Turtlemania gold on ebay?

[rich]

Originally Posted by nickn

WOW that is crazy... Alton, IL is a small town, not even 3 min away from where I live... how did this lady end up with these?!?!?!?

...holy shnikes!! These are both as REAL as they get...this is crazy on so many levels.

First off, how in the world did I miss these auctions? Anyone know how long were they up? Couldn't have been more than just an hour...and $450 for them? Hands down, these have to be the biggest steals the TMNT world has ever seen.

Second, (and very intriguing) is that I went to college in Lincoln, IL. Alton, IL is the same city where I found all my original Gobbledygooks, my yellow and blue counterfeit Gobbledygooks, and literally TONS of other TMNT comics I'd never even seen before...and that was nearly 20 years ago. I bought that stuff for cheap at the time and I can't help but think these Turtlemania Gold appearances from the exact same city is not just a coincidence. This seller is somehow related to the guy I bought so much TMNT stuff from...

I have some investigating to do.

[KM3K]

That seller's completed listing page on ebay shows three turtlemania golds, with 4/10 being listed twice, with different buyers.

http://www.ebay.com/csc/ladyhawke170...mplete=1&rt=nc

I'm not an expert ebayer, but that looks fishy to me. Maybe one of the duplicates was a canceled auction? Anyone have any ideas on what that might be about?

[rich]

Originally Posted by KM3K

That seller's completed listing page on ebay shows three turtlemania golds, with 4/10 being listed twice, with different buyers.

http://www.ebay.com/csc/ladyhawke170...mplete=1&rt=nc

I'm not an expert ebayer, but that looks fishy to me. Maybe one of the duplicates was a canceled auction? Anyone have any ideas on what that might be about?

This seller is not nice. I found the same thing you did with that 3rd auction. Sent the seller a message but the response was rude.

[HotJuicyBurgers]

These are the kind of things I cry about at night.

[Jasper-X]

you and i both, if anyone knows the person who bought these copies and could put me in contact with them, id love to make an offer

[Coro]

Contacted seller...here is the response
---------------------------------------
Dear *******,

Yes, the second listing for #4 was a mistake. Had to refund the money ASAP. No, I don't have anymore turtlemania gold issues. There were only 10. Check out my listings for the other turtle mags I have listed. I did not buy the turtlemania special #1 anywhere near here. It was a long time ago, and I don't even remember the bookstore. Wish I had researched them better before I sold them. OUCH!!! Sorry, I can't help you get more.

- ladyhawke170169

______________________________

I knew there wouldnt be any others, but I wanted to sound nice and like I was interested so she wouldn't be a turd.

[rich]

Originally Posted by Coro

Contacted seller...
---------------------------------------

I knew there wouldnt be any others, but I wanted to sound nice and like I was interested so she wouldn't be a turd.

Nice detective work. Thanks! You received a MUCH nicer response than I did. In the seller's defense, I'm guessing our emails weren't the only ones she received about this. Plus, realizing you lost out on thousands of dollars probably doesn't make for a pleasant day either.

[Coro]

Just got a second response....


It was an accidental duplicate listing. The problem has been corrected. I have no more turtlemanias left.

- ladyhawke170169


I am assuming that since she accidentally double replied to me that she is getting inundated by mails and wasn't able to remember she had already replied. This pic is of an old lady...maybe Alzheimers?

[rich]

Originally Posted by Coro

Just got a second response....

I am assuming that since she accidentally double replied to me that she is getting inundated by mails and wasn't able to remember she had already replied. This pic is of an old lady...maybe Alzheimers?

It could be I suppose...however, I still think something's off about this whole thing...I just can't put my finger on it. I definitely touched a nerve with her when I tried to ask about the history of these. All the other questions I asked she responded to nicely. But when I inquired if she was related to the person (or was related to the person) I bought all my rare TMNT stuff from in Alton, IL her response to me was, "It's none of your business where they came from." Kinda touchy about that specific "origin / history" subject for sure. I do realize that it really is none of my business but why the attitude about where they came from? This is some major TMNT history being made here and it would be nice to know the story behind them. I would think that someone that knew what these were (which she claims she does) would care about relaying the history behind them and wouldn't mind sharing a bit about their original acquisition with collectors.

The other odd thing is that she claims she can't remember where she bought these or anything about acquiring them except she just bought them a long time ago. Her quote to me was, "They were genuine when I bought them years ago." That indicates she bought them years ago knowing full well what they were. I would argue that, even "years ago," someone that knew what these were would have paid way more than $450. 20 years ago I paid much more than that for certain TMNT grails with significantly higher print runs.

Additionally, by her statement that she knew what they were when she bought them and that they were genuine, wouldn't that mean you'd HAVE to know they were worth much more than she listed them for? Maybe not...maybe she's just not a good Google searcher given she has other TMNT comics for sale right now that wouldn't go for half of what she's asking (a TMNT #1 3rd printing for $375...a #3 1st print for $600).

The way she responded to me about the history of these I've almost wondered if these were acquired in a way that was...well, not something she'd want to be public info. There's just something about this that rings odd to me. I mean, just look at this from the most obvious perspective...Turtlemania Gold copies are limited to 10 and they turn up SO rarely. However, she has 2 of them, can't remember (or won't reveal) where she got them, and just "didn't realize their value."

I totally think these are authentic but I don't think we're getting the full story about them. It may be that she's just simply off her rocker or it may be she's lying...in the end I guess it really doesn't matter and someone got the deal of lifetime...because, full story or not, I'd have totally bought these had I seen the auction in time.