Signed Post Office (1 Viewer)

[Rekrab]

Here's a signed paperback of Post Office, but zero user feedback, no photo, and very little description. Would you take a chance and bid? I've passed up some great books I really wanted on eBay because the user was new and had no feedback, and thus no way to tell if they were someone I'd want to deal with. But then again, it could be a hell of a bargain. What do you think?

Not seeing a scan of the signature makes this a leap of faith at best.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290018640361&fromMakeTrack=true

 

[bospress.net]

David,
BE VERY weary of this No phto, no feedback and they do NOT take any payment, but money orders or cashier's checks. NO way to get your money back if this is a fraud. If there was the PAypal option, I'd bid on it. As it stands, I suspect that there is something VERY wrong with this,,,,

BIll

 

[bospress.net]

be afraid....

Hi,

PLUS, this seller just signed up for ebay yesterday.

Everything about this points to scary, scary shit....

Bill

 

[Rekrab]

Hi Bill

Yeah, later in the day, fully awake, I can see DANGER written all over it. I hadn't noticed the payment details. Thanks for pointing that out. Not that I should even think about buying any expensive books just now.

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
The seller says that they are sending me a xerox of the sig page via us mail. That will only tell me if the signature COULD be real. Of course, that does not mean that they did not just print out a scan of a book that they do not own. I'm just interested at this point. I don;t think that I'm willing to take a chance, even at $50. Just too many thinkgs that say "no" to me...

BIll

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
I got the xerox of the signed page today in the mail. The signature is real. It is a later printing. STILL, the envelope came with NO return address and no name on it. Just a xeroxed page in an envelope, with no letter or anything. Postmarked Santa BArbara. I feel, now more than ever, that they either do not own this book, or do own one, but have no plans on sending it out to the winner.

I would only bid on this if I lived close enough to Santa Barbara to arrange to pick it up with a cashiers check in hand.

Otherwise, I would fear that you will never get anything. Just too many things wrong with this. Really EVERYTHING screams scam./.


Best,

Bill

 

[bospress.net]

Hola!

Additionally, the seller's screen name is Sar2305ah, which would make me think that her hane is Sarah, but she signed her e-mail to me as Julia (see the listing). THEN book is signed to Claire Rabe, who was the owner of Baudelaire's (where the reading supposedly took place). She was also an author who was published by Capra Press (Graham MacIntosh). She dies in 2003, so it is POSSIBLE that this is part of her collection, but I still think that this is a page zeroxed from a book in a collection or library.

Finally, the signature seems later than 1977. It seems like a late 80's signature.

Again, it seems to me that there is an attrempt to create a provinance for the signature. It would be a great provinance, if every part of it did not clash with other parts making it clear that the back story is not correct.

I think that someone is about to buy something tht they will never get...

Bill

 

[Rekrab]

Bill

Fascinating how you analyze this. People say I'm paranoid, but I wish I was half as suspicious as you are -- and you're probably right.

 

[mjp]

I have a feeling the tape is legit (obviously, since I just bought it). If it is, then the book probably is too.

I haven't seen any other recordings of a reading at Baudelaire's, so if it is real, it may be unique. $50 is a small enough amount to gamble on that.

Even assuming it is legit, I'm not expecting great quality. We shall see.




I mean, when I get a cassette deck we shall see. Ha.

I have a couple of other tapes of Bukowski stuff I've never heard, like a 60 minute tape supposedly made by Steve Richmond, and "A movable Feast #3, Charles Bukowski reads, Do You Use a Notebook?"

 

[bospress.net]

mjp,
I cold be 100% wrong on this, but maybe not.

Ebay does offer buyer protection, so you would get all but $25 back from ebay by filing a claim. Anyone willing to take the gamble, I would insist on them sending it insured. I would expect that ebay would use the excuse that the item was lost in the mail.

For $25 it may not be a bad gamble.

And yes, David, I am a bit paranoid ;)

All best,
Bill (like Columbo, but with TWO eyes) Roberts

 

[mjp]

I don't know if you're 100% wrong, I just went with my impression of the tape auction and her reply to my question.

The red flags you raise are valid, but putting up two bogus auctions seems like a lot of trouble for a payoff of $100. That's aiming pretty low as a scammer. ;)

Who knows, it's all a gamble on eBay. Sometimes less of a gamble, but a gamble still.

 

[Rekrab]

The red flags you raise are valid, but putting up two bogus auctions seems like a lot of trouble for a payoff of $100. That's aiming pretty low as a scammer. ;)

mjp: I've wondered about that myself. Why would someone scam for a low amount when they could just as easily go higher? Maybe they think nobody will bother to chase down a crook who takes them for $10 or whatever, but they will if it's $1000.

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
It is the same reason that people counterfeit $20 bills and not $100 bills. $100 are more lucrative, but easier to be caught.

If this person is operating 200 different auctions under 100 different names and clearing $50 a week from each auction, then they are making $10,000 a week, or a half a million a year. Tax free.

Of course, it takes a lot of time to do all of this (setting up accounts, making fake listings, answering e-mails). Probaby a full 8-10 hours a day. Of course, I work 8-10 hours a day and don't clear that kind of money (but then I am not risking prison).

Best,
Bill

 

[hank solo]

Well, I expect someone has a bargain now.
mjp what plans do you have re the tape? Obviously we'd all love to hear that (yes the tape, less so the plan)

 

[Bukfan]

I have a couple of other tapes of Bukowski stuff I've never heard, like a 60 minute tape supposedly made by Steve Richmond, and "A movable Feast #3, Charles Bukowski reads, Do You Use a Notebook?"

A MOVEABLE FEAST # 3
"CHARLES BUKOWSKI reads "Do you use a notebook?" from his collection DANGLING IN THE TOURNEFORTIA and talks with host Tom Vitale."
is available from Amazon if anyone is interested. The tape is about 30 min.
long. Linda B. is also on the tape. Just a little consumer info...

 

[mjp]

Well, I expect someone has a bargain now.
mjp what plans do you have re the tape? Obviously we'd all love to hear that (yes the tape, less so the plan)

I suspect something like that could eventually find it's way onto the internet...though of course whoever put it out there wouldn't exactly have the rights to do so, you understand. Or would they? I don't know.

Anyway, as I said, I am not expecting great quality, so who knows if it will even be listenable. On the odd chance that I actually take possession of it, and it is of reasonable quality, well, that will be a very marvelous thing indeed. For all of us.

 

[mjp]

Tapes arrived, they are as advertised. I have to get a cassette deck up and running to rip them, but when I do I'll report on the quality/contents. I've never seen another recording of this reading anywhere...we shall see.

 

[hank solo]

Hope hope