Clean Sweep Auctions bidding
 

Thanks!

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Three thoughts ...
 

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... and they are wild and unsupported ones at that.
So please take with a grain of salt, and with no intended malice.

1. Someone throwing max bid out there with little interest in following bidding action on lot. A "if I win, great" mentality. A lot of people with lots of deeper pockets out there these days. It is not a 2009-2010 economy anymore.

2. Consignor shill bid, instead of setting a reserve

3. Auction house max bid to acquire item for eventual resale.
Steve V. is a Net54 member, so he might clarify whether Clean Sweep bids in its own auctions to acquire items for CS resale or future auctions. (added: Per Steve, Clean Sweep does not bid within their own auctions for the purpose of acquiring retail stock/inventory). So thought #3 is not relevant.

I am a fan of a Clean Sweep auctions and they have provided me with several autographs I have needed for my collection over the years. I have no problem with auction house bidding when they are transparent in their bidding. If this is a CS max bid, then appears very transparent to me, as a rival bidder.

But 1) and 2) are just as likely valid.

Done it before....
 

When Lipset had these up for sale in one of his auctions the opening bid was $1000. I called Lew the first day and before any bids were placed (this was around 15 yrs ago). He said I could bid anything above the current (opening) bid. I bid $8000 as a straight bid, It was the only bid and held and I won the lot. I didn't want any competition and so be it...At the time these were more rare than they are today (and they are still scarce)... The strategy of straight bids can work but it is very seldom I would do it.

http://luckeycards.com/pe94overprintset3.jpg

Surprised to hear you like Hunt's internet auctions better. Since they quit showing everything in their catalog, I've bid a lot less. I spend enough time staring at computer screens, I can't stand searching through tiny thumbnails to see if it's something I want.

Hunt Auction website is terrible. How in the world for instance do you put game used items in your auction with only one picture. Even a bat you want to see the whole bat, knob, barrel, center label, maybe a cert and they put one picture. Hate it. If you email them for more pictures they will send you some but why not put them in the auction and be done with it. As a consignor I want to make the most money for my item with multiple pictures to sell my item not ONE as with almost all there lots are. Worst one in my opinion.

It's akin to jumping the bid in a live auction. I'm going along at $25 increments and someone bids $200 higher than the next increment. It's a stratecigalious thing.

It lowers the number of people that could potentially be fighting it out at the end is the answer I have been given by a few guys who use it in our auctions. Instead having 10-20 guys potentially going for it at the end, I guess you just have a couple?

Apology . . .
 

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. . . I would like to publicly state that it is my understanding that Clean Sweep Auctions does NOT bid on items in their own auctions. It was irresponsible and wrong of me to suggest or allude to that possibility. My point 3) was based on remembrance of past Net54 Old Cardboard discussions regarding the possibility that some auction house may use such practices. I just want to clarify that Clean Sweep Auctions is not one of those auction houses that shops among the items it is selling. My apologies to Steve Verkman and his fine staff at Clean Sweep Auctions.

Thanks!

Hmmm ... I do not recall stating a like or dislike of Hunt's internet auctions. I have won virtually zip from them over the years. But possible I did. My memory, like my collecting activity, has slowed greatly over the past few years.