Soviet Dmitry Markov auction in NYC

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Bob,

I can't find any logic in Markov's behaviour, because he should be interested to collect the money after the auction - it's his buyers premium .

Usually you should get after the auction an e-mail, saying: "Congratulations, you have won the bid, please transfer USD XXXXX to the bank account XXXXX."

Maybe one of these Russian collectors paid even more for your items - after the end of the auction -, then you ? So your items might be already in Moscow or St. Petersburg .

As we know, some GMIC-members already had some bad experience with Markov ...

Best regards

Christian

[new world]

I am not going to comment on other members' experience with Dmitry Markov, but will give you some details of me latest encounter with him.

I wanted to buy some items from his web site (that was one week prior to the auction). So he reserved items for me and we agreed that he would bring them to the auction preview, so I can pick them up. He did, I paid and the transaction was finalized without any issues or delays. So I am totally satisfied with most recent delaing with him.

To Dmitry's credit I also would like to say that items I picked up were priced very fairly and were a bit below market price (I suspect it's been a while since he updated the prices), but he didn't make a big deal out of this and honored what his web side said.

William

[Bob]

After more than a dozen emails with no reply (only reply was when I sent an email to one of his auction partners who forwarded my email to him with me on CC) I went down the route of calling. Only to be stonewalled by an answering machine and no response when I spoke in a message.

I'm very, very disappointed in this. I'm going to give it one last shot before drawing a line underneath this and moving on.

[Ed_Haynes]

This is VERY disturbing. It seems the only moderately trustworthy dealers with large stocks are those we can't afford?

[Guest Rick Research]

OhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhK. let me get this straight.

THREE MONTHS have gone by

REPEATED communications with no result?

You've hung in there trying TWO MONTHS more than I would have.

It amazes me, here in our 21st century, that there are "Big Names" who think they can get AWAY with this... as if the internet does not exist... as if their reputations--self-destroyed--are NOT going to affect sales

and as if the rest of us, seeing this sort of thing, are NOT going to be broadcasting

Under No Circumstances Ever Deal With

warnings forever after?

Grotesque, unfathomable incompetence and stupidity cannot even begin to "explain" such a situation. One is left with no rational explanation other than that the consignor(s) have been primly informed the high bidder was a "no pay" and...

alternative sales

have been made.

But this IS the 21st centrury, and there IS an internet.

Screw one of us, and we all see it happen.

Under No Circumstances Ever Deal With flags raised.

At least you haven't sent money and got nothing.

[Bob]

So I sent an email from a different email address... this time with read receipt confirmation turned on. My email was read... and I received a reply essentially that things would be taken care of in a few days time. Roughly two weeks later still no news so again I sent an email with read receipt. I see my email has been read yet no response.

In the meantime new items have been put on his website so clearly Markov has time to take care of business.

This is over for me now. Never again with this dealer.

[Ed_Haynes]

Very very disturbing. Yes, another dealer crossed off the list, I fear . . . .

[Guest Darrell]

Isn't it obvious? Someone (or Someone"s") lost the bid or forgot to bid ... offered more money and he sold it to them

[Elmar Lang]

I hope, I hope that what Darrel suspects wouldn't have happened.

Things like that, can "kill" an auction house, especially now, in the days of fast communication.

Elmar Lang

[Ed_Haynes]

I hope, I hope that what Darrel suspects wouldn't have happened.

Things like that, can "kill" an auction house, especially now, in the days of fast communication.

Elmar Lang

Yes, in the absence of ANY communication (perhaps the most damning aspect of this whole sad episode), we can only expect the worst, and respond accordingly.

[Guest Darrell]

I hope, I hope that what Darrel suspects wouldn't have happened.

Things like that, can "kill" an auction house, especially now, in the days of fast communication.

Elmar Lang

People do wierd things when it comes to money ... heck ... you even se this type of behavior on the forums and Dealers sites all the time.

[Elmar Lang]

I think that some dealers are too much confident in the "new market" of super-rich buyers from Eastern Europe and they seem forgetting "normal" buyers from the rest of the world.

I understand the disappointment...

Elmar lang

Edited April 26, 2008 by Elmar Lang

[Christian Zulus]

Very very disturbing. Yes, another dealer crossed off the list, I fear . . . .

Dear Ed,

that might be point, but which dealers we still have: Igor, Alex and ....

Best regards

Christian

[Ed_Haynes]

Personally, as far as regular "dealers" are concerned, it is now down to the list of two that you suggest. Some collector dealers often have nice things, butv that is getting inferquent. High-profile auction attract the sorts of financially well-endowed bidders with whom mere mortals cannot compete.

If the research channels were more alive, I'd say it is all down to research now. One of the three reesarchers I have used just gave it up.

[Bob]

It's a real pity that Alexei stepped out of the game although I guess also with him supply-demand would take effect and prices go to unreachable levels. Nevertheless, fair dealers are now difficult to find and to be honest it was also just outright fun to click on NB's site at least once a day to see if some new treasure had arrived

Fortunately for me Soviet has not been much more than a diversion (difficult to remain disciplined) from my main interests of Mongolian / Albanian but when the pickings get slim and you have some time and the internet on your hand you start to search and find new areas which start to interest you. Perhaps I'll leave Soviet for what it is and look more towards Yemen, Uganda or North Korea (the more obscure the better )

[Lapa]

...Perhaps I'll leave Soviet for what it is and look more towards Yemen, Uganda or North Korea (the more obscure the better )

Hum, Bob, don't tell anyone, but North Korea has been on collectors' radars for a while now Stick to your first two suggestions.

Marc

[Bob]

Hum, Bob, don't tell anyone, but North Korea has been on collectors' radars for a while now Stick to your first two suggestions.

Marc

Yep - but it's not (yet) reached the stage of $100 a barrel oil that Mongolian, Soviet, etc. have reached... I'm fearful of NK collecting though... Yemen / Uganda are much more contained areas of collecting I have the impression

[Lapa]

Yep - but it's not (yet) reached the stage of $100 a barrel oil that Mongolian, Soviet, etc. have reached... I'm fearful of NK collecting though... Yemen / Uganda are much more contained areas of collecting I have the impression

Let's simply say, less Chinese entrepreneurship in those last 2

Marc

[Bob]

progress at last!

I put some of Markov's business partners on copy of my emails to him. All of a sudden details materialized and my items were found. I've made payment and should now get my items any day... I hope

[Ed_Haynes]

We keep our fingers crossed for you ....

[Wild Card]

:jumping: :rock on:

[Bob]

Items received

Putting his business partners on copy (several times ) must have done the trick.