Tom,
I love your post and have thought about this conundrum many times, but then I realized that there are some built in checks and balances. First, as a public service, some auctions charge buyer AND sellers premiums in order to keep the prices more level and make sure all buyers and seller pay their "fair" share. And, since that may not be enough to stabilize the hobby, some arranged to legally shill bid so that if the poster universe gets overtaken with anarchy and something is about to sell for that aforementioned "outrageously low price", the Shill can ride to the rescue and save us from a Wall Street like meltdown. A "bail-out" program, if you will. And just like a wall street bail-out, the bail -out money will only go to the rich & conniving and will not disturb the masses of poster collectors who would not know how to properly use the money. You see, Tom, all is not lost. You just need to put your trust in your religion and your guns and those in power will protect you. Oh, but do keep some posters as oil prices about to skyrocket. Traditionally I think window cards make the best insulation. From: MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Johnson Tom Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 1:58 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [MOPO] Truly outrageous deals! I keep hearing from consignment houses that they can get the best prices for my posters. But the same outfits bombard me with notices about the outrageously low prices on the items they are selling, and the "steals" that are to be had. So which is it? By my simple math one of those claims is bullshit. I'm preparing to sell some of my collection, but don't want it to be "stolen," or sold at outrageously low prices. But as a collector of course I want those "crazy" deals. I think my foolproof solution is going to be that I will buy only from the outrageously low prices guys, and sell only through the "outrageously high," "truly ridiculously expensive." But I do not encourage you all to do the same, because if everyone followed my foolproof method, then nobody would consign to the outrageously low fellows, and nobody would buy from the outrageously high fellows. The consignment biz would grind to a halt, plunging our already fragile economy back into another dark age. But if that happens, I have a plan to get me through the downturn: My attic needs insulation, so until this dilemma gets sorted out by sharper minds than mine, maybe I'll stuff the posters I would otherwise sell into the gaps in the joists, and let them age. I've heard that posters treated like this are sometimes incredibly valuable. Most formerly-used-as-attic-insulation posters I've read about went for thousands of dollars each. Those of us with attics will all be rich, if we are patient. If you do not have an attic, you should buy one before housing prices rebound--they are thick on the ground around here. Discussion question: Do one-sheets make better insulation than half sheets? The lighter paper makes the former easier to crumple--I know this from much practice in shipping things I sell on Ebay--but maybe the heavier half-sheet paper is a superior insulator? "R-Value" is the term used for rating insulative quality, so maybe R-rated posters are better, or Rereleases? I'll leave this to you experts, if you have some spare time in your rigorous backbiting schedules. -Tom 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.
