Posted By:
Gilbert PorterI was one othe "live" attendees of this auction - one of many I might add. I do not think that the eBay live component was a negative at all. Though I do believe that it is a poor second to live attendance. In general, Sothebys handled the auction in a first-class mannner.
I think several lots were held back by the combination of a high buyer's fee of 20% and, for those hobbyists in NY who are not exempt from sales tax, an additional 8.35%. That, and the fact that every auction has a rhythm of ups and downs - where bidders leave the room or check in with their clients - one that you cannot see unless you are there in person. Keep in mind that most of the lots were won by live attendees, with telephone bidders second and eBay a distant third.
I distinctly remember this lot going cheap and was puzzled at the time. It did not open at 19 - but the bidding stopped abruptly at that point, to my surprise. I was sorely tempted to bid myself, but was saving my limited funds for other things. That said, if you add in the rest of the fees and possible taxes, the next bid of $20K would put it at SMR ($25,600), and the next increment after that - $22,500 - would take you over (about $29K).
One thing that was evident from attending the auction live - the high price items were dominated by a relatively small number of puchasers. Thus, it may simply be that this card was not on the purchasing list of the elite collectors at the auction, and therefore sold at a "wholesale" price. I feel bad, though, for the seller - would have done better walking it through a card show instead.
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