As for PP shilling the items on ebay unbelievably enough I suspect they actually DO want the stuff to sell. Otherwise why let it end, then relist it cheaper until it does.
Well, of course they want it to sell, but they want it to sell for the highest possible price. If they are left as the 'winner', they will try the second chance offer first. If that doesn't work, they have no choice but to re-list it. Remember when they started every eBay auction at 99 cents? I got TONS of stuff at that price back then (yeah, really low-end stuff sure, but for 99 cents I didn't care). Now I don't think they list anything under $20... Even the crappy stuff...
Rather than harp on about PP why not really go after someone like the bra sellers, star underwear dealers and people who sell tea sets from I love lucy.
Well, for one this thread is _about_ PP, not anyone else. And, for the most part, no one here is being conned by these people.
The trinket sellers have been reported to authorities repeatedly. Some of their accounts have been closed down, they just keep coming back. The stuff they sell sells for $20-30, so the people that buy it don't even think twice about whether it's real, they just trust that they got something from the film...
As for the bra/panty sales? I'm not too fussed about the _kind_ of people that want to by underwear worn by celebrities getting conned myself... If they are stupid enough to think celebs sell their underwear to the public, there's nothing _we'd_ be able to do to educate them... They are already living in a fantasy world (and I really don't want to know about the rest of their fantasies...)
I somehow suspect thats going to be more interesting than redigging this grave up every two months.
Re-digging up this grave is what keeps people educated. Just because _WE_ know PP is engaging in shady business practices, doesn't mean EVERYONE does, just like the OP. They are a legit business, they get legit pieces directly from the studios... They have far more going for them than the underwear peddlers. They aren't (directly) selling fakes, but they do what they can to nudge the price up as much as possible... Maybe not on every item (and I can't say for certain on the eBay listing, I've only seen it in the live auctions myself...)
I posted this thread because I'm new to prop collecting. I only found out about it a month ago. Premiere Props on Ebay is the only company I've dealt with so far and am currently bidding on some items from them. I started noticing some fishy things and that's why I posted this thread. I'm not trying to redigg graves and I cant harp on anything else because I haven't had any experience with anything else.
Ultimately, if you are still spending in the range you wanted to spend on the item, then be happy that you are getting it. Yeah, there might have been some shill-bidding (or there might not have been), but if you are happy with the item (and know it's real, which I believe everything they sell on eBay is pretty legit), then don't worry about it. Focus on the cool item you have, not what might have happened when you bought it...
On eBay, there's several sellers that are well known like Propworx (seller ID linnear, also a member here), sunnyweebles (I believe also a member here), vipfanclubs, ectoplasm (Gary Tunnicliffe), hollywoodvault (has several IDs) even Propstore and Profiles in History sell stuff on eBay occasionally.. (I know there are more, that's just off the top of my head)... The list of ones to avoid is even longer.
But, it's safe to say, if they are selling celebrity underwear or they are listing a lot of things for under $20 that all like stuff you could find in a thrift store, AVOID THEM...
If anything looks questionable, you can always ask about it (or the seller) here first.
And, if you want to buy direct, I'm sure you've seen websites like Propstore's (sponsor of this forum), Screenused.com, hollywoodhistoryonline.com, hollywoodparts.com, reelclothes.com, etc... Even Premiere sells direct on their website...
Enter the hobby cautiously... There is a lot of shady deals (and out-right fraud) that goes on daily, just like any other hobby. Ask questions, ask for history of a piece if you aren't sure where the seller got it, etc. If they say it has a 'COA', ask _who's_ COA it is... A lot of these sellers will just print their own, that's worthless... But if someone is re-selling something with a Propstore/Propworx/Screen Used/well-known seller COA, then at least there's a source you can go back to if you have more questions... (And even then, the COA could be fake, or could be given with a replica prop... Don't just assume it's all okay at that point).
And if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. No one is going to sell a weapon from Star Wars for $500 no matter how 'badly they need some cash'... :cool
