AuctionBytes-Update Number 53 - November 4, 2001 - ISSN 1528-6703

Please recommend this newsletter: <http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/Recommend/recommend.ht ml >
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1) Is that Photograph Old?
2) PAYPAL: Not What It Used to Be
3) This & That
4) Collector's Corner
5) Letters to the Editor
6) AUCTIONBYTES FEATURES
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FROM THE EDITOR
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How are your eBay sales? If you sell antiques and collectibles, the answer to this question is: not as good as a year ago.

AuctionBytes obtained a copy of a recent report that antiques mall TIAS sent to its merchants. The report shows that the average sale price of antiques and collectibles sold on eBay by TIAS merchants is down approximately 33% from a year ago. This number is not surprising to us. We published a study in May that showed that the average price for collectibles had dropped 25% over the past year. Several weeks later, TIAS showed that average prices over the same period had declined 39.5%.

The recent TIAS report also showed that the average sell-through rate for antiques and collectibles was 37.5% on eBay from January to October of this year. We have read published reports that eBay's average sell-through rates are between 47% and 52% for antiques and collectibles. Because eBay guards its numbers jealously from the press and from its own members, we're not sure what to believe.

eBay frequently mentions it is not a seller or a middle-man - it is simply a venue. Yet it will not share numbers with the ACTUAL sellers on its "venue." If sellers knew some basic information about Average Sale Price, product breakdowns, sell-through rates, seasonal performance and traffic, they could be more successful, which would benefit eBay as well. It would be a win-win situation.

Ina Steiner, Editor
Email: ina@auctionbytes.com

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1) IS THAT PHOTOGRAPH OLD?
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A Three-part Series on Judging the Age of Photographs
Part I: Introduction and Photographs from the 1800s
By David Rudd

Collecting antique photographs is a popular hobby, and photography is an integral part of nearly all vintage areas of collecting, including sports, history, politics, autographs, Hollywood and postcards. Sadly, as with all types of memorabilia, there are and always will be many modern fakes and reprints. This three-part series offers the beginner some quick tips to help determine whether or not a photograph is old.

As in all areas of collecting, personal experience is important. The more you know and ask, and the more photographs you handle and observe, the better. Many beginners start their experience with old family albums. If you are considering buying rare and expensive photographs, consider whom you are buying from. There are many knowledgeable and honest dealers and collectors on and offline.

Is It a Photograph?
The first, and perhaps most important, question when looking at a photograph, is determining if it really is a photograph. Many fakes and reprints are lithographs, computer prints and other mechanical prints.

The phrase to remember here is, 'Dots versus No Dots.' Mechanical prints, or non-photographs, make a photo-realistic image by translating a photographic image into a minute pattern of dots. These dots cannot be seen with the naked eye, but can be seen with a good magnifying glass or microscope. Around the house examples of this type of 'dot' printing include the images in magazines, calendars, newspapers and modern trading cards. Check it out yourself.

Real photographs, on the other hand, have no dot pattern (unless, of course, the image is of a Dalmatian or a kid with freckles). Photographic images are made by subtle chemical reaction. Even under a high power microscope, the tones and details are extremely subtle. The details are so subtle, it often seems as if you can't get the microscope into focus.

Photographs of the 1800s
Once you get the hang of it, identifying photographs made in the 1800s is not that hard. The processes and styles used then are out of date, long ago replaced by new technology and fashion.

In the 19th century there were many different kinds of photographic processes that produced a variety of appearances. For simplicity sake, the focus here is on the 'albumen prints,' which was the dominant form of photography. Well over ninety percent of all 19th century photographs, especially made after 1860, were albumen prints. These photographs have characteristics that can be identified.

Virtually all albumen prints are on extremely thin and delicate paper and had to be pasted to cardboard sheets, called 'mounts.' Some can be found mounted in books or albums. Unmounted prints tended to roll tightly together and cannot be straightened out without causing damage. The mounts come in a variety of colors, styles and sizes and usually have the photographer's stamp on the front and/or back.

Most albumen print photographs have a glossy, often too glossy, surface. The image color was usually purplish brown but has aged and today consists of browns and yellows, sometimes with subtle purples or reds. The image is often described as sepia-colored or warm. This is unlike the cool black and white tones that dominated the 20th century. The shadows of the albumen print are rarely pure black, and the whites are rarely pure white.

Nearly all albumen prints exhibit some aging. This can include general or localized yellowing, especially noticeable in the white areas. Fading of detail is often noticeable. Small age spots, known as foxing, often exist. Under the microscope, the viewer should be able to see the fibers of the paper. Many later processes added a protective layer of gelatin that hides the fibers from view.

Albumen prints can range from 1" X 1" to more then 20" X 20," though example larger than 7" X 10" are rare.

Albumen prints have not made commercially for nearing one hundred years, though a few hobbyists and artists dabble in modernized forms. If a photograph has the above characteristics, it is most probably old.
---
David Rudd is Director of Art & Collectable Examination at Cycleback < http://www.cycleback.com> in Seattle and is author of the books 'Authentication and Forgery Detection of Prints and Antique Photographs' and 'Guide to Identifying Early Photographs: a Pocket Manual.' He is a member of the
International Directory of Photography Historians, Association of Art Historians and the International Association of Paper Historians.

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2) PAYPAL: Not What It Used to Be
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by Yisroel Goodman

There are many payment services on the Net. Post a question about Billpoint, Paydirect or C2it, and you will get a few replies, some positive and some negative. Post a question about PayPal and you will get several pages of replies, with arguments that explode into personal attacks. What is it about this company that engenders such emotion?

PayPal was a pioneering company with a breakthrough idea: allow small-time sellers to pay for auction purchases using their credit cards. Because it was a much-needed service, millions of users quickly signed up. The $10 and $5 referral bonuses didn't hurt either. It became the single most widely-used service on the Internet.

However, many buyers have been brainwashed into thinking that a seller who accepts PayPal is safe to deal with, while a seller who does not accept PayPal is somehow suspect. Well, if PayPal is so fast, easy and safe, why don't some sellers accept PayPal payments?

PayPal was started by some young partners, inexperienced with the realities of credit card processing and too arrogant to listen to their customers. First they thought they could get away with stating that charge backs would not be allowed. When that didn't work, they came up with a buyer/seller protection plan that set up some ground rules to prevent abuse. When that didn't work, they decided to just pretend that it did and hope that no one would notice.

Newsflash: the thousands of folks scammed by abusers of this service did notice.

There were the buyers who paid using stolen credit cards. With a real merchant account, seller can validate the card and decide if it passes. Here, PayPal validates the card. The seller has no way to know if the card is fraudulent. If PayPal does a bad job, the seller pays the price. And if buyers contact their credit card company and dispute charges, again the seller loses.

But isn't this the same way that Billpoint and Paydirect work? Why do I consider PayPal worse?

Only PayPal gave a PROMISE of seller protection. PayPal terms state that if sellers followed a set of rules, they would be protected against charge backs. As PayPal failed time and again to keep this promise, they went back to their terms and added another loophole. Among the loopholes: Seller must prove shipping to the confirmed address.

But delivery confirmation does not show an address, and this argument was used to deny sellers their protection. Many buyers do not even show a confirmed address. The seller protection only covers fraudulent payments and buyer claims of non-delivery. And scammers quickly learned to make a claim of "quality of item" against which sellers are not protected.

But even after all this was publicly acknowledged by PayPal's representative on the forums, PayPal continued to send out letters stating, "Only PayPal protects you against charge backs."

While Billpoint and Paydirect will only take back a payment made from a fraudulent credit card or after a customer dispute, PayPal goes one better (or worse). If customer A pays customer B with a stolen card and customer B pays seller C with funds from their PayPal account, PayPal will take the money back from seller C. Seller C is not even aware that a credit card was used. He is completely unaware that there is any risk. Imagine your bank taking back a cash deposit you made because the person who gave you the cash received a bad check from a third party!

For buyers, the news is even worse. Unless they pay with a credit card and maintain their charge back rights, the buyer protection plan is useless. Among the loopholes: if the seller sends an empty box, buyer loses. If the seller empties their PayPal account (and any scammer would), buyer loses.

Then there is the growing problem of restricted accounts. PayPal used to restrict accounts as soon as a buyer reported one problem. After much protest, they began restricting only the specific transaction. Then they put in fraud detection software. Now the program restricts accounts that it flags as possibly fraudulent.

This wouldn't be a problem if PayPal emailed the account holder with the reason for the restriction and a phone number to call to straighten out the problem (as they promised me they would do about a year ago). There are reports of accounts that remained restricted for months. When an account is restricted, payments are still accepted into the account, which the seller can not claim or refund.

One problem with PayPal is its arrogance - only PayPal is arrogant enough to assert that it never makes a mistake. Every complaint I see on message boards gets a response from the rep that the problem is the poster's bank, credit card or ISP. It is never PayPal's fault. Just once I'd like to see PayPal admit they made a mistake and will fix it. But as long as they never admit to a mistake, nothing will get fixed.

The other big problem is false promises.

PayPal attracted folks with their promise of "always free." Their definition of "always" is not the same as the dictionary. Then they started a two-tier program of personal and business accounts, with personal accounts being able to accept $500 in credit card charges for free. When that didn't work, it became $100 a month.

PayPal's next promise, "We will never force you to upgrade." "Never" in PayPal-speak means until November, when even the $100 limit goes away.

Another re-definition of "never" is found in this statement: "We will never access your bank account without permission." As of this month, PayPal has now changed their terms to allow them to access your bank account to collect funds they believe you owe them. Though this currently only affects business and premiere accounts opened after October 11, the question has been raised repeatedly on the boards (and not yet answered): What about personal accountswhich convert to business or premiere? In any case, given PayPal's history of constantly revising their terms, who knows what terms they will change next?

Everyone has a different opinion about PayPal. If you have a PayPal story, or if you disagree with me, post a message in the AuctionBytes Services forum <http://161.58.152.123/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?forum=7&70>. But I don't promise I'll agree with you.

NOTE: PayPal lacks FDIC protection. Here's an article that brings up the question, should PayPal be regulated as a bank?
<http://www.banktechnews.com/btn/articles/btnoct01-13.shtml>

---
Yisroel (Izzy) Goodman owns Complete Computer Services Inc. and sells electronics online. He publishes reports about online payment services on his Web site < http://www.ygoodman.com>. His informed opinions are based on his own experience and from reading about others' experiences with payment services as well as discussions with users, representatives of the services and experts in the field. (Note: He is not affiliated in any way, directly or indirectly, with any payment service.) Izzy also moderates the AuctionBytes "Online Auction Services" forum and writes frequently for AuctionBytes about his assessment of online payment services.

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3) THIS & THAT
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eBay Changes to Checkout
Last week, we wrote about the many problems buyers and sellers were having with the new Checkout feature that eBay implemented recently. < http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/51/52/52.html#editor >

In Friday's NewsFlash newsletter, AuctionBytes reviewed some of the changes that eBay is making to its new Checkout feature to try to minimize confusion on the part of its members. < http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/newsflash/newsflash.html>

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Amazon Introduces Virtual "Cardless" Credit Card
Amazon.com introduced the Amazon Credit Accounta virtual, cardless credit "card"for use when shopping at Amazon.com. Available now, the Amazon Credit Account is the online equivalent of a department store credit card and provides shoppers the opportunity to buy now and pay later when shopping at Amazon.com. It makes it possible for people without a bank card or credit card to shop online at Amazon.com.

The account does not apply to purchases made from Amazon Marketplace, Auctions, zShops, Circuit City, purchases of gift certificates or deposits made for cell phone service in the Amazon Cell Phones & Service store.

Customers who sign up with the Amazon Credit Account will enjoy three months of no payments and interest-free holiday shopping on orders over $200 placed through January 31, 2002. Finance offer applies only to U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older. Offer is for individuals, not businesses. (See other fine print on the Web site.)
<http://www.amazon.com/credit>

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TIAS Introduces Classifieds
The largest email newsletter for the antiques and collectibles world is now offering classified ad space to its readers.

You can place a 60-word classified ad with 4 pictures on the TIAS.com Web site. Your ad will run for one month, and your item will show up in the TIAS search engine. The ad will be also mentioned with a link to it in one issue of the TIAS newsletter, "The Collectors Newsletter."

The cost is $10. For more information drop a note to support@tias.com .

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Bidz.com Sells Jewelry Online
An online-auction site that resembles the uBid model more than the eBay model was recently brought to my attention. Bidz.com sells mostly jewelry that it has purchased from suppliers, so the company is selling its own goods on the site. It obtains inventory through its wholesale purchasing division utilizing a "network of domestic and international sources for jewelry, watches, gold, and other specialty items."

Auctions range from 10 minutes to seven days. Most goods open with a $1 no reserve price. Bidz.com says that the merchandise is verified by certified gemologists who analyze the grade, quality and value of all items and offers a 15-day money back guarantee. A company spokesperson told me that Bidz.com has close to 2 million registered users.
<http://www.bidz.com>

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Retro Clothing Site Debuts
Vintage Trends, a leading distributor of vintage, military and recycled clothing, has announced the launch of VintageTrends.com.

This unique online boutique showcases retro and designer fashions for men, women and children dating from the 1930s to the present. The site features clothing from 1940s swimwear and 1950s wool cardigans to 1970s polyester bellbottoms and never-worn designer gowns.

The site showcases as many as 100,000 garments and accessories at any given time, with each item conveniently categorized according to era, gender and size. There are five virtual "dressing rooms" -- New Fashion, Recycled, Vintage, Military and Auction. To ensure a perfect fit, specific details such as waist, hip and length measurements are prominently featured.

VintageTrends.com is also the exclusive online distributor of the Riley collection, a recognized name among Hollywood's top stylists. The Riley line blends vintage materials and embellishments with new fabrications, silhouettes and stylish alterations to create its widely recognized, street-smart "reconstructive" look.

VintageTrends.com is the online extension of several successfully established, brick-and-mortar fashion distributors based in Southern California. With exclusive relationships and high-volume commitments with dozens of wholesalers nationwide, Vintage Trends boasts an inventory of more than a million vintage and designer pieces. Only the "best of the best" of this vast inventory appears on VintageTrends.com, according to the company.

To ensure 100% authenticity, every featured item is "Vintage Trends Certified" by a team of expert fashion consultants. The thorough certification process includes determining the original date of manufacture, examining the condition of the fabric, professional cleaning when necessary, noting any previous alterations, and overseeing minor repairs designed to maintain the integrity of the garment, such as replacing buttons and broken zippers. Each article of clothing or accessory is priced according to its overall condition and uniqueness. Prices range from as low as $10 to more than $5,000 for especially rare pieces.
<http://www.vintagetrends.com>

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4) COLLECTOR'S CORNER
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Interview with a Toy Maven: Toy Shop Editor Sharon Korbeck
by Ina Steiner

Sharon Korbeck is the editorial director of Toy Shop magazine, Toy Cars & Models, and Antique Trader Weekly for Krause Publications. I talked to her in October about her new book on Barbie, her job as writer & editor of collector magazines, and about her own collections.

Sharon has Masters degree in library science and started her career as a children's librarian. Her degree in English and Journalism beckoned her, and she became editor of a trade journal - for funeral directors! In 1994, she went to Krause.

"I didn't know anything about collecting toys when I started at Krause," Sharon stated. But she had been writing about death and embalming and had known nothing about that when she started. Sharon knew that her journalism background was all she needed.

Krause clearly made the right decision in hiring Sharon. She recently overhauled Antique Trader, making it a timely and more useful publication for antiques dealers and collectors. And over the seven years Sharon has been at Krause, she has become an avid collector herself.

"I have 600 Humpty Dumptys. I have them everywhere - at work, in every room in my house. I have a teapot in the kitchen and a clock in the bathroom. I have books, plush, key chains and more. I also collect tin tops and Maurice Sendak books."

Sharon just finished writing a book, "The Best of Barbie - Four Decades of America's Favorite Doll," and Sharon told me a little bit about it. "I met a woman two hours away with 2,000 Barbie dolls - Georgia Rankin. I visited her collection. The book took about a year from the time of inception. I wrote the copy, and we spent one week taking photos, which was the most time-consuming part of the project."

"Deciding which dolls to include was the hardest part. I chose the most influential or distinctive dolls of each decade." Some Barbies are in the book because they were the first racial representation or the first to represent a foreign country. Others were included because of a particular feature - the first winking eyes, or the first with a particular style of hair.

Sharon believes that the Barbie doll has remained popular because it has changed over 40 years, but yet Barbie has ultimately stayed the same. "She has that look," Sharon said, and noted that Mattel has always paid attention to who their market was.

So where does Sharon get her own collectibles?

"I travel to a lot of shows for my job, and that is where I do most of my buying. I love seeing the item, negotiating and, most of all, talking to people." Sharon has bought some items online, but finds the online venues most useful when she is looking for a specific item.

The Internet has affected prices of collectibles, according to Sharon. Something that was once thought rare might now be more readily available. Yet, if you DO have a super-rare piece, you may get more through an online sale. So, Sharon says, the Internet has both helped and hurt prices.

What are the hot collectibles now? At the Atlantique City show in Atlantic City, New Jersey, people were buying up patriotic items like flags and pins. Although attendance was down about 20% from previous years because of the 9/11 attacks, Sharon said people were still buying, and dealers came to the October show from as far away as England and France.

If you would like to take a look at Sharon's new book, "The Best of Barbie: Four Decades of America's Favorite Doll," you can check it out at Amazon at
< http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0873492617/auctionbytescom>.

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5) Letters to the Editor
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Hello,
You listed a site with eBay CATEGORIES AND NUMBERS. The numbers next to the category names indicate the number of items in that category. What would really be handy is a listing with the actual category number as used by eBay where you want your auction listed, not the number of items in that category. Can you get that? Thanks.
Best Regards,
Bob B.
P.S. I enjoy reading your newsletters, etc. Lots of hints, tips, techniques and handy sites. Keep up the good work
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Hi Bob,
I found such a list, but I make no guarantees about whether it is comprehensive or whether it is (or will be) kept up to date. < http://listings.ebay.com/aw/plistings/list/categories.html>
Ina

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Hi Ina.
Re: b-flute and other packing supplies, I use uline.com; they're great, they ship same day, I receive them within 2 days, and they're reasonably priced, and you don't have to go to Staples.
Lisa
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Thanks for the tip, Lisa!
Ina

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6) AUCTIONBYTES FEATURES
==========================
GET DAILY NEWS: Read news about the online auction and collectibles world. Send a blank email to: auctionflash-subscribe@topica.com

SHOP FOR AUCTION-RELATED PRODUCTS: Go to the AuctionBytes Yellow Pages where you can find supplies for collectors, auction-management software and more.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cgi-bin/bizdirectory/biz-dir-index.pl

POST A QUESTION: The AuctionBytes Discussion Forums are a great place to post a question and learn about selling online.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/index.php

READ BACK ISSUES: Read 2 years of AuctionBytes newsletters!
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/email_newsletter.html

CHECK THE AUCTION FORECAST: Dave's Interactive Auction Calendar forecasts whether it's a good day to start your online auction.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/calendar/calendar.html

Go to http://www.auctionbytes.com and find links to these features and more (look for links in the left-hand column).

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AuctionBytes-Update ISSN 1528-6703
Ina Steiner, Editor, Publisher, Founder: ina@auctionbytes.com
David Steiner, President, Founder: dsteiner@auctionbytes.com
Michele Alice, Contributing Editor
AuctionBytes.com
c/o Steiner Associates
PO Box 668
Natick, MA 01760
508-655-5697
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