Life is riddled with a procession of minor impediments

[Old Tankie]

If you've got more work on than you can handle then having a partner may work.  But, if you're struggling to find enough work for one person, taking on a partner just wouldn't make any sense.  Simples really!

[JayzusB.Christ]

Thanks, Tankie!  Having thought it through, your advice makes a lot of sense.  At the moment I have just about enough work to keep myself busy; occasionally asking other people for help when it gets too overwhelming.  However, this is only on occasion.
So, to be totally honest I don't really need a partner - not for a while yet anyway.  Choice made!  Cheers again

[Old Tankie]

No problem, Mate, hope it all works out well for you.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Thanks, Tankie, you're a gent!

[Sideshow Bob]

This happened to me several months ago while trying to acquire some ( more ) Artwork for my Collection from eBay.......and it has 'kinda' pissed me off ever since, so thought I would 'vent' here.....

I had spotted a wonderful Wolverine Massacre piece over on Comic Art Fans by artist Rafael Albuquerque ( American Vampire ), however the price was 1000 US$ ( OBO ) and there was no way I could afford that....
Then during one of my trawls through eBay I spotted it For Sale......I bid like crazy, actually going up to 400 US$ then had to stop, as I'd reached my limit !!....Actually it was about 100 US$ 'over' my planned limit, ( I got excited ! ) but that was me out..!!
So it finally sold for 405 US$........F**k !!!

Then 2 days later I got a message from eBay saying that the 'high bidder' had pulled out and it was mine for 400US$ + postage......
I got quite excited and went on to my eBay page and had another look at it....While there I checked on the 'automatic bids' and the same bidder had raised the bids from about 150 US$ all the way up to 405US$...On some more checking of the bids,  it showed that I had out-bid everyone else, around the 250 US$, when I had 'stuck in' my supposedly final bid of 300 US$......

Anyway, thought this was a bit suspect so offered him the 300 US$ that would have been the winning bid, if the winning bidder who had driven the price all the way up, had not pulled out.....

Got an eMail back....Sorry want 400 US$ + postage for it......
I still really like the piece but I felt a bit 'manipulated'......As if the seller had got someone to keep raising the 'ante', and then get him to pull out.........Anything like this happen to you guys ????

Link to the piece here....http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=993217&GSub=86056

[Emp]

That sort of stuff happens more often than you would like to think. It was probably the seller or his mate bumping the price up.
I have been caught a few times in the past by people doing this which is why i now simply wait to the end of the auction and stick in my max bid....either i win or i don't, so far it's a tactic that has worked well.

[Sideshow Bob]

That sort of stuff happens more often than you would like to think. It was probably the seller or his mate bumping the price up.
I have been caught a few times in the past by people doing this which is why i now simply wait to the end of the auction and stick in my max bid....either i win or i don't, so far it's a tactic that has worked well.

Cheers Emp, that is what I usually do....BUT,  it was a piece I really wanted, and I let my enthusiasm 'run away with my common sense'...

A Question though.......If I had waited until the very last minute and put my bid of 300 US$ 'in' and the seller didn't have time to put a 'counter bid / higher offer' in...Is he legally obligated to sell it to me. ??

[Spikes]

Thats shitty, Bob and its fairly obvious whats going on there, isnt it.
Most of the time E-bay is fine, but when this happens it sticks out like a sore thumb, and like i say, totally obvious.

Luckily, ive only had one idiot try it on. And thanks to E-bay, it must be said, he lost.

Its a nice piece of art, but.......

[Sideshow Bob]

Its a nice piece of art, but.......

Thanks for the kind words Judge Jack........
Ahhhh !!!.......What were you going to say ??......Too much ???..............At 300 US$ I thought it was OK, but at 400US$ ...Nope !!.....But I did get caught up in the excitement......

What did you think of the piece...??...Won't be offended, just would like another collectors' views on artwork and price......I'll stick at 300 US$ ( which is about £ 250 including postage )....

[Spikes]

Heh! Kinda left it hanging there, didnt i.
What i meant to imply was - Its a nice piece of art, BUT would you still want it after someone's tried it on?
Had it soured things, in other words.
Artwise, its a striking piece - and one i quite like actually. What you would price it at, im not sure. If its being offered to you at $400, which is roughtly £260ish, then that doesnt sound bad.

You sound quite keen on snagging it, so if you want it.....

EDIT; A compromise at $350 sounds better. Would he go for that?

[Sideshow Bob]

No, he made it clear,  that he really didn't even want to sell at the 400 US$....

And while I still like the piece the whole thing has kinda 'soured' it for me......
But more importantly,  I've spent the cash on my Bob Molesworth' Mongrol commission piece,  and another £15 on the Henry Flint Mongrol sketch.....( And they need framed ).....And am saving up for Kendal Comic Con,  and Leeds Thoughtbubble,  and Sean Phillips new 'coffee table' book of his artwork.....
Which is due out just before Kendal Comic Con....so hope to have that and get it signed there...

Just don't have enough cash to get everything I want, so have to remember advice from this very forum....Stay focused !!....It's really easy to get pulled in loads of different directions...
Cheers

[Spikes]

And while I still like the piece the whole thing has kinda 'soured' it for me......

Aye, sod him. It would have left a nasty taste with me as well.
Better off givin' ya money to more worthwhile ventures.
Hopefully ill be popping to the Kendal Festival, as well. Still at the early planning stage for that one, but it looks grand, doesnt it.

[Emp]

A Question though.......If I had waited until the very last minute and put my bid of 300 US$ 'in' and the seller didn't have time to put a 'counter bid / higher offer' in...Is he legally obligated to sell it to me. ??
[/quote]

I'd like to think so, it being an auction an all....last bid is the winner.

[Sideshow Bob]

I wasn't sure about the 'legality' of him having to sell to me at that price, if he didn't want to...
Could eBay 'force' him to sell at the agreed / highest bid price, or can he just withdraw it......There was no reserve price on it....

Doesn't matter now though, but was 'kinda' peeved at the time....But just wondering where I would have stood...
Cheers

[Emp]

That's what a reserve is for.....no reserve then you can't really bitch about what it goes for. Well that's my understanding.