I Wish Auction Houses Would Coordinate Sales Dates

December is a busy time for sales and it does not help that some of the larger auction houses repeatedly hold auctions on the same dates. Both Siegel and Cherrystone have auctions on 4-5 December. Would it not benefit them to deconflict there schedules for the sake of live bidders? Thoughts on whether it matters or not appreciated.

Oh what a delemma we have. It is like Eatons and Sears stores; or Tim Hortons and Starbucks coffee shops on opposite street corners going head to head. Each wants you in their store to spend your money. It is all about the money!

If there is something that you want to win really bad you just have to be there. Otherwise the next best thing to do is bid your highest maximum early for an opportunity to win at the other auction, or have someone else bid for you. Or maybe get a larger computer screen and have both happening live on line together, that may be double fun. It happened to me last year, participated in one live online while I had placed bids on another online happening at same time and date. Good luck.

Mike

My pet peeve is when an auction house waits until 2 weeks before the event to put out their catalog. I try to travel to auctions where I expect to bid but often have to make flight arrangements before the catalog is published and just hope they have some lots I want. I complained to Kelliher about this and they told me they don't like to publish too far ahead because bidders lose heir catalogs? How can you lose SAN?

I look at it differently. I think that the fact that we have this many auction firms competing for our business is a very good thing overall.

I've never tried it, but I suspect that you might be able to log into two auctions at once - on two computers if necessary, or on two windows on one computer if the connection and refresh speed can support it. That would be, of course, a function of how the SAN software is implemented - concurrent updates to your user metadata internal to SAN would be a bad thing - each update would be atomic, but no guaranteed order. As long as its separate auctions, you might be ok. Something to check with them first on. Hopefully, their software would be smart enough to detect a second connection from the same user if they don't support such concurrency - but I'm not a web developer, so I don't know. I "think" that a lot of secure web apps today probably don't preclude multiple connections, but most assume that if the user does that, he knows what he is doing.

I suspect that Don can clarify some of the above quite well.

Your concern over conflicting dates is a valid one, especially for those of us who prefer to bid live online using SAN. However, in my opinion it's unrealistic to expect the auction firms to coordinate anything. Remember that in 2001 the attorneys general of California, New York and Maryland sued Apfelbaum and others for rigging bids in auctions with Kelleher, Harmer-Schau and others. While the auction houses were the victims and the allegations involved bid rigging by individuals, the litigation would have raised the profile of possible antitrust liability in other aspects of the stamp auction business and could have a chilling effect on the willingness of auction houses to coordinate about any aspect of auction selling that could be perceived to affect markets.

*Substantially revised to correct the facts as refreshed by 'floortrader'*

It's a marketing tactic. Keep it fresh in mind and create a sense of urgency. If they sent the catalog 2 months in advance, people would change their minds or focus on another opportunity. They want their catalog on the top of your stack.

CJPALERMO---I think you are mixing up two separate events . There was a bidder group that involved Apfelaum that try to rig bidding at stamp auctions . Then there was in the ART world a fixing of rates/commissions for different types of ART.

Kelleher is now printing their catalog overseas and I am getting mine by express delivery .There are cutting out the free {or the $5.00} catalog ,they are using some kind of mininum purchase standard .Same goes for other stamp auction firms .

Kelleher's Collections auction catalogs are printed and shipped in the USA. Their other sales are printed in Hong Kong and shipped from there via Fedex. Interesting that firms are charging for catalogs now. I have yet to pay but the catalogs are piling up. The number of catalogs that Siegel sends is crazy. Appreciated though. They are beautiful as well as being good reference tools although I prefer using their Power Search. It would irk me on principle to pay for a catalog given the commission they get when I buy but I do understand it is business. Given that they get up to 40% plus on a lot between buyer and seller commissions ultimately if you spend money with them you will continue to get "free" catalogs. You actually did pay for them.

Two sales on the same date! That's a good reason to use an agent. Actually, I've had an agent bid for me even though I'm on the floor. The agent has the sense to quit bidding when my limit is reached rather than to keep going as a foolish principal has been known to do.

And as I was reading the thoughts of others here Kelleher posted their December Flagship sale which conflicts with Schuyler Rumsey on 10 December.

Kelleher's auction is December 18-20

Right you are Sir. Excellent!

Well, it worked out just fine. I bid with Cherrystone on their own platform, which I love by the way, and Siegel on SAN and it was actually fun to juggle the two. Helps that I won my desired lots at good prices. As an aside I love listening to Scott Trepel call an auction. Very engaging and humorous at the right times. Onwards to Kelleher's on Saturday. Might attend in person but will probably end up in my bidding command center with a bagel and coffee.

I too enjoyed listening to Scott, but I got totally blown away on the item I wanted. I think nearly every collection sold for way above the high estimate, but as you say there's still Kelliher.

Yes, the prices were strong overall for collections. The singles were interesting. All over the board. I am amazed at how low the prices were for some very scarce/rare GB stamps. Quite a few with certs going for 10% or less of cv. I picked up the four volume International collection to play with over the Winter. It was sight unseen so I hope it has a bit of juice to it. Should be fun in any case. I am addicted to poring through collections. I will probably be competing against you on Saturday and so I would wish you luck but..........