people who don't know what they have

General art-related discussion.
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tj
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Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:38 pm

hey, i was just wondering if it's ethically okay to tell people (post it) about posters that are on ebay that are mislabeled or poorly labeled? like, i was just cruising ebay and came across a poster that didn't mention the artist OR the design firms name that did it and so it's not getting the exposure that it deserves. now, that's good for the guys bidding on it, but not for the seller. what do you guys think?
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sunsetbrew
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Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:58 pm

Depends on whether I want it or not. :)

Seriously, I don't think it is an ethics issue at all. It is cool to speak up and fine if you don't in my opinion. If I spoke up on every ineffective eBay listing I had seen, I wouldn't have time to poop and still would not dent it.
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Codeblue
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 12:33 am

tj wrote:hey, i was just wondering if it's ethically okay to tell people (post it) about posters that are on ebay that are mislabeled or poorly labeled? like, i was just cruising ebay and came across a poster that didn't mention the artist OR the design firms name that did it and so it's not getting the exposure that it deserves. now, that's good for the guys bidding on it, but not for the seller. what do you guys think?
It sounds to me like you found the listing. What makes you think that other people aren't finding it also?
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morst
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 2:32 am

I occasionally correct sellers when I have the time. Mostly cause it bugs me to see wrong info, but sometimes when I notice the seller has good stuff, and I feel bad for him/her. The only ethical "issue" I can think of is in NOT correcting the seller, but then, like Sunsetbrew said, it's a time thing- so I don't think it's evil to fail to correct someone. .. 8)
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tj
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:49 am

thanks guys. yeah, i didn't think this was REALLY an ethics issue, but i didn't know where else to put it (probably "anything else"). anyway, though, i was just worried about screwing the people bidding on it. i mean, it's a really nice to find a mislabeled item on ebay and score on it, but at the same time, it's really sad for the seller -- especially when the seller is certainly NOT flipping b/c they have NO idea what they have. in the end i contacted the seller and told him/her to put the artists name in the description. if you're wondering, it was a horkey/burlesque magnetic fields print.

i hope i didn't screw anyone on here by saying that or doing this. if i did, i apologize.
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ColdSoreSuperstar
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 2:30 pm

Dude, it's like finding gold at garage sales.

If they don't really know it's gold, why tell them to jack up the price on you?

I don't think it's unethical. You've done your homework. They haven't.
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electrachrome
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Fri Sep 29, 2006 2:35 pm

auction added
MJBelkin
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Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:22 pm

electrachrome wrote:auction added
lol
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weyistrilson
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Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:27 pm

The garage sale analogy is perfect (by the way, no one here in Portland must know what good frames are b/c I've scored so many on the cheap). It's just like that guy who found the 1st Velvet Underground recording at a garage sale in NYC and sold it on eBay for $150K after buying it for less than a buck.
palehighway

Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:53 pm

edit
Last edited by palehighway on Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Yamar
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Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:18 pm

Obligated to do what?

You mention a charity auction - that situation is very odd/unique in that in a standard auction, it won't matter what you bid because your price won't go up unless someone bids against you. Now in the case of a silent type auction (or a public bidding one online as often happens on message forums for charity auctions I've seen), I'd agree - bid it up to the real value (or near it at least) since the cash will go to a cause. If I don't feel that what I won a charity auction at was worth the value of the print, if I can afford it I'll bump my winning bid.
Tra la la la la...
canessox
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Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:45 pm

weyistrilson wrote:The garage sale analogy is perfect (by the way, no one here in Portland must know what good frames are b/c I've scored so many on the cheap). It's just like that guy who found the 1st Velvet Underground recording at a garage sale in NYC and sold it on eBay for $150K after buying it for less than a buck.
that winning bid was FAKE
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kyle
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Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:43 pm

i saw the horkey pelican print go on ebay for pretty cheap a month or so ago, due to it being listed poorly. someone got lucky, thats how i saw it.
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