Dumb Auction Question from new guy
I have been reading on this board for a couple years and recently joined. I have read about people questioning the legitimacy of auctions, photo scans and in general the ability to police auctions - online or otherwise. So I wanted to bring up a reasonable, if unlikely, solution:
The good people here at Net54! Seems to me there are hundreds, maybe thousands of members? That means if you all pooled some money (Leon sets up a crowdfunding page and acts as custodian) and some time (most of you research anyway for free, so set up a rotating 'police' force) you could create the ideal auction house for yourselves. You all seem to have vetted each other, you have the ears of the major auction houses and you possess the knowledge of what practices are unethical. You could set the fees to make it so that it is self sustaining - money is accrued to maintain and run the site, but the vast majority of funds could now be realized by the seller. The buyer also benefits from a better marketplace and no big attached to the buy price. I'm aware that this is unlikely - that a group would form to shake the status quo and break from tradition, making sacrifices for a better future. There is precedent for this. Fifty six men in 1776. Stakes were higher, still worked. My two cents, which incidentally is about what I could kick in. ;) |
Your question sounds like a suggestion.
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Anyone think this has merit? (Better?) |
The buy sell trade section below has an auction section, in this forum
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You would need too many people to work for free. |
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I'm just spitballing here - but as is often the case, there's more identification of problems going on than solutions offered. I just wanted to try to offer one... |
There are very good reason the owners of an auction house charge the percentages that they do. I would suggest talking to one or two auction companies and see what their actual overhead expenses are and the time commitment needed to put together an auction. I think you'll find it is a bit more than you expect.
As far as ethical auction houses, they are out there and get mentioned here from time to time. A few other things to consider, who is responsible for when something doesn't go right, storing the items, or shipping? Despite multiple threads, this board has never been able to reach a consensus on how an auction should end. I'll let Leon or one of the other members who own or have owned an auction house speak of their experiences, but I just think you are greatly over simplifying the logistic of running an auction. DJ |
As many people who follow this site regularly, and there are many, it's a drop in the bucket I'm sure as to who peruses card listings on eBay in a given day. And, as I've cynically said previously, dealing only with highly educated consumers of certain goods is probably a terrible strategy to maximize your profits. Think of your typical car dealership. Make most of their money off the least uneducated customers.
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As for everything else being said, I can tell you, as a guy in the process of taking over a small auction house, yeah, TONS of work, liability issues, customer service time etc... it's not a get rich quick situation (at least if you do it ethically!) |
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Fun talking about it, anyway. Full disclosure, I have no vested interest, I was in diapers or not conceived when many of you were pulling gems out of wax packs and am a very budget collector. |
There are several options already put forth by members. Take the time to check out the sponsors as most are ran by participating members of the board. Some run monthly auctions so there is no need for waiting for "auction seasons".
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