Donk is a complete Jackass!

ppw3o6rppw3o6r Great BritainPosts: 2,280MI6 Agent
Well guys,

Today the one gem at the Vectis James Bond auction was the Press Presentation Royal Premier sleeve for the Corgi 269 Lotus Esprit. This is the second time the sleeve was submitted to Vectis but back in February of this year it did not sell. I've been in touch with Vectis all year to try and purchase from the seller and was happy to pay full auction commission, VAT etc and pay the high end of their estimate price.

When it was listed for the Bond auction I put a grand on it & was prepared if necessary to also bid live, that is until I was advised that it was a wrong-un in construction and the specific material it was printed on. Now usually I trust my own judgement and that judgement was telling me it was the real rare as fook mccoy and surprise surprise it was. Problem was I let myself be guided on this and instead of securing it for Donk's Dungeon by bidding live I let my absentee bid run. Long story short, it was purchased by the person I trusted who simply outbid me at the auction in person who also knew I'd been trying to secure this pre-auction.

I'm really glad I did not take this particular avenue of advice regarding the Marcel Van Cleemput C269 factory cutaway demonstration model I recently secured or I probably wouldn't have that either?

He or she? really saw me coming on this one. Lesson learned. Job done... -{
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Comments

  • AdamCarterJonesAdamCarterJones UKPosts: 303MI6 Agent
    I was there today.
    Very interesting auction.

    There was another gem in there - the TB Charity Brochure; went for £695 including BP or thereabouts.

    Shame you couldn't get the piece you were after, but I like to believe everything happens for a reason so hopefully you will get it one day! -{
    Best wishes,
    Adam Carter-Jones
    Bondposters.com - FREE James Bond Poster Reference site
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,766Chief of Staff
    What an absolute **** !

    It's not much consolation but what goes around, comes around....they will get theirs...I hope you are there to witness it.
    YNWA 97
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    Just in case anyone is interested and wants to email John as to the identity of the Red sleeve Lotus owner ,I am.

    I have sent John an email, nicely as I understand loss, but feel his post above is actually nasty.

    We had communicated and I had informed John that I also had an interest in this piece. My misgivings were that the lighter section at the bottom of the piece made it look like a poor photocopy to me. That was my opinion based on the image and I only shared my opinion as I explained that I was going in person to check it out. It turned out to be completely geniune but badly sun faded, I bid accordingly. I feel no guilt in putting in the effort to get a piece, had I sat next to John at the auction we may have bid live against each other , to the death so to speak.

    I was also after a thunderball premiere brochure, I got outbid. I don't care by who as it went above my bid and so I am very happy about that situation.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Bad luck. Hopefully it will be yours one day.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    Sir Miles wrote:
    What an absolute **** !

    It's not much consolation but what goes around, comes around....they will get theirs...I hope you are there to witness it.

    er, moderation, please....................?

    I knew John was bidding on this as he knew I was. Its a public auction selling to the highest bidder. no matter what two people discuss if they both want an item there will be a battle. Public nastiness over not winning is not really cricket and whipping up a pitchfork crowd on this forum is well.........................

    I remember my best mate and I both fancying this one girl, we both did the I saw her first thing, that didn't work, then we tried seeing her on different days that did not work either. eventually we worked it out fine. If anyone wants to borrow my home video "Spitroast Sara" then let me know
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
    Voituer wrote:
    I have sent John an email, nicely as I understand loss, but feel his post above is actually nasty.

    JR hasn't a nasty atom in his entire body. Quite the opposite, he is one of the most altruistic people on the planet.
    ..................Asp9mmSIG-1-2.jpg...............
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,766Chief of Staff
    Voituer wrote:
    Sir Miles wrote:
    What an absolute **** !

    It's not much consolation but what goes around, comes around....they will get theirs...I hope you are there to witness it.

    er, moderation, please....................?

    I knew John was bidding on this as he knew I was. Its a public auction selling to the highest bidder. no matter what two people discuss if they both want an item there will be a battle. Public nastiness over not winning is not really cricket and whipping up a pitchfork crowd on this forum is well.........................

    I remember my best mate and I both fancying this one girl, we both did the I saw her first thing, that didn't work, then we tried seeing her on different days that did not work either. eventually we worked it out fine. If anyone wants to borrow my home video "Spitroast Sara" then let me know

    Moderation ? Why ?

    From what I've read you gave John false information....albeit with the best intentions - probably...I take it that once you ascertained it was genuine you told John of this fact ?...if you did, then fine...I have no issues with a fair fight...perhaps you would have outbid him anyway, but I guess we will never know.
    YNWA 97
  • danjaq_0ffdanjaq_0ff The SwampsPosts: 7,283MI6 Agent
    Well I'm gutted to hear this :#
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
    Donk and I have often bid for the same thing unwittingly. After the fact when we found out we were after the same thing and he won, he always told me the item was mine if I so desired. He is incapable of nastiness. Pity that can't be said of most other folks.
    ..................Asp9mmSIG-1-2.jpg...............
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
    danjaq_0ff wrote:
    Well I'm gutted to hear this :#

    Wait till a certain somebody else hears of these shenannigans B-)
    ..................Asp9mmSIG-1-2.jpg...............
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    Well, all I can say is John, I re read our emails and have no idea why you think I cheated you out of this piece. I gave my view based on the photo, the implication that was purposefully false is unbelievable. It was not false at the time but my personal view based on the information to hand. The fact that it did indeed turn out to be false later is fact but that is why I turned up to check it out personally

    as to me driving two and a half hours this morning through fog and rain just to authenticate a piece for myself then why on earth I should share that information is ludicrous to me. I had no idea, at all who was bidding against me, whether it was live. I just bid my price. For a piece that we both started talking about as we both were looking for one.

    The crazy thing about this is that John had assurance from Vectis that if it did turn out to be a fake they would sort it out for him and so there was not actually a problem...................

    I don't want any of this to get nasty but I do feel that it should be accurate and the trouble is there are always two sides.

    I have spent 20 years helping people with the every best information I can give. Some of that information may turn out later to be incorrect but at all times it was given in good faith..........................
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    Asp9mm wrote:
    danjaq_0ff wrote:
    Well I'm gutted to hear this :#

    Wait till a certain somebody else hears of these shenannigans B-)

    "I swear to god I'll pistol whip the next guy who says 'shenanigans'..."
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
    www.cancerresearchuk.org
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    Asp9mm wrote:
    Donk and I have often bid for the same thing unwittingly. After the fact when we found out we were after the same thing and he won, he always told me the item was mine if I so desired. He is incapable of nastiness. Pity that can't be said of most other folks.

    I did the same to a friend today, I won something and he said he needed one, I have done it with others. Trouble is here I emailed John when I got home and have had no reply, just this thread. I knew nothing of the 'epic search'.

    Well done on the cutaway John.

    Anyway this feels like I am fighting a battle. so time for me to shut up !
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    To be fair voituer, I'm surprised that there wasn't the slightest inclination about yourself to think 'maybe I should tell donk'...

    I can totally understand the lengths some of us go to in order to verify, view and bid on certain items. Hats off to anyone with that level if dedication.

    But regardless of the situation, if you've unintentionally misinformed someone and then realise your error, surely the moral and right thing to do would be to correct that misinformation?

    It's a little odd that you try to help donk out by warning him of the possibility the item was fake, yet fail to maintain this level of helpfulness by not telling him was in fact genuine.

    I'm not wanting to take sides and hopefully you two won't fall out over this but I guess the most constructive thing we can all do is learn from this and move on.
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
    www.cancerresearchuk.org
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
    Voituer wrote:
    I knew nothing of the 'epic search'.

    You never read his thread on this very forum? I'd believe that but for the fact you posted in it.

    http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/42298/corgi-269-lotus-esprit-sleeve/
    ..................Asp9mmSIG-1-2.jpg...............
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    OMG - please tell me you are joking -

    this really is a lovely place with lovely people

    actually we had already been talking about another set on Ebay at the time which is why I joked - but hey I guess by this post you think I'm not telling the truth.

    Nice - really nice...........................
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    I am not going to completely disagree. I think what I did not understand was the level of importance that John put on my comments.

    here is my email "I am looking at the Lotus as well but I did not like the previous auction image nor this one and the construction is odd on this sleeve , the shine does not look right, looks like a photocopy from about 12 years ago also an original could not fade like that the card should be completely different. My experience with these guys is they don't care so thats why I am going up to see for myself"

    The other thing MG is that when I got there and was looking through th 500 lots I was not thinking about John, but was in my "what shall I bid on" world.

    In the end the sleeve was slightly different to the one I had previously had, something that did not look right until I studied it, to do with the way it was taped together. Secondly the fading on the sleeve is severe and I had assumed , incorrectly, that most of it was camera flash or reflection and that is what I could not understand based on the picture on the internet.

    Now after sharing these comments in a casual email I gave it no more thought, I'd forget my girlfriends birthday if it was not tattooed on my eyelids.

    So yes I could have shared, I have quoted that why should I but the reality is that I never even thought about it. But as I went there for me I cannot feel that I have let anyone down, they of course may feel that but it is what it is....... If I had said I would do something and not done that is a completely different matter ,
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    I guess one thing is certain; donk has many friends here :))

    It's easy to get heated and jump to conclusions guys. We're fond of donk sure, but lets not jump down voituer' throat just yet.

    We've pretty much spelt out the concerns, why not give the guy a chance to explain things a little more clearly so we're a little more well informed.

    I suspect this could be a case of jumping to conclusions; a dangerous game if assumptions.

    Over to you voituer.

    MG
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
    www.cancerresearchuk.org
  • Gadget MeisterGadget Meister Bicester, OxonPosts: 1,972MI6 Agent
    Just to put in my tuppence worth. I missed the Vectis sale today as I was still jet lagged and forgot about it, even though I had calendar reminders and alarms set, so the only person I'm kicking is me. Fairly recently I noticed on a well know auction site an item that I desired, I also noticed that the first bidder was known to me (EBay's privacy attempts to disguise bidders eg e***s is great until you know it never changes, so in our small world it's easy to recognise a known bidder) Again I recognised that I was behind the curve and emailed the bidder to congratulate him and to let him know I would not bid against him. It was for a very obscure item. Lo and behold the bidder emailed me back and effectively withdrew, this is the mark of the man, a true gentleman who I have looked up to for many years and try to emulate in my dealings with fellow collectors. My watchword is 'Do unto others ..........' There are collectors here that I would move the earth for, there are others that I would not. What I certainly would not have done is deliberately withheld information from a trusted collector for my own gain nor would I have taken the dispute public until I had thrashed it out privately first. We don't need animosity on this site, we need to foster information exchange and trust.

    Just my take, shoot me down if you must.
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    The only similar incident I've had was on searching for a very rare item on ebay I noticed one had ended without any bids at a ridiculously low amount. I contacted the seller desperately asking if the item was still available. The reply I got was that someone else had beaten me to it. I later found out who that person was, a member on here I regard as established and well thought of.

    Am I jealous? You bloody bet!

    Do I hold a grudge about it? Not in the slightest, he only did what I tried to do, just quicker than me. He got lucky, I didn't. C'est la vie.

    Best £50 they ever spent no doubt. ;)
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
    www.cancerresearchuk.org
  • ppw3o6rppw3o6r Great BritainPosts: 2,280MI6 Agent
    Well I was not for one minute naming names & credit to the gent in question for sticking his hand up but I was ready to go seriously high on this piece which I have been actively trying to source on AJB amongst other places. To be informed the night before an auction by someone I respected and trusted that something was a wrong-un for XXX reasons and then to discover the next day that your observations were completely incorrect and to make no attempt to give a heads up just sucks ass plain and simple. If the tables were reversed I would not have done that in a million years in fact I've attended auctions where the guy next to me was after a specific piece and I've stood down & let him have it. Enjoy your purchase and no more pm's please. Thank you. -{
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,766Chief of Staff
    Voituer, I've obviously read your posts...I don't think you acted honourably...but its not my opinion that counts - its your own...if you are happy with your actions, and can live with them...then there is little to add.

    Donk - I hope you manage to find the item you seek -{
    YNWA 97
  • ke02ewwke02eww USPosts: 2,063MI6 Agent
    Asp9mm wrote:
    Voituer wrote:
    I have sent John an email, nicely as I understand loss, but feel his post above is actually nasty.

    JR hasn't a nasty atom in his entire body. Quite the opposite, he is one of the most altruistic people on the planet.

    Have to say ASP has hit the nail on the head here....

    As a beneficiary of said altruism, I can admit I actually understand and agree with the title of this thread....

    Only a true jackass would give valuable items to friends, often of only a couple of yrs, simply because he tgt they would bring more enjoyment in those hands...

    But if quality be the true judgement of the individual, then I can think of no one who holds a candle to John.

    While I know little of the episode, and care less for the item, if there ever was a situation crying out for the judgement of Solomon, it's this one.
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    after yesterdays knee jerk reactions, mine included i actually forgot to state that:-

    I was not acting as an advisor to John, but stated in an email the reason why I was travelling a very long way to an auction, one that we both agreed was pretty underwhelming, we were both interested in the same item.

    If the item had turned out to be fake then I would have brought this to the attention of Andy at Vectis.

    I made it very clear that I was going to bid on the Lotus. I am not sure that anyone would
    a: expect me not to bid on an item that I wanted
    and
    b: why anyone would expect me to drive 2 1/2 hrs at 5.30 in the morning not to bid on an item if it turned out to be correct.

    Over many many years this has been a constant dilemna and I guess it sounds very noble to say one would stand aside and let another through. These are only objects and not a train seat or queue in a hospital. Had this been a more common item then either of us may have backed down. Should I have asked John not to bid?

    I have had occasions when going to auctions and a conflict happens then an agreement was made on who would bid, it has happened that at times the other person has not won the item and also that it may have gone for less than I would have paid.
    In that situation nobody wins and one person worse than the other as he gave up his right to bid

    I went yesterday with 3k in my pocket should the item indeed be correct, I was informed there was a lot of interest and I only had my own interest at heart. I would have felt no ill if another bidder had won if my bidding exhausted prematurely.

    I have read on a few occasions times when people have complained that items have been pulled from auctions early to be sold outside the system and these people take it personally. Lets not forget this was attempted with this item.

    Does someone want something more than me, possibly. Would I step aside , well it depends on how much I care about the item not the person. If someone was involved in completely private negotiations and these were interjected by another buying trying to steal the deal then I do not agree with that. In a public auction the bidding is wide open and fair and square whether I know my bidding opponants or not.

    I have been looking to replace that piece in my collection for 5 years and I certainly did not let John know of this as its my business and I expect nothing and would not expect anyone else giving up on what they wanted.

    so, I wanted to make it perfectly clear, which the original post does not. My email to John was a reply to him as to why I was travelling to an auction with very few items of interest. If that reason was taken the wrong way or influenced anything I am sorry, it certainly was not the intention and it did not occur to me.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,766Chief of Staff
    As said, I think people have no issue with people bidding against each other for an item...that is fair...I guess most people, myself included, just feel it wasn't a fair fight...of course John could have travelled to the auction too...I guess all is not fair in war, love and Bond collecting :#
    YNWA 97
  • ppw3o6rppw3o6r Great BritainPosts: 2,280MI6 Agent
    Well I wasn't going to comment further but a few inaccuracies have been stated which have painted a different picture. As for my post being nasty, well if I had named or even hinted at a person's identity then yes that would be nasty but I didn't & more to the point wouldn't! If you choose to name yourself & then tie yourself in knots trying to justify your actions then fine, knock yourself out. Did I contact Vectis to try & obtain the item in question outside of the auction as suggested? absolutely but I only contacted them once and it was after it failed to sell in their February 2013 auction where I enquired if they still had access to the item? as I had completely missed the auction & therefore it's listing, not the Specialist Bond auction of 25th October 2013 & this is why I initially contacted the gent in question to ask his opinion of the item in question and one which had popped up on evilbay. He was incredibly helpful on both counts. Was this a fair fight? I think not! To admit that on the day of an auction he was only thinking of himself, fair enough but I would venture that this was also the case when a pm was sent the previous evening stating "the construction of the piece was wrong" and it looked like a photocopy piece of twelve years previous. This placed the seed of doubt that was not there previously so I contacted Michelle Trotter at Vectis with a view to cancelling my absentee bid which meant the other buyer could have secured it for a perhaps a grand less? but Vectis were adamant that the piece was genuine. Of course taking into account the listing photograph could make something appear too glossy or the base paper/card appear different? however the construction of an item could certainly not change overnight?
    Finally the winning bidder would have secured it anyway in a fair bidding war @ 3k as my limit was 2k + fees. regrettably. As mentioned before Job done! & I certainly was!
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    Voituer,

    I don't think it's anything to do with your dedication to collecting, the miles you drive or even the weather.

    The fact is you found out the item was genuine, you failed to tell donk after telling him you thought it was a fake.

    Had you contacted him and said 'mate it's genuine, I'm bidding on it too so good luck and may the best collector win' then I think all this would never have blown up.

    You unintentionally misinformed donk and had the chance to correct that, you didn't and that's what's grated everyone's balls.

    You would have won anyway it seems, so your lack of judgement seems to have gained you nothing and lost the help and knowledge of truly one of the genuine good guys.

    It's all a bit sad really, but worse that you fail to miss the pivotal point.
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
    www.cancerresearchuk.org
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    Sorry, John, when I mentioned the out of auction dealings it certainly was not a sleight on you. i only mentioned this as previous posts have mentioned this is a devious tactic and I do not believe it is. So if this read wrong it was not meant to cast doubt on you.

    The reason why I think the post was nasty and can I again clarify something to everyone. I don't think John is nasty, just that post. It infers that I manipulated this situation to my benefit. Well, I can certainly see how that conclusion could be reached. In my defence I don't think I have ever purposely done anything to harm or cheat anybody. I should have kept my opinion to myself, I was openely sharing thoughts that were mine, my doubts, and I would rather have sat at home bidding than trailing all that way.

    When I replied to you yesterday, post auction, I had no idea that this would be the reaction and if we had possibly talked this through who knows. I was unbelievably shocked at the post, to me it came out of the blue.

    Had we been stood together at the auction looking at the piece I could have explained where it differed to the one I had previously owned - we did not get that chance. Had I said to you do not bid, its definatley a fake then again I could have sat at home and romped it.

    You were not done by me on purpose John, that may seem like the result and like I have stated I am truly sorry about that.
  • VoituerVoituer Posts: 483MI6 Agent
    minigeff wrote:
    Voituer,

    I don't think it's anything to do with your dedication to collecting, the miles you drive or even the weather.

    The fact is you found out the item was genuine, you failed to tell donk after telling him you thought it was a fake.

    Had you contacted him and said 'mate it's genuine, I'm bidding on it too so good luck and may the best collector win' then I think all this would never have blown up.

    You unintentionally misinformed donk and had the chance to correct that, you didn't and that's what's grated everyone's balls.

    You would have won anyway it seems, so your lack of judgement seems to have gained you nothing and lost the help and knowledge of truly one of the genuine good guys.

    It's all a bit sad really, but worse that you fail to miss the pivotal point.

    there are many things we disagree with but I guess not this post, the only thing I can say is that between me sharing those thoughts and returning back from the auction I had no idea what John was thinking or of any impact that my opinion had. It did not occur to me for one second that we were doing anything more than bantering.

    I do certainly get the picture but it was not intentional, there are many things that people do not do and if neither of us had won this piece would I still be blamed ....... well I cannot say but I hope you know what I mean.
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    I'm certainly not trying to fall out with you Nick, this (as DC would say) isn't my fight. I was just trying to point out what you seemed to be over looking.

    I hope you and donk can work this out, I've not heard from him privately about this and I'm not gonna get myself deeper involved.

    I guess honesty pays more than anything and hopefully we can all learn from this.

    I can understand both sides of the story and hope you guys can come to a positive conclusion.

    MG -{
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
    www.cancerresearchuk.org
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