Mid-auction analysis - OMGs!, LOLs!, WTFs!, whatev....

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Here's a GIF showing the dramatic changes to the buildings, can't be explained solely by fading:



The 1938 insert also lacks details in the nearby buildings:

[Bruce]

That's not R38

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

That's not R38

Yes but "what" is it? Since the 1938 insert lost some of the building details of the 1933 insert, it is possible that this mystery Ebay "insert" is some kind of re-release poster or even commercial poster?

[MoviePosterBid.com]

1) It could be a partial insert that has been heavily restored to look like a window card. heavily overpainted.
2) it could be a complete fake created in the famous Haggard poster scandal or some other fake creation

whatever it is, clearly collectors should steer clear of the item

and the insert you showed is the 1956R

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Well, I'll ask Mendez himself what happened.  Maybe he'll respond.

[CSM]

If anyone is serious about that King Kong, they should ask the seller for pics of it prior to restoration.  This would certainly explain exactly what it is.

Of course, conveniently, their existence will likely be denied...

Seems clear whatever is going on it's been made to "look" like a Window Card

[erik1925]

If anyone is serious about that King Kong, they should ask the seller for pics of it prior to restoration.  This would certainly explain exactly what it is.

Of course, conveniently, their existence will likely be denied...

Seems clear whatever is going on it's been made to "look" like a Window Card

The other thing I noticed in the Ebay ad, was how determined the seller was to show (and state) that restoration was done, saying he/she had the receipt, etc. It almost struck me as "overkill," in a way. But again, everyone's sales approach is different, so that may just be his/her method.

I would like to know who did the work, since the 2 companies mentioned, are not one in the same.

It would be interesting, too, as you mentioned, Chris, to see if any pre-restoration pics do exist. Either of the 2 restorers mentioned (in the ad), would have snapped an image or 2, prior to work being done, to document the "work in progress."

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Well, I'll ask Mendez himself what happened.  Maybe he'll respond.

Following up on this Mendez emailed me and said that "this poster was trimmed and I added the bottom border and airbrushed it."

You can believe it or not. I can say that I've sent him a couple of posters for restoration and didn't have any issues.

We all know Gresham accused Mendez of forging Haggard's fakes, but in the end Gresham dropped his civil lawsuit against Mendez and - as far as I know - Mendez was never criminally indicted, although according to Sean he cut a deal with the prosecutor to avoid being charged.

In the Gresham case "photographs of original posters [were] fixed to original lobby card material and airbrushed to make them appear real."

[jedgerley]

King kong Insert
I asked for prerestoration photos here is the response
Hi thanks for comment. It's so much easier to talk over the phone than to write out why I don't have it. I wish I did have before shots of King Kong. I kick myself for not being able to find any. My moms storage was auctioned off accidently along w most family photos. Horrible. I thought for sure restoration company would have done before and after. I spoke to him on the phone he said he didn't have any photos. It has been almost 8 years since restoral.I have receipt of work.I have names of persons involved. And I have spoke to them in past 3 weeks. They remember it well. . I truly do not ever remember there being anything in bottom left corner like the insert that sold in December for 36k had. Mom found it in 60s. I.had money to correctly clean restore and preserve in 2006. Then too scared to hang as i thought it would get stolen. Anyway. If you have questions or would like to speak to me I am home today. xxx-xxx-xxxx. Would love to speak to you. Monica

[Silhouette]

It has been almost 8 years since restoral.

8 years since the restoration huh? About the same time as other valuable ones were being restored by the same person, no wonder there is no evidence photos

[CSM]

(re: pre-restoration photos) Of course, conveniently, their existence will likely be denied...

Yes I am quoting myself  

[MoviePosterBid.com]

#1 I wouldn't buy anything that Jaime supposedly restored in that time period
#2 I wouldn't trust Jaime at this point in time no matter what the issue
#3 I wouldn't use Jaime's services today if he was the last poster restorer on the face of the Earth

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Too bad SleazeBay blocked communications with winners of auctions.  The winner should send it off to MPGrading.com to get it figured out.

[CSM]

Too bad SleazeBay blocked communications with winners of auctions.  The winner should send it off to MPGrading.com to get it figured out.

Still hasn't reached the reserve with 7 hours to go

[MoviePosterBid.com]

The winner should send it off to MPGrading.com to get it figured out.

 

that's some pretty good comedy also

[Bruce]

After looking over all the evidence and images, my best guess is that it is a 1956 trimmed insert that had the words over Kong airbrushed out, and the bottom lettering entirely redone with a new bottom background.

If this is correct, I would sell it to the high bidder!

[CSM]

After looking over all the evidence and images, my best guess is that it is a 1956 trimmed insert that had the words over Kong airbrushed out, and the bottom lettering entirely redone with a new bottom background.

If this is correct, I would sell it to the high bidder!

It can't be the 1956 insert as the main image cuts out part of the hand and shoulder:

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

After looking over all the evidence and images, my best guess is that it is a 1956 trimmed insert that had the words over Kong airbrushed out, and the bottom lettering entirely redone with a new bottom background.

If this is correct, I would sell it to the high bidder!

No way Jose:

[Bruce]

Then maybe it is from a different re-release. How would the background change SO much if it was from 1933?

[Dread_Pirate_Mel]

Maybe this guy could try a little bit harder?

It's STUNNING!

It's HUGE!

It's LARGE!

It's VERY RARE!

It has NEVER BEEN HUNG!

It's UNCUT!

It's RARE AS ROCKING HORSE SHIT!!!

It's AMAZING!

It's TWO POSTERS IN ONE!

It's NEAR MINT!

It's a CORKER!

YOU WON'T SEE THIS AGAIN!!!

It's VERY LARGE!

GRAB THIS IF YOU CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

And it has something to do with the 50+ pictures of Cleopatra below!!!!

[CSM]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/nyrKa9Hk4zM" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/nyrKa9Hk4zM</a>

[MoviePosterBid.com]

who cares what the Kong piece is.. ultimately, if it isn't a complete fake, it also isn't a real KK window card

I don't know what a real one looks like. Maybe one doesn't exist, but it would be unlikely to be formatted so because even when I have seen full image window cards, the upper part of the image is still open.

The fact that Jaime was involved in the piece - and states so in his response to Mel - would automatically make me move on.

at the very best it is a heavily restored portion of an insert
at worst it is a complete fake

if it was truly real, any one of the major players would be seriously involved in bidding and clearly, with a bid in the $2000 range, no one believes it is real..

I would think that even an unrestored top half of an insert would be worth more than $2k

[guest4185]

I don't think I would bid on that Kong, even if I could afford it

[guest4251]

This Frankenstein/thing? what ever it is? should have come with some documentation stuck on the back! Stating the obvious, but not so obvious for so many.

If that was my creations being sold right now on eBay as a rare original, I'll be freaking out right now, seriously!

Best,
dario.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

This Frankenstein/thing? what ever it is? should have come with some documentation stuck on the back! Stating the obvious, but not so obvious for so many.

If that was my creations being sold right now on eBay as a rare original, I'll be freaking out right now, seriously!

Best,
dario.

Right, but we were talking Jaime.