Yahoo! auctions due to close

After last week’s outrage on eBay, I thought it would be good to investigate other online auction sites, and see what else was out there. I still really like the idea of buying stuff online, especially as it always brings out fantastic items I would never find on my own. And would you believe it, I discovered Yahoo only too late. Apparently the Yahoo auction sites in America are closing; read more about it here. I guess eBay really does monopolize everything, as I’ve heard from friends that Yahoo is closing because they can’t compete with eBay.

Perhaps I can find another auction site...

Finally - a real autograph dealer

Today I went on a trip to find a reputable dealer in autographs. After the scandal of the eBay hunt, I thought it would be better to see the autographs in person. I had a nice stroll around the city, and met up with an autograph dealer at lunch. Very happy! Got a great present for Taki, with lots of physical proof that the autograph is real. I even got to watch a video of the signing! And the dealer was really helpful and nice... maybe we need webcam capability on eBay, so that we can have in-person discussions about the auction. Anyway, it was just good to be able to talk face to face with someone who was an expert on autographs. I showed them the Star Wars poster that I’d bought, and they said it was definitely a fake; he showed me a poster that was genuine, and boy, there was a huge difference in the signatures. The whole day made me remember that there really are good guys out there. Just not all of them are on eBay.

Real or fake - autographs on the web

I got so frustrated about that whole autograph thing that I had to go and do some research. How could I possibly buy Taki a real autograph, when I didn’t know how to find one.

Let me just say this:

I am shocked.

I can’t believe there are so many people selling fake autographs on eBay. I really had no idea about all this. Like many of my friends, we just sign up and bid, and I guess we get so caught up in the excitement of a ‘rare find’ that we don’t even think about whether or not it is real.
On my search, I discovered a group of people – maybe they sent me the email – from the UK. They’re like autograph spotters; they look out for shady sellers, help people identify fakes, advise on what to do if you bought a fake, etc. Though they’re in the UK, because so many of us buy from overseas sellers, they really are worth joining.

For autograph collectors – Taki, Bess, Lily, I know you’re reading! – you should go read these tips:

http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-SPOT-an-ILLEGAL-SCRIPT-of-AUTOGRAPH-FORGERY_W0QQugidZ10000000000761445

http://pages.half.ebay.com/help/tns/ques_autograph.html

After all this, it really has made me think twice about bidding on eBay. The worst thing of all is that all this information was already out there, but I just didn’t know to look. It’s really a warning for other eBay bidders out there: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is!

eBay disaster!!!!!!

Oh my god!

Last night was a nightmare! You know how I was going to bid on a Star Wars poster? Well, I bid on one that was a fake!!!

I can’t believe it – I saw a really nice poster, with an autograph, up for sale on eBay. It was cheap, about $20. I’m not really into the whole autographs thing, so that to me sounded like a good price. I put in a bid, won the autograph (at which point I was pretty pleased with myself), only to have an email an hour later from someone informing me that the autograph was a fake! I can’t believe it!

I’d post a link to the autograph, but the auction’s been removed.

I’m so infuriated right now!

eBay hunt

I’ve been really getting into the posts from ‘The Fitful Flog’ lately. Philip doesn’t just make great origami, but he also photographs them in wonderful ways. His pentagonal compass rose box is such a very nice piece that I wish I could take it home with me (I think he might be offended if I just turned up and demanded he hand it over). Anyway, I just thought I’d give some ‘props’ to the guy, as I really enjoy reading all about his life and his origami in one hit!

This week I’ve been scouring eBay for a present for a friend. He’s really into film posters, and I thought I would get him a Star Wars poster that was autographed. I tell you what, eBay is just the best. Whatever you are looking for, it’s there. I’ve been able to buy all sorts of origami stuff, including some of my favorite origami books. I find it so amazing that so many people have so much to sell – it makes you think about how many things we throw out every day that someone else might have a use for.

Anyway, I think I’ll go and bid on something before it disappears!