Things to be cautious about when selling 1 1

[Peter L]

HI all,

I remember that horrible story about the original art that was sent to the buyer with the fake name.  I didn't get a good sense of what should be done differently on the part of the seller.

I was approached by a new CAF member to buy a piece of art from me.  He says he is a new collector and he has no art in his CAF page although he has two empty galleries.  He messaged me his phone number and said he is a longtime comics collector and just learned about original art.  

I was in the phase of collecting where I wasn't going to sell anything.  After listening to the Felix podcasts and after talking with a couple of guys at the LA art show a few weeks ago, I am going to start selling some of the pieces out of my current scope of collecting.

I was going to email him images of what I am willing to sell, then if he agrees, send him an invoice through paypal.  I will ask that he only send the money friends and family.  When I get the money, I will mail him the piece.  

Does this sound reasonable?

Thanks

[jaykza]

You could also request a check or bank transfer. 

[mister_not_so_nice]

35 minutes ago, Peter L said:

 

I was going to email him images of what I am willing to sell, then if he agrees, send him an invoice through paypal. 

Does this sound reasonable?

Did he ask about a specific piece?  Or was it a blanket statement about your CAF?

If the latter I'd forget about any transaction and move on.

Two empty galleries? Red flag

[Andahaion]

I might be incorrect here, but if you accepted payment via friends and family doesn't that negate some seller protection?  Not that you'd be protected if the buyer decided to "return" the piece and send you a photocopy of the art.  The empty galleries are a red flag, but I suppose you have to decide what your risk tolerance level is, and at what price point.

[Peter L]

53 minutes ago, mister_not_so_nice said:

Did he ask about a specific piece?  Or was it a blanket statement about your CAF?

If the latter I'd forget about any transaction and move on.

Two empty galleries? Red flag

He asked about specific covers.  I don't want to sell those but I have some interior pages I am no longer attached to from the same artist.  

[Rick2you2]

5 hours ago, mister_not_so_nice said:

Did he ask about a specific piece?  Or was it a blanket statement about your CAF?

If the latter I'd forget about any transaction and move on.

Two empty galleries? Red flag

Why would an empty gallery be a red flag? I don't post anything from my collection on CAF.

[mister_not_so_nice]

He mentioned TWO empty galleries (two anonymous accounts) with nothing posted.  That just seems suspicious to me.  Unless I'm misinterpreting it and it's just one CAF acct with two empty "folders".

Someone contacting me through CAF without a gallery of their own gets more scrutiny than someone with a gallery online. The "why?" should be obvious. Someone with even a minor collection has already interacted/transacted with other members of the community. The larger the CAF the more transactions, thus more vetting.  

If I got an inquiry from an empty CAF that someone wanted to buy some of my covers I would absolutely approach with skepticism, if at all. Do I run the risk of missing out on a sale? possibly. Do I run the risk of getting scammed? In my mind, probably. 

 

I get it, @Rick2you2 , you're the exception to the rule. But the exception nonetheless. 

 

[ThothAmon]

6 hours ago, Peter L said:

HI all,

I remember that horrible story about the original art that was sent to the buyer with the fake name.  I didn't get a good sense of what should be done differently on the part of the seller.

I was approached by a new CAF member to buy a piece of art from me.  He says he is a new collector and he has no art in his CAF page although he has two empty galleries.  He messaged me his phone number and said he is a longtime comics collector and just learned about original art.  

I was in the phase of collecting where I wasn't going to sell anything.  After listening to the Felix podcasts and after talking with a couple of guys at the LA art show a few weeks ago, I am going to start selling some of the pieces out of my current scope of collecting.

I was going to email him images of what I am willing to sell, then if he agrees, send him an invoice through paypal.  I will ask that he only send the money friends and family.  When I get the money, I will mail him the piece.  

Does this sound reasonable?

Thanks

You should ask for his ebay id so you can check out his feedback.  If he doesn't have one, make sure its ironclad before you send the art..

Edited May 29, 2019 by ThothAmon

[MyNameIsLegion]

58 minutes ago, Bill C said:

I have absolutely no doubt there are some legit collectors that have a CAF account that remains empty. I know a couple of them. That said, an empty gallery can definitely be a red flag. Just have to do a little more vetting.

I can't tell you how many unsolicited CAF inquires I've gotten from CAF members with empty galleries- no comments on other pieces of art, no lowry, no wantlist, no ebay ID, no likes, nothing: most of them are just phishing around, so unless I have reason to think otherwise, I ignore them.  At that point, the burden of proof is on you, and I'm not going to lift a finger to help you convince me you're legit. 

[BCarter27]

As others have stated, empty galleries are a red flag. Check their ebay feedback or ask for payment via check, money order, or wire transfer -- something that can't easily be charged back -- and then wait for it to clear your bank and pass any kind of reversal window.

And don't be afraid to pickup the phone and talk to him/her. You can learn a lot by asking what a person collects, who they've dealt with, what they are looking for, etc.

[AnkurJ]

I was once contacted by a collector with an empty gallery. Turns out he lives a few towns over. We met in person to exchange and had a great chat. He has bought from me multiple times over the years.

There are good people out there. Just do your due diligence and you’ll be fine. I wouldn’t let the few bad stories bother you.

Also as a buyer, I never send PayPal Friends/Family unless it’s someone I’ve dealt with before. As a buyer you have zero recourse. I would rather pay the fee and have the extra level of protection.

[Dick O.]

52 minutes ago, BCarter27 said:

ask for payment via check, money order, or wire transfer -- something that can't easily be charged back -- and then wait for it to clear your bank and pass any kind of reversal window.

 

[Pete Marino]

Another fine print thing about Paypal.

Partial payments are not eligible for buyer protection, so if you have the person send over payment #1 and note it in the notes / invoice, then a 2nd payment a week later or whatever, they can't screw you over.

I found this out as a very young collector when I sent a bunch of money as payment 1 of 2 to an artist in Brazil and then it took nearly 18 months to get the art.  I contacted paypal to get my money back after month 6 and they told me i was SOL.

[Peter L]

The prospective buyer posted what looks like his first piece of art ever.

This would be the second person I have spoken to in the last week who says he is a new comic art collector and wants to get into the hobby.

[Rick2you2]

9 hours ago, mister_not_so_nice said:

He mentioned TWO empty galleries (two anonymous accounts) with nothing posted.  That just seems suspicious to me.  Unless I'm misinterpreting it and it's just one CAF acct with two empty "folders".

Someone contacting me through CAF without a gallery of their own gets more scrutiny than someone with a gallery online. The "why?" should be obvious. Someone with even a minor collection has already interacted/transacted with other members of the community. The larger the CAF the more transactions, thus more vetting.  

If I got an inquiry from an empty CAF that someone wanted to buy some of my covers I would absolutely approach with skepticism, if at all. Do I run the risk of missing out on a sale? possibly. Do I run the risk of getting scammed? In my mind, probably. 

 

I get it, @Rick2you2 , you're the exception to the rule. But the exception nonetheless. 

 

So if someone were willing to pay for a piece of art through Paypal, and sent you the money, you would still be skeptical?

Not too long ago, someone started a thread about why they don't post things in their gallery--they did not want to be bothered by people who wanted to buy things which weren't for sale. Having two galleries is a bit weird though.

I wouldn't mind giving my eBay name as an alternative, as the next post suggested, however.

If your view is prevelant, however, I may have to post some low level bits (which I also have, as do most of us I suspect) just so I don't lose out on potential opportunities.

[timguerrero]

Ask for references. Who has he bought from. Get emails and ask around. Its always good to check on a persons background just to be sure.

[BCarter27]

4 hours ago, Rick2you2 said:

If your view is prevelant, however, I may have to post some low level bits (which I also have, as do most of us I suspect) just so I don't lose out on potential opportunities.

Yes, sometimes you can just post enough of a sampling to establish a presence.

Another selling caution...

My wife and I are still in the midst of our biggest sell-off / reorganization and ran into something we hadn't experienced before... One person ghosted us after saying they wanted to buy a piece. And another said they needed to back out because they bought something else. Not the end of the world, but just don't count your chickens until they hatch!

And a shipping reminder...

ALWAYS ship with Signature Required to establish the chain of custody. And get a receipt when they scan your package at the post office or FedEX. And if you don't have the proper shipping supplies, don't cheap out or get lazy. Go buy some foamcore, cardboard, masonite, a box, or an Airfloat. It's just a few dollars, relatively. See the pinned shipping thread.

 

[alxjhnsn]

Have you considered using an Escrow Service to facilitate the sale?

The concept is that you and your buyer find a trusted third-party. You send the art to the 3rd party. The buyer sends the money to the 3rd party. The 3rd party ships art to buyer and money to seller.

Mike de la Ree (mister_not_so_nice) offers that service through his business, NSNArt.

There are other providers as well, of course.

[alxjhnsn]

BTW, this is a great topic for my never ending Original Art Q&A. One day, I'll get something worth publishing.

Any other suggestions on how to avoid selling issues would be interesting, e.g., how about the "I received an empty box scam?" Anyone have advice on how to handle that?

 

[The Cimmerians Purse]

One thing you can do is ask for a wire transfer, opposed to a Paypal transfer... 

reason being that the buyer has very little recourse once a wire is sent. The only way you can get a wire reversed (as the sender) is if you can prove that the receiver didn't live up to their end of the bargain. 

That being said it does sound a little fishy. 

you could also use a 3rd party that you trust to hold the pieces in escrow, until you validate receipt of funds. You could get somebody, especially somebody who has a very good reputation as a collector, or as a rep (who you may need to negotiate a fee with if a rep, but potentially worth it)

If they refuse that 3rd party escrow... you can just assume that this person is not legit, and end all contact.