All Poster Forum
Common Poster Subjects => Auction House, Dealer & Other Seller Experiences => Topic started by: ATLfun on June 20, 2011, 05:27:29 PM
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I picked up my first Heritage purchase last night, a VF/NM Alien poster. I got it for about 25% under the price paid for the same condition in 2010. They seem do to a lot of things well, but why do they give themselves a three week window on shipping? And are the leftover $15 items their personal posters?
Also, is there a snipe program for Heritage? I use esnipe for ebay, but they do not offer their service for any other online auctions. And finally, what is their basic seller fee? Their website is kind of cryptic, but if you just wanted to send in three or four posters, how much would they hit your for. There seems to be a fair amount of $20-40 posters with the buyer fee added in, so the seller would only get $5-$15 less commission.
Thanks,
Brian
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Use this (http://www.gavelsnipe.com/) to snipe on HA. As for shipping, sometimes it takes them a while to get packages shipped. Not every time, but sometimes, so they give themselves a big window to work with.
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Are the catalogs worth purchasing for $100 and how big are the pictures? I went ahead and signed-up for the catalogs. I figured worse case scenario they would be like a Sear's "Christmas Wish Book." Certainly, I am not the only forum member who would circle toys in the wish book and give it back to their mom.
Brian
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I was definitely a 'Wish Book' kid!
I never paid for the HA catalogs as you can basically get better close-up pictures with their online system. However, once I bought something from their one of their Signature auctions they started sending me catalogs for free. it was a pricey poster so I'm not sure if they do that for all purchases, but I definitely appreciate the gesture.
By the way, Grey Smith, the guy who handles the poster auctions a HA, recently joined the forum. You might want to figure out his handle and look through his past posts. I pretty sure he offered to mail out a catalog gratis to forum members.... I'm just not sure thread it was in.
Best of luck.
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Heritage catalog?
Here it is...
http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,2427.msg37931.html#msg37931 (http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,2427.msg37931.html#msg37931)
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I was definitely a 'Wish Book' kid!
I have often wondered if any of those old catalogs are collectible. I know it would be cool to see the first couple of ones with the atari 2600 in them, which would also coincide with the release of Kenner's Star Wars toys.
Brian
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Heritage catalog?
Here it is...
http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,2427.msg37931.html#msg37931 (http://www.allposterforum.com/index.php/topic,2427.msg37931.html#msg37931)
Great find on the free catalog post.....Unfortunately, I have already plunked down my $100, but that was before I found this forum and its wealth of information. Maybe free catalogs next year......... ;D
Brian
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I never paid for the HA catalogs as you can basically get better close-up pictures with their online system. Best of luck.
Exactly what I was thinking...
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Exactly what I was thinking...
I am with you guys for the purpose of inspecting the posters prior to purchase. I just had this image of a nice little catalog with glossy pages of some of the nicest and rarest posters that would make a great coffee table magazine/book. I am still hoping that it will make a nice reference tool and I still love paper. There is still nothing better than a good Sunday sports section. ;D
So are those post auction buys just Heritage items that did not sell?
Brian
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So are those post auction buys just Heritage items that did not sell?
Brian
Yep. I believe you can make an offer to the consignor on those too...
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I just had this image of a nice little catalog with glossy pages of some of the nicest and rarest posters that would make a great coffee table magazine/book. I am still hoping that it will make a nice reference tool and I still love paper.
Brian
They are most definately that...well put together and nice thing to flick through every once in a while
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I have made a recent purchase - am currently awaiting and have no doubts all will arrive safely.
I did however ask of them a question which by very nature of the resounding silence, causes me concern.
Bearing in mind Heritage manage all their own auctions, I asked them if they 'saw' and had access to the highest price one would pay. I mentioned to them that I had seen an enquiry on the internet into Heritage shilling practices and wanted to know their thoughts. I also said that Bruce had made a deal out of his changing the software on his auction site so that he Wouldn't have access to this information and that, as a result, his integrity remains resolutely intact.
Aside from an underling stating that yes, there are few that can access it, and that the few that do that have access to this sort of information all have integrity, and my response to that saying I would like to read this from one of those few, No comment whatsoever.
And as there weren't many bidders on my item and the last bid was just $10 under my maximum of ~$500, I remain concerned.
Any comments?
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My only comments are based on my experiences... I've placed quite a few max bids with them. Some ended up close to my maximums, some ended up lower, and some downright bargains. After reading some of the threads here, I decided to use sniping programs for their weekly auctions and live bidding for the signature auctions -- just as a precaution.
However, in one of their recent sig auctions I wasn't able to bid live and had to leave my max bid a few days ahead of time. I was quite nervous... but I was pleasantly surprised when I got it for considerably less than my max bid! On paper I can see how their might be potential for abuse, but based on my experiences I'm not particularly concerned.
My $0.02.
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My only comments are based on my experiences... I've placed quite a few max bids with them. Some ended up close to my maximums, some ended up lower, and some downright bargains. After reading some of the threads here, I decided to use sniping programs for their weekly auctions and live bidding for the signature auctions -- just as a precaution.
However, in one of their recent sig auctions I wasn't able to bid live and had to leave my max bid a few days ahead of time. I was quite nervous... but I was pleasantly surprised when I got it for considerably less than my max bid! On paper I can see how their might be potential for abuse, but based on my experiences I'm not particularly concerned.
My $0.02.
This is good to know Matt.
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You used to get your 100 you spent back if you made an auction purchase, not sure if that applies anymore.
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nice snipe link thanks, I have used auction sentry forever, but since the original developer left, it is not what it used to be!
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A few comments on Heritage:
(1) Heritage has the most opaque bidding system. They don't reveal the bid amounts or the bidders. I don't like it, but in my own bids - 100 or so in the last three years - I haven't seen any obvious shenanigans. I never bid early on Heritage. Absolutely no point or advantage to doing so unless you just cannot be there at the end. There seems to be much less "action" at the end of the Heritage auctions than on Emovie.
(2) Heritage does reveal the number of bidders and trackers, which does give you an indication of how popular the poster and how likely there will be a bidding war at the end. None of the other auction services reveal the number of trackers, so that's in their favor.
(3) Shipping time has been pretty good in my experience. If you pay by Echeck, you can add a couple of weeks, so never pay by Echeck, even though you get a 1% discount. I always use Paypal.
(4) If you're a regular customer, they'll ship out the posters before you pay, which is odd IMHO.
(5) I've seen a lot of repeat sales of the same poster in a short time period. For example, the same rare Shaft's Big Score advance showed up twice recently. I'm assuming that it's being resold because the buyer did not pay.
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(1) Heritage has the most opaque bidding system. They don't reveal the bid amounts or the bidders. I don't like it, but in my own bids - 100 or so in the last three years - I haven't seen any obvious shenanigans. I never bid early on Heritage. Absolutely no point or advantage to doing so unless you just cannot be there at the end. There seems to be much less "action" at the end of the Heritage auctions than on Emovie.
I think eMovie gets a lot of last minute action because they offer extended bidding. HA, like eBay, does not... who ever has the highest bid gets it when the bell sounds (for weekly auctions anyway). However, unlike eBay which has tons of snipping programs, HA only has one that I know of and I doubt many of their bidders know that it exists. I think that is why you see more even bidding throughout the week on HA and less spikes at the end. Their sig auctions are another story though...
(5) I've seen a lot of repeat sales of the same poster in a short time period. For example, the same rare Shaft's Big Score advance showed up twice recently. I'm assuming that it's being resold because the buyer did not pay.
Sometimes by looking at the close-up photos you can tell that it is the exact same poster being re-offered. Could be due to a non-payment... or maybe a hidden reserve? I know they do have reserves on some sig auction posters... not sure about weekly auctions. However, sometimes I think they get a stack of the same poster and just do a poor job at spacing them out. If you offer them too close together (week-to-week) it definitely affects the perception of how 'rare' it truly is.
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I sent Grey a private message about when the catalogs would be shipped. He responded in about an hour with a very courteous reply stating that the catalogs are slated to be mailed out at the end of this week. Looking forward to my first "poster wish catalog."
Brian
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Sometimes by looking at the close-up photos you can tell that it is the exact same poster being re-offered. Could be due to a non-payment
or a variety of other reasons Harry
1) of the 15,000+/- posters I auction every year from 20-50 or so never get paid for. Bidders in the night fouling up things on their way to some other asshole destination.
2) returns.. we take returns for any reason and 99.9% of the time it's "I really don't like it"
I don't remember the last time an item was returned and the buyer said "it was not as described", but I get very very few returns.. maybe 1-2-3 a year. Not even noticeable #
3) buyer trades or sells item back. sometimes they get bored, or replace it, or discover they had it already. So they send you a box of stuff to sell (happens to me all the time!)
and yes #4) did not meet reserve
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"1) of the 15,000+/- posters I auction every year from 20-50 or so never get paid for. Bidders in the night fouling up things on their way to some other asshole destination."
That is remarkable. We have steadily averaged 1% "no pays" per year (our returns are a fraction of that number, because of our honest descriptions).
On 100,000 items a year, that is unfortunately still around 1,000 items a year that are never paid for (and on $3,000,000 a year, it works out to around 1% by dollar as well, or around $30,000).
That number would be much higher except that we make gigantic efforts to never let deadbeats re-register (we have all sorts of ways to track them down when they re-register for a new ID). Once someone burns us, we want them gone forever. We surely have the most accurate "loser list" in movie poster collecting! I find it hard to believe that every other site (especially eBay) does not have a much higher rate than ours, except for Rich (because he said so above). According to what Rich wrote, his no-pay rate is at most one-third of ours (and perhaps less than one-seventh of ours!). I wonder what his secret is?
Bruce
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My only comments are based on my experiences... I've placed quite a few max bids with them. Some ended up close to my maximums, some ended up lower, and some downright bargains. After reading some of the threads here, I decided to use sniping programs for their weekly auctions and live bidding for the signature auctions -- just as a precaution.
However, in one of their recent sig auctions I wasn't able to bid live and had to leave my max bid a few days ahead of time. I was quite nervous... but I was pleasantly surprised when I got it for considerably less than my max bid! On paper I can see how their might be potential for abuse, but based on my experiences I'm not particularly concerned.
My $0.02.
Ok.
Thank you sir.
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Bruce.. I probably only get that low % of deadbeat sales because most deadbeats in my case only win 1 or 2 posters, although I did just ban someone who didn't pay for 12 posters
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My biggest beef with Ha, and I think I've said it before, is the fact that they don't combine shipping when bidding over a few weeks. I never have this problem with Bruce, or Rich, or anyone else for that matter. Actually, let me rephrase that... They do combine shipping, but they make you pay for each week of shipping, ed up sending your items together, and don't automatically reimburse you the difference. A few months ago, I got 4 weeks of items sent together and the total shipping (added week after week) came up to $60. It took 5 or 6 emails, including one to Grey, to get the $30 extra refunded to my account. When it happened again a few weeks ago and I sent an email to Grey, I didn't even get a response. Right now, I have 2 weeks worth of items, I'm going to have to pay for each week separately, they will send them together, and I will lose another $10-20, which I will never see again.
It's really annoying.
T
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My biggest beef with Ha, and I think I've said it before, is the fact that they don't combine shipping when bidding over a few weeks. I never have this problem with Bruce, or Rich, or anyone else for that matter. Actually, let me rephrase that... They do combine shipping, but they make you pay for each week of shipping, ed up sending your items together, and don't automatically reimburse you the difference. A few months ago, I got 4 weeks of items sent together and the total shipping (added week after week) came up to $60. It took 5 or 6 emails, including one to Grey, to get the $30 extra refunded to my account. When it happened again a few weeks ago and I sent an email to Grey, I didn't even get a response. Right now, I have 2 weeks worth of items, I'm going to have to pay for each week separately, they will send them together, and I will lose another $10-20, which I will never see again.
It's really annoying.
T
I remember you writing that earlier... however, I thought you got 4 shipments for 4 weeks of orders. I didn't realize they sent everything in one package! Maybe now that Grey is here on the forum he can clear up their policy. As inefficient and backwards as it would be to ship 4 weekly orders separately and charge you for all 4... it is at least understandable. Combining everything and essentially pocketing the difference in postage is totally unacceptable!
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To me, customer service is the name of the game. In great economic times, you can imagine some companies acting like they don't care about their customers, because they can always find more. Or they might only give good customer service to those who spend big bucks. But in these current terrible economic times, how can that philosophy make sense? Some companies wait until there are complaints on public forums and only THEN do they address the problems, and how many other people who didn't complain publicly never get any help at all?
I was a frequent buyer from auctions for decades, and I was appalled at how shoddily almost all of them ran their businesses, especially in the area of customer service. I founded my business on the belief that if I treated ALL customers great no matter how much or little they spent, that I would be able to keep customers coming back and again and again, and that has sure proven to be true.
It's easy to SAY you have great customer service, but buyers can quickly see who just talks the talk and who really walks the walk!
Bruce
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Combining everything and essentially pocketing the difference in postage is totally unacceptable!
THANK YOU!!!
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My biggest beef with Ha, and I think I've said it before, is the fact that they don't combine shipping when bidding over a few weeks. I never have this problem with Bruce, or Rich, or anyone else for that matter. Actually, let me rephrase that... They do combine shipping, but they make you pay for each week of shipping, ed up sending your items together, and don't automatically reimburse you the difference. A few months ago, I got 4 weeks of items sent together and the total shipping (added week after week) came up to $60. It took 5 or 6 emails, including one to Grey, to get the $30 extra refunded to my account. When it happened again a few weeks ago and I sent an email to Grey, I didn't even get a response. Right now, I have 2 weeks worth of items, I'm going to have to pay for each week separately, they will send them together, and I will lose another $10-20, which I will never see again.
It's really annoying.
T
HA double dip pisses me off, take from the buyer and seller... that is just wrong. Take a pick. I realize business strategy and whatever to keep the wheels spinning, but it rubs me the wrong way to pay a buyer premium on anything.
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No offense, guys...but do I hear you right?
You routinely spend big bucks on individual posters and you're griping about shipping costs?
$10-$20 you'll never see again?
You guys should walk a mile in my moccasins... wynk
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It's not about the money, Ted, it's about the service.
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It's not about the money, Ted, it's about the service.
OK, but your complaint sure sounded like it was the money.
Service -- especially response time -- is critical to success in this or any business.
I haven't bought anything from HA -- and for that matter, emovieposter and movieposterbid -- in quite some time and I found all three provided exceptional service even though my purchases were minimal.
So, when I am able to make some substantial purchases I will remember how well they all treated me when I was penniless and spend my money accordingly.
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Well, in this case, money and service are the same. Why should I gift Heritage $20 + every time I pay them? I don't follow your logic.
T
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To me, customer service is the name of the game. In great economic times, you can imagine some companies acting like they don't care about their customers, because they can always find more. Or they might only give good customer service to those who spend big bucks. But in these current terrible economic times, how can that philosophy make sense? Some companies wait until there are complaints on public forums and only THEN do they address the problems, and how many other people who didn't complain publicly never get any help at all?
I was a frequent buyer from auctions for decades, and I was appalled at how shoddily almost all of them ran their businesses, especially in the area of customer service. I founded my business on the belief that if I treated ALL customers great no matter how much or little they spent, that I would be able to keep customers coming back and again and again, and that has sure proven to be true.
It's easy to SAY you have great customer service, but buyers can quickly see who just talks the talk and who really walks the walk!
Bruce
Totally agree.
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As inefficient and backwards as it would be to ship 4 weekly orders separately and charge you for all 4... it is at least understandable.
I suspect that 9 times out of 10, the problem with separate shipments is lack of communication on the part of the buyer. If I am anticipating additional items, I make darned sure to get the e-mail out as soon as I receive the confirmation e-mail. In emovie's case, you can't even wait until the following afternoon because the package may very well be out the door already.
BTW, I agree on HA shipping. It is just plain wrong, and someone who is charging those sorts of buyer fees and shipping already should be doing more for customer service.
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"In emovie's case, you can't even wait until the following afternoon because the package may very well be out the door already."
That is solely for those who sign up for our "autoship" program", where we automatically send your purchases the day after you make them, billing your card on file. Great for people who want their stuff ultra-fast, not good for those who like to combine with purchases from other sets of auctions.
We can't have people who want autoship part of the time, and hold items other times, because it wrecks a complicated system. No one is added to autoship unless they request we do so via e-mail, and the moment they say they would have liked to combine we suggest they should not be on autoship.
Does any other company go to these lengths to satisfy their buyers?
Bruce
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I wasn't complaining, Bruce. I love the quick deliveries. Just commenting on how you need to be proactive on combining shipments.
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FYI, the internet bidding has started for the signature auction. It actually began last night.
It was fun posting early bids on stuff. Its like okay this is a 1k poster, opening bid 500, why not? Heritage really knows how to milk the anticipation of the auction. First, it was like month of posting pictures and descriptions, now 24 days of internet bidding before the actual auction.
They are kind of like the NFL promotion machine. They announce the schedule over a two week period in March, then you have the combine, then you have the draft, then you have ota's, then training camp, then pre-season, then the season, then the playoffs, finally the Super Bowl in early Feb. Repeat cycle. Strike notwithstanding. ;D
Brian
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FYI, the internet bidding has started for the signature auction. It actually began last night.
It was fun posting early bids on stuff. Its like okay this is a 1k poster, opening bid 500, why not? Heritage really knows how to milk the anticipation of the auction. First, it was like month of posting pictures and descriptions, now 24 days of internet bidding before the actual auction.
They are kind of like the NFL promotion machine. They announce the schedule over a two week period in March, then you have the combine, then you have the draft, then you have ota's, then training camp, then pre-season, then the season, then the playoffs, finally the Super Bowl in early Feb. Repeat cycle. Strike notwithstanding. ;D
Brian
See Bruce, I've been telling you that you need to do this for your mini/majors! It will not only help you build more excitement, as Brian said, but it will also allow your buyers more time to budget for big purchases.
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I was looking at a couple things that end Sunday today, I tell ya, I cannot stand their picture system. Whats wrong with click the poster, open a new browser window with full resolution shot of the poster instead of this 4x4 zoom window.
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I was looking at a couple things that end Sunday today, I tell ya, I cannot stand their picture system. Whats wrong with click the poster, open a new browser window with full resolution shot of the poster instead of this 4x4 zoom window.
Turn off Pan & Zoom to get the super-size image. I agree that Pan & Zoom sucks.
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I can't bear pan and zoom as well. It is like trying to thread a needle crosseyed or get changed in a phonebooth (I do often of course)
It is one of those gimmicks that doesnt add any value except a fleeting interest until you realise its shortcomings.
With pan and zoom you cant view the image to fill the screen to appreciate the full image in its whole. It sux.
What also sux is many people disable flash because many sites ruin the viewing experience thru annoying ads and launching videos you dont want to see. So when such a user visits the heritage product page with flash disabled, they see the image below. Probably every Ipad users sees the same as below (no image) as flash doesnt work on ipads. At the least heritage coders should provide the non pan and zoom alternative automatically when it detects the user doesnt have flash. If a new user saw the below, is it obvious they need to click the link to see an image - I dont think so as they wouldnt know what the pan and zoom was doing in the first place.
Heritage, please get rid of this annoying gimmickry. Looks amature and dated to me and is faulty (your customers are seeing the below...) . Browsers let you zoom in and out when viewing large images perfectly well without the need for this.
(http://www.mysterycorp.com/temp/heritage_panandzoomsux.gif)
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They do combine shipping, but they make you pay for each week of shipping, ed up sending your items together, and don't automatically reimburse you the difference. A few months ago, I got 4 weeks of items sent together and the total shipping (added week after week) came up to $60.
I just got skunked with that too - $20 to ship two posters from two different weeks. It does kinda piss me off. They'd probably give me a refund if I bitched about it but they really they should automatically credit the extra shipping.