Inside the Park Collectible auction. What a pleasure

[oriolesbb6]

+1, always a great experience-Won some hockey items last night.....

[Rob D.]

(Since the original post also was posted on the card side, I'll also ask my question here):

I have a general question (independent of what auction house we're talking about, which is irrelevent in this case): Why is it "great for buyers" to have no premium? What does it matter to me as a buyer if the $960 I pay for an item is broken down as an $800 bid and a $160 premium or if the entire amount is my bid? Either way, I'm paying $960 for the item.

Do that many people place bids without knowing there's a buyer's premium, and then they're surprised by the 15 to 20 percent that's added to their winning bid? I think that buyer's premiums have been around long enough that they're the rule and not the exception -- and that bidders would be aware of them. But I certainly could be wrong.

[perezfan]

It's a psychological thing, really. Theoretically the auction house is taking less of a cut. But if a bidder factors in the "no buyers premium" he is apt to place one additional bid increment (that he might not have done otherwise). I know that's what I do. So in the end, the price paid should be the same.

Regardless of this presumed "wash", Lou runs a terrific auction and is a pleasure to deal with. I have dealt with him for over a decade now, and he is always one of the hobby's best. He's very knowledgeable and fun to talk to over the phone or in person. ITPC's booth is always a mandatory pit stop for me at the National. There's a thread on the Card side about how a huge percentage of dealers/auction houses in this hobby are corrupt. Inside the Park is a refreshing exception

Back to the auction - I would have loved to nail down one of the Dodger Weirdo Nodders last night, but the prices exceeded my limit (even without a BP ) I did come away with a couple of nice pieces, though.

Two more observations about last niight's auction, and I'll shut up. I couldn't believe the HIGH price of the "So long Brooklyn" Gibbs Conner. And I couldn't believe the LOW price of the Mickey Mantle Hartland Lamp. I would have jumped on that if I didn't already have one. I guess this stuff is impossible to predict (especially without the shill bidding aspect that occurs elsewhere).