ST1 Up the Garden Path for sale • Page 4 • Collecting Appraisal • The Acaeum

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ST1 Up the Garden Path for sale
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Deadlord
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 4:50 pm

I thought it was a given that it would go over 2K. Anyone who didn't expect it to wasn't being very realistic.

If you hit a Rowsdower, you get to keep it.

jonjhargreaves
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 4:56 pm

1. I've said this to a number of you in PM in response to questions and bids alike, but please please please, will you tell me what to do!!!!
Ebay or Private sale.
No one has convinced me yet either way and looking through various responses, I've got about a 50/50 split.

2. And another thing, with the relative weakness of the $ at the moment, isn't this a great investment for those UK collectors! (Not to mention shipping, insurance etc. that looks like being over $120 to the US to do it properly!)

Again, I can't thank you enough, this has truly been a great experience so far! (and from the post I'm getting, I think a few of you are enjoying this too!!!)

bclarkie
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:05 pm

jonjhargreaves wrote:1. I've said this to a number of you in PM in response to questions and bids alike, but please please please, will you tell me what to do!!!!
Ebay or Private sale.
No one has convinced me yet either way and looking through various responses, I've got about a 50/50 split.

2. And another thing, with the relative weakness of the $ at the moment, isn't this a great investment for those UK collectors! (Not to mention shipping, insurance etc. that looks like being over $120 to the US to do it properly!)

Again, I can't thank you enough, this has truly been a great experience so far! (and from the post I'm getting, I think a few of you are enjoying this too!!!)

I know that this is probably going to go against popular opinion, but I personally would put it on Ebay. As a big of a pain in the ass it is and the fees that you will have to pay, EBay offers the most protection for both parties involved in the transaction. It will also allow folks to put there money where their mouth is per se. It will also eliminate specualtion and allow everyone to see the outcome. Just my .02

*ducks from all the shoes being thrown at him*

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." -Neitzche

deimos3428
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:29 pm

bclarkie wrote:
jonjhargreaves wrote:1. I've said this to a number of you in PM in response to questions and bids alike, but please please please, will you tell me what to do!!!!
Ebay or Private sale.
No one has convinced me yet either way and looking through various responses, I've got about a 50/50 split.

2. And another thing, with the relative weakness of the $ at the moment, isn't this a great investment for those UK collectors! (Not to mention shipping, insurance etc. that looks like being over $120 to the US to do it properly!)

Again, I can't thank you enough, this has truly been a great experience so far! (and from the post I'm getting, I think a few of you are enjoying this too!!!)

I know that this is probably going to go against popular opinion, but I personally would put it on Ebay. As a big of a pain in the ass it is and the fees that you will have to pay, EBay offers the most protection for both parties involved in the transaction. It will also allow folks to put there money where their mouth is per se. It will also eliminate specualtion and allow everyone to see the outcome. Just my .02

*ducks from all the shoes being thrown at him*

I agree completely. It puts everything "out in the open", no chance of shady side deal rumors, fingerpointing, etc, etc, etc. I would guess the value would go up due to back and forth ferocity, as well, and allow for snipes.

Xaxaxe
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:31 pm

bclarkie wrote:I know that this is probably going to go against popular opinion, but I personally would put it on Ebay.

So would I, for all of the reasons posted above. It's not a perfect system, but there are a number of safeguards that eBay/PayPal can provide that just can't be duplicated in a private sale (short of escrow, I suppose ...).

And, for the record, I say this as a totally disinterested party â€” I have zero interest in this product. Although, I must admit, I would be very interested in watching the eBay bidding war, just because those can be kind of fun.

*jumps behind Clarkie's shield to dodge incoming missiles *

deimos3428
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:33 pm

Xaxaxe wrote:*jumps behind Clarkie's shield to dodge incoming missiles *

I forgot to jump...waitaminit...am I the shield? 8O

johnhuck
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:43 pm

Initially I thought that if you've got a great offer on the table then take it.

But the more I think about it, the more I like the sound of eBay. I would always be wondering how high the interested paries would push the price in those dying seconds.

And if you do end up with $1500 rather than $2000 then so what. A few weeks ago it was effectively worth nothing.

So, get it on eBay and let the bidding commence. I, for one, will be ringside watching the big hitters slugging it out (after a few rounds with Alan, David, etc. to get things warmed up! :wink: )

killjoy32
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:47 pm

johnhuck wrote:So, get it on eBay and let the bidding commence. I, for one, will be ringside watching the big hitters slugging it out (after a few rounds with Alan, David, etc. to get things warmed up! )

i totally agree. i think it should go on ebay and i have a bid fired up and ready. THAT will certainly warm things up to ummmm warm right away

so c'mon Jon, enough already, get off yer butt and get it on ebay so we can all have a little fun watching you make a whole lot of money.

Al

Are we nearly there yet?

draco76
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:59 pm

ya and start the bid at .01 with no reserve save yourself some ebay fee's!

I for one plan on bidding my 2 cents as soon as it hits ebay

that way I can be in the lead for at least the 1st 30 seconds

GamersRest[FNG]
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:41 pm

I vote Ebay, that way I can lie to myself for a few days about being able to afford this, I would definitely bid on it (but to be honest, I won't be seeing this gem on my shelf for a few years).

~jeff

Gnat the Beggar
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:06 pm

I also vote for listing the Module on E-Bay.
By listing on E-Bay you would allow more folks to dream of owning it for at least a few moments.

Besides, the cost will be the buyers responsibility. You will be out listing fees, but nothing more. As others have stated, keep it cheap with a low starting bid, no BIN and no researve. It is guaranteed a large bidding show up just from the Acaeum members. I will put my dime bid on it for sure. And more......

:lol:

"Guys, I am starting to think Tegel Manor might be haunted..."
Stated by me as a PC during a run of Tegel Manor DMed by killjoy at NTRPGCon 2010

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harami2000
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:34 pm

(just my 02 cents, as usual...)

Aneoth wrote:
jonjhargreaves wrote:Ouch, the private mail is coming thick and fast!
Please, no more offers, unless you are very very serious!
Currrently I have multiple bids over $1700
Thanks
Jon

This is starting to get very scary!!!???

I think the madness is setting in.
...
What do YOU have for the over/under?

With ST1, the "madness" set in a long time ago.

(Over/under doesn't matter in a private sale, of course; just take 100% of the high bid rather than $10 over the second bid, if you wish).

jonjhargreaves wrote:(Not to mention shipping, insurance etc. that looks like being over $120 to the US to do it properly!)

(via FedEx was somewhere around $90 on those links I sent, presuming a short(?) drive to the nearest depot... think FedEx from the States must be a lot cheaper since Larry Elmore uses it even on low-value packages).

=

If you have multiple bids over $1,700 already (hopefully I "set the starting price", rather than "set the price", there) to a buyer who can be vouched for/verified in advance, I can see little benefit in going to eBay and picking up a dodgy high-bid or having the auction flop to some degree (which can happen, even with the rares).
Or even the chance that someone else lists a better copy at the same time; as happened last time...

Without "intervention", I doubt a serious bidder will take it (much) past the $900 mark until the late bids and snipes. If ya love stress, sell on eBay

(And personally, I don't like seeing people bid-up on items they have no intention of winning/paying for).

Given that there's still a "ceiling" of $2,250-2,500 for any non-unique D&D item just now and a very nice (true) 1st woodgrain should be much closer to that than a mint ST1 (even allowing for "madness"), you're getting pretty close to setting new marks, anyhow.
Ask yourself how much extra you'd be expecting to obtain from eBay, after final bid fees, or what chance there is it could go totally OTT.

With due deference, I don't see a single serious buyer amongst the last few posts saying "put it on eBay" with the possible exception of <aneoth>; and if he really wanted it, could now afford to make a cash bid which you would accept, no?

Deadlord
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 2:29 am

Putting it on eBay would be foolish. You basically pay a fee to get POSSIBLY a bit more than a private sale, and quite possibly less. Someone please point out one benefit of eBaying it.

If you hit a Rowsdower, you get to keep it.

mbassoc2003
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 2:39 am

Deadlord36 wrote:Putting it on eBay would be foolish. You basically pay a fee to get POSSIBLY a bit more than a private sale, and quite possibly less. Someone please point out one benefit of eBaying it.

Yeah, you'd be better off going for a quick cash sale in the UK. We could meet half way up the motorway with a bag of cash in unmarked bills and do the exchange.

This week I've been mostly eating . . . The white ones with the little red flecks in them.

Badmike
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:04 am

Aneoth wrote:I also vote for listing the Module on E-Bay.
By listing on E-Bay you would allow more folks to dream of owning it for at least a few moments.
Besides, the cost will be the buyers responsibility. You will be out listing fees, but nothing more. As others have stated, keep it cheap with a low starting bid, no BIN and no researve. It is guaranteed a large bidding show up just from the Acaeum members. I will put my dime bid on it for sure. And more......

HEY!

HE'S BIDDING WITH MY MONEY!

What a devious, devious plan!!! Sell your collection and get an ST1 with the money, that's genius! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Mike B.

johnhuck
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:33 am

My only concern with a private sale is that the last NM copy raised the bar on ST1 prices. Helped somewhat by exchange rates and the fact that it was a VERY nice copy. If the market has moved higher since then, you may not maximise your price if an offer is based on that frame of reference.

But if the market has dropped you could lose out on eBay over a private offer.

My personal opinion is that the market has probably moved higher. As you're new to the forum I should point out that you should NOT make the mistake of holding my opinion in any higher regard because of the "Valuation Board" tag. I am not privy to any inside information. And ST1 comes up so rarely that it's difficult to gauge a trend. Although 4 years ago there were copies sold between £500 and £750. I balked at the idea of paying that much then. But he price has almost doubled in $ terms since then.

If the best private offer is high enough ($1750+ I would hope) and you are happy with that, then it's your perogative to accept or decline. You're going to be at least $1750 better off than you were this morning.

Whichever method you choose, you are going to make a significant return. So, don't worry about it. Toss a coin if you have to. :wink:

Xaxaxe
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:51 am

Deadlord36 wrote:Someone please point out one benefit of eBaying it.

I can think of three:

1. Competition. It's one thing to sit back and let a bunch of PM offers come in, but it's quite another to post a super-rare item on eBay (one of the world's great public forums) and let potential buyers compete against one another in an open arena where anyone, at any time, can influence events. In a case such as the elusive ST1, I don't think it's a stretch to say that the competitive juices would be flowing â€” much to the benefit of the seller.

2. Not every collector visits the Acaeum. It's shocking, I know, but it's true. Some have never heard of it, some aren't interested, some don't like it, and some are lurkers, all of which adds up to an important consideration â€” the 460-odd registered members of these forums do not represent the entirety of the D&D collecting spectrum, no matter how much we might wish otherwise.

Or, to look at it from the other angle: eBay has 135 million registered users, and that's a pretty big pool to draw from. Who knows how many of them â€” maybe not even serious D&D collectors â€” might be willing to take a shot at an ST1?

3. Seller's market. This goes hand-in-hand with #2 and could probably be classified as #2B, but it's worth mentioning. Given the fact that sellers seem to be raking it in lately â€” a trend mentioned time and again in various threads here â€” why would you not take a chance on what some of those 135 million users might be willing to pay? These things tend to be cyclical, but for now, anyway, it's good to be an eBay seller.

Now, granted, eBay (and PayPal, if used) does generate fees, and there's no way around those. Those voting for a private sale have a valid point when they criticize such fees â€” eBay might be a lot of things, but one thing it isn't is free. So, to be fair, that must be considered.

And, again, I'll close with two disclaimers: first, although I feel strongly that eBay is the way to go, this is just my two coppers; second, I'm not trying to pull off some sort of cute deal or eBay coup. I won't be bidding by either the PM or eBay method.

Xaxaxe
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Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 4:10 am

The above post was beginning to edge into War and Peace territory, so I cut it off without adding a final thought: what's to stop a seller in this situation from playing both ends against the middle?

If it were me, I'd consider:

1. Running a 7-day auction with a 99-cent opener (fee: 25 cents).

2. Making my reserve price exactly one dollar higher that the highest bid I had thus far received in a PM (fee: unknown. I have no clue what the PM bids have been).

3. Let the auction run its course ...

4A. If the item sells at or above the reserve, I just put more money in my pocket (and get my reserve fee refunded).

4B. If it doesn't meet the reserve, I sell it to the Acaeum user with the high PM bid.

Now, granted, there's those pesky fees, so the whole thing might be a wash. But what if the eBay auction generated a bid considerably higher than the highest PM bid? If that's the case, I'm raking in a pretty nice chunk of change even after the fees are subtracted.

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