Heritage auctions a joke

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by iwantitiwinit

You don't have the option to pay or not pay taxes, you do have the option to bid or not bid. Griping about something you have no control over is a bit different than griping about something you can avoid.

You can't avoid it if they have an item you want and nobody else does.

It's funny that people defend the right of AH to price gouge...but more than likely would be outraged at the Gas stations who charged $10 for a gallon of gas and $7 for a bottle of water a few years ago during Hurricane Sandy. Maybe if the gas stations only charged $8.33 per gallon with 20% buyers premium it wouldn't have made the news.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

You can't avoid it if they have an item you want and nobody else does.

It's funny that people defend the right of AH to price gouge...but more than likely would be outraged at the Gas stations who charged $10 for a gallon of gas and $7 for a bottle of water a few years ago during Hurricane Sandy. Maybe if the gas stations only charged $8.33 per gallon with 20% buyers premium it wouldn't have made the news.

Big difference between necessities and collectibles. Just because nobody else has it doesn't mean you have to buy it.

[Snapolit1]

The buyer's premium is the Auction House's premium. Charging "shipping and handling" on top of that is BS. Give me a break. Charge for postage. Your time getting it in the mail and .7 cents worth of foam peanuts and 3 cents of cardboard is what you are making your 20% for.

[Vintageclout]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

The buyer's premium is the Auction House's premium. Charging "shipping and handling" on top of that is BS. Give me a break. Charge for postage. Your time getting it in the mail and .7 cents worth of foam peanuts and 3 cents of cardboard is what you are making your 20% for.

Do you work for free? Are you kidding me or what. The 20% BP has to cover a MASSIVE amount of overhead including employee salaries, benefits, rent, Internet/software, catalogs (incl. catalog postage), advertisement, etc. Look at the “big” picture before making unrealistic assumptions.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Vintageclout

Do you work for free? Are you kidding me or what. The 20% BP has to cover a MASSIVE amount of overhead including employee salaries, benefits, rent, Internet/software, catalogs (incl. catalog postage), advertisement, etc. Look at the “big” picture before making unrealistic assumptions.

Not to mention that most businesses presumably want to do better than break even.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Vintageclout

Do you work for free? Are you kidding me or what. The 20% BP has to cover a MASSIVE amount of overhead including employee salaries, benefits, rent, Internet/software, catalogs (incl. catalog postage), advertisement, etc. Look at the “big” picture before making unrealistic assumptions.

No, I don't. Nor do they. If they are getting 22% or 20%, why do they need to charge a "handling" charge on top of that. Please explain.

Not like they are making anything.

I charge my clients an agreed up on rate. I don't then charge them extra for "handling" something.

Are you suggesting that the $25,000 they get for putting a $100,000 card in a box is meagher compensation?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

No, I don't. Nor do they. If they are getting 22% or 20%, why do they need to charge a "handling" charge on top of that. Please explain.

Not like they are making anything.

I charge my clients an agreed up on rate. I don't then charge them extra for "handling" something.

Are you suggesting that the $25,000 they get for putting a $100,000 card in a box is meagher compensation?

Why do law firms charge for courier services, copying, other "disbursements" etc. in addition to hourly fees? You may not but many do.

[Shoeless Moe]

Sent an email about consigning to Heritage, Goldin, Lelands, REA, MEARS, SCP, Memory Lane, and Love of the Game, partly so many as a test.

Heritage, SCP and Love of the Game didn't even respond.

Goldin, Memory Lane, Lelands, REA, and MEARS all replied whether they wanted the item or not, some did, some did not. It's called common courtesy and the Customer Service to get me back.

The others I can cross off the list.

[Vintageclout]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

No, I don't. Nor do they. If they are getting 22% or 20%, why do they need to charge a "handling" charge on top of that. Please explain.

Not like they are making anything.

I charge my clients an agreed up on rate. I don't then charge them extra for "handling" something.

Are you suggesting that the $25,000 they get for putting a $100,000 card in a box is meagher compensation?

Don’t ever start an auction business. You’ll go under in 3-6 months. It’s a BUSINESS, not a soup kitchen!

[Peter_Spaeth]

Heritage might piss off a few people around the edges, but they're obviously doing phenomenally well. If they perceived they weren't, then maybe they would revise some of these horrible charges.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I keep coming back to the fact that customers vote with their wallets. If these practices were so outrageous the companies in question would go out of business, like the hypothetical $7 per gallon gas station.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Vintageclout

Don’t ever start an auction business. You’ll go under in 3-6 months. It’s a BUSINESS, not a soup kitchen!

How is REA doing with their no handling charges? Maybe I will run an auction house after their model.

[bigfish]

Originally Posted by Vintageclout

Don’t ever start an auction business. You’ll go under in 3-6 months. It’s a BUSINESS, not a soup kitchen!

Steve, have you thought about opening up a soup kitchen? I think it would be a feel good story and a perfect way to round out this thread in a positive way...

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Vintageclout

Do you work for free? Are you kidding me or what. The 20% BP has to cover a MASSIVE amount of overhead including employee salaries, benefits, rent, Internet/software, catalogs (incl. catalog postage), advertisement, etc. Look at the “big” picture before making unrealistic assumptions.

Yep...All the things Ebay has to pay for as well.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Yep...All the things Ebay has to pay for as well.

Volume.

[Vintageclout]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Volume.

Exactly Peter!

[ibuysportsephemera]

The BP is known and experienced bidders factor the cost of the BP into the final amount. My problem with almost all of the AH's is the outrageous S&H that most charge. These are the unadvertised charges that seem arbitrary and really drive up the cost of bidding. How about at least giving us a range of your S&H fees, so it is not a surprise after the auction is over?


Jeff

[x2drich2000]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Yep...All the things Ebay has to pay for as well.

Ebay is not an auction house. Ebay is a platform an auction house (or private person) uses. Ebay is the equivalent of SimpleAuctionsite or CreateAuction. Seller's simply use Ebay's platform.

[Snapolit1]

How does REA get by with no shipping or handling fees. (I don't think.)

Poor guys must be starving to death.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by x2drich2000

Ebay is not an auction house. Ebay is a platform an auction house (or private person) uses. Ebay is the equivalent of SimpleAuctionsite or CreateAuction. Seller's simply use Ebay's platform.

Wrong. It's an auction house. Probably the biggest in the world.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Big difference between necessities and collectibles. Just because nobody else has it doesn't mean you have to buy it.

Now you sound like my wife.

It comes down to what you collect and opportunity. A card collector can pass on a card because there's no shortage of cards (in most cases) and there will be plenty of opportunity to pick it up in the future. So I buy your comment here.

But, memorabilia in many cases is a once or twice in a lifetime proposition. So there's a greater "need" to pick it up when you see it because it might not come around again. You can poke holes in the definition of need in this context...but we're collectors. It's in our blood..and when we see an item that's attainable we feel the "need" to acquire it. Otherwise, you're just a window shopping.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

Now you sound like my wife.

It comes down to what you collect and opportunity. A card collector can pass on a card because there's no shortage of cards (in most cases) and there will be plenty of opportunity to pick it up in the future. So I buy your comment here.

But, memorabilia in many cases is a once or twice in a lifetime proposition. So there's a greater "need" to pick it up when you see it because it might not come around again. You can poke holes in the definition of need in this context...but we're collectors. It's in our blood..and when we see an item that's attainable we feel the "need" to acquire it. Otherwise, you're just a window shopping.

I hear you, yeah on cards there are very few I would call a once or twice in a lifetime proposition.

[robertsmithnocure]

Larry,

What is the sales tax in your location in Florida?

[Eric72]

Perhaps someone can create auction software that would only display the final cost of placing a bid...including BP, S&H, sales tax based on buyer’s location, etc. And, behind the scenes, the software would compute everything to ensure minimum bid increases are still enforced.

Also, the person who consigns the items could access a screen which only displays the amount they would realize for the items they sell, considering the particular deal they struck with the AH.

The best part...no mind-numbing arithmetic to keep track of. Who wants to devote time to the grueling process of addition (or even worse, MULTIPLICATION) in the middle of all this excitement?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

You can't avoid it if they have an item you want and nobody else does.

It's funny that people defend the right of AH to price gouge...but more than likely would be outraged at the Gas stations who charged $10 for a gallon of gas and $7 for a bottle of water a few years ago during Hurricane Sandy. Maybe if the gas stations only charged $8.33 per gallon with 20% buyers premium it wouldn't have made the news.

I gotta stop reading this thread.

I wouldn't buy gas at a station that charged those rates. Wild huh?

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

I gotta stop reading this thread.

I wouldn't buy gas at a station that charged those rates. Wild huh?

During Hurricane Sandy your options were severely limited. So you don't have to buy in either scenario...but if you choose not to, you go without.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

During Hurricane Sandy your options were severely limited. So you don't have to buy in either scenario...but if you choose not to, you go without.

So now you're comparing price gouging during an emergency to an internet sports memorabilia auction? Analogies are not your strong suit.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

So now you're comparing price gouging during an emergency to an internet sports memorabilia auction? Analogies are not your strong suit.

And refuting them is not yours.

I'm sure the AHs are barely making ends meet with their inflated buyer's premiums and oh so exorbitant extra slow shipping charges.