Inside the Park Collectible auction. What a pleasure

[keithsky]

I won a few things in last nights auction from Inside the Park Collectibles. I have won before to. I don't know Lou over there and have never meet him but for him to run an auction with NO BUYERS PREMIUM IS awesome. Just to know that what you win is the price you'll pay. I won 2 bats and a plate and postage was 20.00. What other auction company would charge 20.00 for that to be shipped. NO ONE. Very reasonable on shipping. Nice to bid on things without a 17-20% B.P. and it can be done if he is doing it. Even Paragon auctions is doing a no B.P. and it seems to work. Great for buyers and that is what it is all about. Puts more money in the Consigners pocket to maybe because the bidder will go a little higher. Keep up the good work Lou. keith

[oriolesbb6]

+1, always a great experience-Won some hockey items last night.....

[Rob D.]

(Since the original post also was posted on the card side, I'll also ask my question here):

I have a general question (independent of what auction house we're talking about, which is irrelevent in this case): Why is it "great for buyers" to have no premium? What does it matter to me as a buyer if the $960 I pay for an item is broken down as an $800 bid and a $160 premium or if the entire amount is my bid? Either way, I'm paying $960 for the item.

Do that many people place bids without knowing there's a buyer's premium, and then they're surprised by the 15 to 20 percent that's added to their winning bid? I think that buyer's premiums have been around long enough that they're the rule and not the exception -- and that bidders would be aware of them. But I certainly could be wrong.

[perezfan]

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).