Phil, You are to be commended on doing the real work and putting in writing all condition issues of an item. I try to do the same when I auction old pulp magazines, but I've found one unfortunate aspect of doing this: It often makes an item sound worse than it actually is. You can have an item that most everyone would rate 8 out of 10, and yet if you list the 3 or 4 very minor condition issues it might have it suddenly sounds like a real loser when you read the description! For example "one pinhole in each corner, a small edge crease, a tiny bit of paper lost at one cross fold, and a small brown spot in the border". Doesn't sound like an 8 out of 10 does it? But I'll bet if everyone looks at their collection they'll see many posters just like this that which they consider to be in great condition and are very happy to have.
For this reason -- and all the extra work to describe everything in writing -- I find myself leaning more and more towards favoring Bruce's current approach, which is to simply put up an extremely well-exposed, very high-resolution picture of the poster. If the image is well-exposed and high-resolution, virtually all defects will be visible to anyone who cares to look closely (even fading). About the only thing you have to describe then is if there are condition issues on the back of the item. Now that high-speed internet connections are becoming common, downloading such large pictures isn't so much of a pain anymore, and I think it really does give the buyer most everything they need to know to make an informed decision. No matter what type of grading system is used, it is always ultimately going to depend on the person doing the grading -- it's always going to be somewhat unreliable because determining where an item fits on the grading scale is always going to be open to personal interpretation. A really good picture, however, is worth the proverbial 1,000 words. -- JR ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Edwards Cinema Arts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 18:34 Subject: Re: [MOPO] Fwd: [MOPO] BONHAM'S DISASTER not a disaster for MovieArt > Grading condition is often all in the eye of the beholder. > I've long found auction house grading in the A,B, C method applied to > posters is the loosest of the lot. > A simple "out of 10" doesn't do it for me either. > > We prefer to describe as many "condition issues" as we can find when we > describe a poster/lobby card/still, etc. If a little two man-band like > my wife and I run can list thousands of items a year on our website, > online auction sites and in personal mail-outs to customers for every > item whether it's ten bucks or ten thousand, I don't think it's a lot to > expect a professional auction house to do the same for their items, > particularly when they are expecting high bids from many people that > can't even see the item first hand at all and are paying a buyer's > premium on top. > > > Phil > > > > Doug Ball wrote: > > > Michael & all, > > > > I'm starting to realize that auction house's that use the A, B, C, > > grading method, really mean A- acceptable, B-bad, C-chitty! > > Sorry guy's....but you need to get with the time's! > > > > Doug > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* Michael B <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > *To:* [email protected] > > <mailto:[email protected]> > > *Sent:* Sunday, January 22, 2006 5:24 PM > > *Subject:* Re: [MOPO] Fwd: [MOPO] BONHAM'S DISASTER not a disaster > > for MovieArt > > > > > > kirby--- > > > > kirby, my guess is that you attended the auction or had a > > dealer-friend look at the items you sought. > > > > clearly, if you attend in person, you cannot get burnt. people > > who bid absentee, like me, must rely on the descriptions. the > > poster i returned was based on my absentee bid. no one in the > > room thought much of it. the description said A- . wouldnt you > > think, that would be close to mint? > > > > prior to my bid when i was providing credit info, i was told there > > was a no-return policy. isnt it odd that for the issues i raised > > (not only the gross fading), i was given full credit including > > postage both ways? > > > > when a poster is returned, do not overlook the disappointment > > factor of the excited winner. > > > > so, kirby, thank you for your contribution to my thread that you > > have no complaints. perhaps, its relevance will come to me soon. > > > > michael > > > > > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > >> *From: *Kirby McDaniel <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> <javascript:parent.ComposeTo('[EMAIL PROTECTED]');>> > >> *Date: *January 22, 2006 11:29:02 AM CST > >> *To: *Shelly Whitworth-King <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> <javascript:parent.ComposeTo('[EMAIL PROTECTED]');>> > >> *Subject: **Re: [MOPO] BONHAM'S DISASTER not a disaster for MovieArt* > >> > >> I bought ten posters from Bonham's and all of them were quite > >> good. So > >> I have no complaints. > >> > >> > >> Kirby McDaniel > >> www.movieart.net > >> > >> > >> On Jan 22, 2006, at 11:21 AM, Shelly Whitworth-King wrote: > >> > >>> Sorry to hear about your disappointment, Michael. > >>> > >>> Pretty shoddy of Bonhams to get the information on the > >>> colour/fading wrong > >>> AND the fact it was paperbacked not linen. I prefer > >>> paperbacking on some of > >>> the smaller sized pieces myself, but expect the auction houses > >>> to get their > >>> facts right. One would think that for framed pieces, they > >>> would be removed > >>> from their frames as a matter of course and checked to make sure the > >>> condition matched the description. > >>> > >>> Shelly > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> ----Original Message Follows---- > >>> From: Michael B <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> <javascript:parent.ComposeTo('[EMAIL PROTECTED]');>> > >>> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> <javascript:parent.ComposeTo('[EMAIL PROTECTED]');> > >>> To: [email protected] > >>> <javascript:parent.ComposeTo('[email protected]');> > >>> Subject: [MOPO] BONHAM'S DISASTER > >>> Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 12:11:47 EST > >>> > >>> it took about 28 days for me to get my full credit from Bonham's > >>> on the > >>> poster i purchased/won last month. > >>> > >>> i won STRANGER'S ON A TRAIN insert. it was described in A- > >>> Condition, > >>> whatever that means. for those who know the poster, it is a > >>> beautiful > >>> orange > >>> color. when i opened the package, it was YELLOW!!!!! i > >>> called BONHAM'S > >>> immediately, and they agreed to take the poster back, and pay > >>> postage both > >>> ways > >>> (especially because of the defect/issue described below). it > >>> was back on > >>> the > >>> FEDEX truck within one hour and fifteen minutes. > >>> > >>> for a moment, i thought that, perhaps, (maybe) the studio, also, > >>> issued the > >>> same art in a YELLOW poster because the color was so uniform. i > >>> called > >>> bruce > >>> h immediately because i knew he had this poster at his auction, and > >>> asked............hey, what color is STRANGERS ??? > >>> > >>> i was warned in advance on this website that the last auction at > >>> bonhams > >>> had > >>> tons of faded stuff. > >>> > >>> Also, the poster was described as linen backed. it was not---it > >>> was on > >>> paper, and rolled, causing damage and chipping at the fold > >>> lines. I > >>> learned > >>> after the fact that many posters were photographed framed, so > >>> the photo and > >>> the > >>> description insufficient. > >>> > >>> >>>>>>>SO,,,,,,,,,,,,, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN insert is still on > >>> my Want > >>> List. > >>> anyone have it? how about inserts for ALL ABOUT EVE or THE > >>> PARADINE > >>> CASE? > >>> > >>> >>>>>>CHECK OUT a few quality Sinatra pieces, a Marilyn, a > >>> Paradine > >>> Case, > >>> and some other pieces i Have listed on ebay now. > >>> LINK: _http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZwitnessfor_ > >>> (http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZwitnessfor) > >>> > >>> michael > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > >>> <http://www.filmfan.com> > >>> > >>> ___________________________________________________________________ > >>> How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > >>> > >>> Send a message addressed to: > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> <javascript:parent.ComposeTo('[EMAIL PROTECTED]');> > >>> In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > >>> > >>> The author of this message is solely responsible for its > >>> content. > >>> > >>> _________________________________________________________________ > >>> The new MSN Search Toolbar now includes Desktop search! > >>> http://toolbar.msn.co.uk/ > >>> > >>> Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > >>> <http://www.filmfan.com> > >>> > >>> ___________________________________________________________________ > >>> How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > >>> > >>> Send a message addressed to: > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> <javascript:parent.ComposeTo('[EMAIL PROTECTED]');> > >>> In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > >>> > >>> The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > >> > >> > > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > > > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > > > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > > > Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > > > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > > > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > > > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > > > Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > > > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > > > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > > > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > > > Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > > > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > ___________________________________________________________________ > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
