Sparks Auction Postponed, This Time Due To Covid

Sparks Auctions' Sale #35 Postponed

To all our valued customers,

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 case numbers are growing rapidly in Ontario and the Government of Ontario has announced a State of Emergency for the province. All Ontarians are required to follow a "Stay at Home" order at least for the next 28 days, to reduce the spread and effects of COVID-19 on our communities. We at Sparks Auctions continue to follow regulations that require non-essential businesses to remain closed, and have been doing our small part to help end this pandemic by working from home. Because of today's announcement we are now additionally obliged to postpone our much-awaited auction. The date of the auction remains to be determined, as we await the positive results of these restrictions. We are hopeful that the shutdown achieves its goals and that we will be able to hold our auction very soon.

As you know, our current sale has been available for bidding on Stamp Auction Network since December 11. Bidding has been brisk since then, and we ask for your patience, whether you have already placed bids, or are waiting to bid during the live sessions of the auction. We will be monitoring email and phone messages during this closure and are always happy to assist you with any questions you may have.

Rest assured that we will keep you informed of any changes. Thank you for your business and for understanding this very difficult situation.

Stéphane Cloutier
Auction Manager

Yeah, the risk of transmission through live internet bidding is enormous.

Yeah they should just hold the auction and not ship like the other guys. I bought an item in Weiss auctions last week, here is their policy. Be sure and read the last paragraph. As of today I have not received my shipping quote;

No, the risk of facing charges for operating your business when you were told to close down.

Run from what's comfortable.
Forget safety.
Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation.
Be notorious.
I have tried prudent planning long enough.
From now on I'll be mad.
- Rumi

Or, put another way...

"Damn the torpedoes...full speed ahead!"

David Farragut

Hard to imagine that this is the new reality. Wow.

In Ontario we've gone through a few periods where the Premier makes widespread announcements regarding school closures, essential services, etc. In the first wave we saw restaurants get fined for allowing people to come in and eat. These measures usually have a changing timetable like the border closure. I have to start working from home starting tomorrow, and I hope it's not 10 weeks like last time. Very few people were able to 'go to work' last April or May.

Too bad they did not keep the original first date. Probably would have gone fine without a hitch. Buyers chase after the items that you want anyway.

Funny thing, Maresch auction went off and invoices sent, but shipping is probably now postponed. And the prices realized, were feverish on some material. Due to isolation no doubt!

Maresch is sending out material normally - just got my shipping notification.

I'll leave the political commentary to others, but yes in hindsight Sparks probably should have gone ahead with their original date in early Jan.

Employer liability lurks in the background as well. Even if the state doesn't exercise its police power and prosecute, management counsel is advising employers not to risk employee claims grounded on an unsafe workplace, notwithstanding the challenge to the employee to prove causation. No one wants the publicity or the cost of exonerating themselves at trial and legislatures will not exempt employers even from claims based on ordinary negligence as opposed to gross negligence or intentional conduct. The whisper date for reopening Silicon Valley has moved to January 2022 because of the intractable nature of this issue in California. Employers are going to wait until public conditions make these kinds of employee claims look ridiculous to the average juror.

The government "stay at home" order of Jan. 14th is for a minimum 28 days, which puts the auction at earliest the third week of February.

That sale has some lovely material, I daresay Sparks has little to worry about re: ready buyers. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I think the live-in-person auction still has a place, but this virus may be changing forever our interaction with auction firms.

I sincerely hope that small businesses like Sparks survives. In my experience with them they are a good firm to deal with. Very hard to have your cash flow disrupted like this while bills keep coming in.

Yes, I know most of the small business owners locally in my Ontario town and they are stressed - although adjusting as best they can with curbside pickup and online ordering.

I'll certainly be buying material if possible from Sparks, whenever they do manage to hold the auction. Glad I ended up buying more than I planned at Maresch last week, that will tide me over.