Favorite auction house?
 

Hello all,

I am sure most on here are like me and purchased at lease one lot from each of the major/minor sports auctionhouses.

I just am curious which auctionhouse(s) are your favorite.

Mine, I like several for multiple reasons.

Robert Edward: I always look forward to receiving this catalog. I enjoy looking through past catalogs, as well. I think this goes w/o being said. I usually buy 2-3 lots from them each year, not for resale, but for my own personal collection. They have been one of the more accomodating auctionhouses when it comes to consigning, too.

Hunt: I have seen them grow as I have been a regular in attendance at their Exton (now Valley Forge) live auctions since 1998. I look through old catalogs and shake my head over how prices of items have risen, especially when it comes to tobacco cards. I have had many, many great buys from them over the years, especially when I had ultra fun when they had the McAllister auctions. Those were my favorite, even though my checkbook didn't think so at the time!

I was also a fan of the old Mike Gutierrez Auction. He always had neat stuff and some great autograph bulk lots. I laugh at the time when I bought hundreds of Yankees single signed baseballs, they came in like 5 large boxes. To this day, I still feel bad for the UPS guy!

Really, I have only had a handful of bad experiences with several auctionhouses, but to each of their credit, they were quick in making a right out of a wrong.

I bought a large amount of items in a Leland's auction last year, and for the first time this ever happened to me, the package was lost in the mail somewhere along time line from their offices to the UPS place near my home. The tracking stated it was in customs. Long story short, they were very quick in issuing me a refund check with the agreement if the items ever did make it to me, I would send them a new check. No items. I still scour the net and other auctions for the items that never got to me, including some early Pirates team photos I never saw before.

1. REA
2. HUggins & Scott

1. REA - By far the best in the business. Detailed descriptions and photos and excellant customer service.

2. Legendary Auctions

3. Huggins and Scott

1, REA
2. Hunts
3. Lelands
4. Mears
5. Legendary

Lelands. There are other good auction houses, but the question was about favorite.

My Favorite by far is...
 

Henry Yee Auctions on ebay, 2 - 3 times a year. Always 1500+ lots starting at just .99 cents and always a wonderful selection of really neat memorabilia, pins, odds & ends, and top-notch photos. Been buying from him for almost ten years now.

He has one coming up in early March. And I almost forgot... NO BUYERS PREMIUM :D

BTW... for anyone wondering how he gets so many bidders... he has an ACTIVE email list of close to 10,000 previous bidders and he does a great job marketing it. And NO I don't work for him, I just really like his auctions. ;)

Auction Houses
 

In building a world class baseball memorabilia collection, we have worked closely with more than 35 auction houses in the United States and Europe.

Whilst nearly every auctioneer secures rare and wonderful pieces, one organization stands out heads above the others

That is Robert Edward Auctions.

We first dealt with Rob Lifson in 1975 when we purchased our first Four Base Hit and first Just So. These items still grace our collection today.

Having partnered with REA as a consigner, and also as a customer no other firm comes close.

Here is our list of the top ten items one should consider in selecting an auction house"

1. Integrity- do they accurately and fairly represent the items they have?
Do they have systems in place to avoid shill billing?

2. Cash- do they have sufficient funds to pay consignors quickly and to provide collectors with a down payment?

3. Transparency- do we know for certain that the auction house doesn't own
the piece?

4. Knowledge- is the auction house able to research and accurately describe the item?

5. Quality of writing and photography in catalog

6. Distribution and Marketing-Is the catalog sent to the top collectors across the US and around the world? Does the auction house invest in promoting the auction to new markets as well as to long-established collectors?

7. Web Site- is it well organized, easy to navigate and easy for bidders to use

8. Customer Service- is the auction house staff able to answer questions
accurately and quickly

9. Quality of material- if you are buying or selling a rare item, is said item
a lone wolf or part of a quality offering

10. Reputation- if one is going to buy or sell world class items, does the auction house have an impeccable reputation for integrity, industry knowledge and financial strength.

That is our check list--- only one auction house, REA, meets all our criteria. Albeit, we have made purchases from 18 different auctions (not Ebay) in the past 24 months.


Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List

bdorskind@dorskindgroup.com