How Do You Feel About Public Auctions Without Live Viewing?

I don't fly around the country to auctions so if it isn't online with plenty of decent pics OR I can't get the house to send any pics, it won't get my bids. With a few exceptions of course. Plus I understand how busy they are and I don't ask for pics of everything, just the earlier or better material i'm looking at anyway.

I'm amazed at how accomodating some auction businesses are. I'm equally amazed at how oafish and off putting some of them are. You want my money. I am willing to attempt to part with it. Telling me 2 weeks before the auction that "You're too busy. You'll see if you can find time. It's a lot of work blah blah." Not my problem and no, i'm not going to bid on that collection with an opening of $3500 described vaguely with pics of material from a foot away that are nothing but blurs when you zoom in. There will be other auctions down the road week or two.

Jeez I sound like a grumpy old intercourser.

HR Harmer, Cherrystone, Spink and even Siegel have zero pics for many of their large lots and I can understand it to a degree for box lots. Even so, 20-30 pics on SAN can do wonders for a potential bidder. Sparks and Kelleher do a decent job along with ABC (if the ABC thumbnails were not so darn small) for some lots but not enough. It costs 10 cents to host a pic on Stamp Auction Network. Come on guys, spend $5 on a lot estimated at thousands of dollars.

From a recent Siegel email: "...and the Morton sale has certified stamps, physical viewing is not essential."

What a load of BS that is. The last time I did any viewing at Siegel was to specifically look at an item that was recently certified. My conclusion was that the cert, like so many others, wasn't worth a damn.

For the auction house, doing video viewing ties up one person for just one viewer, whereas one person can handle multiple in office viewers. The viewing is also less efficient as they will show you some things in the lot you have no interest in and will skip over things you should see. With office viewers you also get the "Well as long as I am here, I might as well look at a few other things" and one of them might turn out to be far more interesting than guessed, which benefits both the viewer and the house but for video viewing you will be limited to some amount of time before the house cuts you off.

I equate it to a form of gambling.

Price is what you're willing to risk based on description. I don't mind gambling sometimes, it can be fun, but my bid will be cheap.

I'd prefer to see for myself rather than take the butcher's word for it, all respects to Tommy Boy.

While I am not trying to recommend it, I know of several guys who regularly spend 5 digits starting with a crooked digit on material they do not view either in person or by video.

I have had only bad luck with Michael Aldrich. Serious misdescriptions. Of course lately this theme has been a favorite of mine. Deliberate poor descriptions, covered by auction house T's and C's absolving them of any accountability. I feel like lately I've mainly posted negative stuff in the forum and need to focus on positive stuff. But if I can't vent here with like-minded and empathetic collectors, where can I vent?

In this scenario KRelyea, I would be extremely vigilant regarding what can and cannot be returned and bid/no bid accordingly.

I'm glad I recently added some inventory. I cannot see myself buying a collection without viewing it unless every part of the collection is there in images online. Last year I bought a set of 29 albums. I can certainly understand why an auction house would not want to spend the time to photograph all that. Could some sort of Skype or similar technology be used - yes - but until then I'll have to wait for things to change.

Rlsny - did you buy the 29 album collection mainly for the albums or the stamps? How far have you gotten breaking it down? Any surprises?

I prefer to view lots at the firm prior to bidding . Experience auction buyers know the firm plus know the people who are writting the descriptions .

Like floor trader I prefer to view lots before bidding. Buying remotely is a matter of trust. I buy from UPA postal auctions because I trust their promise to take a thing back as long as you don't do it too often, the descriptions appear accurate, the catalogue is profusely illustrated and he offers free scans if you ask. A far smaller less skilled auction house where I have bought good stuff I would only buy having seen the material at first hand. The house states clearly that the descriptions are written by the vendors, I found at this auction material is often under described. IE the stuff is better than described. For auctions I read the catalogue then decide whether or not to bid or attend and bid.

I see Michael Roger just jumped in to the "Collections" auctions big time . I am sure this is not viewable auction , descriptions are the usual Kelleher description type . Anybody else watching this ?

I'm watching closely. The auction they just posted is much lower level than their regular "Collections" auction that is still scheduled for May. I'm hoping they postpone it until traveling and viewing is possible.

Cherrystone has a couple big lots in the May 12th auction but no pictures, I'm going to ask for pictures and see what happens.

Ken agree with you it looks like at a lower level but if you combine two or three lots it puts you back at the other level. Also maybe it is going to be you and me bidding and not the regular circle of bidders.....hey looking for the bright side here in a other wise crappy day in the stock market today .

"maybe it is going to be you and me bidding"….and me.