Recent Wins From Vance Auctions, Canada

I have been criticized in these forums in the past for my "no holds barred" approach to stamps that do not meet descriptions. The essence of the criticisms have been that if someone complains so much and so often, then the complainer is the problem not the sellers.

Yes I am definitely a stickler for quality as are dealers when they have bought from me in the past. The best dealers will find the most weeds and while this is a hobby, I really hate spending $100 smackeroos for garbage. Especially when the problems are not revealed in advance.

Below are images of 2 lots I received this week from Vance Auctions in Canada. Both were described as "VF MNH." If I were the auction house, I would feel circus-awkward to send these items without any condition notes. No value was added for the customer beyond being a pass-through. Nothing was actually examined, or if they were then they were not represented honestly. For this level of professionalism, I can buy on ebay and Delcampe.

I paid more than double Scott for the Netherlands Antilles set and my highest bid only won the lot by 1 bidding increment. It's a very difficult set. Vance should be embarrassed to send a lot for which a bidder paid a premium price in the condition seen in the photo.








*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

You should invite Vance Auctions to come on here to explain what went wrong .

Are the stamps that they sell in their auctions someone else's stamps or their own stamps?
It is a good thing that we have a stamp forum like SCF here.

It will be interesting to see if Vance will pay return shipping with tracking for these lots, so they don't get lost in the mail.

I don't buy a great deal at Auction but have been noticing a lot of bad selling trends over the last year or more.

Prices are going up and quality is going down.

Unless it is a live auction, be prepared to pay what you have bid 99% of the time.

Estimates and minimum bids are increasing steadily and the % of catalog is also increasing. Some now want 80% or more for common material, and 100% or more for better material even though it may not be scarce.

Many, if not all, are selling a lot of their own material, hence the higher and higher prices.

Returning things is also very expensive, especially cross border and I don't believe any will pay the cost.

At least on ebay, sellers that mess up have to pay for the return shipping.

I am not talking high end sales, but just the generic run of the mill auctions and merchandise.

I stopped doing business with Vance Auctions in the mid-1980s. Same issue back then; poor descriptions.

I did mail auctions for years. Over the last 5-7 years though, I noticed I would win but always at my top bid, or one increment below. I simply no longer trust a lot of dealers or auction houses. I go to one here in Toronto to sell a collection for someone and am told how terrible the market is that the few hundred dollars they gave me was little more than charity. I go back 3 months later (they don't remember me), and they are telling me how strong the market is and how I will have to pay top dollar. I just don't trust them anymore. I will only buy from online auctions now. There are plenty of great accountable auctions at stampauctionnetwork.com

With the focus on so many problems with so many sellers, it seems as though there is a real opportunity here, for quality, legitimate dealers, to somehow separate themselves from the pack, and leverage this.

I guess the challenge is how? Sporting an ASDA logo, has, sadly, been tainted. That should have been a good answer.

I now shy away from a seller when I see the ASDA logo.
Don

I have bought from them at stamp shows since it helps to directly see what one is buying which is not always possible with auctions that one cannot attend as well as with internet online and mail sales. I have always found them to be very helpful, courteous, professional and knowledgeable. Even though, I am not one of their biggest customers nor am I a consistent customer, they have always treated me well and made me feel welcome at their table. I have seen them at stamp shows for several decades since I have been collecting. Thus, my experiences with them have been positive and they always say hello to me when they see me at stamp shows.

And to think I was going to bid on a worldwide box lot/collection. I hope what ever youngster that is putting my lot together knows the difference between hingrf and never hinged