h_yee auctions

[timzcardz]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

I guess I just don't get your point. You ask "WHO are these collectors " yet you admit to bidding 3 times what you think and item is worth.

Just a wild guess, but I suspect that he wasn't the captain of his high school debate team.

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by timzcardz

Just a wild guess, but I suspect that he wasn't the captain of his high school debate team.

Jeez, thanks Tim! I'm lucky I was only drinking water when I read that. At least it was room temperature liquid coming out my nose!

[steve B]

It's all about reputation and promoting the auction to the right people.

Sothebys and I could sell the exact same Item. Guess who would get the higher price? Of course they would, wether the auction was on Ebay or in the New York office.

On a smaller scale, but a perfect example there's this personal experience.

A friend of mine sells 16mm films. Lots of them. And he sells almost nothing else. He has built a reputation for accuracy in descriptions. Films fade or get worn. Many sellers underestimate how bad something is. He's a very conservative grader.

At one point I was helping him sell some inexpensive films. I sell a wide range of stuff when I'm active, cards, bike parts, small antiques... One film was a short story, and in fantastic condition. Barely used, on mylar film with an emulsion that's not prone to fading. I put a good description, and a picture.
No takers at $25- what we both thought was a good price. Then no takers at $10. I gave it back to him after 3 tries since I didn't think it should go for a price lower than that. The can and reel would sell for $4-5.
He listed it as a buy it now at $25 using my description.
It sold in less than 12 hours.
So there's a case from Ebay with the exact same item and one seller gets at least 2.5x what another could get. And he does little to no promotion of his auctions.

Steve B
PS if anyone collects films and has a want list just let me know and I'll pass it along. But you probably know him already.

[bobbyw8469]

So there's a case from Ebay with the exact same item and one seller gets at least 2.5x what another could get. And he does little to no promotion of his auctions.

I don't deal in photos, but this sounds exactly like Brent and his company, PWCC. We could have the EXACT same card (according to the PSA serial #). Say, for example, a PSA Gem Mint 10 1965 Topps common. I PROMISE you, he would get more for the card than I would if we sold it via the same venue (Ebay). To quote Yogi, "It's just the way it is...".

[ibuysportsephemera]

Originally Posted by steve B

It's all about reputation and promoting the auction to the right people.

Sothebys and I could sell the exact same Item. Guess who would get the higher price? Of course they would, wether the auction was on Ebay or in the New York office.

On a smaller scale, but a perfect example there's this personal experience.

A friend of mine sells 16mm films. Lots of them. And he sells almost nothing else. He has built a reputation for accuracy in descriptions. Films fade or get worn. Many sellers underestimate how bad something is. He's a very conservative grader.

At one point I was helping him sell some inexpensive films. I sell a wide range of stuff when I'm active, cards, bike parts, small antiques... One film was a short story, and in fantastic condition. Barely used, on mylar film with an emulsion that's not prone to fading. I put a good description, and a picture.
No takers at $25- what we both thought was a good price. Then no takers at $10. I gave it back to him after 3 tries since I didn't think it should go for a price lower than that. The can and reel would sell for $4-5.
He listed it as a buy it now at $25 using my description.
It sold in less than 12 hours.
So there's a case from Ebay with the exact same item and one seller gets at least 2.5x what another could get. And he does little to no promotion of his auctions.

Steve B
PS if anyone collects films and has a want list just let me know and I'll pass it along. But you probably know him already.

I am finally getting back to this thread. I want to make it perfectly clear that I was not in anyway saying that I though Henry was shill bidding.

In the above post Steve says exactly what I was thinking. Thanks.

HOWEVER, I would like to point out is that it really is easy to shill in Henry's auctions. I believe that he takes consignments. If that is the case, what is to stop the consignor from having another eBay user bump up the price. Henry would not even know it.

[Kawika]

Originally Posted by ibuysportsephemera

HOWEVER, I would like to point out is that it really is easy to shill in Henry's auctions. I believe that he takes consignments. If that is the case, what is to stop the consignor from having another eBay user bump up the price. Henry would not even know it.

Case in point. This George Burke Chas. Gehringer photo I won (item #250739037920). Check out bidder a***5(121). 2055 (!) bids on 149 of hyee's auctions, 99% "activity . . with this seller". I e-mailed Henry about this clown and suggested he block him. He replied that he would and I presume that he did. Am not casting aspersions on Henry whatsoever. We all know that eBay lends itself to all kinds of bad faith shenanigans. This joker could have been shilling to his own advantage or could have been doing it just to jack around Henry. Either way it corrupts the bidding process and probably tends to elevate prices. I will not hold my breath waiting for eBay to do anything about anything.

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by Kawika

Case in point. This George Burke Chas. Gehringer photo I won (item #250739037920). Check out bidder a***5(121). 2055 (!) bids on 149 of hyee's auctions, 99% "activity . . with this seller". I e-mailed Henry about this clown and suggested he block him. He replied that he would and I presume that he did. Am not casting aspersions on Henry whatsoever. We all know that eBay lends itself to all kinds of bad faith shenanigans. This joker could have been shilling to his own advantage or could have been doing it just to jack around Henry. Either way it corrupts the bidding process and probably tends to elevate prices. I will not hold my breath waiting for eBay to do anything about anything.

Good point Dave. That buyer was a new ebay seller named; sharkbay545

Look him up. A strange guy. Ben and I have bought some photos from him 9he sells photos and books, and has only been selling since this last simmer. A strange fellow to say the least.

I encourage every one to look him up and see what he sells.

If Ben sees this comment, I'm sure he'll chime in...

I must leave to make a Doctors appoint now but will address him in more detail later this evening.

Every thing is not always the way it may appear to be.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by ibuysportsephemera

I am finally getting back to this thread. I want to make it perfectly clear that I was not in anyway saying that I though Henry was shill bidding.

In the above post Steve says exactly what I was thinking. Thanks.

HOWEVER, I would like to point out is that it really is easy to shill in Henry's auctions. I believe that he takes consignments. If that is the case, what is to stop the consignor from having another eBay user bump up the price. Henry would not even know it.

That can be the case for any auction house or Ebay seller that takes consignments. Have a friend bump up the price.

I accept consignments for my Ebay auctions on a regular basis. I would hope I would notice if something fishy is going on. Like the same bidder bumping up a ton of auctions from the same consignor and not paying on the ones he won.

There would be a pattern. Not just the typical NPB here and there.

If I found out a consignor was messing with auctions, I would make a point not to ever deal with them again, no matter the material they were offering.

Of course I don't do anything near the scope of Henry's auctions. I imagine it would be hard to notice something fishy going on when you have 1600 auctions running at one time.

[bobbyw8469]

To play devil's advocate, why would a consignor shill on his own auctions, say to drive up the price $500 when the average selling price is $100?? He knows it will never sell for that price and then he would be stuck having to buy his own item back for quintuple what it is worth. I just don't get it.....

[ibuysportsephemera]

@Bobby...Since I have never shilled, I am not speaking from experience...but as an example, you see lots of activity early in an auction and every time you place the high bid another bidder places a higher bid...if you are not piggish, you could push the price pretty high without worrying about being the high bidder...just sayin.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

To play devil's advocate, why would a consignor shill on his own auctions, say to drive up the price $500 when the average selling price is $100?? He knows it will never sell for that price and then he would be stuck having to buy his own item back for quintuple what it is worth. I just don't get it.....

I've always thought of shill bidding by a consignor or auction house to be similar to an undisclosed reserve. The consignor maybe only wanted to sell it if it got to a certain price -- and if it doesn't, then you have an artificially high market value the next time you look to sell it.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

To play devil's advocate, why would a consignor shill on his own auctions, say to drive up the price $500 when the average selling price is $100?? He knows it will never sell for that price and then he would be stuck having to buy his own item back for quintuple what it is worth. I just don't get it.....

Only way it would work is if the dealer was in on it and gave his blessing that he wouldn't try to collect on the items the consignor won.

I doubt Henry would risk his reputation for that type of arrangement.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by timzcardz

Just a wild guess, but I suspect that he wasn't the captain of his high school debate team.

Now there, that's funny. Thanks Tim.

Lets see, I bid 3x the amount I usually do, and I am asking myself- "Self- how DOES HE get such high prices?" As Yogi would say: If it's the way it is, it probably is the way it is.

Something tells me I need to call Henry and charge him for this advertising.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by timzcardz

Just a wild guess, but I suspect that he wasn't the captain of his high school debate team.

+3