Posted By:
Tim NewcombHi Barry-- hey, I do this for a living!
Hi Todd--
I'm trying to summon up a vivid auditory memory of what he says at the end. I think the guy says "sold," doesn't he? Can anyone else who attended help here? Certainly one is in no doubt when the lot closes, so he must say something definitive like that-- But as Corey says, Hunt is not going to hide behind a technicality like whether this word or that word is used.
In fact, I would be willing to bet the auctioneer is not even aware of any reserve as he stands up there. His job is simply to run the bidding and get it as high as possible-- Dave Hunt stands to his side and takes care of any irregularities or questions about the individual lots, announces the top absentee bid, and so on. Sometimes they use multiple auctioneers on a given day, and these guys are professional callers, not experts in cards-- they do antiques and whatever else too. So whether they say "sold" or some other word is not going to determine the ultimate fate of the lot-- Dave is in charge of that.