Photo Bids on eBay

[Edward]

Hi Kev,

Congrats on some good buys for your collection at very good prices!

Regards

[Edward]

Hi Eric,

Good points. I agree that it is indeed a scarce studio photograph. Historical content, defenitly, but there is also the world wide accesibility of the internet driving the equation. We might also agree that were it not for Internet auctions these items may very well have not gone for the prices they did. Imo, the Internet is both a blessing and curse for collectors in this regard as it has in a very short period of time accelerated prices for photos far quicker and far beyond anything I have seen within the market in over 30 years of collecting studio picture postcards and snap shots. Such prices overdue? Perhaps, but I sure was in no hurry to get there.

On another note, who can definitively say how many such photos exist? More than 30 such photos may very well exist showing the particular details you mentioned which may reside scattered in collections, or with families either as loose shots, in photo albums, or the larger framed portraits and could surface on the market eventually as many other various types of militaria continue to surface. Imo, internet auctions are one way to gauge the various types of military that come up for sale, then there are other ways as well. Who knows, possibly for less than 402 Eur! Probably not on the internet though...

Bladder on and happy hunting!

Regards

[Edward]

Hi Francois,

Imo, and as you are probably aware either complete or scarce document groups ususally always commanded higher prices than individual photos...unless it is a highly desirable autographed photo of an individual which can at times realize the highest premium. For some time the prices for some individual studio photos and even some snap shots have either matched or surpassed the prices for more common complete doc groups...but, Imo, it would surpise me if studio picture postcards of snap shots would eventually surpass the higher end priced doc groups.

Regards

[Stijn David]

photo's

Hello,


I agree with both Eric and Francois on the pricepoint of the pictures, I for example would kill for a good and nice Glider pilot picture or a Cholmshieldwearer.

On the other hand it is a shame that due to these increasing prices nice photoalbums are becoming raped and torn appart just for the $$$$$$$$$ => and it happens every day !!!


Cordial greetings,

[Edward]

Hello Stijn,

Not to a Glider pilot, but did you see the two studio photos of a Police officer wearing the Cholm Shield that came up for acution? They sold on eBay about a week ago. Also, on Kai's site for sale is a Lw enlisted Soldbuch with a Cholm Shield entry who belonged to a Glider Staffel.

Regards

[Sven Masch]

How do you guys think about Panzer photos?
1-2 years ago i sold some great panzer/stug photos on ebay. I got over 90 Euros for some of them.
And today you can find some similar pics on ebay and they just come to about 30 Euro.

Panzer pics are cheaper now, then they have been 1-2 years ago.
Maybe its the same with para/ss-pics (just to bring a little bit of hope in here )

[Edward]

Hello Sven,

Your snapshot example is a good one. Snapshots with interesting content can at times still be picked up at reasonable prices. For those starting to collect photos who are on a limited budget it could possibly be a rewarding place to start as well. I have noticed how some snapshots have not realized the higher end as much lately due to numbers of similar content being offered. On the other hand, snapshots of other tanks particularly those showing Tiger tanks, or unusual vehicles continue to bring a premium. XX and Para are generally along the same lines, but Imo it again depends on the content. Always good though to remain optimistic.

Regards

[Robert Noss]

Let me give my two cents too in this discussion.
When I started collecting photos about 15 years ago, they were still cheap and most collectors had not much interest for them.
As a seller AND buyer at Ebay I now see both sides of the medal.
But I do not complain about high prices for good photos. The internet and in a special way Ebay is the ultimate way to reach almost every collector who has specialized in a certain field of collecting.
I can sell photos now - for example pictures of destroyed french towns - to those who are really interested in them and can use them for their archives (and maybe make publications later).
As a buyer, I can search for the ONE Portrait which is still missing to fill a gap.
Well, in most cases this one particular photo is reaching a high price, but not necessarily.
I have to admit, sometimes the bids go crazy, but I imagine that there are a handful of people sitting in front of their computer screens all over the world and have waited a long time for their particular photo, so that the desire to get that picture is so big that they don't think about money.
And why not. People pay some thousands of dollars for a good SS-camo smock. If a photo of that same smock on a nice portrait shot of that soldier is reaching some hundred dollars it is only fair.
I have also noticed that after some time, the prices can fall again, like it is the case with photos of tanks right now.
A year ago, almost every photo of a Sturmgeschütz or a Tiger, Panther and so on, reached unbelievable prices. There is a limited number of collectors who are prepared to pay that much money and at the moment it seems that they got enough.
The increasing prices for photos had also the effect, that much more photos are offered now (which makes prices sink again) and I am aware that many photos would have been throwed away or kept in dark closets, if there would be less demand.
For my opinion the collecting of private, unpublished, yet unknown period photographs is a full-size hobby like collecting daggers, medals, uniforms etc., so collectors have to pay full-size prices at these places where one can find them.
That doesn't mean, that I am not always happy when I find an interesting picture for cheap money at a flea-market, which happens also all the time.

A few words about the raped albums.
I would never do that with an album where the soldier has put in much efforts to make it looking nice, wrote captions and stories.
But there are also albums which have no captions at all and are a mixture of photos without a story. I have no problem to take out the more interesting photos out of these albums and offer them each for each - as long as I do not destroy a soldier's story.

On Ebay I have made the sad experience that albums which are complete and of high-quality photos are not reaching the price, they would reach if the photos were sold each by each. So there are some albums I will never sell on Ebay.

One thing before I close.
At the moment I am hunting after one special photo that another collector has. He is collecting decorations and daggers and has not really interest in the photo. But he only wants to trade. I have nothing to trade for him. I offered money, but he wants to wait if somebody else comes up with a good trade.
I can not keep a big storage of all kind of Militaria just in case somebody has a good photo and wants to trade.
If this photo would be on Ebay - I would not leave the computer before I would get it and even if that would mean to spend a hell of money.

'nough said.
Kind regards
Robert

[Si1964]

It is intersting that this thread was geared up around Fj and German photos on ebay, there is an auction present going on for a single 82nd Normandy photo and it is running at $56 presently.

And I am sure it will run to even more than this