Features all auction houses should implement
 

I noticed today while bidding in the BST auction that I had not seen any other auction house implement before. When you go to place your bid, either straight or max, they list the bid amount as well as the buyers premium % and the total amount. Thought this was great since you don't have to do the math to figure out the total amount including the buyers premium or keep going back to the auction rules to see what the buyers premium is.

So my question is, what other features does a specific auction house do that you wish the others would would also do?

DJ

Have closing times be lot specific. If no one bids on my lot for 15 minutes, I want the lot to close. I can't stand the bidding on all lots must cease for 15 minutes rule.

Heritage gives you the full amount, but I agree I like seeing the full amount instead of masking this. Yet it falls in line with not having taxes calculated in when shopping at the store, or that 9/10 cent that is on the back end of gas/gallon prices on gas. The less people think about it the happier they are to pay higher prices. Sure planning buyers calculate for this, but the impulse buyers don't and that is what they are counting on.

this!

Shipping and insurance cost for the lot, like ebay does.

Free shipping from REA. Although they jacked up the buyers premium a bit so...

Tom C

This is not a feature but a rule and is not something that is controlled by the software or any other means. I may be wrong but I don't think the OP meant for others to complain about each auction company's rules.

Isn't it obvious? Any lot that I bid on, automatically should end, declaring me to be the winner of that lot. :eek::rolleyes::)

Plus a million. I just won a lot from one of the larger AH's where the shipping was $40 (which was more than the juice). I expected it to be half of that amount. I only know of one AH that shows the expected shipping costs in their auctions.

Jeff

I agree wholeheartedly on the shipping. And it's not unique to sports-related auction houses. I just won a couple lots (for resale) in a military auction. Some very cool WWI panoramic photos at a steal. The shipping cost more than the damn items! Had I known that upfront (their guidelines were very vague), I wouldn't have bid.

I didn't mean to offend. Features and rules seem semantic to me but I see what you mean.

Agreed the shipping and insurance costs can be way too high.

If I'm paying a premium of over 20% the shipping cost shouldn't be so high. I'm not a fan of paying for $14 worth of shipping costs for an $85 card ($102 with premium).

In a perfect world no buyer's premium would be nice, but I understand the auction houses needed to make a profit.

Agreed. Lot by lot is nice.

Have auction descriptions which, if relevant, highlight why a bidder should want to own that lot. Unfortunately, many smaller auctions with no catalogs have virtually no descriptions, thereby saying pay me my buyer's premium just for snapping an image of this lot and posting it on line. Many larger auctions fill up a page with flowery language (and often incorrect information), but provide little reason for a bidder to be attracted to the lot. It takes real skill to write good descriptions. Sadly, with the exception of REA and LOTG, few do what I consider to be a good job.

+1.

I'm in the camp that prefers to be able to go back and bid on a lot after I've been outbid in overtime on something else, so I don't enjoy the lot-by-lot closing as much, but I definitely appreciate a good description. If you're looking to buy a PSA 3 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth with a clean back and decent corners that may not matter so much, but if you're looking for esoteric stuff the description is essential.

Great thread topic, DJ. The one feature that I wish all auction houses would implement is a mobile-friendly web site.

And another thing. There is at least one major auction house that doesn't include scans of the backs of cards. They provide them upon request (after a couple of days), but the whole process is an annoyance, and it seems like a very inefficient way to run their business.

I definitely did not mean for this to involve the auction rules as we could easily debate the pros/cons of different ending formats, but I'm sure we could almost all agree that knowing the cost for shipping for each lot would be great (says the person who just spent $17 shipping for a lot of 3 graded cards costing less than $150).

I would also add that auction houses should, within reason, allow customers to pick up their winnings at a show where they are setup.

Daryl, interesting cause I really dislike the mobile views of most sites. I almost always try to switch back to the desktop version on my iPad. But I agree they should at least give the customers that option.

DJ

I'm glad to hear that you like this feature. We included it not only as a convenience, but also to illustrate directly that the buyer's premium (vig) decreases as the hammer price increases. The following schedule is built in:

After $5,000 the vig drops down to 17%
After $7,000 the vig drops down to 16%
After $10,000 the vig drops down to 15%
After $15,000 the vig drops down to 14% and
After $25,000 the vig drops down to 12.5%

For what it is worth, the shipping at BST Auctions is a flat $10 unless noted otherwise in the lot description (unusually heavy lots).