The eBay BS Game: Questionable items, Stephen King signatures, sellers

[wizardsrainbow]

I own an inscribed 1st printing copy.
You hardly EVER see this book signed.
In fact, I've only seen 3 ever.

A couple years back, Shibus had a copy of Nightmares in the Sky inscribed "To Richard" that I considered buying (since that is my name), but never did.

Wondering if you ended up with it?

I do own that exact book, although I bought it from Critical*Path (Chris Blakley) on July 25, 2006. Are you interested in purchasing it? Make me an offer in a PM if you are. I have the book listed in my spreadsheet as Fine in a Fine DJ. It is inscribed to Richard and dated 9/12/95.

[wizardsrainbow]

How about this aution. I believe the sig to be legit, but is the book itself a first edition (not talking about the DJ, just the book itself).

http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-IT-...1%7C240%3A1318

[e_taylor]

How about this aution. I believe the sig to be legit, but is the book itself a first edition (not talking about the DJ, just the book itself).

http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-IT-...1%7C240%3A1318

Shhhhhh - I've been looking at that one for quite a while. I don't think it can technically be classed as a first edition. Don't the end papers have to be grey? Personally, its close enough that I'd live with it!

[Randall Flagg]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-IT-...1%7C240%3A1318

Shhhhhh - I've been looking at that one for quite a while. I don't think it can technically be classed as a first edition. Don't the end papers have to be grey? Personally, its close enough that I'd live with it!

I do believe the pastedowns need to be grey.

[gsvec]

Bad sig reported. When did SK's last name become "Kinq"?

Dark Half *signed*

[Chooch]

Here one I really get a laugh at

http://cgi.ebay.com/DEAD-ZONE-SIGNED...1%7C240%3A1318

Stephen Kinig...WTF...at least spell it right

[e_taylor]

Remember that $5 signature evaluation service that Ralph tried?

Well, I got some more information about it. Apparently it is a group of people that are working on becoming official eBay monitors - with the ability to remove listings!

If true, that'd make eBay a hella lot better and maybe signed trade editions would start being valuable again!

[e_taylor]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Scarce-1978-1st-...QQcmdZViewItem



Not a fake, but still bullshit. This seller has been listing BCEs as 1sts for months, but this is the first time they've gone for big bucks. Half of me says if someones stupid enough to get duped then let them, but to me this is orchestrated fraud. The seller says its a 1st/1st.....BCE, which we all know is BS to begin with. But then explains as if this is a trade edition, as it has an unclipped dust jacket don't you know.

[Rusher]

Hi E Taylor

He actually bought this book from me a few weeks ago. I sold it as a retail edition of course, because it has the 18.95 price on the jacket. He has sold many of the retail editions of The Stand for huge dollars. I don't know how he does it. I forgot exactly how much he paid for the book but I think it was less than 30 dollars.

When I saw who the winning bidder was, I knew he was going to resell it and make alot more than what he paid. I don't know what it is about his listings but people way overpay for these later printings of The Stand from him.

[e_taylor]

Hi E Taylor

He actually bought this book from me a few weeks ago. I sold it as a retail edition of course, because it has the 18.95 price on the jacket. He has sold many of the retail editions of The Stand for huge dollars. I don't know how he does it. I forgot exactly how much he paid for the book but I think it was less than 30 dollars.

When I saw who the winning bidder was, I knew he was going to resell it and make alot more than what he paid. I don't know what it is about his listings but people way overpay for these later printings of The Stand from him.

Yah, I actually misread this one, it is actually a trade edition - but definetly not worth anywhere near $100. But a lot of his others are just BCEs!

[Rusher]

Hey, I just went back and double checked. He paid 24.99 from me. The original ebay listing number is 270321681702.

He does this all the time. Evidently the people buying them just don't know any better.

[Sam]

So it's no a 1st edition?

[Rusher]

Well, in the true sense, its not a first edition. I consider a first edition a first printing. Some people call later printings first editions but I don't. I guess you could, by stretch, call it a first edition and later printing.

For what hes getting for this book, the person could pretty much by a true first printing. I just don't know how he attracts those people. I have listed a couple of those later retail printings and haven't gotten anywhere near what he gets for them, but I also don't list them as 1st's and he does.

[jhanic]

His listing states:

a First Edition and early printing

He doesn't say it's a first/first. Of course, with that price, the unsuspecting bidder may be led to think it is.

John

[Room 217 Caretaker]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Scarce-1978-1st-...QQcmdZViewItem



Not a fake, but still bullshit. This seller has been listing BCEs as 1sts for months, but this is the first time they've gone for big bucks. Half of me says if someones stupid enough to get duped then let them, but to me this is orchestrated fraud. The seller says its a 1st/1st.....BCE, which we all know is BS to begin with. But then explains as if this is a trade edition, as it has an unclipped dust jacket don't you know.

This guy is 35 minutes from my house. I've had several in depth discussions with this guy about his misleading ways and how he portrays BCE books as first editions.

His attitude has always been, "A sucker born every minute"

I stopped visiting his store. He's lost several local customers due to my name on the street as the one to call if you have a question.

He can't stand me now.

Mulleins
Cumberland VA

[Randall Flagg]

He has a way with words, and good background visuals to his ad and "suckers" fall for it.

[Room 217 Caretaker]

He has a way with words, and good background visuals to his ad and "suckers" fall for it.

Yes they do.

But this is one of my arguments with him;

http://cgi.ebay.com/Scarce-1974-1st-...QQcmdZViewItem

How can he call it, and I quote from his Ebay auction "a first edition and first printing BCE"

Mulleins
Cumberland VA

[Rusher]

Yes, extremely misleading to say the least. Im surprised that he has 100% positive feedback. You would figure someone along the way would be pissed off enough to leave negative feedback, but if someone did get the book and want a refund, as long as he refunded their money, I guess he would be able to keep a positive rating.

Oh well, there are suckers born every minute and Im not saying its a bad thing to take advantage of that at times, but to be misleading is something altogether different

[Ves'Ka Gan]

I actually had emailed this same guy over a BCE Carrie--in addition to having misleading listings, he was a real asshole about being called out...I feel bad for anyone buying from him thinking they are getting something great and ending up with something relatively mediocre.

EDIT: just looked at the Carrie listing linked here, this is apparently a different guy, the guy I had emailed had listings that were actually less misleading than this one, but the same general idea.

[Rahfa]

Yeah, that's pretty lame...what does 'first book club edition' even mean, anyway...there's no distinction...

But, I guess if you start the bidding really low with no reserve than a buyer should wonder what's going on...but...

[Ves'Ka Gan]

Yeah, "but..."

Someone with little to know knowledge of collecting could see it & not having all of you wonderful people to fall back on spend 70 or 80 bucks on something that's worth ten. And that's total BS to me.

[Sam]

I reported the Carrie listing as fraudulent. There is no such thing as a First Edition and First Printing BCE.

[lophophoras]

Wasn't there a round of books from the FL area not too long ago that had fake signatures in them?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-Kings-Ce...QQcmdZViewItem

What do you guys think about this one?

[wizardsrainbow]

Wasn't there a round of books from the FL area not too long ago that had fake signatures in them?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-Kings-Ce...QQcmdZViewItem

What do you guys think about this one?

This one looks totally legit to me.

[Rahfa]

I reported the Carrie listing as fraudulent. There is no such thing as a First Edition and First Printing BCE.

Yeah, good idea.

The only way this can be justified, and the same with the "first edition" Stand, is because later printings had different dust jackets, etc, then techincally isn't it a 'first edition, later printing?"

When Grant republished DT II, they called it, I believe, the second edition, right?

When Gunsligner when into a second printing, was it called "Second Edition" or "second printing?" And I'm talking about the 1982 edition that had the additional 20K copies printed (or whatever it was).

So IF that's the case, then it's not a 'lie,' it's just not a moral truth.

I'm not defending any of that seller's nonsense, though...it's a scummy play. Like RF said above, he loads his listing with a lot of meaningless but supposedly informative information and fools people into thinkng he's offering legit items.