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

[Randall Flagg]

Clearly misleading.

[Sam]

I've sent the lister a question about if it's the S/L or just a signed book. If they say it's the S/L, I'm reporting it as a fraud.

[Patrick]

Anyone who knows anything about S/L's would know that you don't stand in line at a signing for them, however the statement about the 1500 limitation could easily confuse a budding collector.

Heck, maybe even the seller is honestly mistaken between Collector's Sets and "official' Signed Collector's Sets (the S/L's), but in any case I hope they amend their listing.

[jhanic]

The seller re-listed the item.

John

[Sam]

And never responded to my question, though he answered it by relisting the book correctly. I find it interesting that it is currently higher than the S/L sold for.

I can't help but wonder how that affects the street price of the S/L. (I hate calling it a S/L since there was no limitation page. Damn cheapass S&S.)

[Calla_Wolf]

Another misleading one

All the copies signed at Battersea were 2nd printings, not 1sts

[jhanic]

I thought they were third printings. That's what I got.

John

[Cloysterpete]

The ones sold at Battersea were latter printings, but how do you know whether that is one of those?, could just as easily be a true first that the seller brought into the venue to have signed.

[Room 217 Caretaker]

Another misleading one

All the copies signed at Battersea were 2nd printings, not 1sts

The ones sold at Battersea were latter printings, but how do you know whether that is one of those?, could just as easily be a true first that the seller brought into the venue to have signed.

Cloysterpete is correct. My signed copy from that event is a true UK 1st. A friend of mine went and took his wife (I got the wife's copy with ticket/card showing the seat) but he had a hunch they wouldn't be 1st so he took two 1st with him for the signing.

Mulleins
Cumberland VA

[ChristineB]

And never responded to my question, though he answered it by relisting the book correctly. I find it interesting that it is currently higher than the S/L sold for.

I can't help but wonder how that affects the street price of the S/L. (I hate calling it a S/L since there was no limitation page. Damn cheapass S&S.)

He did send me a question about the differences in the books Sam.

He just didn't know, said the people at the store told him it was the limited edition. Honest mistake on his part from the questions he sent back to me.

[Sam]

From a technical point of view, the Collector's Edition is a limited edition since the print run was only 25,000. Technically speaking that is. The reality is much different as we all know.

[Rahfa]

From a technical point of view, the Collector's Edition is a limited edition since the print run was only 25,000. Technically speaking that is. The reality is much different as we all know.

If he had not put in that it was one of the 1,500 copies, the original listing would have been 100 percent fine.

As it is, he just didn't know - and as has been pointed out, it's basically more limited than the true s/l, and basically the same thing.

I'm getting a signed copy at the event this Tuesday and I'll probably sell it...I think I'll call it "special limited author event edition! Limited to approx 2000 copies signed at a variety of exclusive events!" Haha...

[Sam]

If you get a signed Collector's Edition, they are even more rare (I would think) than the rest of the signed UTD books, including the S/L.

[Rahfa]

In fact, because the signature would be on the page with the title, a signed collector's edition will even look a little neater as well...

Having the signature on a blank page, like in the s/l, looks lame, frankly (that is how they did it, right?)

I guess I'll hope they give out the grey lettering at the Music Hall event...then we can start discussing how rare/not rare THAT signed edition is! Haha...

[Room 217 Caretaker]

Have we had discussion about this seller yet?

http://cgi.ebay.com/1997-GREEN-MILE-...item27ad52bd8f

Plenty of very VERY VERY questionable signatures (or is just me after a few drinks tonight )

Mulleins
Cumberland VA

[jhanic]

I think it's a fake. (Not to mention that the book itself is a BOMC edition--that's the only one that came in a slipcase).

John

[Sam]

In fact Ralph, we HAVE talked about this jackass before. I remember because he lives about 40 miles from me. It looks like he's getting better at the fakes. I can't tell about one or two of these sigs.

*edit* I'm reporting them all because the sigs look the same.

[Room 217 Caretaker]

I questioned the signatures in all his auctions. Here is his response:

Dear mulleins,

We made the statement that the signature is not typical, but it is signed in a tight space. The Stephen Kings all came from one major King collector. We are auctioning off the last of his books. We think it authentic because we dont take chances, and the provenance is very good. But we made the comment because it does look different. I think we will sell this one without mention or photo and it will be a plus for the collector who wins it.

- j_j_books

So there you go. "The signatures are real because they don't take chances" ( I can't stop laughing)

Mulleins
Cumberland VA

[Rahfa]

I think it's a fake. (Not to mention that the book itself is a BOMC edition--that's the only one that came in a slipcase).

John

Not sure about that...I bought my copies at the bookstore and they came in the slipcase...

Yeah, I doublechecked....and they are 20th printings, but not BOMC...

Oops...my bad...I didn't realize it was the single volume edition that the listing was referring to...forget everything I just said...haha...

[Josieweirdo]

So the signatures are real, because they don't take chances and clearly they or their source cannot be wrong...? I agree, that's pretty bad reasoning, but also slightly amusing and the story backs up that they're most likely all fakes. I vote we keep that quote around if we ever need anymore examples of what kind of auctions to avoid. 'It's just legitimate because I say so!'

[Brice]

I think it's a fake. (Not to mention that the book itself is a BOMC edition--that's the only one that came in a slipcase).

John

Not sure about that...I bought my copies at the bookstore and they came in the slipcase...

Yeah, I doublechecked....and they are 20th printings, but not BOMC...

Oops...my bad...I didn't realize it was the single volume edition that the listing was referring to...forget everything I just said...haha...

Waldenbooks here had the single volume slipcased edition. I saw them in a couple other bookstores too.

[jhanic]

Check for a price on the book itself. As usual, the BOMC editions DON'T have a price on the back cover. That seems to be the only real difference, plus the addition of the slipcase.

John

[Brice]

I'll check. I know it has the slipcase. Wouldn't it be unusual for a bookstore to have had a BOMC edition though?

[jhanic]

Yes. I don't know how or why they would get one for sale. I have both (I got my BOMC copy from a used book store, not the BOMC), but the BOMC is still advertising the one with the slipcase.

John

<edit> I stand corrected--the BOMC no longer has that edition for sale. I just checked.

John

[ChristineB]

Have we had discussion about this seller yet?

http://cgi.ebay.com/1997-GREEN-MILE-...item27ad52bd8f

Plenty of very VERY VERY questionable signatures (or is just me after a few drinks tonight )

Mulleins
Cumberland VA

What amazes me is the fact he has decided the BCE (which looks like all he has) are not BCE.

Edit: I sent him a message to let him know the Carrie signed he has (of which the sig looks fake but that is a different matter) is a BCE -he states in the auction it isn't because it isn't the right size (from the SK.com site, which is in reference to the original DD BCE's that were smaller then the original books) and doesn't state the BC edition, but had no price and that means it must be a special review copy- and he tells me he has to ask the people at SK.com about this.

My god lets bother Marsha with questions that have obvious answers you really already know but don't want to have to change your listings for all your King items because you want people to think they are worth more then they really are. *breath* Sorry bit of a soapbox there. *steps down*