06/30 Update
The eBay seller, northcane, reached out to me via email during the morning of 06/27 to give me insight into why her auctions were stopped. I immediately wrote back with a synopsis of her email, asking her permission to post the synopsis. I received permission from northcane this afternoon via a very pleasant conversation. Here is that post, given with her permission:
"The listings that were begun and then ended were a mistake caused by an estranged family member. She has spent 4-5 hours on the phone with eBay and is still in the midst of correcting this situation. Northcane hasn’t been active on eBay for some years due to illness, an illness that has now taken a turn for the worse. She regrets the situation and asks for your support in this trying time."
Let’s wish northcane well and hope for rapidly improving health!
*****************************************************************************************
Wow, I haven't received so many exasperated, borderline-angry emails since some under-informed bozos began claiming on Facebook that some of the rarest German diecuts were made through the 1980s! (If you believe that, then Elvis is really still alive, the moon landings never happened and Ringo is the most musically talented Beatle....but I digress.)
The eBay seller, northcane, listed a high number of items on that site, many with pictures that couldn't be viewed properly. Today, all but seven of these listings have been cancelled, many with active bidders. From the emails I've received, these people are not happy.
Interestingly, I spoke with a knowledgeable Halloween collector and friend earlier this week asking if she had a theory as to why this seller was listing so many things at once after a long absence. She responded that she didn't, but that she wouldn't do business with northcane anymore since the last time northcane listed, most of the listings were cancelled without explanation.
Here are just three of the emails I've received this afternoon:
"I wanted to contact you about the seller Northcane on eBay who was putting up a shipload of Halloween items. I actually bid on a few items, now they are suddenly cancelling their auctions one by one. In retrospect I remember bidding on some items from this seller last year and the year before. I don't know what's going on, but they do this everytime. I don't see the point of putting these items on eBay ,let many people bid ,and then shut the auctions down. I have no idea who they are, but this is a very unprofessional and sneaky way to do business. I don't know what your take is, but it just seems very suspicious. I'm not one to make a big deal about stuff, but it does bother me that they do their business this way.I love your blog by the way and learn a lot."
"Soooo, I like to read your blog (avidly, I might add), and I noticed your comments about the person on E-bay who has recently flooded the Vintage Halloween market on E-bay. "Northcane" was dumping one heck of a collection ( and you were right, the mix-up with photo posting was not helpful to bidders) ! As many others, I am sure, I marveled at the quantity and quality of many of the items listed, and bid on a few. I continued to follow this lister, and the listings kept coming, most with the photo not visible. I thought that was strange, and even sent the person an e-mail pointing that out, and thought they'd figure it out, and re-post the ones with no photo, but that never happened. I have just received notice at approx. 7:30 p.m. EST that all bids on the items I had bid on were cancelled "due to an error in the listing ". I also went through my watch list, and most, if not all of those are cancelled as well. ... E-bay gave no other reason other than this basic notification. Do you know what's going on ?"
"So much for flooding the market ~ all of the items except for 7 (at this moment) have been cancelled. Maybe she will list them again with pictures..."