Comicartfans purchases 1 1

[jaykza]

Disagree re: friend+family. As a buyer, I've encountered no issues and am generally way less concerned about a seller coming through. Obviously, cannot apply to all cases, but I am able to look at a seller's gallery and at get a minimal idea of whether they've transacted with others. The risk to an established seller or collector reputation for not coming through on a sale is high. As a seller, I'm more concerned with a buyer potentially reversing a transaction. This is more the case with buyers with possibly new accounts or less art in their gallery. So what are the options? Either do not sell to anyone new without a larger gallery presence or protect yourself with friends+family or check/wire.

I'm of the belief that there is an influx of new participants in the hobby. Many with recent CAF accounts, and little to no art that his shared. These are cases where it's reasonable for them to have to prove it and establish some sort of social credit. I'd love to get an idea of buyers that have been screwed when buying with friends+family vs. sellers getting screwed with reversed charges on good/services. 

 

[sfilosa]

I have bought and sold off of CAF so far () without any issues.

If you see a piece that you really want, do a little research on it if you aren't sure of the buyer. About two weeks ago, a premium member offer a pretty nice piece of art I was interested in as the price was below what I thought it should be (and it fit well in my collection). I thought I had seen the piece before and search and it was on a dealer's website. I told the Seller that I would take the piece but asked if he was also selling it through dealer. He said he bought it from them. Note that he was selling the piece for $2k less than on the dealer site, so I was skeptical. Also, the Seller said someone else was interested, which was not a shock based on the price, but put pressure on me to buy/pay quickly. I then emailed the dealer but he didn't reply so 10 minutes later I called the dealer and he did confirm that the Seller had bought the piece and the dealer just hadn't taken it off the website. I still paid with PayPal and paid the Seller the extra 4% fee so I would have some protection. Seller was supposed to send a tracking number but never did. Big finish....I did get the art yesterday, so everything is good.

But there were plenty of red flags so just make sure you are careful. I know from collecting comic books through ads 30 years ago, a bad or even fraudulent transaction can really spoil your desire to collect for a long time.

If you have any concerns, ask the person for their phone number and give them a call to discuss. Be polite, but don't worry about hurting anyone's feelings by asking some questions or getting info from them, in a nice way. Every honest person in the hobby should understand the concern a buyer would have making a significant purchase without an intermediary (e.g. eBay, Dealer, etc.)

 

 

[Varanis]

1 hour ago, jaykza said:

Disagree re: friend+family. As a buyer, I've encountered no issues and am generally way less concerned about a seller coming through. Obviously, cannot apply to all cases, but I am able to look at a seller's gallery and at get a minimal idea of whether they've transacted with others. The risk to an established seller or collector reputation for not coming through on a sale is high. As a seller, I'm more concerned with a buyer potentially reversing a transaction. This is more the case with buyers with possibly new accounts or less art in their gallery. So what are the options? Either do not sell to anyone new without a larger gallery presence or protect yourself with friends+family or check/wire.

I'm of the belief that there is an influx of new participants in the hobby. Many with recent CAF accounts, and little to no art that his shared. These are cases where it's reasonable for them to have to prove it and establish some sort of social credit. I'd love to get an idea of buyers that have been screwed when buying with friends+family vs. sellers getting screwed with reversed charges on good/services. 

 

This is also how I operate. I can see where and when G&S is helpful, but I've done F&F for every one of my CAF transactions.

Edited August 16, 2020 by Varanis

[Varanis]

2 hours ago, BuraddoRun said:

Thanks for all the advice, everyone, and assuaging my fears. I found a piece for sale that I'm REALLY interested in, but it's higher than I've ever paid for OA before. It's also nicer, a cover.

I guess I should try and scan my OA and get it up on CAF soon as well. I don't have a big enough scanner! But thankfully, I live close to a FedEx copy center.

Good lighting + a decent camera phone should be more than sufficient. The CamScanner app someone else mentioned can work really well for certain pieces as well. Depending on who you bought a piece from, you could also request a scan from the seller (artists and reps usually have scans). I don't have a scanner, and I'm quite happy with how my gallery shows on CAF.

Feel free to PM me and I'd be happy to help out with specifics on how to approach the piece you're interested in.

[FuzzyDunlop]

I’ve used Goods & Services as a seller, but it’s been under circumstances where the buyer clearly had a decent collection and reputation to uphold, and I was relatively inexperienced. So really it was a very similar situation to what jaykza was saying. I felt like the onus was on me to “earn” some cred. Now that I have some references, in the future I might ask to just do F&F.
 

As a buyer, I’ve only ever used F&F and have had no problems. In all my cases though it was pretty easy to tell that the seller was legit. If it’s a profile with little activity or no activity in years, I might be a more hesitant.

[ShallowDan]

2 hours ago, sfilosa said:

I have bought and sold off of CAF so far () without any issues.

If you see a piece that you really want, do a little research on it if you aren't sure of the buyer. About two weeks ago, a premium member offer a pretty nice piece of art I was interested in as the price was below what I thought it should be (and it fit well in my collection). I thought I had seen the piece before and search and it was on a dealer's website. I told the Seller that I would take the piece but asked if he was also selling it through dealer. He said he bought it from them. Note that he was selling the piece for $2k less than on the dealer site, so I was skeptical. Also, the Seller said someone else was interested, which was not a shock based on the price, but put pressure on me to buy/pay quickly. I then emailed the dealer but he didn't reply so 10 minutes later I called the dealer and he did confirm that the Seller had bought the piece and the dealer just hadn't taken it off the website. I still paid with PayPal and paid the Seller the extra 4% fee so I would have some protection. Seller was supposed to send a tracking number but never did. Big finish....I did get the art yesterday, so everything is good.

But there were plenty of red flags so just make sure you are careful. I know from collecting comic books through ads 30 years ago, a bad or even fraudulent transaction can really spoil your desire to collect for a long time.

If you have any concerns, ask the person for their phone number and give them a call to discuss. Be polite, but don't worry about hurting anyone's feelings by asking some questions or getting info from them, in a nice way. Every honest person in the hobby should understand the concern a buyer would have making a significant purchase without an intermediary (e.g. eBay, Dealer, etc.)

 

 

And these days (with the bolded in mind), it's fairly easy for most folks to arrange for a short FaceTime or WhatsApp session so you can actually see the artwork (and get the peace of mind that they actually have it, in a scenario such as above).

[cloud cloddie]

It’s always a feel it out type thing. I did a larger purchase a few months back off CAF, and paid F&F with no stress. Hadn’t dealt with the seller previously, but they’ve been active since 2011 with some decent pieces, so I figured they’re in the scene enough that I’d hav some recourse if there had been an issue. But it was all good. 

[BuraddoRun]

It took a little longer than I expected it to, mainly because I added descriptions to every piece (10 total right now: my 6 pencilled and inked pages that are my main focus right now, 1 prelim, and 3 penciled/inked comic strips), but my collection is uploaded and my gallery open. I went with the photograph suggestions. I just used my phone.

@Varanis, I'll take you up on the PM offer. Thank you for your help! Thank you all! Hopefully I can work this out and get the cover I'm after!

[JadeGiant]

3 hours ago, BuraddoRun said:

It took a little longer than I expected it to, mainly because I added descriptions to every piece (10 total right now: my 6 pencilled and inked pages that are my main focus right now, 1 prelim, and 3 penciled/inked comic strips), but my collection is uploaded and my gallery open. I went with the photograph suggestions. I just used my phone.

@Varanis, I'll take you up on the PM offer. Thank you for your help! Thank you all! Hopefully I can work this out and get the cover I'm after!

What is you CAF link?

Putting up a your collection (or part of it) is smart and shows you are a serious and active collector. I know I don't put much thought into inquiries that come from empty/new/barely active CAF accounts. I am always courteous and respond but it is a red flag to me. Being active on CAF (posting art, commenting, etc.) and places like here will build up your presence and be helpful in starting a dialog on art you want to buy. 

Another thing that Eric mentioned was not to be a tire-kicker. I agree and this is a temptation that many newer collectors fall into, even unknowingly as was the case for myself. I asked about a lot of pieces when I discovered CAF that I was probably not that serious about. It was more newb enthusiasm and curiosity but it can come across as not being serious and like mantioned above, some collectors have long memories and it could cost you a piece you are very serious about down the road. 

Good luck and have fun! CAF is, for the most part, a great place full of great collectors. 

[Will_K]

1 hour ago, JadeGiant said:

What is you CAF link?

 

There is a very little publicized link for new gallery owners for the month.  Perhaps @BuraddoRun is among them.

Go to Galleries -> All Member Galleries

Across from "Comic Art Galleries", you'll see 3 links:

Today's CAF Anniversaries

Welcome Our New Gallery Owners

Premium Gallery Owners

Although members can join without ever posting any art.  I think it would be helpful / interesting to see gallery owners in chronological order.

Edited August 17, 2020 by Will_K

[Benedict Judas Hel]

1 hour ago, JadeGiant said:

What is you CAF link?

Yes, I would also be interested in giving your gallery a friendly look around, B-Run.

Edited August 17, 2020 by Benedict Judas Hel

[BuraddoRun]

It's probably not very exciting to look at, just warning you. Heh. But here's my gallery: https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=160990

[delekkerste]

22 hours ago, jaykza said:

Either do not sell to anyone new without a larger gallery presence or protect yourself with friends+family or check/wire.

I've heard of more and more hobby participants running afoul of PayPal cracking down on F&F abuse so I'll only make or accept online payments via PayPal G&S nowadays.  I'll roll the dice accepting PayPal G&S from someone who looks like they have something to lose reputationally if they have a big enough CAF presence or otherwise have a high enough profile online, but, otherwise, I'm happy to take a check or wire.  

Edited August 17, 2020 by delekkerste

[visarspike]

i don't get the diffrence between the 2 paypal options when buying on CAF....i 'm pretty sure that the paypal protection ony works for official transactions, for example if you buy to dealer who has his own website (romoitaman, snyder, catskillcomics....hell, even the donely bros), or paypal with an invoice, and so on....but not between 2 random guys with no bill to prove the value of the page you buy

[Benedict Judas Hel]

2 hours ago, BuraddoRun said:

It's probably not very exciting to look at, just warning you. Heh. But here's my gallery: https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=160990

It’s cool.  Everybody has to start somewhere.  Left you some “Likes” and comments to start you off...

[Rick2you2]

2 hours ago, visarspike said:

i don't get the diffrence between the 2 paypal options when buying on CAF....i 'm pretty sure that the paypal protection ony works for official transactions, for example if you buy to dealer who has his own website (romoitaman, snyder, catskillcomics....hell, even the donely bros), or paypal with an invoice, and so on....but not between 2 random guys with no bill to prove the value of the page you buy

The protection issue isn't about dealers. If you pay through Friends and Family, and something goes wrong, you get no protection/refund. That can be a particular problem if you buy direct from some artists who don't produce as promised. Now, if nothing is said, I simply add the difference to what the artist is charging to what I have to pay (Since the artist may not have considered it, and I absolutely do not want to hurt artists who have a tough enough time making a liviing).

[Rick2you2]

7 hours ago, JadeGiant said:

What is you CAF link?

Putting up a your collection (or part of it) is smart and shows you are a serious and active collector. I know I don't put much thought into inquiries that come from empty/new/barely active CAF accounts. I am always courteous and respond but it is a red flag to me. Being active on CAF (posting art, commenting, etc.) and places like here will build up your presence and be helpful in starting a dialog on art you want to buy. 

Another thing that Eric mentioned was not to be a tire-kicker. I agree and this is a temptation that many newer collectors fall into, even unknowingly as was the case for myself. I asked about a lot of pieces when I discovered CAF that I was probably not that serious about. It was more newb enthusiasm and curiosity but it can come across as not being serious and like mantioned above, some collectors have long memories and it could cost you a piece you are very serious about down the road. 

Good luck and have fun! CAF is, for the most part, a great place full of great collectors. 

I don't put anything up because I don't want people seeing my specialized interest and trying to add a little premium to what they want to charge me. Does that mean I get a red flag, too?

[JadeGiant]

16 minutes ago, Rick2you2 said:

I don't put anything up because I don't want people seeing my specialized interest and trying to add a little premium to what they want to charge me. Does that mean I get a red flag, too?

If I don't know you and the first instance is an inquiry from an empty CAF? Sure, it does. That doesn't mean I won't reply and be courteous and possibly end up in a good experience (a sale, email exchange, etc.). But yes, it does put you on guard a little - what happens after that is a case by case basis. If I know you and we already have an established friendship, I will of course go by that experience to date. 

I have a pretty specialized collecting focus as well. I don't hide it. Do I have a few people try and get a little premium on what they want to sell? Yes, but the decision to buy remains mine and if I want a piece bad enough, I occasionally will be willing to pay the premium. If someone tries to gouge, I pass. Both scenarios have happened to me because I am very outward with what I chase. I have paid a premium, declined, and taken a hard pass depending on the situation. What I have found is that being outward and public about what I am seeking has done FAR more to help build my collection, hobby contacts, and even friendships than it has hurt. My .02 and YMMV

[ESeffinga]

Amen to all that.

[sfilosa]

3 hours ago, Rick2you2 said:

I don't put anything up because I don't want people seeing my specialized interest and trying to add a little premium to what they want to charge me. Does that mean I get a red flag, too?

What's funny, is that I want "EVERYONE" to know what I collect. If someone see that I collect a certain artist or book, I absolutely want them to try to sell me something. Especially if they don't post their art on CAF (and are just members). If someone wants to add a "premium" to something that I had no idea was available (and maybe it wasn't available until they realized that I might buy it for a premium), I'm all for it. It's absolutely MY decision if I want to buy it or not. But please, show me what you have that you think I might be interested in. 

I put out my wants on CAF, but I'm also looking for specific pages from a book. And in the description of the pages I do own, I make it clear that I'm looking to buy more pages from this book. I would much rather decide that the price is too high to buy at this time and know who has those pages, that have no idea who has those page.

Please look at my CAF gallery and try to sell me something!!!

And on a different note, this has happened to me twice. I get an offer to buy a piece that I have NSF ("not for sale"). We agree on a price and then the person goes dark or tries to get the price down lower. I hate that simply because the piece wasn't for sale in the first place. If you want some ones NSF art, and make them an above market offer (which should be the only reason they sell), please follow through!