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If you haven't already been contacted about improving the collector information flow, respond via E-Mail with your ideas.  Possible articles include:  favorite collectibles, great buys, questions to other collectors, trading, notable collections, collecting philosophy, and grading.  If you want to receive  SPECIAL news, fill out the form below (or better yet, just E-me with the info).  Some normal news items are below the form.

Click to emailbut.gif (1205 bytes) John Carey

NEWSLETTER REGISTRATION FORM ---

Fill out as much as you wish to be known about you and your collecting.  Only E-mail Addr., and City, State are required to receive the periodic Newsletter. (via E-mail)

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COLLECTING EVERYTHING WITH AN NG LOGO OR COPYRIGHT

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Currently,  the rage seems to be "action  at the auction"  online served by a Bay Area outfit that has software that allows listings that run 7 days and "National Geographic"can be found by their SEARCH methods.  It is Ebay.com, and allows one to sell, bid, and see what collectibles are going for by searching past sales.  Two methods are allowed in bidding:  (1) is to outbid the current high bid which may require several bids if the top bidder has employed the second method: (2) to bid a secret bid which is the highest you wish to spend for the item(s).  The auction computer will then bid for you (proxy) until someone outbids that value.  E-mail is used to notify you of high bids, or if you have been outbid.  THE CATCH?  Anyone may go in just before close of bid and proxy bid high so that none may outbid the computer with the time remaining.  Let's say an item is currently at $20 and is possibly worth a little more.  In the last min. someone might proxy bid $100 knowing that time will permit only another bid in the $20 - $30 range, but the $100 proxy bid will carry the day (usually at $22 to $28) due to lack of bidding time.  One can only speculate what would happen if two proxy bids in the $100 range were submitted in the last min.

So far, some steals have been found.  More often, however, bidding frenzy has netted some zany prices.  Most notable has been reprints which have gone for more than they are availabe for in normal supplies.  I some cases, this may be lack of knowledge about reprints.  The most notable example is the Vol. 1 #1 reprint (1888) which has only been done it two forms. (1) is the one that was part of the 1964 reprint sets (indiv. #'s or bound sets) that were done by NG of #'s dated 1888 to 1907. They are out of print and somewhat collectable. Indiv. #'s of these run up to $30 or so with the complete set running $2500 or so.  (2) The NG society has been doing a Vol.1 #1 reprint that I have verified is still avail. from them at single figure price of $2 + tax. Call them at (1-800-777-2800).  This reprint has been avail. since 1975 and can be determined by the small "75" in the inside rear cover. I have been told by a scalper that he had put such a reprint up, got over $20 and THEN TOLD THE WINNING BIDDER HOW TO GET THEM AND RECOUP THEIR MONEY BY DOING THE SAME THING!  Let the buyer beware is the ticket here!  Barnum was right when he said "there is one born every min."

I will also publish any changes to the Ebay bidding process.  Until then, "Heads Up".

MR. CAREY,
    THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR RESPONSE. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE SUGGESTIONS.  THE PICTURE THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS CALLED THE MAD BLUEBIRD. IT WAS A PHOTOGRAPH THAT WAS TAKEN BY MICHAEL L. SMITH. I SUPPOSE ONE OF MY PROBLEMS IN FINDING IT WAS THAT IT WASN'T IN NG MAGAZINE, IT WAS ON THE COVER OF A SALES BROCHURE FOR THE MAGAZINE. I NEVER WOULD HAVE FIGURED THAT ONE. I GUESS IN CASE
YOUR WONDERING, I LOCATED AN AVAILABLE PRINT. SOMEONE, LIKE YOURSELF, ON
THE INTERNET, OFFERED THEIR HELP, A PRINT WAS OFFERED IN A 1991 CATALOG THAT THEY HAD LYING AROUND! AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT IT'S STILL AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE! I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.   ALSO, YOUR SUGGESTION OF SCANNING THE PICTURE WAS GREAT. I SCANNED THE CATALOG AND NOW I HAVE "THE MAD BLUEBIRD" AS WALLPAPER FOR MY DESKTOP AT WORK!
    THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION,  LISA  (6/17/98)

E-me with experiences. Click to emailbut.gif (1205 bytes) John Carey