Posted By:
Al C.risafulliI have absolutely no problem whatosever with detailed, and even flowery auction descriptions. Even if sometimes that means that the description is slightly grammatically incorrect, in its effort to be flowery.
It's the auction house's job to make every lot as attractive as possible to potential buyers. That means big scans, lengthy descriptions, multiple photos on the website. That's life.
If I'm a consignor, I don't want to hand over my cards to an auction company only to open the catalog six months later and read "1981 Fleer Complete Set." and nothing else. I want to read that this is the most beautiful 1981 Fleer Complete Set. I want to read "you'd be CRAZY to pass up on the opportunity to buy this set. The Willie Stargell is practically three dimensional with the crispness of the image. The centering on the Stan Papi is the best we've ever seen! The corners on the Tito Fuentes could cut glass. One of our writers actually went blind from the reflection on the gloss of these cards, and is now collecting long-term disability due to the beauty of these cards. Protective eyewear is highly recommended."
It also helps them disclose flaws without having to say "1981 Fleer set with glop of spaghetti sauce on Rickey Henderson card." They can use language to explain that the set is still beautiful, despite the sauce.
Last year there was an auction house that put out a catalog with one photo, and one line descriptions on all their lots. So the entire description would have read "1981 Fleer Complete Set." That's it.
There were about 20 lots I didn't bid on because they were so poorly described. There were two lots I bought - and one in particular - that I got for bargain prices because the descriptions were sorely lacking.
The catalog for this company's next auction? LENGTHY descriptions. FLOWERY language.
That tells me that the descriptions work.
-Al