I think if a consult-your-own-brain poll were taken of the MOPO members, many would have to admit that they would jump at the price to buy a CREATURE for $1000 or a GRAND HOTEL for a bargain price. I don't know what Brek paid and I don't care. I certainly would not feel that I knowwhat he paid based on hearsay posted to MOPO.
It's irrelevant.
Dealers have an obligation to behave ethically and offer fair prices for things. The courts have ruled as much. They are not supposed to use their professional expertise to defraud or chisel. Of course, we know that all dealers are not necessarily dying to prove that they are Mother Teresa. At the same time, not all dealers are rapacious either.
Amateurs or collectors do not have the same burden, and sellers always have an obligation to themselves to educate themselves in any transaction.
Kirby McDaniel www.movieart.net
On Jun 22, 2006, at 3:46 PM, Susan Heim wrote: Hello JR and all, In all fairness to Brek, who has been a framing customer of mine for quite some time, none of us know what he paid for it. That story that circulated was just a story from people here last month was just a story. Brek contacted me right after he bought the posters from someone who had "approached him" at one of his selling locations. He had shown them in the price guide what the poster had sold for previously so they were aware and accepted whatever offer he made (and there were more than just the one poster in the deal) allowing him to do the work of shopping it around and putting up with all the "negatives". I know poster dealers all over the world that offer pennies on the dollar and/or truly "steal" posters if that's what you want to call it. It's the same in any area of antique or collectable. That's why it is incumbent on the seller to educate himself before selling. When I buy a poster from someone, I automatically send them to all the price guides and auction house results. I offer a fair price but not the top price the poster has sold for. Many people don't want to deal with auction houses, etc., etc. They want the sure thing, the money right now, with as little effort as possible. What about the guy that guy that bought the Frankenstein in a farmhouse auction for $500 and it resold for $198,000 just a short time later. Do you think he went back and gave the farmhouse owners a piece of that action after the auction? Let's face it, if someone walked up to you and offered you a Creature From the Black Lagoon one sheet for a $1000, how many of you would insist on buying it but only if you could pay $10,000, which is not the top price it has gone for but a fair offer? As John Stossel on 20/20 says, "Give me a break"!!! One more thing I thought I would mention as it has been bothering me. I came onto Mopo many years ago to be with people who collected movie posters like I do. I have thought of it as a educational venue and a support group as I'm with "friends" that can relate. I have had several of my customers drop off the group over the past year because of nasty comments made here. I give Brek a lot of credit for staying on the group after that whole blast to him last month when he announced that he was selling the "Grand Hotel" one sheet. More recently one of our longtime members offered up a Lawrence of Arabia poster for, what I thought, was not that absurd of a price based on recent auction results. Several of our members here were down right "snotty" to him. What's that all about? Aren't we suppose to support one another? He wasn't do anything wrong or trying to defraud anyone. I've got to say, I thought the comments were immature and petty and I was surprised at their origins. Anyway, enough from me, but I felt it worth mentioning. Sue Heim ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 12:15 PM Subject: [MOPO] Grand Hotel re-surfaces as restored
I see that the one sheet for GRAND HOTEL which was originally shopped around on this list after it was stolen... excuse me, I mean after it was "found" and purchased for a few hundred bucks from the little old man in Nevada who didn't know what he had... has resurfaced in restored condition as part of the new Heritage floor auction being held in Dallas July 12 -13. Interesting to note they decided not to linen-back it, but just went with paper replacement and touch-up. I also see they have it estimated at $50,000 - $70,000. A tidy profit for the guy who "found" it...
Oh, well... all's fair in warfare and poster trading, I suppose...
See it in all its restored glory at:
http://movieposters.heritageauctions.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=636&Lot_No=28713
See what it looked like when originally "found" before it was expertly restored to "appears mint" condition at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:31&item=7619230039
... well, at least someone is going to save $30,000 to $50,000 by waiting until the owner consigned it to Heritage... :)
I don't suppose anyone will tell us who did the restoration? Looks like a fine job. True artists never get the recognition they deserve in their life times...
Yours in all curmudgeonhood,
-- JR
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