Z-Cars E-bay bid invitation

[Andy Henderson]

I have put a bid on the current (and well known) e-bay Z-Cars 16mm print. If anyone (or more) wants to join forces and work out a collective bid and agreement for returning the print, plus getting a high quality DVD of the resulting telecine, please contact me ([e-mail]). If enough people act in unison, the price will stay low and everyone will benefit.

[Andy Henderson]

To make things worthwhile, if 7 or more people are involved, the cost to each person may only be equivalent to buying a commercial DVD (going by previous sales).

[Tim D]

I'm right behind Andy on this one. If you want to do something positive about saving lost television from the comfort of your own home, this is your chance.
You'll even get to see it this way too! Can't be bad.

[Bent Halo]

You should be receiving an e-mail from the Z Cars research team. Great minds, etc.

[Andy Henderson]

Great stuff, I've had four responses already and if everyone chips in, this could be the start of a better way of dealing with these e-bay sales. No one will loose out either. You will all get to see the episode in perfect condition and the BBC should be pleased too. The only fly in the ointment will be if:

1. Paul Foster has already returned the print.
2. Shill bidding rears its ugly head.
3. We are outbid.

[Andy Henderson]

loose out - nah - I mean't lose !!!!

[a frustrated ebayer]

If anyone here is bidding now -- All you are doing is bumping up the price. The serious bidders dont bid until the end of the auction (generally using a tool like esnipe which can bid with 6 seconds to go) -- and if they see that the price is already high, they will simply increase their maximums all that much more (and the other inexperienced bidders will continue to bump the price up as the auction goes on). It's all a matter of psychology -- if there are few bids, then they get into a sense of false security and bid lower. If there is a lot of interest, they just keep upping their bids...

If you are bidding - it's great for the seller, but not for anyone else...

[Andy Henderson]

I can see that print going for over 300 pounds, following a bid tonight by someone who has a previously very inactive e-bay account...... This is crazy stuff. I always thought that e-bay would cause great grief for archive tv fans and it seems to be getting worse. Paul Foster must be laughing all the way to the bank.

[Bent Halo]

The triple-figure bid appears to have been rejected.

[Richard]

Good idea for a collective bid. I suggest getting it first then worrying about transferring it later. Perhaps the Beeb would do this ;-)

I have a friend who can telecine.
Please contact me on [e-mail]
if you want.

Thanks,
RTH.

[Andy Henderson]

Thanks, Richard, but for this to work properly, the print would only be able to be loaned out to the BBC, who would telecine it for us. There has to be some sort of control over the print and the copies to ensure that the people who pay hard cash are not getting the same thing that someone else (in theiry) can copy and get for free. If the rule breaks, so does the incentive.

[Mark Brown]

Guest-Bent said:

The triple-figure bid appears to have been rejected.

It was withdrawn, says he entered the wrong amount.

He hasn't bid again though...

[Legit eBayer]

Wasn't there some discussion on the RT forum, or elsewhere, about a previous Foster auction being the subject of shill bidding? I believe it was about the Spanish Dr Who episode that was auctioned.

[David Brunt]

FAO Andy Henderson

Hi Andy

Could you drop me a line via the address in the member list.

[Bent Halo]

He hasn't bid again though...

It looks like you spoke too soon.