Closing Tonight: Love of the Game Auctions
 

Hi Everybody:

On the heels of an awesome National, I just wanted to remind everyone that the Love of the Game summer auction closes tonight at 9PM eastern.

The extended bidding period begins at 9, and continues until no item in the auction has received a bid for 15 minutes. In order to bid in extended bidding, you need to have placed a bid on that item prior to 9:00.

I do expect this one to run late.

Lots of great items in this auction, but I wanted to point out a few special ones that I think are interesting and perhaps are flying under the radar a bit, given some other items in the auction that are attracting so much attention:

• Beautiful N173 cabinets of Hall of Famers King Kelly, Cap Anson, and John Clarkson
• A dynamite T206 set (518/524), with 337 graded (mostly by SGC). The HOFers and most of the graded cards in this set are gorgeous.
• An extremely cool 1949-52 Los Angeles Angels PCL game-worn jersey and cap, with the jersey attributed to infielder Tod Davis.
• A gorgeous N566 Newsboy John Ward, one of many really nice cabinets we have in this auction.
• A nice assortment of interesting T206s, led by a super high-grade Jake Atz, and followed up by some tough backs, miscast, and nice HOFers.
• A huge group of 1916 M101-4/5 Mendelsohn-produced cards, including a ton of Famous & Barr Hall of Famers and other really tough types
• A nice group of PSA-graded 1933 Goudeys
• A host of tough autographs, attractive memorabilia, and our first Americana section (with lots of bargains).

If you're a bidder or consignor in the auction, best of luck. If not, hopefully it'll be an entertaining night to watch!

www.loveofthegameauctions.com

Thanks so much,
-Al

Good luck Al, GREAT material here!!

Great auction, I'll be up tonight

Lots of great stuff in this one. Good luck!

Amazing auction as always Al

I'm staying up late for this one http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...atdrink004.gif

So many great items, was nice to see the bat in person. Good luck everyone.

I would be 100 percent comfortable placing a max bid in Al's auction and going to bed.

+1

Good luck to all the consignors and of course you Al.

Six pack of MGD and Billy Joel playing softly in the background. A perfect evening for you.....

Yuck, I just paid a dummy-tax of $120 b/c I can't or won't read the instructions. With no one bidding against me all night...I doubled the stakes with a straight bid instead of a max bid when I was already winning...a cautionary tale...

Bartender, please do NOT give me what that man's drinking. :)

great auction Al
 

Went to bed in great shape on a couple items i really wanted woke up under bidder on one and the second underbidder on the other. Did win a few cards, though not the two i most wanted, but that's an auction you win some you lose some.

Amazing auction, Al! Congrats to LotG.

The Gehrig bat is simply phenomenal. The story, the photo match, it's a thing of legend.

Was happy as a consignor. My bids didn't hold up this time around, but I'm overall very happy again with the end-to-end LotG experience.

Indeed congrats on yet another terrific auction. The legwork you do for your consignors really is extraordinary.

I was underbidder on three items including one I have wanted for a long time. Whomever ended up with the signed 34 Goudey Bob Johnson congrats. My search continues...

Tom C

Apparently I didn't stay up late enough either. Damn beer festival yesterday afternoon...

Congrats on a great auction, Al!

I was the high bidder on the one item that I really wanted from the start of the auction until I went to bed. Congrats to whoever won the T213-1 Coupon Cranston!

Best,

Steve

This continues to be one of my favorite auction houses...Thanks Al for the great customer service and top notch product.

Very nice stuff. The Kreindler painting, CJ Jax, and Ruth RC were all fantastic. Wish I had won the lottery a week ago!

Second time I've consigend with LoTG. Al is first class from beginning to end. Responsive, professional, knowledgeable and trustworthy. As a bidder, I know that I can enter my max bids and rest easy.

This looked like a fun little auction. Congrats to the winners.

Marathon
 

Nice auction. But, I really don't get these auctions that leave every lot open based on one bid for any lot. Of course, this is just sour grapes because I was outbid at 2:45 AM (ET) on the Sporting News Marquard. Congrats to that winner. I guess it's a contest of who wants to stay up the longest, or what time zone you're in.

If you were willing to pay the next level, why not just lock up the level with a ceiling bid?

Wow.
 

What an auction. My first consignment, to say it went well would be an understatement. Can't say enough good things about Al. First class all the way.

And that bat!

Lotg
 

What a great auction!! Unreal ending prices, especially the Gehrig Bat!!!

Great job Al!!

Tony

Some folks I would assume are scared of being shilled is my guess. With all the hobby news of people winning cards they didn't keep and just sending them back to appear in later auctions as result of shilling. I can totally understand why some folks would be hesitant to place ceiling bids.

I have no fear with Al or H&S leaving high ceiling bids. I get my first crack at the last price level every time. I also win a lot with room to go so makes me feel comfortable.

Good to know thanks for sharing. My comment above wasn't a statement about Al or his auction. It was a statement of why some people may have a fear of leaving ceiling bids with any auction.

I'd rather be shilled than lose sleep.:D

I'm less bothered by this, than auctions where you can bid on any item in extra time even if you never bid in regular time. In Sterling last week, I was the only bidder on a card when it went to OT, so I assumed I won. Imagine my surprise to wake up and see I was out bid at 2AM. Shame on me for not reading the rules closely enough, but a strange policy in my opinion. Sorry - not trying to derail the topic!

Scott S@ri@n

Al is beyond reproach. Problem is that sometimes consigners and their friends are not.

I think its the best way to go to avoid getting outbid by someone who quit on their auction then comes and snags yours. I bid on anything early that i want to consider at the end.

That's what I did, and didn't reach my max. Love LOTG!
Justin ( Burl ) Burleson

You are absolutely right, and I normally use that tactic. This was a relatively inexpensive card I discovered on closing day and wasn't sure what I was willing to spend. And, I must admit, the gambler in me enjoys some head-to-head extended bidding. My checkbook, not so much!

Al is the best, as a LOTG consignor he always describes my item well and as a buyer I slept well last night with my winning max bid that was completely untapped come morning.

One of the advantages to being a vampire is being to stay up on auction night. Another is I get my money's worth out of social security.

Drcy, are you for hire to do my zombie bidding? :D Dumb question, where does social security fit into the scheme?

Opps, my bad. Sorry about that. :o I got home from the bars (I can't recommend this tactic), placed my maximum bids and went to bed...

On the positive side, to my surprise all six of my bids held. Most were below my max so I definitely recommend setting it and getting some sleep.

Justin, no worries. That's a sweet card, enjoy! I may have to try the post-bar strategy next time :D

Al's auction house is the best auction house on the planet. I put my max bid in & went to sleep. Unfortunately, I am a low end collector, so I just don't have the deep pockets. :(

Al may still be sleeping.:D

That might explain why I still have not gotten an invoice yet.

Anybody else get one yet?

Probably still hungover from a Taylor Swift concert.

Hi All:

Just reviewing the shipping charges to make sure I'm not overcharging anyone.

Invoices should be emailed within the hour.

Thanks for being patient, I like to get this part right!

-Al

Great auction Al! I hope you consider going to a format where each lot closes without a bid for a certain time. If not, then I guess I Wont get much sleep on auction night.

I have never had a problem
 

with the auction and have won a couple of items in the past. Descriptions match the items and shipping is more than reasonable. I also had no problem leaving a maximum bid in last nights auction (won by a bid below my max). What does bother me is the closing sequence. I understand trying to maximize the bidding opportunities by extending all actions by 15 minutes when any one item is bid on - I assume that allows for someone outbid to then chase something else or? From my perspective as a BIDDER - I would prefer that each item carry it's own clock - I don't like the idea of leaving bids as it allows the subsequent bidder to take shots at the highest bid at their discretion - and around 4:00 am when the mail notices are delivered signaling the end of the auction - them that's awake have an unfair advantage. Just my nickel.....

I played this one about perfectly. Got registered, got approved, got distracted by the wife needing to go to the store, forgot to bid.

Next time!

Auction closing format has been debated endlessly here and it seems there is no solution that will make everyone happy.

Love Of The Game
 

Great auction....playing with the big dogs now. Congrats Al...

Happy either way, but would be more happy if I lived in California for the few auctions that stay open until no bids for the entire auction. Much bigger advantage for Westcoast bidders IMO. Lots that go off independently at a reasonable hour, have a more likeyhood of having multiple bidders get into a bidding battle.

lotg
 

i echo the many positive posts on this thread. this estimate is speculative, but al probably got at least an extra $200k for his consignor by going above and beyond in photo matching the gehrig bat. yes, this likely wasn't an altruistic effort - al obviously benefited as well from the higher price. but isn't that the way it is supposed to work as long as there are no bad actors? the consignor got a sale price probably well beyond their expectations, al did well, and the buyer got a piece that they will hopefully appreciate for many years. i also consigned in this auction, and can sincerely say my experience has been that al is one of the good guys in this hobby.

Won (3) items, (2) below my max bid. VERY VERY fair shipping cost and looking forward to the items. I've won items in 3-4 of the auctions and have always been pleased. There is something with EVERY auction format that hurts some bidder and some consignor but it's Al's job to find the balance to get the most items to the most people......so far, so good.

I commented on LOTG shipping costs in Leon's auction thread saying I thought $8.40 (it was really $8.15 after I checked my invoice to be sure) was too high for 4 ungraded cards. One poster commented that he thought $8 shipping for properly packed cards in a box seems more than fine, especially if the cards are insured by LOTG's carrier.

Thought I'd carry my further questions/comments over here;

My 4 LOTG winnings/invoices over the last 2 years were:
4 raw tobacco cards less than $100 shipped for $8.15;
a graded T3 and a graded 52T greater than $800 shipped for $8.80;
a graded T3 $160 shipped for $8.95;
a graded E92 $600 shipped for $8.00

There seems to be no correlation between value/size and cost to ship.

I'm just curious if anyone can shed some light on that?


Also, I admit I know nothing about insuring mailed cards and maybe I'm not reading this correctly, but:
This is from LOTG's rules: 21. Insurance is provided by Collectibles Insurance Agency. The buyer assumes the risk of loss on all items purchased once we ship said items.

Doesn't this say that if I buy an item and don't receive it, then I am responsible? I must be reading that wrong because if that's the case, what is the insurance for?:confused:



Appreciate any insight :o

I would look at it that you got a bargain on shipping for the more expensive cards. :D

At first blush I agree with you that that language doesn't make sense. I assume it's just boilerplate and that if an item did get lost Al would cover it and submit an insurance claim, but I can't speak for him of course.

Nice point, I remember holding those big boxes that they shipped the T3's in and thinking $8 or $9 seemed about right for those.

Good catch Tony. I think what most AHs do is they have a third party insurance carrier. All the packages are covered if they use USPS and send certified. USPS also gives unlimited free boxes to use for their USPS shipments. There are a few AHs that do NOT do this and they still use shipping/handling as a profit center. Plus I know there is one other AH (advertiser on net54) that wont use a third party umbrella policy for their customers and just pays the ripoff off rate that UPS/Fed-x charges for insurance and passes it along to their customers.

Hi everyone:

Happy to do so; I like to think the LOTG shipping, for what it is, is among the cheapest in the hobby.

My shipping costs are based on three factors: 1) the value of the package, 2) the weight of the package, and 3) some arbitrary sorcery that I'll try and explain below.

First, with respect to insurance: I do not charge bidders for insurance unless the total value of the package is greater than $25,000. I have to have insurance to keep my inventory secure, and insurance on shipping is part of my policy already. If I need to purchase a temporary endorsement on a high-value package, I do pass that cost along.

There is an indirect insurance cost that I pass along in that I do have to ship certain ways based on the value of the package, simply because I have some requirements for how I have to ship. Any package valued over $500 needs to have a signature requirement, which costs $2.35 or something like that (if you've ever gotten a package valued over $500 that didn't have a signature requirement, that was a mistake on my part - don't tell the insurance company!). Any package valued over $2,000 needs to go via Express Mail. Any package valued over $25,000 goes via FedEx. So those are some "forced" costs, I guess, that are driven by my insurance requirements.

The important thing to note, though, is that for my Premier auctions, everything is shipped via Priority Mail at a minimum. That's what's responsible for the majority of the cost. For instance, for me to ship a small parcel weighing around one pound from my office to Tony O, the cost is $7.55. I use Priority Mail because it's safe, quick, and because I can track every package if something gets lost.

From there, anyone who has received a package from me knows what is involved. I take pride in how I package people's winnings, to the point where I still package most of the boxes myself. Even a single card is packed very carefully, with a host of different types of material protecting the card - typically a fresh, triple-walled corrugated outer box, some heavy duty bubble wrap, some corrugated interior pads, AND a bubble wrap bag, at the very least. None of my packing materials are freebie, USPS material, and I almost never reuse boxes (exceptions being for odd-sized or custom-packed items). There's somewhere between $2 and $4 in packing materials involved with each package, depending on what I'm shipping.

Beyond the postage cost and an estimate for packaging materials, the "sorcery" that goes into it is simple: My SimpleAuctionSite software automatically calculates shipping costs on every lot. Before I send out invoices, though, I review each one manually, just to see if any of the shipping costs seem excessive to me. Typically, I reduce about half the invoices by a couple of dollars or so - it's done completely by my gut, it's a reduction from the actual cost to ship, and it's always based on something simple, like "That just seems like too much to pay for that." I never increase a shipping cost, only decrease. That's why sometimes you see a shipping charge for $9.20, and then the next auction it'll be $8.75 for something similar - because I'm randomly reducing the actual cost by a few bucks to a number that feels more fair.

In each auction, I lose money on shipping. It's definitely not a profit center for me in any way.

I hope this explains things a bit, since it's not often I hear my shipping is expensive!

-Al

Al, you have a great auction and your shipping charges have always been more than fair. My earlier post about some AHs was not directed at your company at all, and sorry if that was implied. The only auctions that have better shipping than you are Ebay where shipping is free. Keep up the great work and hopefully other AHs will follow your blueprint.

Hi Jim!

I didn't think you were complaining at all; it's not every day I have an opportunity to explain something as mundane as this, and since it came up in two different threads today I thought this was a good time. And thanks so much for the kind words.

-Al

Hi Al,
I won't prolong this mundane topic beyond saying thanks for explaining why there is no correlation between value/size and shipping costs.

By the way I loved your story about swinging the Gehrig bat in a diner and enjoyed seeing it in Chicago

Have a great weekend!

Tony

shipping
 

4 graded cards weigh a little over 9 ounces. Add the box and the packing material and the total weight is over a pound, so he has to pay the 2 pound rate, which can range anywhere from $5.95 to $13.50, depending on which zone the customer lives in. Chances are that Al is losing money if he is only charging 8 or 9 bucks for this package.

He could use a small flat rate box, but I don't feel that the small boxes are enough protection if you try to jam 4 graded slabs into the box.

Sorry, I read Tony's post incorrectly. Those were 4 raw cards. Even with 4 raw cards, using a solid box and some good cushioning, 8 or 9 bucks is still a good deal. Many eBay dealers are charging $5 for 1 card in a bubble envelope.