Where to buy Curious Collectible Steampunk Unusual Gothic Laboratory Creations For Sale

Where to buy Curious Collectible Steampunk 

& Unusual Gothic Laboratory Creations For Sale 

To snipe or not to snipe, that is the online auction.

To Snipe or not to Snipe, 

that is the online auction.

Kuriology sculptures at auction on ebay.co.uk

To Snipe or not to Snipe, that is the online auction. whether tis noble to bid manually than use tech software.

Like many people back in the early 2000's, I fell in love with the ebay auctions.  

The fun of bidding on an item which you may otherwise not find on the high street.  The possibilities (frequent back then) of picking up it up as a real bargain.  That was as a buyer.

One man (or women's) junk was another's treasure

As a seller, always the chance that your item would fetch far more than the value you yourself placed upon it.

However, I could not understand how sometimes I was pipped at the post in the bidding at the very last seconds. It was a few years before I was tipped off to 'sniping'.  

Kuriology Steampunk Nautilus Submarineon ebay auction with 99p start price

Wikipedia tells us that auction sniping is:- 

• Auction sniping is the practice, in a timed online auction, of placing a bid likely to exceed the current highest bid (which may be hidden) as late as possible—usually seconds before the end of the auction—giving other bidders no time to outbid the sniper. This can be done manually, by software on the bidder's computer,^[1] or by an online sniping service.^[2][3] Use of an online service is said to decrease the failure rate of the snipe, because the website has more reliable servers and a faster Internet connection with a less variable delay in sending data (jitter), allowing the bid to be placed closer to the deadline, even arriving within the last second.

Yes, I admit to having my own free snipe account.  This 'free' account enables me to bid on up to x5 different items a week using snipe technology free.  I tend to only use snipe on items which tend to have a higher value or I 'really' want to stand a good/better chance of winning, but do not want to run bidding up early on in an online auction.

Also, using snipe tends to reduce risk of falling victim to 'shilling' bids.  These are bids placed by the owner of the object for sale or placed by an associate of theirs to artificially inflate the bid value of an object. 

Kuriology Sculpture on ebay.co.uk

 

Wikipedia tells us auction shilling bids are:-

•   Shilling bids Sniping closes a loophole to fraudulent practice by a shill (an agent for the seller, which may be another account of the seller) to raise the bid to the maximum. They then hope the original bidder will increase their maximum bid even by a small amount to win the auction. The danger to the seller in this case is that the original bidder may not choose to increase their bid, leaving the seller with a futile transaction (selling the item to themselves) which will often still incur a fee from the auction service. Bidding at the last moment prevents a shill bidder from pushing the auction higher, as they have no time to make the incremental bids required.

Many a person I have spoken with have not clearly understood 'how' auctions work & know nothing of shilling bids or sniping.  Often bemoaning how they had been winning an absolute bargain item all week at auction to suddenly loose it in the last few seconds to a higher bid.  

The bottom line is he/she who is willing to bid most at auction - wins.

...but in my experience sniping can sometimes help you win!

PS. There is also BIN sniping (BIN = Buy it Now), but that's another kettle of fish altogether & not related truly to last-sec online auction sniping.

Slithered under the laboratory door. Released onto unsuspecting public - Kuriology

More things have Slithered under the laboratory door 

Released onto unsuspecting public - Kuriology

 

Witchcraft Folk Art Poppet Caricature Charm Figure Voodoo Doll Grotesque Weird

Ugly Offensive Pin Doll Poppet for charity auction

Witchcraft Folk Art Poppet Caricature Charm Figure 

Voodoo Doll Grotesque Weird Effigy

This morning (Sunday 21st Jan), in solidarity with the #WomensMarch2018 (I'm a bloke), I have decided to donate the sum total auction price this item realizes on ebay to a homeless charity. St Petrocs Society in Cornwall (UK).  Women are victims of homelessness too!

This item - Dirt cheap! We actually mean the auction start price! 

A 'come buy me' low bid price.  Truth is, we just want rid of this ugly offensive little manikin - we mean the doll.

Utterly garish, gross, tatty, nasty, tasteless, poor quality, & many would consider kitsch tat!

...No, seriously, we do mean the doll, despite that some people think it looks a little like some bloke called Trump!

Now to be clear this folk art is a based upon a traditional pin doll, not a covert Russian Doll.

Click on picture to go to online auction of this doll

Some might consider & think this to be a representational doll of a borderline Neo-Nazi Blond Right Wing Bigoted US Republican Trans-phobic Homophobic Racist Misogynist

We could not possibly say that, but.... 

What it is ...'& this is not fake news', it is 'Crap Art', that is to say - a term used to describe an item made from recycled rubbish (To be absolutely clear, the doll, we do mean the doll).

NB; This doll is not stuffed with recycled Mc Donalds fast food wrappers - too greasy!

This is a contemporary folk art take on a traditional Witchcraft Poppet Doll.  It was never intended or made to last, but to be destroyed by burning, burying, decomposition, or drowned by being weighed down in water, stuck with pins...or torn apart by dogs (NB: Not advisable, as we would not want any dog to choke on it).  

There are said to be various traditional means of using a witchcraft poppet doll. Research would indicate this could be used for what is termed 'Go away' magic. This folk art take on a charm intended to deter, reflect or repel (well its not a bigger red button is it?).  We only created this Folk Art poppet doll, for something to burn &/or stick with pins/blackthorn spikes, had a certain particular 'visit' to the UK gone ahead this February. 

The scheduled February visit to UK has now been reported in the media as cancelled, (Hurrah!!  But quite strange, because we quite like the design of the new USA embassy building in London).  

So we don't need this unpleasant objectionable little puffed up obnoxious effigy representation of male misogyny any longer. (we do mean the doll).   Besides, we can always make another if we must, for any further impending state visit to the UK.

However, there may be someone who will like, or even love this really rubbish rough bit of tasteless tatty crap....(How many times? We do mean the doll) even if it is to just stick pins in &/or burn it.....or you might even build a wall around it?

Can you tell, really going for the 'hard sell' on the nasty crap quality of this item?

At 99p start. Its worth bidding on - just for a laugh!

Not bidding? 

YOU could still share the love...by posting a link for this item on social media

Click on image to go to online auction of this doll

DESCRIPTION: 

With the environment in mind, Kuriology art is responsibly & individually made in the United Kingdom using primarily & where possible recycled & re-purposed materials.  We care about the environment & support the principles of the Paris agreement on climate change.

Incorporating  traditional  paper-mache & decoupage techniques in contemporary individual art creations.  Often with a shellac coat finish, a traditional natural lacquer  polish application which gives many of our sculptures an authentic antique or vintage aged look & appeal. Each separate sculpture takes upwards of three hours to create.

NB: Kuriology sculptures are NOT cast from a mould or mass produced in far east factories. Likewise, NOT made from oil industry based resin or environmentally damaging single use plastic, unless being recycled from an original product usage.

This Kuriology sculpture is simply unique, ‘one of a kind’ (ooak).

We may make other similar sculptures, but no two Kuriology sculptures are every quite same.  Many ‘Art of Kuriology’  sculptures have previously been both Gallery & Museum exhibited. ...but NOT this piece!

Construction: ‘mixed medium’ materials

Over all condition: Rough/tatty/bloody poor quality = The doll, we do mean the doll 

Dimensions (Approx.)

•   Height = 34cm
•   Width  = 15cm
•   Depth  = 12cm

(Please note:- It is NOT 6' 3" & does not weigh 239lb - that would be a lie!)

Photos make up part of description

Bid on this - just for a laugh?

,,,or re-post via social media. (You know you want too!!)

Where to buy the Curious, Weird, Unusual & Strange

Where to buy the Curious, Weird, Unusual & Strange?

Not to mention Unique & Affordable -eBay of course!

As a collector myself, I sometimes have difficulty sourcing the type of items I like to buy.  Also finding things at the realistic prices that my meager disposable income will allow me to purchase is also a problem.  Being restricted in my mobility & living in a mainly rural area with atrocious public transport links, the internet has been one of my main sources to acquire items.

Ebay for all its faults, policy changes & corporate idiosyncrasies is still a 'go to' place for me. It is also where I sell most of my own art creations which I'm letting go in order to downsize the sheer volume of my kuriology collections.

Here are 'some' of the art creations here at the Kuriology Art Laboratory we have released for sale onto ebay.co.uk this January 2018. 

NB: Some objects have already sold at the time of this blog post.  Likewise some items shown are already draft listings on ebay, but not yet released. 

Curious Oddities released from Kuriology Art Laboratory for 2018

Curious Oddities Released 

from Kuriology Art Laboratory for 2018 

Christmas 2017 has been & gone & New year celebrations are over.  

Now it is time for serious collectors of weird 'stuff' to get back to focusing on what is really important.  Obtaining strange & wonderful  further acquisitions for their collections. To assist in this quest we are continuing to release creations from our Art Laboratory in Cornwall (UK).

Some of the Kuriology Art released on ebay.co.uk on Sunday 7th Jan 2018 
Click on picture to be taken to Kuriology ebay listings 

Over the 2017 festive season at the Kuriology Laboratory we scraped out a few petri dishes, rinsed out test tubes & wiped out a few crusty flasks.  Tossed the resulting residue into a beaker, gave it a stir, - just to see what developed.  

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263424165698?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

What this really means is experimental tinkering & fiddling with some new Kuriology creations - all whilst bingeing on television box sets over Christmas (Primarily Game of thrones season 7), armed with obligatory snacks & box of chocolates & jelly babies (I like Jelly Babies, originally called 'Peace Babies' after WWI.)

Over the coming year expect a few  Kuriology #DeadGothic figures.  

These Kuriology creations are Inspired by a combination of

•  (i) Latin American 'Day of the Dead' figures 
• (ii) Voodoo dolls & 
• (iii) Traditional Witchcraft poppets.
• (IV) Gothic Victorian characters  

These are a good dose of gothic macabre/steampunk-esque, shamanic/witchcraft fetish figures. Each individually hand crafted.  No plastic molds here! 

NB:Also our Kuriology cryptozoolgy creatures continue to be developed & created.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263424117114?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

In the meanwhile, enjoy this youtube slideshow of some of the Kuriology laboratory releases

Blighted by a Glitchy Computer in December - So a belated Happy New Year 2018

Kuriology blighted by aliens or a glitchy computer in December. So a belated Happy New Year 2018

Kuriology Alien Taxidermy

Were we attacked by aliens? 

As December 2017 progressed, so our Kuriology computer struggled more and more with gliches and gremlins. 

A Windows routine update end of November, beginning of December wiped out access to windows movie maker.  Things just went down hill from there & became progressively worse  

Fortunately, we had already planned not to list any further Kuriology sculptures for sale in the three week run up to Christmas.  The need to deal with Christmas, in particular, needs of an  increasingly  frail & utterly dependent elderly relative, coupled with a temperamental computer meant some things had to go on hold.  Some thing had to give - Kuriology blog being one of them.

 We carried out various procedures, pseudo voodoo rituals & mock exorcisms over the computer.  Tinkered with it, threatened it & swore offensively at it.  More practically, we ran various software repair packages.....& eventually a modicum of computer normality was achieved.  Even a convoluted method to sometimes access windows movie maker returned -.... sometimes? 

The good news, Kuriology is back for 2018 & with more curious & weird sculptures being released for sale primarily via ebay.co.uk 

Some Kuriology items being listed on ebay.co.uk as of 7th Jan 2018

 NB: We still have listings on Etsy, however sales were very slow in comparison to eBay.  At a ratio of just £1 of sales on etsy to every £10+ realized on eBay.  To be fair Etsy remains primarily a North American sales outlet.  Kuriology hope/intend to venture into some international sales later this year.