It's a psychological thing, really. Theoretically the auction house is taking less of a cut. But if a bidder factors in the "no buyers premium" he is apt to place one additional bid increment (that he might not have done otherwise). I know that's what I do. So in the end, the price paid should be the same.
Regardless of this presumed "wash", Lou runs a terrific auction and is a pleasure to deal with. I have dealt with him for over a decade now, and he is always one of the hobby's best. He's very knowledgeable and fun to talk to over the phone or in person. ITPC's booth is always a mandatory pit stop for me at the National. There's a thread on the Card side about how a huge percentage of dealers/auction houses in this hobby are corrupt. Inside the Park is a refreshing exception
Back to the auction - I would have loved to nail down one of the Dodger Weirdo Nodders last night, but the prices exceeded my limit (even without a BP
) I did come away with a couple of nice pieces, though.
Two more observations about last niight's auction, and I'll shut up. I couldn't believe the HIGH price of the "So long Brooklyn" Gibbs Conner. And I couldn't believe the LOW price of the Mickey Mantle Hartland Lamp. I would have jumped on that if I didn't already have one. I guess this stuff is impossible to predict (especially without the shill bidding aspect that occurs elsewhere).