Ooo, fun! While we're airing private emails on a public forum, I've got one.
The bottom of this post features my response to the invoice for proceeds due.
In response to the consignee's weak defence of "you never asked to amend the title" argument, I should not have had to hold your crew's hand by specifically asking that you draft a meaningful and effective auction.
Granted, these were all lower profile items than most that were listed. Nonetheless, I am a paying customer. I should have, without question, been entitled to a quality listing that would best market the items to interested bidders.
If I had a Mathewson autograph, should I have overtly asked them not to list it as a "pre-war Bucknell scholar turned National League star pitcher"? If it were Cobb...please don't say "ex-Tigers great turned shrewd businessman and early Coca-Cola stockholder."? Give me a break.
I stated earlier in this thread that I have throughly washed my hands of this matter. Nothing's changed, other than a decade+ spent collecting those autographs and more money than I care to admit.
The silver lining is that the ordeal is over and the amount lost is not a life-changer. I just want to move on.
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6/14/2013
To Whom it May Concern,
I hereby reject this invoice. Please do not forward these proceeds to me or they will be returned.
As suspected (and discussed with Josh Wulkan), this was a poorly constructed listing which I am certain resulted in several hundred dollars being left on the table. Surely this can be acknowledged.
If not, here is a recent example of what just one of the key signatures in this lot (in the same form) commanded:
https://www.premierauctionsonline.co...px?lotid=36361
For the others, simply refer to Quality Autographs for their retail prices as a starting point. Even by deeply discounting those figures, you will see that several of the key signatures were lost in the fray due to the poor format and ambiguous title.
My personal expectations aside, I am thoroughly disappointed with the lack of attention given to this lot.
I fully understand the nature of an open auction environment, and realize that bidding tendencies can fluctuate wildly in such a setting. However, the auction as it was presented was such a disservice to the rarity and quality of these autographs, I would rather waive the $295 in proceeds than accept that disservice.
I do not wish to discuss this matter any further.
Chris Jenkins