Is anyone else having trouble bidding in mastro?

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Posted By: <b>TBob</b><p>I log in and can access all the pages but each web page says "want to make a bid? Then log in." Even though I am already logged in. I go ahead and log in again and still the same problem. This has never happened before in their auctions. Anyone else having a similar problem?

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Posted By: <b>Jay Miller</b><p>Bob--I have bid with no problems.

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Posted By: <b>jay behrens</b><p>I'm having a problem bidding. But that has more to do with lack of cash than technical reason :-p<BR><BR>Jay

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Posted By: <b>TBob</b><p>Turned out it was an AOL problem, and now it is fixed.

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Posted By: <b>petecld</b><p>The only problem I'm having with Mastro bidding is that I keep getting out bid. <img src="/images/wink.gif" height=14 width=14><BR><BR>

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Posted By: <b>Julie</b><p>a limit bid $1000 above the showing bid, days before trhe catalogues arrive...this is reidsiculous. I'll never get it.

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Posted By: <b>Brian H</b><p>the problem (as Pete points out) is being outbid.<BR>Good Luck Everyone.<BR> (that is everyone who is not bidding on the items I am bidding on).

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Posted By: <b>warshawlaw</b><p>me too, me no money too.

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Posted By: <b>runscott</b><p>every time I look in my checkbook, there's still not enough money !?!

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Posted By: <b>Wesley</b><p>I would have no problems for the first few month if Mastro took credit cards. The problems would come monthly thereafter though.

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Posted By: <b>RC_McKenzie</b><p>Who's bidding on The the very rare silk pajamas given as a present to Evander Holyfield by Hugh Hefner and how did Mastro know to start the item at $300?<BR><BR><BR>I wonder whether the Elvis hair will go for more than the comic book?<BR><BR>Emmitt Smith appears to be unloading those TD footballs that he collected. He could/should have sold them at the top of the market after that Giants playoff game.<BR><BR>I did like the William James Bryant campaign poster. That may be the only item out of the over 2000 that you could actually put in your office as a conversation piece without expecting the conversation to be odd.

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Posted By: <b>RC_McKenzie</b><p> I actually meant William James "Bryan". Whatever.

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Posted By: <b>TBob</b><p>I think you mean William Jennings Bryan whose famous presidential campaign slogan was that "mankind not be crucified on a cross of gold," wanting to dump the gold standard in favor of silver. He is also famous for being the winning lawyer in the Scopes Monkey trial although most people only remember Scopes' attorney, Clarence Darrow.

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Posted By: <b>RC_McKenzie</b><p>Bob<BR><BR>It's lot 0387. He ran against Taft and lost. My brother is a political science associate professor so I only know this stuff through osmosis i.e- him rambling on about stuff like that.<BR><BR>Seriously, some of the political memorabilia stuff on there is pretty cool. But, the rarer 19th century cards seem to get lost amidst all the Elvis wigs and sci-fi stuff. They surely have something in there for everyone though. Later

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Posted By: <b>RC_McKenzie</b><p>LOL. They changed the names on the listings, either someone emailed them or I need to change brands of beer. I'm gonna research. I never went past poly-sci 102.

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Posted By: <b>RC_McKenzie</b><p>Bob<BR><BR>As you already know, you are right. It is not "James". However, William James Bryant was a famous cricket player according to cricket.org.

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Posted By: <b>TBob</b><p>The bad news is that everyone and their brother seems to be bidding in the Mastro auctions (at least on stuff I like) and the prices are zooming up, even before the usual last day bid droppings. The good news, I guess, is that when I die my widow will make a fortune on my collection and I don't have to worry about her being taken care of since she has nada interest in cards and sports memorabilia.

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Posted By: <b>Albie O'Hanian</b><p>I just got my catalogue today. It is the first time I have ever received a Mastro catalogue. It is incredible. There are so many amazing items, that it seems impossible to narrow my choices down. Does anybody here stay up all night to win a lot, or do most people just put their best bid in early and get a good night sleep?

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Posted By: <b>Hankron</b><p>I live both on the West Coast and in the coffee capital of the U.S. However, this is not always an advantage, as the auctions often close after 5 am Chicago time(!)<BR><BR>It's not a matter of going to bed late, but getting up early.

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Posted By: <b>Hankron</b><p>I should point out that only a small percentage of the auction lots will be getting bids that obscenely late/early. Even though they are open, a large percentage of the lots won't receive any more bids past a resonable hour. You can win a lot by leaving a max bid that is the highest you want to pay and going to bed.

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Posted By: <b>brian parker</b><p>The big auction houses like Mastro certainly have the system rigged in their favor, and they are smart to operate the way they do. They have developed the auction catalogs to the point where it is a collectible itself. People want to continue to receive this fabulous catalog, so they feel compelled to place a bid in the auction (I know I make sure to bid each time) so that they will not be dropped from the mailing list. Thus a collector better put in his bid early on an item that they are interested in so that the bid amount isn't already beyond their financial means. Even if you have the money to burn, you got to place a bid before the "closing" time to participate after hours. My guess is that a large portion of bids are placed because of these two factors, even though in many cases (even money to burn individuals) they realize they have little to no chance of winning. It makes me yearn for the old days of black and white photos in stapled catalogs, and less restrictive bidding policies--it least it felt like a normal collector had a fighting chance to win, like Bob has mentioned before. Then again, these Mastro catalogs are so fun to leaf through...<BR><BR>Brian

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Posted By: <b>Julie</b><p>drawing a line in the sand, and daring someone to step over it. Unless the thing is a drag on the market, they almost always will, no matter how high you bid.<BR><BR><BR>I guess I'll be bidding all night. I can just see Bob when he gets up, and i say, hey, there's breakfast, but we don't have enough money for lunch...

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Posted By: <b>Hankron</b><p>On a few occasions I have won a Mastro lot as the only bidder, on a bid I placed in the first few days of the auction. After receiving one invoice I said, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that."<BR><BR>I have also been outbid at 3 am on stuff I had my heart set on winning, so I have experienced the spectrum.

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Posted By: <b>BcD</b><p>now employed by the Anaheim Angels!

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Posted By: <b>runscott</b><p>...and settled on the following: don't post on this board what I'm interested in bidding on, don't describe my bidding habits <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>. <BR><BR>Good luck to everyone!