Live Stamp Auction Etiquette

Floortrader- with your 40 years experience with auction "games", perhaps you could write a primer (without naming names) for the rest of us- when you get a chance.

Floortrader, I second that motion. Why don't you share some of your best "Auction Do's & Don't's"?
I'm sure you could educate many of us.

Sure- I am willing to write about my experience at stamp auctions and the people you meet at the auctions and during viewing .Give me a week to put some things on paper.
My postings will be a series of stories over a period of time ,there will be positive and negative experiences. As far as naming names go, that will depend on the story but I have records to support my experience of the stories .
The proper place to do this on the board is under General Philatelic Discussions -Main Stamp Collecting Forum .

floortrader, you haven't been to any auctions in upstate/western NY have you? I'm hoping I wont be a name named. lol

Looking forward to your postings!

Been to BOSTON{3X} ,NEW YORK CITY (6X) ,L.A. ,ST. Louis {8X}, Chicago{40 x} and Orlando {4X}. I have no reason to nock any one firm but the types of things we all need to be cautious about goes on all over .

phew...I'm safe ^^^

floortrader, looking forward to your shared wisdom. Thanks!

So did lukusw or anyone else attend any of the auctions? I was at the show, but working for a dealer and didn't get to any of the auctions.

I was also working for a dealer and did not go to any of them.

I attended a Schuyler auction. I was not bidding on anything. I did preview a one lot. An 1857 U.S. Scott #11... Pink.

Schuyler, like other auction houses present, had the auction lots available for preview at their show floor booths. I signed a piece of paper, a gentleman laid the item in front of me along with the cert for examination. It was no big etiquette test.

The auction was held a few days later in one of the downstairs meeting rooms. Again, very relaxed, no big deal. The auctioneer was up front, at a podium, facing the audience. To his left, a video screen. To his right, two gentleman helping out, one of them I believe, handling the live internet stuff. Front row facing the auctioneer were two tables set up for people with laptops. These guys were, I assume, bidding for clients that were online. Behind these tables were rows of seats. Approximately eight rows deep, by eight to ten rows wide. Seats were..., 60 to 70% full. In the back was another table, this had a couple of land line telephones. Two gentleman were taking phone bids from there.

The Item being sold would be displayed on the screen with lot # and current bid amount. May have been other info on the screen, I don't recall.

That's about it. Not uptight at all. People could come and go during the auction. I brought a cup of coffee in with me and enjoyed the show.

Some very nice revenues with certs did not sell at that auction. I assume it was because the reserves were too high.

I didn't stay throughout. I was wondering about items that were passed on. My question would be, who sets the reserve?

Usually the seller, but the auction house can have input as well.

Those guys would be agents (one would have been Mark or Chuck C.,the other possibly Johnathon) and they were representing people who had given them bids before the auction session, not clients that were online.

I attended part of the Siegel auction (not the Jenny--I was at a US Classics meeting). It was more laid back and relaxed than I expected. It was in a sizable room on the lowest level. They left the doors open, so it was easy to watch some of the auction without feeling like I was intruding. Attire ranged from suits to shorts and hats. People often (quietly) got up and left after an item (what I presume was the last item they were interested in); definitely not a formal, stiff feel.

I saw the items Siegel and others had on constant display in cases, but I did not take the time to sit down and examine other lots...I was too busy getting sucked in to seeing stuff I might actually might buy :-)