posted on August 25, 2004 08:58:22 AM
Dang, wish I'd seen this BEFORE it ended! ... auctiondrop really dropped the ball on this, not mentioning the mfr.'s names in the title of these ...
posted on August 25, 2004 10:16:50 AM
I propose a class action suit on behalf of AuctionDrop consignors, to attempt to recoup at least SOME of the huge amount of money lost due to AD incompetence.
Spread the word. Tell everyone you know that AD listed a lot full of Lalique and Steuben as ordinary glassware. Incredible. And the signatures are RIGHT THERE! No excuse!
posted on August 25, 2004 12:18:29 PM
Incredible! Absolutely no excuse for that. Look at the winning bidder's username. Obviously a person who knows her stuff and searches descriptions as well as titles and was ready to pounce on this blunder for a big score. Whatta ya want to bet that this stuff will be listed by her within an hour after she receives it, and the description and title will be very heavily loaded with the proper keywords to bring in the big bucks?
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on August 25, 2004 12:32:30 PM
Yer darn right, sparkz ... I only wish it was ME that had bid!!!! ... I found that auction wayyyy back in my 'saved to watch' file and forgot to bid on it!!! and of course also notice the misspelling of 'steuben'
As the consignor, of course I'd be pi**ed as all get-out ... but as a buyer, I'm only PI**ED at ME for not paying closer attention... when i'd seen it a couple days before it was scheduled to end, I thought 'oh, it's gonna go wayyyy high', but i didn't even see that i intended to follow that till today, and i was saying "what?!!" ... would have been some easy money ...
so sue ME, LOL /...
I'm sure at least half of their consignors don't own computers to check up on how their listings are presented .... the ones that *do* check on their listing, are able to raise a ruckus with them to get the descrip correct. ...
[ edited by aintrichyet on Aug 25, 2004 12:34 PM ]
posted on August 25, 2004 12:42:58 PM
I dunno, sparkz. She's bought, what, a half-dozen things from AD.
Blame my conspiratorial mind, but two people working together (one writing AD descriptions, the other bidding from the outside) could make some money pulling a scam. Deliberately leave keywords out of the title, alert your buddy and your buddy gets it for a song. Note that I am not claiming this is what happened, only that it easily could.
Recall the thrift shop managers who sold stuff out the back door to their antique dealer friends.
posted on August 25, 2004 01:28:55 PM
... well, looked into what i can see, and it seems the other things they 'won' from auctiondrop are titled correctly.
posted on August 25, 2004 01:30:44 PM
So it could just be that they are steady AD customers. OK. I'll buy that. You watch AD long enough, you'll find that they misdescribe lots of stuff.
posted on August 25, 2004 02:43:35 PM
That makes more sense than anything. I have a Rottweiler that faithfully follows me when I bring the steaks in from the barbrcue to the house. He's just waiting for me to screw up and drop one so he can set a new speed record pouncing on it. That's probably what these two bidders are doing with AD, and it finally paid off.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on August 25, 2004 04:07:04 PM
omg ... i just GOT to say, that when I posted this earlier today the "hit" number on the auction was only at 60-something. .. I am nothing short of Amazed, that it is at over 200 just from me posting this HERE????
posted on August 25, 2004 04:32:47 PM
To me, both the signatures look like they were scratched by the same person. I've never seen such a sloppy "Steuben". Call me doubtful...
posted on August 25, 2004 04:45:25 PM
Not a bad lot of glass for the price. The two pitchers are gift shop stock, interpretations of ca. 1900 cut glass.
I don't believe the candlesticks are Steuben at all.
Can't speak to the Lalique, but it seems fishy. A quick look at other AD listings shows that they highlight manufacturer names in titles, no matter what the merchandise. Seems like they were being cagey here about "merchandise as described in listing", i.e., "glass with a signature.." not the same as saying "Steuben glass..".
posted on August 26, 2004 03:33:39 PM
I’m curious how you think they dropped the ball? Both pieces are marked as AuctionDrop noted, with exception that they misspelled Steuben. Nowhere in the listing do they say these pieces are authentic.
They are not authentic, by the way – wrong shape, wrong style, wrong quality, and a laughable attempt to copy the engraved signatures of each company. I think the buyer would be hard pressed to get their money back at a swap meet for this (now damaged) garbage.
posted on August 26, 2004 03:53:23 PM
I believe that the consigner probably dictated the listing, and was using AD as a cover (rather than listing on eBay themselves). If there is fallout, AD gets the neg.
Just coincidence that this is the only AD listing that doesn't list the maker in the title - when they knew it was important enough to show a photo of the signature?
The Steuben misspelling was probably just a mistake (poetic justice, as it kept bidders away).
posted on August 26, 2004 04:07:05 PM
well, i DO see other ebay listings with similar "signatures" on both of those kind of items, and if I had bid on them at auctiondrop and won them, i think i would represent them as such ... and let buyer decide ... and i think they would have gone for much higher .... jmho
posted on August 26, 2004 04:59:40 PM
Yes, of course AuctionDrop realized they’re fake. Do you think they were knowledgeable enough to note the signatures, but had never heard of Steuben or Lalique? It’s why they decided to take a buyer beware approach in the listing. Here they just listed the facts, with no statement of attribution, hoping to catch a live one. This happens all over eBay.
I bet I could find 20 eBay listings right now for Gallé or Tiffany that are so new they’re still hot from the oven. They’re almost always listed at a vase signed Gallé, not a Gallé vase that’s signed. Note the difference. And yes, it’s intentionally misleading in my view. It enables the seller to offer a guarantee that the merchandise is “As described” while hiding behind the omission. (I’ll note that AuctionDrop doesn’t appear to offer any guarantee in this listing.)
Any astute dealer or collector will email with specific questions asking about age, authenticity, cracks, chips, repairs, guarantee, etc. I have my favorite list of questions and if they’re not answered precisely, I pass. I hope the buyer of these items purchased them out of utilitarian need, and not because they thought they pulled a fast one on AuctionDrop.
posted on August 26, 2004 05:02:50 PMYes, of course AuctionDrop realized they’re fake. Do you think they were knowledgeable enough to note the signatures, but had never heard of Steuben or Lalique?
Obviously you've never consigned anything to AuctionDrop, or you'd know better than to make such a silly statement.
Trust me. These people don't know their elbows from their nether orifices.
Edited to add: And they photograph everything from every angle, signed or not.
--
[ edited by iareateacher on Aug 26, 2004 05:03 PM ]
"The overall finish of the wood appearsto have been stained and colored, but over time, most of this has been worn off.. The dog appears to have a rear saddleback encompassingits midsection, giving the appearancethat a child could sit on it." (emphasis mine)
Appearantly, they need more (some?) experts.
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~*~~~~*
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. --
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
posted on August 27, 2004 10:13:42 AM
Even if the seller of the carousel dog had provided complete provenance on it, AD would still write the description something like this:
"We were told this item came from the carousel on the Santa Monica Pier and was removed from service in 1934; however, we have no means of verifying this. It appears to be a carousel animal but we cannot be sure as it has no markings on it of any type. The material looks like wood, but without cutting the item apart we cannot verify that. It may have been handcarved, or it may just appear to be handcarved. Some written sheets that came with the item suggest the carver (if in fact it was carved) was the well-known Danish artisan Hily Gedankesan. The potential buyer may want to verify this by engaging the services of a spirit medium and summoning the ghost of Gedankesan.
"The consignor told us the piece originally was painted in blue and white livery but no trace of that remains, so we cannot represent it as having been painted in those colors."
Aaaaagh, it gives me a headache just writing in AuctionDrop-ese.
posted on August 27, 2004 01:08:42 PM
...If they can not give an experts opinion on the item, why list with them ?...
They are not an appraisal service, they are an eBay selling service. If someone doesn't care to bother selling the items themselves, and can take the commission hit from AD, it might be better than donating items to a rummage sale.
I don't think AD intentionally represents; I think the dopes are dupes of the consigner.
posted on August 27, 2004 01:33:54 PM
And I quote (emphasis mine):
"Only AuctionDrop:
"* Operates a large-scale processing center staffed with professional photographers, researchers specializing in a wide range of items, and skilled shippers — all working together to deliver detailed, accurate listings and superior service."
...