Auction Houses and blind bidding

[Runscott]

And it is often a different set of bidders - ebayers frequently lack knowledge about more esoteric items. Example:

Item I purchased from Hunt: Hunt - Ted Williams pool cue

The ebay sell last night: Ebay - Ted Williams pool cue

[Mrvintage]

I am still trying to figure out why this issue is so important to Paul? There are probably only a couple of cards from the 78 and 79 topps baseball sets that are even worth sending to an AH and those are the only cards he collects anyways. I just don't get it......

[familytoad]

I started the disagreement on post#2.
I wish it ended sooner, although there have been some much more eloquent counterpoints thrown out.

I hope this whole thing isn't based on PSA 9 and PSA 10 cards from 1978 and 1979. I haven't seen many of those in big Auction House offerings over the years. How much shilling is going on for the Biff Pocoroba and Dan Driessen cards? I ask because the ones in my 78 set are really, really nice (easily gem, pristine super mint) and I'd like to cash in my gold mine...without having to do my own bidding of course.

[drc]

One thing would be to require the auction house to keep their bidding records, so they can be subpoenaed in case of lawsuit or the feds.

Originally Posted by drc

One thing would be to require the auction house to keep their bidding records, so they can be subpoenaed in case of lawsuit or the feds.

Definitely.

Originally Posted by Mrvintage

I am still trying to figure out why this issue is so important to Paul? There are probably only a couple of cards from the 78 and 79 topps baseball sets that are even worth sending to an AH and those are the only cards he collects anyways. I just don't get it......

It's like if you see someone standing near you is gonna get hit by a car ... you pull them out of the way.

I see a lot of people in this hobby who have set themselves up to get run over by fake prices at AHs because they simply don't see it. Artificially bloated prices threaten any industry, just look what happened with the real estate market. There are people that cheat out there who undermine the legitimacy of this hobby. When the bubble bursts it's gonna be messy.

This threatens everyone who enjoys collecting these pieces of cardboard.

The solution is the same thing that has worked in many other industries, transparency and regulation. People need rules, and people need to be able to see what's going on so they can police things themselves.

[whitehse]

Seriously....dont you think ANYONE who bids in an auction, regardless if it is an auction house or Ebay, know the risks? You would have to be a dolt not to see the risks in bidding in auctions and do not need someone to champion the cause. The good houses will have an excellent reputation and will continue to be profitable and the bad ones will fade away and have the government nipping at their heals. This hobby has seen this time and time again and yet you fail to see this and try to be that champion for this cause. All one has to do is look through back issues of SCD and other hobby publications to see how many auction houses have gone dark and see who the survivors are.

I think this is a cause that has you barking up trees that contain nothing to chase. Maybe it really is time to move on to something else and you can quit pulling people out from the front of those cars as maybe that person doesnt mind being hit now and then.

[Wymers Auction]

Originally Posted by drc

One thing would be to require the auction house to keep their bidding records, so they can be subpoenaed in case of lawsuit or the feds.

In my state if you are a licensed auctioneer you have to keep all records for 2 years. The problem is many "auction houses" have no auctioneer. This statement is no indictment to non-licensed auction houses who do a great job, but the unlicensed ones are tougher to discipline.

[TNP777]

Originally Posted by familytoad

I ask because the ones in my 78 set are really, really nice (easily gem, pristine super mint) and I'd like to cash in my gold mine...without having to do my own bidding of course.

Brian, although it has been a few years since I visited, I don't recall seeing anything resembling a square corner in your collection!

[Matthew H]

Originally Posted by Runscott

And it is often a different set of bidders - ebayers frequently lack knowledge about more esoteric items. Example:

Item I purchased from Hunt: Hunt - Ted Williams pool cue

The ebay sell last night: Ebay - Ted Williams pool cue

That's a bummer Scott. Hunt's is kind of a wild card though... You know the rules over there.

[pepis]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

That's a bummer Scott. Hunt's is kind of a wild card though... You know the rules over there.

Interesting! i sold both my Mcdermott cue sticks for over 800 each a few years back and the best they could get is 550 for the one owned by Ted Williams?