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

[ChristineB]

What amazes me about these baseballs is the price...

$2000 for a Sk signed baseball? Thats the equivilent of some of the top end S/L books, a 1/1 fine of Carrie doesn't go for that much. I am finding more and more people on ebay that must be doing some really good drugs when they price their items. I mean come on, a flatsigned 1/1 is worth $150-250 (talking about the ones that have more then a few out there), why would anyone pay more then that for a baseball he signed? But people are strange and I just have to leave it at that I guess. *shrug*

[Randall Flagg]

The 2K price is what someone is trying to receive-I would be surprised if someone spent that much on a SK signed baseball, but it could happen.

[redsoxfan565]

What amazes me about these baseballs is the price...

$2000 for a Sk signed baseball? Thats the equivilent of some of the top end S/L books, a 1/1 fine of Carrie doesn't go for that much. I am finding more and more people on ebay that must be doing some really good drugs when they price their items. I mean come on, a flatsigned 1/1 is worth $150-250 (talking about the ones that have more then a few out there), why would anyone pay more then that for a baseball he signed?

How many books has he signed on this recent tour? 250 at each stop, with a few unannounced signings in NYC and other places. Comparatively, how many signed baseballs are really out there? Its a unique signed item that there aren't a lot out there of. Sure it's not a book, but people collecting King know his significance and love for baseball, as well as the Sox.

[tippy4]

$2,000 is just a ridiculous price.....period.

While a signed baseball is probably 10X more rare than a signed Under The Dome (I would estimate over 3,500 signed copies of UTD between the signed trade and the signed limited editions), the price of a signed trade and the price of the signed baseball will not be that far apart. Why? Because more King fans would rather have a signed book than a signed baseball.

I would be amazed if any of the baseballs currently listed for sale actually sold ($199.99-$1999.00). Christmas is coming, so there is always a chance I suppose.

[Patrick]

Two grand is still way over the top, but as Jerome said, that's the seller's asking price and not necessarily what anyone is willing to pay.

By the way, Nick, thanks for posting that larger photo of the ball you have for sale (for far less than a $2K asking price, in case anyone isn't paying attention). We don't see people do that too often with non-book items.

Personally I'm not in the market because I seem to be spending all my discretionary income on various signed editions of UNDER THE DOME these days.

[Calla_Wolf]

My 2-penneth worth

1/ Sig is authentic in my opinion
2/ Item is NOT unique - there are quite a few authentically signed baseballs
3/ $500 is almost 3 times market value
4/ If someone does pay $500 for it, well done seller - good deal. And congrats buyer - you may have paid over the odds, but you've got a good 'un so enjoy it.

[tippy4]

Well said Ceri.

[jhanic]

As usual, I'll bow to Ceri in all matters regarding signatures.

John

[Calla_Wolf]

As usual, I'll bow to Ceri in all matters regarding signatures.

John

Hey, I get it wrong sometimes...but thanks matey

[redsoxfan565]

My 2-penneth worth

1/ Sig is authentic in my opinion
2/ Item is NOT unique - there are quite a few authentically signed baseballs
3/ $500 is almost 3 times market value
4/ If someone does pay $500 for it, well done seller - good deal. And congrats buyer - you may have paid over the odds, but you've got a good 'un so enjoy it.

Please respond with your reasoning for saying it is NOT unique. What is unique to you?

[carlosdetweiller]

My 2-penneth worth

1/ Sig is authentic in my opinion
2/ Item is NOT unique - there are quite a few authentically signed baseballs
3/ $500 is almost 3 times market value
4/ If someone does pay $500 for it, well done seller - good deal. And congrats buyer - you may have paid over the odds, but you've got a good 'un so enjoy it.

Please respond with your reasoning for saying it is NOT unique. What is unique to you?

unique - being the only one: SOLE

the above definition from Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary.

[jhanic]

I currently count at least 13 supposedly King-signed baseballs on eBay. Not unique.

John

[Calla_Wolf]

Further, there have been dozens of signed baseballs over the past year. Some were ridiculous fakes but some were quite genuine.

In the collecting world there are rarities (the Lettered Firestarter or Lettered Gunslingers or 1st state Salem's Lot dustjackets) that command a premium price, but very very few unique items (and to use the term in this context is, at best, sloppy and at worst highly misleading).
With respect, your signed baseball is "unusual" or "uncommon", but it is neither rare nor unique.

[tippy4]

There was a cat skull that was allegedly signed by King for sale earlier this year.

The signature was iffy, but I could not say for sure that it was a fake (In my opinion it was a fake).

Now that would fall under the category of unique (assuming it was a legit signature).

[Randall Flagg]

Unique:

• alone(p): radically distinctive and without equal; "he is alone in the field of microbiology"; "this theory is altogether alone in its penetration ...
• singular: the single one of its kind; "a singular example"; "the unique existing example of Donne's handwriting"; "a unique copy of an ancient manuscript"; "certain types of problems have unique solutions"
• highly unusual or rare but not the single instance; "spoke with a unique accent"; "had unique ability in raising funds"; "a frankness unique in literature"; "a unique dining experience"

Unique could be more than the SOLE existence, but certainly dozens if not hundreds of a legitimately King signed baseballs would not each be (in my mind) unique.

Unique could be "Bob, the Red Sox won it all today! Stephen King 10/27/04"

[Rahfa]

If my old boss - who has never read a word Stephen King has ever written - can manage to get a signed baseball, then I don't think there's any big shortage of them floating around...a lot of them? Maybe not, but plenty of them, yes...

[Sam]

I just read the 2008 issue of Autograph magazine, and this is a similar photo to the one listed in the magazine as a forgery. Seeing the same photo signed with a similar pen makes me suspect. Thoughts please?

*edit. Thanks Patrick*
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-RAR...item3357e502d0

[Patrick]

I just read the 2008 issue of Autograph magazine, and this is a similar photo to the one listed in the magazine as a forgery. Seeing the same photo signed with a similar pen makes me suspect. Thoughts please?

Sam, did you mean to include a link or a photo in your post? Or are you referring to something upthread?

[Sam]

I THOUGHT I had included the link. I'll fix it.

[Calla_Wolf]

I just read the 2008 issue of Autograph magazine, and this is a similar photo to the one listed in the magazine as a forgery. Seeing the same photo signed with a similar pen makes me suspect. Thoughts please?

*edit. Thanks Patrick*
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-RAR...item3357e502d0

Stinks. There were so many "signed" photos and scripts on Ebay when I ran SKFakes that I actually stopped listing them and advised people to steer clear of ALL such items.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I just read the 2008 issue of Autograph magazine, and this is a similar photo to the one listed in the magazine as a forgery. Seeing the same photo signed with a similar pen makes me suspect. Thoughts please?

*edit. Thanks Patrick*
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-RAR...item3357e502d0

I consider myself an amateur when it comes to SK sigs. But, this one doesnt look very good to my untrained eye.

[Brice]

I just read the 2008 issue of Autograph magazine, and this is a similar photo to the one listed in the magazine as a forgery. Seeing the same photo signed with a similar pen makes me suspect. Thoughts please?

*edit. Thanks Patrick*
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-RAR...item3357e502d0

That look on Steve's face is saying You're not really gonna' buy this shit, are you?

[Sam]

I agree with you guys that it is most likely a fake. I don't believe it's the real thing, and the fact that it comes with a PSA/DNA certificate of authenticity only solidifies my opinion that COA's from that company hold zero value for me as a collector.

Now, a COA from a recognized auction house or a recognized expert might actually hold weight but that's pretty much it.

[Darkmaniscoming]

SHYTE...

What does everyone think of these signatures?

[Darkmaniscoming]

MORE SHYTE

I just read the 2008 issue of Autograph magazine, and this is a similar photo to the one listed in the magazine as a forgery. Seeing the same photo signed with a similar pen makes me suspect. Thoughts please?

*edit. Thanks Patrick*
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-RAR...item3357e502d0

That look on Steve's face is saying You're not really gonna' buy this shit, are you?