What do consignors want from an auction house?

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Posted By: Joann

I think it's fine if some of the smaller auctions don't publish cataglogs - if the entire online offering is less than 12-15 pages it's no problem to go through them all.

But the bigger auctions get a lot more of my early attention because I can hit the catalog much much faster than click and viewing each lot. And I use lot lists to browse, not gallery views, and I guarantee I miss things trying to read each line. In the catalog I am better able to quickly browse visually by pictures, and also look at things that catch my eye that I would never have looked at if I had just read the lot title on a lot list.

I have never consigned, but would think that consignors want every opportunity for a potential bidder to have his items register in memory somewhere.

Also, Mike S touched on something above that I also think, but couldn't quite articulate it - a catalog shows the whole auction at once. The entire thing sits on the kitchen counter. There is a flow through the pages and a sense of connection that you don't get online.

Finally, I often pass on catalogs to non-collectors because they really like to browse through them. No chance in heck I could ever ever get them to go to a link and try to click through lots. But put a catalog on their desk and they just can't resist it, and sometimes stop and look at things I don't - 50's, 60's, etc. More exposure to lots and auctions.

Once I've looked at the catalog though, I'm all about the online part. I don't want to call in a bid if I don't have to, I want to be able to bid and track everything online. So just becuase most bids are made online doesn't necessarily mean those bidders use the online auction as a primary browsing approach over the catalog.

Joann