Just curious / Auction catalogs
 

Does anyone else prefer NOT to get physical auction catalogs? I look at all the auctions online and a lot of times the catalogs go straight into the recycling.

I know in theory you can contact the auction houses and get taken off the list...but a lot of times they just don't do it. I understand. They put a lot of work into their catalogs.

I also prefer...NOT...to get these.

My wife does NOT like for me to get them. I guess she thinks the faster she throws them in the recycling the better chance of me not making a purchase. I prefer to look online anyways.

I prefer to save a tree and save the AH the cost of sending them out, the picture resolution online is far superior to any print material. There should be an opt-out box when you sign up, would be a huge cost saving to the AH.

As someone who works in the industry, catalogs are mainly for consignors who want to see their stuff in print. H&S has scaled down print catalogs and we even offer a $10 credit per auction to opt out.

I rarely open the package, except to save the box or padded envelope.

Online viewing and enlarged scans, plus search capabilities renders a catalog near useless.

I'll be the odd man out
 

While I generally check out auctions first online, in most cases I often find additional items of interest by browsing the catalog. Perhaps I have too many interests!

For many years now catalogs have been for consignors. I very rarely look at them anymore....

.

I've been asking the moron at Mile High Auctions for the past few years every time a catalog is sent to remove me from the mailing list.

I'm starting to think he just doesn't know how to do that, but rather then ask somebody he keeps just keeps sending them and they go right in the trash.

I would like to know what one of these things total cost to print and send is? And if the AH sees a profitable return for this form of marketing? My guess is they Do Not, would love to see internal analytics for this

Forget auction catalogs. We get 2 Uline catalogs a month in my household. They are the size and weight of a large phone book. I think the last one pushed 1000 pages. There is nothing in them (even less stuff in fact), that's not on their website. They go straight in the recycling. Can't figure out how to opt out of them.

I think you are missing the point. The catalogs aren't for marketing or buyers, generally, unless that marketing is to take in more consignments. They are to make the consignors feel good. And they do add a little more publicity in that some will get opened and looked at. I think if you used a median of about 25k to print and ship....you would be in the ballpark.
.

A little more...around 30K

You're right in the ballpark.

The cost is somewhat influenced by how many catalogs are printed and shipped. So the cost for a Huggins & Scott wouldn't be as high as the cost for a major auction house.

Having worked in a print shop you'd be stunned at how little cost additional copies are. The cost is in the design and the set up. Once you're running you're just paying for ink, paper and time. The cost difference between running 25,000 copies of something and 50,000 copies of something is nowhere near 100%. Depending on a bunch of factors it could be as little as 10% more.

Many years ago, AH would boast about how many catalogs they sent out. I always assumed the majors, like Lelands and REA, were competing with each other for the prestige (to garner more and better consignments) of sending out the most catalogs.

I appreciate them if I have a flight coming up. Although I haven't gone anywhere in a while with everything going on.

C’mon men. If catalogs were not printed, buyer’s premiums might have to be reduced. You wouldn’t want that now, would you?

I'll stand by my statement, even though I've never worked at Kinko's. The cost of producing and shipping 10,000 catalogs vs., say, 50,000, isn't negligible.

Funny how I ‘missed the point’

However, every post since has been exactly on que as for my point.....

The cost to design, print & ship these things out cannot equate in a positive return for the business, OR, us the buyers. If they are only for the consignors, just send them to the consignors?? 30k for the majority, buyers like me, to dump in the trash just doesn’t seem like a good move to me. That was the point

I’m not ‘missing the point’, I’m making A point

Oh, and thank you Frank, exactly!

I greatly prefer to not get them. Each one clogs up my mail box; one REA catalog, and nothing else will fit, except maybe a postcard. Plus, I need a back brace to carry it across my apartment complex.

Steve

I used to collect auction catalogs. The bigger the better. But, the novelty wore off. Plus the fact certain auction houses now refuse to send me catalogs, because I never bid high enough to win anything. :(

If you surveyed this topic on the Memorabilia side, the response would be different. Hard-copy catalogs and visual presentation is more important and conducive to a wide array of memorabilia than cards.

I'm sure many people would still prefer to forego paper catalogues, but you'd also have a significantly higher percentage that like/want them.

I just came off a 3 hour flight that was made much more enjoyable by having the Mile High and LOTG Catalogs in the seat pocket!

I'm the minority and i do like to get the catalog
I like the feel of flipping the pages

catalog
 

Love getting them

I'm split on getting catalogs. When they are done well, I love getting them. REA, LOTG, HA, etc provide a great resource when not at the computer. I can get good idea of the item, a bit of background, and can actually decide if it something I'm interested in. On the other hand, the ones done poorly and only show a 1" image of the card and just the minimum bid such as Hunts, Collect, Clean Sweep do nothing for me. I can't make a decision based on the information provided so I don't even bother opening them. Also, whichever one (Memory Lane? Mile High?) has all the tabs along the side annoys me for some reason.

I mainly keep the big dogs (Heritage, REA) and trash the rest.

I love going through them...so with that being said if anybody has any catalogs from Hunt Live Auctions please let me know. Ill give them a good home.

I like getting them. Auction catalogs are perfect when you're on the pishadu.

I always view auctions online and I rarely look at the catalogs more than a one time flip through.
I only keep the catalogs in which I'm consigned something; all the rest are thrown in the recycle bin within a day or two.

In my ideal all AH's would get rid of them and pass the savings off as reduced BP's (which I think benefits consignors more than a catalog).

I opted out of print early on and have really enjoyed and appreciated those $10 credits.

Personally, as a bidder/buyer, I like the real world catalogs.

I spend all day in front of a computer, and sitting down a flipping through the pages is much more relaxing.


On the auction business side of it, the hard catalog does result in more bids from me on additional items. I do look online before the catalog arrives, but when turning the pages I often find things that interest me that I missed or just passed over online.

Of all the ridiculous gripes on the forum, this one takes the cake!


Congrats, maybe go shake your fist at some clouds?


When the servers get hacked and all the information is lost, good luck with any research

I've done dozens, probably hundreds, of brochures, catalogs, and annual reports in my career. The biggest part of the problem isn't in the printing. They are then labeled, transported, and sooner taken to the landfill. It has a cumulative effect much greater than printing.