[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by x2drich2000

I get your point and I think you make a good argument

I agree, and arguably you should have stopped typing at that point.

but let me ask you this, where do you draw the line? Do you expect the AH to describe every card in 1972 Topps set, how about a lot of 100 T206s, a group of 50 publications, etc.

I don't expect them to describe every card, but I do expect them to let me know which cards are in the lot. Complete set is fine, but missing 5 (or 50) cards should list the missing cards, and yes I want a list of which 100 t206 cards are in the lot, don't you?

Do you expect the AH to spend the same amount of time on a $50k lot as a $120 lot?

If I'm the consignor, I would expect the auction house to spend as much time on my $120 lot (which has a higher chance of having multiple items) as they do on a $50k lot, because the $50k lot is probably pretty self-explanatory.

Don't know what you were looking at, but I think some reasonableness needs to factor in both the time to do the analysis/write up/scanning vs the anticipated sale of the item. An AH can't afford to spend 2 hours doing the write up for a lot they will only make $25.

I'm not asking for "analysis/write up/scanning", I'm asking for a list of what is in the lot. It takes less time to put a list of items in a lot description than it does to answer an email asking for a list of items, and then edit the auction description to add the list.

If they don't feel like the profit is enough to justify the minimum information that I am asking about, then they shouldn't have accepted the consignment.

I would bet that a lot of 100 t206 cards would get more bids if it included a list of the cards, than if the description is "100 random t206 cards that we are too lazy to list".

But obviously the person who wins that lot has a chance of getting a great deal, which is not the purpose of an auction house, from the perspective of all auction house consignors.

"Consign with us, we give great deals to bidders" : not the greatest slogan.

If you need more description, I think it is right of you to ask, but like you said, I think it falls on you a bit not to wait until the last day. Obviously, AH's should strive to meet the customers expectations whenever possible, but even if they were in the office, I'm not sure waiting until the last day would be best time to ask for descriptions.

Yep, it does fall on me to ask the question in a timely fashion, WHEN THEY DIDN'T PROVIDE THE OBVIOUS INFO IN THEIR DESCRIPTION TO BEGIN WITH, and if they don't want my money badly enough to be in their office to answer last minute questions from potential bidders. And I'm realistic, if I'm asking about that $50k item, they probably will take a trip into the office...


Ultimately, my point (that you seem to be missing) is that the seller of two recent lots MIGHT have doubled his money (or more) IF the description of their items had included the specific contents of the lot.

Doug