BCB Auction now open for bidding
 

Hello Net54Baseball members,

Hope everyone had a healthy summer.

1) My fall auction is now up and open for viewing, registering and bidding. www.bcbauction.com is the site. Only 11% buyers premium for this auction, lowest in the hobby!

2) My new sports collectibles/entertainment radio show airs on www.kcaaradio.com/friday.html Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun, conversation/topic when I mention the call in tel. # during the program.

Hope you all find items of interest in this auction.

Sincerely- Brian Cataquet Baseball

May I ask a question?

Why do you state NM values for cards that are beaters and may be lucky to get a grade for a SGC 10?

Response to Bobby Binder
 

Hi Bobby,

Because I feel that if a card has a significant book value (like $5,000) it is important to state it (notice I say Nm value) so collectors can use it as a "referencing point" for how much they want to pay for the actual card being sold, even if it is in lower grade.

Also for collectors that don't have a price guide on hand, it is simply a "referencing point" to show and state how valuable the card is in it's original form.

Thanks for the question? BCB Auctions

I think the question was rhetorical and meant to point out that by putting NM values next to beater cards that the collecting public might be misled. The same is, of course, true of auction estimates and, frankly, any attempt to provide a target or range for a given card, other than, say, minimum bid.

disagree
 

I disagree. I see no problem in pointing out the NM prices as many collectors still go by a percentage of NM when valuing something. Also, in todays shill-laden world I don't think it's any different than quoting a previous sale (which I have done, myself) since who knows if it was legit or not? As I always say, give me big front and back scans and I can handle the rest.

Good luck with the auction, Brian.....

I should have been more neutral in my post -- I also see no problem in pointing this out. I just wanted to cut to the chase faster.

Thanks for the reply.

Also stated in the description my point on the Sweeney card
 

Hi Folks,

Nothing to be mislead as it states it all clearly in the actual description below

"[I]A card which is valued at $5,000.00 in Nm when found and in lower grade Vg, it has an Est. Value of $1,300.00, which shows you just how valuable & desirable this card is (which is the point I am trying to make)

Thanks Guys! BcB

Brian, did you get your card values from VCP? :D

Here is a specific item from Brian's auction
 

"Offered here is a T206 Marquard Portrait card which grades G/Vg. The condition of the back of the card is clean with a Piedmont 350 advertisement. No Back Damage. A $1,300.00 card in Nm" Min bid $50.

How is that misleading in any way.

The seller is stating the NM value (which is usually a book value).
He is also stating the condition is G/VG (We can discuss that; but no claim is made that this is in great condition)
And the minimum bid is 4 percent of the stated book value.

As I like to say; let's jump on people when they do wrong; not when everything is described properly.

Rich

well said
 

Well said Rich......

I asked a legitimate question because none of the other auction houses use this in their descriptions. REA is the only one that I can think of that will put in a range for the value of the lot.

I understand where you are coming from
 

But an important difference is that these are "raw" cards in a commonly traded set so book value can be pretty well established.

Most of the cards we see from the auctions houses are graded so they do have a different schematic in terms of value (In other words; it is easy to trace their history from a site such as VCP :))

But, in this case; these are raw off-conditioned cards from a commonly traded set. No harm in listing a NM (Book) price so you have an idea as to percent of value the card could be worth.

Same principle if I break a 1967 Topps set. Other than I would not list the commons for the cheap price one by one; when I get to the Seaver RC (as an example); I might say; Card lists in NM at $400 (or whatever current book is), this card is in VG Condition. Min Bid is just 10 percent of NM price and we'll begin at $40. In both cases; in reality a good scan is just as important as the min bid so we can truly see what the damage is.

Again; nothing wrong with stating full book price for higher condition and creating an appropriate minimum bid. I'm sure Brian has made mistakes in the past and will do so in the future; in this case; he is fine :)

Rich


Rich

In the old days, auctioneers often used to do it this way ("Nrmt Becket $120"), When the cards were grade Nrmt-Mt or Mt, the listed book price (Nrmt $100) was below the value of the card. The book quote was meant as a quick and dirty reference for bidders. As the practice was so prevalent at the time and most bidders subscribed to Beckett and knew the equations of Ex = 50% Nrmt, Vg =30% Nrmt etc, most bidders understood the meaning of the quote. In fact, the auctioneer often explained the financial meaning of the quote.

As I've seen this practice before, it doesn't bother me personally and I do not believe it is intended to be deceptive. If someone says an auction doing this should have a blurb somewhere explaining the Nrmt book quoting and what it means visa vie value, I would agree with that.

To go along the same path it seems very likely that the

E90 Sweeney is trimmed at the top and or the bottom. Top is wavy, bottom has a sharp angle on the left corner.

http://www.bcbauctions.com/auction/p...ball-cards/43/

Since you had a card in your last auction that was obviously trimmed and even after I contacted you about it several times, you choose not to adjust the listing, I wonder if you would consider addressing this card this time around.

James G

I just took a look at the website.

The website says, among other things, that Brian is "the biggest, most popular and the most knowledgeable expert/seller/buyer in New York City and the entire East Coast for vintage sports cards" (emphasis added).

Do people here agree he is all that?

Adam....He is the "King"
Check out the You Tube link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrLxi8gy67o

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I just listened (via podcast via the link to the radio station he provided in one of his posts above) to the first few minutes of one of his radio shows . . . which, by the way, sound like he is calling in on the telephone, as opposed to being in the actual radio station studio.

In the October 9, 2009 episode/show at 5:56, he indicates someone can "profit instantly" by buying/winning items from his auction.

Do people here agree that's a fair statement to make in promoting an auction?

FYI... His ebay feedback is:
 

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tobeeecat ( 7040) Not a registered user
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Member since: Jun-26-99 in United States

Obviously the auctioneer engages in some inane puffery; but other than the obviously trimmed card does anyone have any reason to believe there's also fraud going on in this auction? Anyone know of instances in this guy's auction where cards are repeatedly selling for 25x more than what they sold for the day before and after? Anyone know of instances in which bidders are openly discussing -- cough, cough, not on this board, of course -- bidding on their friends' auctions (and vice versa)? Any easily proven lies about claims of "1 of 1" populations?

Now if we can only get some angry denunciations of the critics on this thread from known (and some unknown but soon to be proven) shills for this auctioneer then I think we may be on to something.

Lol

Pardon me sir. Your sarcasm is showing.

Is it me or is every card that is bid on go up in $5 increments??? Maybe for higher $ cards like the Cobb but come on. :(

Just for the record, I've bid in Brian's auctions in the past and had other dealings with him outside of his auctions. He's always been on the up and up with me and a pleasure to deal with.

Well, since you brought it up.... I won some items from this seller on ebay a few years back, that were way overgraded at best. When they arrived had a ton of writing on the back, which was not disclosed. I asked for a refund and was denied. Worst transaction I have ever had on ebay.

Caveat Emptor

Response to PUP6913 & others wondering
 

Hello PUP6913 & others wondering,

I am glad you brought that up. I noticed that yesterday as well. I am on the phone with my computer Auction tech person and he had the "Default Settings" set at $5 increments for his other clients which also ended up with my Auction.

He is trying to correct that now and hopefully have everything corrected with all lots at 10% increments above the current bid. Thanks for bringing that up.

I will get back to all when hopefully is all fixed. Regards BcB

Everything is now corrected
 

All increments have been corrected by my computer guy. All increments are at 10%

Best to all- Brian C.

Regarding the E90-1 Sweeney
 

According to the auction listing, "This card grades Good and is slightly miscut on top/bottom. Current Bid $245." Just by taking a quick look, this is misleading to say the least. I'm not sure this is the kind of business that should be promoted/advertised on this forum.

Hi Mrc32,

Sorry that happened. Don't recall that. At BcB Auctions, All I care about is the service to my customers more that the "Dollar Figure". We will try to please you or work with you at Bcb Auctions as best we can- Happy Collecting!

Trimmed card!!
 

And yet just like in his last auction he does not address another trimmed card. The one in the last auction I had sold in an SGC authentic holder BCB sold it raw. Granted I don't know when or who removed it from the holder but it was obviously trimmed. I emailed Brian several times about the card and never got a response.

Now I see this Sweeney and I think well hell the guy just sells trimmed cards and doesn't mention it. IMO this is enough to stay away from his auctions.

James G

There was a question about Brian's ebay feedback rating, if I remember it was below 95%, one of the worst I have seen on ebay and probably the reason he is no longer a registered user. He has always been questionable with his selling techniques and obviously has not changed his ways. As you can see he responds to questions that are favorable to him but will not address the bigger issue of the trimmed cards in his auctions. It appears he will never change and just be a promoter, too bad because he does have nice cards at times.

Lee