what they are selling by flooding the listing with adjectives and all sorts of superfluous blather like “Highlighted by deep rich colors” or “...and the beautiful image dovetails into the pristine snow white borders.”

[CW]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

196. Hyperbolshitter
Someone who completely overhypes what they are selling by flooding the listing with adjectives and all sorts of superfluous blather like “Highlighted by deep rich colors” or “...and the beautiful image dovetails into the pristine snow white borders.”

Nice. Bonus points if they use the terms "extant", "paucity", or "superfluous".

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by CW

Nice. Bonus points if they use the terms "extant", "paucity", or "superfluous".

Don't forget "generational", "iconic", and "fresh to hobby".

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

Don't forget "generational", "iconic", and "fresh to hobby".

and they get Double Bonus Vintage Points if they use them all in the First Sentence of the Description

[Rhotchkiss]

Hyperbole notwithstanding, Joe did the write ups (and promoted) all of my lots sold in memory lane, which, compared to similar items recently sold in other auctions, generally did better. Maybe it’s timing, maybe it’s one AH vs the other, maybe it is aesthetics, or maybe it’s Joe. I believe it’s at least partially the latter. So Joe, you do you bc it works for me!

Regarding Goldin, I think the early action on many of the lots is unreal/strong.

[HolyGrail]

As one of many, many good friends of Joe, I very much liked the tenor of this thread until the hyperbole part. I have bought and sold a lot through Joe. As the son of a Man Man ad executive and copy writer for 50 years, I can tell you he's a superstar copy writer.

He takes the time to write detailed descriptions and give vivid context. I sure read the descriptions before I bid because the photos don't show all the creases or surface wear. But Joe does down to the last wrinkle. Above all, he celebrates the piece because he is a passionate collector himself. His enthusiasm is contagious. And he's a great story teller.

Some of the smaller, regional auction houses give you a sentence or two. If it was your item in the auction, wouldn't you prefer Joe going to bat for you?

[theshowandme]

I might have Joe write my obituary

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by HolyGrail

As one of many, many good friends of Joe, I very much liked the tenor of this thread until the hyperbole part. I have bought and sold a lot through Joe. As the son of a Man Man ad executive and copy writer for 50 years, I can tell you he's a superstar copy writer.

He takes the time to write detailed descriptions and give vivid context. I sure read the descriptions before I bid because the photos don't show all the creases or surface wear. But Joe does down to the last wrinkle. Above all, he celebrates the piece because he is a passionate collector himself. His enthusiasm is contagious. And he's a great story teller.

Some of the smaller, regional auction houses give you a sentence or two. If it was your item in the auction, wouldn't you prefer Joe going to bat for you?

I don't think anyone is disparaging Joe, his success, knowledge, or creative writing skills. I'm certainly not. As someone in sales I appreciate creative writing and "the pitch". One can find humor in a creative sales pitch whether I write it, you write it, or Joe writes. I've laughed at some of the over the top stuff I've come up with but still hit the send button.
I'm reminded of the classic bit "how to sell a Sharpie".

[gunboat82]

Originally Posted by HolyGrail

As one of many, many good friends of Joe, I very much liked the tenor of this thread until the hyperbole part. I have bought and sold a lot through Joe. As the son of a Man Man ad executive and copy writer for 50 years, I can tell you he's a superstar copy writer.

He takes the time to write detailed descriptions and give vivid context. I sure read the descriptions before I bid because the photos don't show all the creases or surface wear. But Joe does down to the last wrinkle. Above all, he celebrates the piece because he is a passionate collector himself. His enthusiasm is contagious. And he's a great story teller.

Some of the smaller, regional auction houses give you a sentence or two. If it was your item in the auction, wouldn't you prefer Joe going to bat for you?

The word "hyperbole" might be divisive because it's often equated with dishonesty. I read the descriptions as more tongue-in-cheek in some respects, and I think they're effective as a form of innocent, fun hyperbole.

For example, there's a listing for a marked W502 Gehrig. Instead of simply stating "pen mark on reverse," the description is:

"The card's grade is qualified to acknowledge a long-ago collector's helpful notation ("W-502") in ink on the reverse."

That one got a laugh out of me, as I just dealt with SGC screwing up the designation of a W502 card not once but twice... even after I told them exactly what the card was on the submission form and in multiple e-mails.

When an auction house highlights a card's obvious flaws and puts a rosy spin on them, it's the best of both worlds: full disclosure with some disarming humor that turns the blemish into part of the story. At the end of the day, it's good for the consignors. It'll bring in more bidders than it turns away.