Still Going Strong - MEARS December 2010 Auction

[Leon]

Originally Posted by GoldenAge50s

And as a bidder I thank you from the bottom of my wallet .

As an auctioneer yourself, do you think it is OK to have as many unhappy bidders as some who have posted here (and many, I'm sure, that haven't)?

Of course I don't want any unhappy bidders. And I bet if MEARS had to do this over again, they would try to compress it, as Barry correctly mentions. Maybe this could have been 2 auctions, had a bit higher opening bids and/or had the extended bidding start earlier in the day. I have not spoken with them so I don't know their feelings but I am sure they didn't intend to piss anyone off. Live and learn. regards

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

These type of auctions are unfair to East Coasters as well....I can't tell you how many auctions I have lost out on due to some West Coasters bidding around 4 AM EST whilst I am sound asleep. I think it is only sweet justice that this auction is still going on so the East Coast people can get a chance to rebound. That being said, I still think Hunt Auctions has it right....20 mins, individual closing times.

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

I repeat...sweet irony for the East Coasters....

Originally Posted by thekingofclout

This isn't a gangsta rap east coast vs west coast, kill or be killed bullcrap. It's Baseball Memorabilia. Who cares? Go ahead and bid! If you bump me, I'll either come back, look elsewhere or bow out. You've got some issues man...

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

No issues here....I just find it funny that this auction format has burned the East Coast people for years....lo and behold, the West Coast bidders get burned this auction and the tears flow.....carry on!

Originally Posted by thekingofclout

I've never thought of losing an auction as getting "burned" regardless of the situation. If I really want something, I win it 90% of the time (and that is probably a little low). No worries here, as all is beautiful in sunny Southern California. Life is good, life is fair.

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

again, my point is being missed.....I wish some East coasters would chime in......me personally, if it is going to be this particular format, I am GLAD it is extending into day two!!!!

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

I repeat, I wish some EAST COASTERS would chime in. This type of auction format favors the West Coast BY FAR. If it is ABSOULTELY going to be this type of auction, I am GLAD it is extending into the 2nd day. Most of the people complaining are actually West Coast people who realize now that they aren't controlling the end of the auction. They are used to being the last ones bidding, and have been "sniping" items for years. Yea, I know I could leave a proxy bid, but I got one word to say about that - MASTRO! The east coasters are waking up and now who knows when this thing will end!

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

Exactly Leon....I just registered and tried to bid but it wouldn't let me. But now I am definitely going to be bidding in the future! And that is what it is all about.....

YOU JUST REGISTERED? You've been crying like a six year old girl all morning and you never even placed a single bid in this auction? WoW!

And, you claim you have no issues?!

Absolutely INCREDIBLE!

[barrysloate]

Thanks Leon, and no hard feelings of course. I just felt like stirring the pot a little. The board has been a little quiet since the group left.

[sayhey24]

Bobby I'm an East Coaster and I'll chime in. I've been winning auctions for years -- if you want an item, you bid within your means and figure out a way to win it. Do West Coasters typically have an unfair advantage? Who cares? I constantly teach my children that life isn't fair and you just have to learn how to make the best of things.

By the way, Jimmy is one of the best guys in our memorabilia hobby. He wins things because he's smart and has a keen eye, not because he lives in a particular time zone.

Greg

[pgellis]

Some things that bothered me about what has been said already since last time that I logged on are:

1. It seems that if you feel that you got a bargain yesterday, but somebody outbid you today, 15 hours later, then too bad.....you should spend more money. People have said, "Keep bidding or shut up". Well I don't have the deepest pockets on here and probably already bid beyond what I wanted to, but come on 15 hours later, no bids, just end it already.

2. If the auction houses should only worry about their consignors, then they are missing the boat. Like I said earlier, it's a 2-way street. You need bidders to buy the items that have been consigned. If bidders feel that they got burned by this extended bidding 15 hours later, then they won't come back. If your only concern is consignors, then don't charge the buyers premium, just increase your consignment fee and tell them that our auction will go on and on and on.

3. Give me a good explanation why a lot should remain open that hasn't had another bid in 15+ hours?

4. And this extended bidding is almost comparable to the following, absurd scenario: Let's say that there are 2000 T206 on eBay right now. Every time someone bids on a T206, every body else's clock re-starts to 15:00, even if nobody has bid on it for a week. How is this absurd example any different than what is going on right now?

[barrysloate]

As someone who ran auctions, I felt I had more responsibility to my consignors because I had a written contract with them. Bidders executed bids on their own. But it is a balancing act, and you need to keep everybody happy. In this case the consignors of course have no complaints, but the burden placed on bidders is great, and as we see from the posts, a lot of them are unhappy. A simple solution for bidders would be to leave a ceiling bid and forget about it, but too many simply don't trust leaving max bids. In the end the MEARS auction will probably attain some really great prices, but I'm sure they're thinking that they have to make some changes before the next one.

[Kawika]

Nine-thirty in the a.m. here in Honolulu. Just woke up on account of I was up 'til 2 in the morning waiting for MEARS to wind down. Usually I can play the Moanalua Bay advantage to my favor - auctions tend to pau by the time the news comes on, but they're still in "extended bidding" - What the fork! . Will this auction ever end or will it run until the end of time? Has MEARS unlocked the secret of perpetual motion? Oughtn't they just to end the damn thing?

[bobbyw8469]

YOU JUST REGISTERED? You've been crying like a six year old girl all morning and you never even placed a single bid in this auction? WoW!

Excuse me!?!?!?!?!? YOU were the one who was crying!!!!! BOO-HOO!!!! I just woke up and the auction is still going on!!!! Now my $10 bid might get outbid!!!!!! Why didn't this end at 4 AM in the morning!?!?!? WAAAAAAAA!!!! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

[bcbgcbrcb]

I guess that all of our posts here are not swaying the thinking of anyone at MEARS, the auction continues to run on and on and on...........

[sayhey24]

MEARS just sent out an email that the auction will end at 8:00 EST tonight, unless the fifteen minute rule shuts it down before then.

Greg

[GoldenAge50s]

At THIS point, the longer it goes, it's going to cost MEARS money!

Here's why:

Last nite, in extended bidding & into the AM hours, I was prepared to go just about any amt to try & stay on top, because the item is very special to me for a particular reason.

NOW, if someone does come along & tops my bid by $10 I will not go even 1 step higher. The thrill of getting my item has been far surpassed by what has taken place so far.

So, for a possible $10 more after over 17 hours w/ no activity, I will go nowhere near what I would have this early AM, to say nothing about any future expenditures.

I'm sure many others feel the same way even if they don't post their frustration.

[perezfan]

I was the only bidder on a particular lot all week long, and was just outbid a minute ago. Instead of crying over spilled milk, I will now apply that money to another lot I've been eyeing.

For me, this auction is the most fun in a long time, and the daytime closing makes it fair for all parties (East and West Coast). I wish more auctions would end on a weekend during the daytime. It's a pain in the ass to be on a date, while trying to bid via I-Phone. It kinda kills the mood for the "other party" as well

Edited to add that there will never be consensus on this issue...

[ibuysportsephemera]

Could you please post a copy of the e-mail you received from Mears. I have not received any e-mail from them.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Jay Wolt]

Originally Posted by ibuysportsephemera

Could you please post a copy of the e-mail you received from Mears. I have not received any e-mail from them.

Thanks,

Jeff

The December 2010 MEARS Auction has been an incredible success with organizational highs for:

New Registered Bidder
Bidders Participating
Consigners
Lots
Bids Placed
Prices Realized

We thank all that have participated in one form or another. As the old saying goes, "All Good Things Must Come to an End." As it stands now, there have been bids placed within a 15 minute window at least once for every period of 15 minutes since our close last night. This has kept the auction live, and while we appreciate the interest, we also realize that this does not sit well across the board with bidders.

With all of this in mind, the December MEARS Auction will end NO LATER THAN 8:00 PM EST tonight. Please know this does not mean the auction has to run that late. If a period of 15 minutes with no bidding activity on any lot occurs before 8:00 PM EST, the auction will close at that time.

Once again, we thank all of you for making this auction our most successful event to date and we look forward to supporting your collecting interests in 2011.

Troy R. Kinunen
President, MEARS Auctions

[ibuysportsephemera]

Thanks Jay...Happy New Year.

I never got the e-mail.....just another thing to be annoyed at Mears about.

[D. Bergin]

Did you ever bid on something and then immediately wish that somebody would outbid you on it?

This auction is the best case scenario for that.


I'm still hanging on to a few lots and threw in a few minor bids this morning. Weirdest auction ever.

[DanD]

Originally Posted by ibuysportsephemera

Thanks Jay...Happy New Year.

I never got the e-mail.....just another thing to be annoyed at Mears about.

I got 4 emails saying the same thing.

[Leon]

I guess the auction has ended. I thought this was really a cool photo...

[ibuysportsephemera]

@Leon- Love that photo, if you were the winner congrats.

Well, I won the 8 lots that I wanted to win. As Mr. Bergin put so eloquently above, the 2 lots that I was outbid on were the most expensive, so I wasn't really that upset.

Happy New Year to All and thanks to the folks who supported my in my time of angst.

[sayhey24]

Jeff,

Congrats on things working out for you -- can you tell us what you won?

Leon that's a great photo, I remember seeing it at the National, and was struck by how nice it looked.

I'm embarrassed to say that I only won two small non-sports pins in this MEARS auction -- I bought too much in the recent Hunt and Mastro Collection auctions.

Greg

[bcbgcbrcb]

Like Jeff, I was outbid on my two most expensive lots but won the lower-priced four items that I was interested in.

[oriolesbb6]

[QUOTE=pgellis;858860]I was under the assumption that you had to have an "initial bid" in on an item prior to the auction ending time of 9:00pm CST last night in order to continue to bid on that item in "overtime". Am I wrong on this?

I just got home- I can not believ this-I was winning bidder on 15 lots as of auction close with no other bids-aka I was the first and only bidder-now Ive been outbid on multiple lots....BS in my opinion-I understand the auction house wants to make money but at the cost of losing future bidders..........

[Rob D.]

Putting aside how long this auction lasted and the standard operating procedures of other auction houses, the idea that bidders on the West Coast sometimes don't have an advantage over East Coast bidders is comical. Heck, more than once on this board the West Coasters have acknowledged that very fact.

So please cease with the "XXXX wins items because he's an aggressive bidder." That certainly plays a role -- it's a big factor -- but being able to take part from the West Coast when an auction runs late can be a tremendous advantage. I don't mind it and accept it as how it is. It's not a big deal to me, and whining it about it serves no purpose.

But some of the posts above that try to discount that it's a reality are a joke.

[pgellis]

I am pretty sure (and I may be wrong), but there small, monthly auction runs different than this one. There was an item that I missed on their small, monthly auction last month and went to bid on it when the extended bidding period began and I wasn't able to bid on it because I didn't have a bid on it before the end of the auction.

Why have 2 different methods?

[oriolesbb6]

Originally Posted by pgellis

I am pretty sure (and I may be wrong), but there small, monthly auction runs different than this one. There was an item that I missed on their small, monthly auction last month and went to bid on it when the extended bidding period began and I wasn't able to bid on it because I didn't have a bid on it before the end of the auction.

Why have 2 different methods?

i THOUGHT this as well, I was trying to state that in an earlier post????????Maybe Tony will respond at some point..

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by Leon

I guess the auction has ended. I thought this was really a cool photo...

Love the photo Leon. Congrats!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by ibuysportsephemera

@Leon- Love that photo, if you were the winner congrats.

Yes I got it and approximately 26 other lots....very happy to have participated. I thought this was interesting too, as it says it's a photo and not the normal supplement. The other similar ones say they were supplements so I am assuming this is not a regular supplement......

[russyurk]

I hate this crap, end each lot individually like MLB auctions. I may bid on one or two items in an auction like this so why do my lots have to go on endlessly?? East coast/west coast it sucks regardless and makes me not want to get involved in another auction.

[GoldenAge50s]

I won my Lot for my original min. bid, so after 20 or so plus hrs of needless aggravation I am just relieved that the fiasco is over.

Nonetheless, this format needs serious review and much of the glitter has gone from my purchase.

I can feel sorry & share the anger for anyone who got beat out of an item more than 12 to 20 hrs after no activity on their Lots.

[pgellis]

Originally Posted by oriolesbb6

i THOUGHT this as well, I was trying to state that in an earlier post????????Maybe Tony will respond at some point..

I would love to hear a response to this question. I tried to bid on a lot of Green Bay Packers T Shirts, but it was 15 minutes or so after the end of their monthly auction ended and I was too late.

Why was it different this time? Could somebody please explain?

[ibuysportsephemera]

Originally Posted by sayhey24

Jeff,

Congrats on things working out for you -- can you tell us what you won?

Greg

Sure..thanks for asking:


1943-61 Leo Durocher "The Sporting News Collection Archives" Original Photos (Sporting News Collection Hologram/MEARS Photo LOA) - Lot of 29

1951-55 Pee Wee Reese Brooklyn Dodgers "The Sporting News Collection Archives" Original Photo- Lot of 10 (Sporting News Collection Hologram/MEARS Photo LOA)

1951-84 circa Yogi Berra New York Yankees "The Sporting News Collection Archives" Original Photos (Sporting News Collection Hologram/MEARS Photo LOA) - Lot of 12

1953-69 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees "The Sporting News Collection Archives" Original Photo - Lot of 5 (Sporting News Collection Hologram/MEARS Photo LOA)

1957-81 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees "The Sporting News Collection Archives" Original Photos (Sporting News Collection Hologram/MEARS Photo LOA) - Lot of 8

1955-57 Ray Nitschke University of Illinois Program & Media Guide - Lot of 4 Green Bay Packers Legend

1955-69 Ray Nitschke Group of Programs - Most University of Illinois - Lot of 5 Green Bay Packers Legend

1945-47 Chicago Stadium Reivew College All-Star Classic Program & Sheboygan Redskins 1946-47 Program

Very affordable, a few great images and media guides. Good haul as far as I am concerned.