I think people vastly overestimate the "advantage" a situation like this brings to the auction company. For every person who decides to throw a few bids they might not have (which really doesn't make much sense) there are several who might have still been interested in bidding yesterday who are pissed and won't bid today.

But let's spitball and make up a number. Let's say this adds something crazy like $250k in bids that they WOULDN'T have gotten yesterday. That would likely add about $62,500 to REA's bottom line. Does anyone REALLY think this hassle, bad publicity, pissed off buyers AND consignors (consignors like things to go as planned, period) and aggravation is worth $62,500 to REA?

But there's no reason to believe that that same person wouldn't have bid in extended bidding last night if the site had been running properly. It's not proof of any difference. I don't know why the assumption is that with a faulty ending suddenly people will be willing to pay more that they would have if things had run properly. It's a logical leap I'm not willing to make.

Same flawed logic I've seen used to justify keeping an auction open until 6AM. But we got lots of bids from 5 to 6!!

The auction should be shut down at 9pm period. People have had all day to come up with a bid. This doesn't make any sense to me. Frank

Yep! looks like someone pulled the plug

Financially speaking, they’re probably not too upset, and not scrambling to pay a ton of money to fix the issue. Short term this has increased profit. Long term probably doesn’t have much of an effect. I’m sure they didn’t want it to happen but they’re probably not crying either.

I am not saying the entire "situation" is an advantage to the AH. What I am saying is, to use your numbers:

1. Server crashed. Accident that is a bummer for everyone.
2. Auction SHOULD resume the next evening from the point where it crashed, in other words, as lots are going into individual 10 minute rule.
3. REA instead opens up the auction all day today and puts that estimated $62,500 in their pocket, and lots of smiles on the faces of their consigners.

So, in your scenario, my issue is with that marginal $62.5k garnered by adding another day to the auction needlessly.

To be clear, I honestly believe REA would've rather had the servers stay up and things work as expected. But when they didn't, there was no valid excuse to pad the bidding time by an extra day.

And I bet the number is a lot less that $250k. Most of the bids coming in today are ones that would have been made last night if the system didn’t have issues. I would trust Brian to hold my wallet, which is something I can say about very few people in the world. I trust he made the best decision for all involved.

Just flat out unacceptable. Personal opinion.

There seemed to be some arguing otherwise. Sounds like we're in agreement though.

I JUST now got outbid on the lot I was winning.
Such fkn bullshit.

This thread is truly gold.

Is it safe to assume you haven't put any bids in today, nor will you?

All of the items that I was winning should have been considered closed.
All of the items that I consigned should remain open as long as it takes to get every possible bid placed and to wring every last possible dollar out of the prospective bidders.
(No I'm not serious)

I haven't. My max bid was pushed to the limit this morning at 7 AM.

I keep thinking about what Peter always says: "Stuff trumps all." I want to be principled and walk away. On the other hand, I really did want to win my item.

In answer to your next question, yes, it's weird having Peter living in my head.

As long as I am there, I urge you to try to win the item you want, I see no great principle involved here, the AH did its best with a shitty turn of events.

They didn’t do it intentionally. Not sure I’m giving a round of applause for that.

My internet & tv were down 3 pm until. 7 pm today xfinity.

Can we all stop complaining please come the next auction people will completely forget about this it’ll be an afterthought. REA is one of the best AH’s out there, things happen, they’re doing the best they can with the outage.

People are getting so bent out of shape there will be more auctions more cards just be patient. Good things will come.

My thoughts
 

1) I wholeheartedly believe this was unintentional. I also agree it is a crappy situation with no possible positive outcome for everyone.
2) I agree with others who have commented that the auction should have been restarted at whatever point (9PM is fine) from where we left off yesterday at the 10 minute closing rather than having an entire day of additional bidding.
3) There is A LOT of psychology to bidding and auctions - the argument that "people will bid what they would have bid" holds no water with me. If someone gets outbid - the more time they have to think about it, the greater likelihood there is that they will place a bid they would not otherwise have placed if not given the time to think. This is certainly not on every item, but will occur on many lots. If this wasn't a factor "sniping" wouldn't exist.
4) The thing that bothers me most was the lack of communication between ~12AM and 1:14AM - The clock was counting down on each lot - I and others were permitted to place bids without clarity on whether the auction would end last night or be pushed till today. I placed bids in that time period thinking there was a chance the auction would close according to the clocks that were counting down. At 1:14 well over an hour after the problem started the email went out saying the auction would be extended. Fairer (imo) would have been to "pause the auction" closer to when the problem began until a decision was made and clearly communicated with everyone.

Avoidable issue. Not the first time it has happened. I think that’s why people are upset.

Again I ask why would you assume that person wouldn't have bid yesterday if everything had been working. Oddly enough a lot of bids normally come in at that time that didn't. The assumption that this is activity that wouldn't have happened otherwise is odd. We don't know one way or the other for sure, but the idea that this added time suddenly made people want to spend more certainly seems to be the opposite reaction to the one almost everyone on Net54 is having.

But do they really care ? I would say no they don’t because you can see above they still want the cards if they have a card that they want they’re going to bid they could care less about what happened last night they want the card. The card trumps all past behavior and past issues are what they are they are, the past, if the card is here now they’re going to bid and they’re going to do what it takes 9x out of 10 to win it. That’s why the complaining is kind of like whatever to me

I'm sure it's mildly embarrassing for 5 minutes.

This whole thread proves beyond a doubt that most of you aren't going to give a shit when this happens in the slightest. Why should they.

Like when McDonalds offers 1975 prices, get overwhelmed with foot traffic, and then call the whole thing off a few hours later. You thing they are embarrassed???? Hahahahahaha.

100 percent.

It would be a riot to lay this thread next to similar threads regarding when the exact same problem happened to Goldin. Just sayin.

Agree completely. This wins my vote for best, most succinct post in this thread.

100 percent.

Saw a lot of comments today about how people are never bidding in REA auctions again. True for now… until REA sends out its next catalogue.

Bada ba ba ba I’m Lovin it !

Hobby memories are short. My guess is not one single person will stop bidding over this. Nor should they IMO.

Agreed.
I'm down to currently winning 2 lots (it was 4 before the server issues last night)...and those 2 lots have gone up $1500 combined today (so far) with the added "bonus" of an entire extra day of extended bidding. Cosigner and AH happy...potential buyer not so happy.

Next catalog.... hell if they had a bid in they’re only going to be complaining till 2100 tonight so they can bid again.

I didn't see any comments where someone said they won't bid with them again but I might have missed it. If they won't it might be a customer REA can live without. Is it extended bidding yet? :)
.

Regarding point 3, I hear you but I think the opposite is plausible too, people who were caught up in the heat of pitched battle late at night, who were ready to bid more, take a more reasoned approach in the sober light of day and don't place that next bid.

Agree on that statement.

Last night/early morning was brutal, kindly stay off my 4 lots and I'll leave the other 3500+ alone...

And good luck to everybody bidding (again)!

Carl, what you don't know is if the person who bid on this card 10 minutes ago is the same person who wasn't able to access the auction after midnight last night to place this same bid.

I got outbid on my last lot I was high on today. I think I am going to put my head down and dive back in ..Damn the torpedoes!
.

Atta boy! :)

this
 

For me Howard nails it right here. Everything else is fine - but the uncertainty during that hour really pissed me off. You felt like you had to continue bidding and yet you had no idea what was happening. I understand the lack of emails until they were really sure what they needed to do, but they should have suspended bidding right at 12:10 and not turned anything back on until after they had made the decision to extend for a day.

Tim

4) The thing that bothers me most was the lack of communication between ~12AM and 1:14AM - The clock was counting down on each lot - I and others were permitted to place bids without clarity on whether the auction would end last night or be pushed till today. I placed bids in that time period thinking there was a chance the auction would close according to the clocks that were counting down. At 1:14 well over an hour after the problem started the email went out saying the auction would be extended. Fairer (imo) would have been to "pause the auction" closer to when the problem began until a decision was made and clearly communicated with everyone.[/QUOTE]

All of these points are spot-on in my opinion as well...

Especially #3. It's a proven fact that given more time to think about it, more bids will come in. That's precisely why sniping is so effective. What if your winning eBay snipe erroneously registered an hour early? More than likely, someone would outbid it.

hahaha - and so it begins - items i won 3 different times last night i've not been outbid

perfect!

Start the Jeopardy theme.

I am out. Every item I was high bidder on through the night and through overtime has now been outbid and I can't bid on any other items to put my money elsewhere. Have a good night in REA everyone.

My wife will be happy I will not be spending any money! :)

Thank you REA for starting the extended bidding tonight at 9 pm. My lots are already locked and sold and I can go to bed early. Love it.

Alright, I'm out. Whoever keeps bumping me on the M101 type cards, congratulations on your winnings.

Managed to win the "one that got away" last night. It's a card that Leon would approve of, low technical grade=lower price(still a record price for the grade level) with killer eye appeal. Bought the card, not the holder.

yay
 

I still have 1 consigned card going strong!

Yay!

Mike

I sold the Cobb and won the Wagner. I'm quite pleased with the results.

Didn't expect REA would end this early tonite, i was going to put in my last few bids on the Wagner. Damn.