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PayPal Chargebacks
8:27 AM PST, 12/7/2007
Barbara asks:
Maybe you can help me. I need to find an appraiser that can verify an old playboy magazine for me. I bought one on eBay that was auctioned as being the "original from 1953" first copy. It is clearly one of the re-prints that was just re-issued from playboy several months ago. The seller was asked before the auction was over if the magazine was the original or the re-print and if it had 2 or 3 staples. The seller represented that it was the "original from 1953 and had only 2 staples". I have compared this magazine to the re-print and I know it is the re-print. The seller also ripped off the top right corner of the magazine cover where you could verify if it was original or re-print. Etc etc etc……
I have a claim with eBay and paypal going but they said I may need to find an appraiser to verify in writing that the copy that was sent was not the real magazine from 1953..
Are you qualified to do this or can you direct me to someone that is?
AW says:
Hello,
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for your interest. I am qualified to do this, but not by eBay standards. I've had this issue come up before in a transaction I was directly involved with on sports cards, and the protocol is that you have to use one of the "eBay approved" certification companies.
I'm sure they didn't tell you that, because in the eBay administration, one department never knows the other's procedure.
As much as I love eBay it has some problems in it's communication within it's departments.
So somewhere on eBay's site is a list of about 1/2 dozen certified verification companies that are approved by eBay.
Sorry I can't be of more help, but at least that info should save you some time.
Good luck
Click here to go to my antiques appraisal blog. -
How to make more profitable eBay purchases
8:23 AM PST, 12/7/2007
There are scams, frauds and deadbeats in every field, and eBay is no different.
However, eBay has some great systems in place to avoid falling prey to such scams when buying.
I feel that eBay often gets an unfair rap for fraud when you consider the very tiny amount of bad transactions it actually is involved with vs. the amount of bad press it gets for those transactions.
Consider that an average brick and mortar business has about a 60 to 75% customer satisfaction rating. Now consider that the average successful seller on eBay needs to maintain at least a 96% or above positive feedback rating to maintain a steady customer base.
If you are going to run into trouble on eBay, it's more likely going to involve some form of honest miscommunication. It's still a relatively new marketplace and bugs need to be worked out no doubt, which brings me to the point of this post.
I've recently contracted with an eBay expert to distribute a free eBook called the eBay Buyer's Guide. It's by a gentleman named Terry Gibbs and you can download his free book courtesy of
AuctionWally here: http://auctionwally.com/ebaybuyersguide.pdf
If your not familiar with a PDF file it's very easy, uncomplicated and safe to use. Just click on that link above and the book will open in your browser just like a regular web page.
I'm sure this book will be as helpful to you as it is to me, I continue to reference it often. Since I've found it to be the real deal with useful information, I've also included it in the left hand column under 'Trustworthy Sources'
If you like this site, you may be interested in checking out my new podcast, The AuctionWally Show. Just click on the little iPod type player in the screen to the lower left to listen.
Click here to see my online antiques appraisal site. -
appraisal for Art Deco Print
8:19 AM PST, 12/7/2007
Renee asks:Hi Walt, Ever see anything like this?It belonged to my grandmother/great grandmother. I love this picture and would like to know more about it (if there is anything to know)! It has a brown frame with glass over print. The picture is not signed that I can see.Really can’t tell you if picture is watercolor, print, or what. Thanks for taking a look.AW says:Hi Renee, I sure have. In fact I can't pinpoint the artist but I know a bit about these types of prints and have sold many of them. It's circa 1920s. From the little I can see it looks as though it's in it's original frame.These types of prints are called Cottage Prints, or some will call them Maxfield Parrish Types, named after the leader in this field.I'm pretty sure the one you have is by R Atkinson Fox but I'm not 100% on that, there were many artist that did this style.
These colorful prints have the look of a watercolor and blend in work with any decor.
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