Closing Tonight: Love of the Game Auctions

[Al C.risafulli]

Hi All:

Just a quick note to remind you that the fall LOTG catalog auction closes tonight. Extended bidding begins at 9PM eastern, and double overtime starts at 2AM on all items still receiving bids.

While I'm really proud of the variety in this auction, I wanted to point out a few items in particular:

Lot #386: 1910 E98 Near-Complete SGC-Graded Set (26/30)

Lot #571: 1954 Dan Dee Potato Chips Complete SGC-Graded Set

Lot #844: Heart-wrenching Walter Johnson handwritten letter w/two signatures. Intensely personal letter from WaJo to Clyde Milan about the death of his wife.

Lot #3: 1887 Four Base Hits John Ward - One of just two examples known, needs one more bid to hit the reserve

Lot #5: 1895 N300 Mayo's Cut Plug Buck Ewing - the highest-graded example, simply a stunning card.

Lot #9: Unbelievable 1907 George W. Hull White Sox Postcards complete set w/original envelope. A fantastic find, all but two are the highest-graded examples known.

Lot #7: Gorgeous 1967 Roberto Clemente Game-Used Bat (PSA/DNA GU 8), fresh to the hobby with great provenance.

I'd also point you to the collection of Harry Stovey items (lots 29-40) that include several awards, his silver lifetime pass, a couple of great cabinet photos and some tickets and passes.

For those interested in Olympic material, please check out the collection of items related to gold medal wrestler Robin Reed; his story is amazing.

And of course, my favorite item in the auction: Lot #55: a 1903 Honesdale, PA advertising calendar, which features a team photo of the Honesdale Tigers. That team included Billy Miller, an African-American player who, even in 1902-03, was beloved in his community, truly the team hero. Miller was a different kind of hero as well, fighting on the front lines as a member of the US 369th Infantry Regiment - the "Harlem Hellfighters." Miller lost an arm and a leg in combat.


If you don't have a printed catalog, you can review our page-turning interactive catalog by clicking this link.

Or, you can just visit the auction itself here.

Good luck to everyone participating, and once again, Happy Thanksgiving!

-Al

PS - Tip of the cap to Sean Bassik for pointing out a typo!

[pawpawdiv9]

Bidding. Bidding, Bidding away!!!
Its not like your doing anything else but sitting on the Mall bench with bags or at home watching some college football or eating leftovers.
And you Northerners, get those catalogs out and tap away on those iphones while your stuck in that snowstorm or airport.

[tazdmb]

Yet another post-midnight outbid. Loved your items, but closing time is just too late for me on the east coast.

[Shoeless Moe]

Yep agree closing time sucked. Would have bid again. Hate waking up and seeing something go for way less then I would have bid.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Shoeless Moe

Yep agree closing time sucked. Would have bid again. Hate waking up and seeing something go for way less then I would have bid.

+1...2 am double OT...PASS!!!!

[Majestic]

Me as well .. looked at my emails. I was outbid on 3 items at 12:59 am, 1:26 am and 1:42 am.. (all sold for one increment above my bid). if i were awake i would have bid again on at least one of them, if not more.
Oh well, onward and upward.

[Zan]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

Yet another post-midnight outbid. Loved your items, but closing time is just too late for me on the east coast.

Amen. I raised this concern to Al in which he replied, “just bid higher".

[Shoeless Moe]

Can someone explain why closing an auction when more then half of your bidders are asleep is better then when "ALL" bidders are awake.

What am I missing?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Shoeless Moe

Can someone explain why closing an auction when more then half of your bidders are asleep is better then when "ALL" bidders are awake.

What am I missing?

I have to agree with the sentiment. If it ended 1-2 hours earlier I would have stayed awake. As it was I went to sleep after putting in a higher up-to bid or two. Fortunately it worked out for me. But why not roll back the clock and start the double overtime at 11pm-12am CST? Maybe consignors want it to stay open forever but the people bidding don't, that is for sure.

[ajg]

Shoeless Moe, I could not agree more. I consider myself the typical collector. A middle aged overweight (somewhat) guy that spends more than he should on cardboard but what possesses these AHs when they close their auction at 4 am?
I understand the double OT stuff...bid before 9 pm so you can bid after. I get it. But why not push the first deadline up to 3pm. If I were a consignor than I would be pissed since most east coast bidders are like me ......asleep. If I lived in Guam it would be ideal but my guess is most bidders do not.
If I really really want an item and I know that I will have to stay up till 4am than maybe I should hang out at a bar or a strip club so I am wide awake when its my turn to bid. If I wake up in the middle of the night ( at 3 am) to bid than do I have to stay up 90 minutes more to see if I get outbid? It makes zero sense.
I do not care how the AH decides to end their auction. If its lot by lot that is fine. If its the 15 minute no bid rule than that is fine. But why do it at 4am when you can schedule all that you need to so that it ends at 11pm or midnight.
Note to AHs : Put in your max bid and go to sleep routine and we will handle the rest does not work. Most bidders want to control the car they drive.
How popular would the NFL be if they started their games at midnight and they ended at 3:30 am? They would be in Guam I guess.