Newb looking to buy first poster. Need help

[DreamWarrior]

Ohhh popping the poster cherry! This is exciting...

Oh shit, I placed a bid. Dun dun dun! 

[erik1925]

Getting back to your initial questions and comments, Dream... this page would be good to look thru, too, while on your search:

http://filmfan.com/pages/faq_6.html

Jeff

[DreamWarrior]

Thanks Jeff

[ddilts399]

Getting back to your initial questions and comments, Dream... this page would be good to look thru, too, while on your search:

http://filmfan.com/pages/faq_6.html

Jeff

Never seen that page before!

[archie leach]

I haven't been here long enough to pick a side of these arguments, nor am I interested in doing so. I have no grounds to judge the alleged mistakes on Mel's website, and have yet to find a reason to question his advice regarding sellers legitamicy or his general knowledge of authentic originals. Perhaps these issues should be brought up in another thread. At least the in-fighting here is nothing compared to the firearm related froums I frequent.

It's not about picking sides - it's about maintaining a healthy skepticism of new information, which is a good idea for any collector, particularly a new one.  You should have a reason to question anyone's advice, not just Mel, as even the most knowledgeable of experts make mistakes.  There are exceptions for most every rule.  

I posted the links to Dave's/Cinemasterpieces auction and the corresponding info link to illustrate the fact that even the better dealers make mistakes, not start (yet another) Dave bashing thread, which I am glad this has not devolved into...  

Kovacs laid it out really well, all the due diligence in the world, while certainly helpful, will only get you so far.  After that, nothing beats experience.  Hopefully, places like APF speed the learning curve.

All of this makes the discussion, despite attempts to devolve it into a mud slinging affair (still waiting Mel), quite germane to your endeavor into this hobby and for others who may join in the future.

Personally, I wish you the best of luck... and recommend only bidding in the last 15 seconds of any eBay auction and at the 6 minute point of Bruce's... 

[Cj]

It's not about picking sides - it's about maintaining a healthy skepticism of new information, which is a good idea for any collector, particularly a new one.  You should have a reason to question anyone's advice, not just Mel, as even the most knowledgeable of experts make mistakes.  There are exceptions for most every rule. 

I posted the links to Dave's/Cinemasterpieces auction and the corresponding info link to illustrate the fact that even the better dealers make mistakes, not start (yet another) Dave bashing thread, which I am glad this has not devolved into... 

Kovacs laid it out really well, all the due diligence in the world, while certainly helpful, will only get you so far.  After that, nothing beats experience.  Hopefully, places like APF speed the learning curve.

All of this makes the discussion, despite attempts to devolve it into a mud slinging affair (still waiting Mel), quite germane to your endeavor into this hobby and for others who may join in the future.

Well said Archie!

CJ

[eatbrie]

Personally, I wish you the best of luck... and recommend only bidding in the last 15 seconds of any eBay auction and at the 6 minute point of Bruce's... 

Last 4 seconds of any Ebay auction (15 seconds is enough time for a comeback), and 4:30 minute point of Bruce's...  Under 5 for sure, since he does 5 minutes increments.

T

[archie leach]

Last 4 seconds of any Ebay auction (15 seconds is enough time for a comeback), and 4:30 minute point of Bruce's...  Under 5 for sure, since he does 5 minutes increments.

I was ball-parking the utmost limit.

If you bid under the 5 minute mark for Bruce doesn't it kick into extendo mode?

[erik1925]

If you bid under the 5 minute mark for Bruce doesn't it kick into extendo mode?

Yes, it does..

[DreamWarrior]

It's not about picking sides - it's about maintaining a healthy skepticism of new information, which is a good idea for any collector, particularly a new one.  You should have a reason to question anyone's advice, not just Mel, as even the most knowledgeable of experts make mistakes.  There are exceptions for most every rule.  

I posted the links to Dave's/Cinemasterpieces auction and the corresponding info link to illustrate the fact that even the better dealers make mistakes, not start (yet another) Dave bashing thread, which I am glad this has not devolved into...  

Kovacs laid it out really well, all the due diligence in the world, while certainly helpful, will only get you so far.  After that, nothing beats experience.  Hopefully, places like APF speed the learning curve.

All of this makes the discussion, despite attempts to devolve it into a mud slinging affair (still waiting Mel), quite germane to your endeavor into this hobby and for others who may join in the future.

Personally, I wish you the best of luck... and recommend only bidding in the last 15 seconds of any eBay auction and at the 6 minute point of Bruce's... 

Fair enough. I have been taking what I consider vital information from this thread, PMs from multiple members, and other websites and cross checking to the best of my ability. I have learned a lot in a short amount of time and am slowly building a knowledge base to reach my goals. Valididty of advice aside, I do believe everyone here is trying to help. My job is to figure out who is really helping. As for as my bid goes I don't have grounds to retract it, not that it would matter at this point. I am not too worried about and will take your advice next time. I'll walk if things start going bad.

[Bruce]

The best time to bid is 5 minutes and a few seconds. That way, you don't extend the auction, and if you make it through those five minutes, it's yours (and if someone does bid, you will have five minutes from that time to decide whether to re-bid).

All the time I see eBay escapees who bid with seconds to go, thinking they are sniping, and they actually extend the auction almost a full five minutes! There are also the jokers who try to use psychological warfare and wait almost five minutes over and over, and sometimes they will extend an auction 30 minutes that way. Sometimes they DO wear down their opponent, but sometimes a new person discovers this much extended auction, and comes in to bid, and they likely never would have if the guy hadn't played his mind games.

Important! If you have several items that close within a short while, open a separate tab or window for each of them, as it is far easier to keep track of them that way.

Bruce

[jayn_j]

Really good strategies, Bruce.

Unfortunately for me, my family often makes demands on me that keeps me away from the keyboard during close times.  I have several items bid on Wednesday's movieposterbid auction, but Wednesday is my daughter's 14th birthday and I know she is going to want to go out for dinner.

So, that causes me to think a bit harder.  What is the maximum I am willing to pay for an item, now that it is some time away from closing.  I decide and bid that, generally on the day.  Then I walk away.  I lose a lot that way, but I also don't get drawn into that last minute frenzy where I could find myself bidding $1500 on a Dumb aned Dumber poster because "I'm not going to let that bastard have it"

When I do win, I am happy that I got it at a fair price.  When I don't, I can re-evaluate and decide if my max price was realistic.

Of course, that doesn't work for one of a kind stuff.  Then it's all out war.

[Bruce]

Jay

When you can't be there at the end, that is all you can do, but it is harder than it seems to "just pick a number"!

Here's what I recommend. Think of your bid amount, and then imagine how you would feel if you were outbid by one bid. If you would feel like you should have bid more, then revise your bid upward. Then imagine how you would feel if you won it at your exact maximum. If you would feel like you should have bid less, then revise your bid downward.

I get SO many people who say, "I wish I had bid more" and some who say "I bid high and never expected I would have to pay that amount, and now I am sorry I bid so high" and BOTH these can often be averted by putting more thought into what your personal "magic" bid amount should be!

Bruce

[jayn_j]

I see what you are saying, but I think that means that these people are not really thinking through their point of pain.

When I lose, 9 times out of ten the item goes for 1 bid higher than my max number.  That tells me I am in the ballpark, but I don't know how high the other person was willing to raise.  I see all too many cases where two bidders go back and forth in the last minutes.  That tells me that neither one has a good idea of their max price.  Since these auctions are proxy bid, you really should be putting in a max price near the end and sticking with it.  Otherwise I can promise you will have buyers regret.

The ebay auctions without extended bidding end up effectively being sealed bid auctions with a 7 day preview period.  Since all the action happens in the last 5 seconds, you only get one chance to make your best bid.  The unfortunate part is that you need to be there to make that bid, or rely on whether a snipe program will work correctly.

Your extended bid policy helps some as it makes the snipe programs useless.  However, you still need to be present.

I have really wondered how well a true sealed bid auction would work.  Everyone puts in their max bid and at the close the best one is revealed.  I expect that the results would be similar to ebay, but probably not as high on the average as Bruce's.

[DreamWarrior]

The best time to bid is 5 minutes and a few seconds. That way, you don't extend the auction, and if you make it through those five minutes, it's yours (and if someone does bid, you will have five minutes from that time to decide whether to re-bid).

All the time I see eBay escapees who bid with seconds to go, thinking they are sniping, and they actually extend the auction almost a full five minutes! There are also the jokers who try to use psychological warfare and wait almost five minutes over and over, and sometimes they will extend an auction 30 minutes that way. Sometimes they DO wear down their opponent, but sometimes a new person discovers this much extended auction, and comes in to bid, and they likely never would have if the guy hadn't played his mind games.

Important! If you have several items that close within a short while, open a separate tab or window for each of them, as it is far easier to keep track of them that way.

Bruce

Good advice bruce. Thank you. BTW, I'm diggn' your site.

[Zorba]

I know Im really probably not yet qualified to be giving advice at just over 18 months of this but I just love to post!  and I really like to share my mistakes...Some more tips from the unqualified. 
 
 Carefully read auction descriptions and look at enlarged pics if available.
I have on different occasions bought linen backed , rereleases, damaged worse than I somehow thought posters and once a video poster cause I became a bit too excited and didnt pay close enough attention. 
 Also and if possible, stay away from auctions when drinking...Been there and felt that.
My biggest mistake was and probably still is not always fully researching the poster I am buying and or the seller if it is on ebay. 

Oh and ofcourse the keyword might be patience....Words of wisdom from down under....

yes, DONT WORRY, DONT HURRY, it is NOT the only copy that exists. Another WILL come along (unless you are a certain type of collector that likes things like Metropolis - but ahh well).

relax, and buy it when you are ready, happy with the item, and happy with the price.

again, DON"T PANIC, theres more out there.

[Harry Caul]

I wonder if Heritage refunded this buyer!

http://movieposters.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=695&Lot_No=86062

BTW, here's a prime example of a normally solid, if overly flamboyant, dealer who is mistakenly sellling a reproduction as an original...

Here's the auction listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RESERVOIR-DOGS-MR-BLONDE-ORIG-BRITISH-MOVIE-POSTER-/180634808376?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0eac7038

Here's the thread on NSFGE that gives the correct info (most of it is about Pulp Fiction, but it also covers these Reservoir Dogs UK posters):

http://stylec.yuku.com/reply/102319/Real-Fake-or-Real-Fake-Bruce-Posteritati#reply-102319


You'll also note that in the thread Bruce, as usual in these situations, did the right thing.  Posteritati no longer shows the Sam Jackson mock poster for sale.  Hopefully, they pulled it and didn't sell it as an original.

[Zorba]

I wonder if Heritage refunded this buyer!

http://movieposters.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=695&Lot_No=86062

If they did or ever do we can all pitch in an extra $150 and he can still get that fake Mr Blonde poster!

[archie leach]

I wonder if Heritage refunded this buyer!

http://movieposters.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=695&Lot_No=86062

Heck, maybe this is where Dave found his...
http://movieposters.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=511022&Lot_No=52309

[Zorba]

Heck, maybe this is where Dave found his...
http://movieposters.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=511022&Lot_No=52309

Doesnt look like it. The repro Heritage sold has a tear in the upper right corner that Dave's doesnt appear to have.

The guy who bought the Heritage fake got a deal 

Heritage 

[erik1925]

BTW, here's a prime example of a normally solid, if overly flamboyant, dealer who is mistakenly sellling a reproduction as an original...

Here's the auction listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RESERVOIR-DOGS-MR-BLONDE-ORIG-BRITISH-MOVIE-POSTER-/180634808376?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0eac7038

So, is the current CineMast listing for a reproduction? If so, why isnt it indicated in the description somewhere (or been changed and updated)?   

[archie leach]

So, is the current CineMast listing for a reproduction? If so, why isnt it indicated in the description somewhere (or been changed and updated)?   

Yes it is.  Dave's probably unaware that it's a reprint, much like Heritage, which has sold three of them.

[DreamWarrior]

 Also and if possible, stay away from auctions when drinking...Been there and felt that.

I can taste neither the fermentation of grape, nor of wheat.

[erik1925]

Yes it is.  Dave's probably unaware that it's a reprint, much like Heritage, which has sold three of them.

I just looked at the listing.. it still describes this poster is the real deal. Since CineMast is a member here, I would think he would look into this possible issue and, if, as you say, Archie, that poster is a repro, either amend or pull the auction. That would make the most sense, unless CM stands by their assertion that it is genuine. But if there is any question, it should be sussed out. 

[CSM]

Someone send Dave a message.  I am sure he will pull it or edit it  - with an appropriate explanation of course.