The Jim Brown Jersey

[cohibasmoker]

imo the "economy" had nothing to do with the low selling prices - i think the auction was just very poorly executed. in fact i would be pretty pizzed if i was a consignor. it seems that mastro banked on a great "live" turnout and didn't put much energy into the internet audience - a huge mistake.

the economy wasn't any different a few months ago when the brown jersey sold for $70k. and look at some of the other items (helmets). the greg pritt clear shell mac sold for only $300 with only 1 bid entered - ou clear shell helmets, attributed to no particular player, regularly sell for much more at the cstv auction. heck, that pruitt lid would have sold for no less than $1,000 on ebay. the same goes for the garrison hearst "gamer" - it only sold for $350 with just two bids. it would have gone for much more on ebay. the great looking college all-star leather helmet is another good example - only two bids and sold for a fraction of what it would have gone for on ebay. it goes on and on - the classic bears wilson lid, attributed to turner, sold for just $375 with only two interested parties - just laughable. the james harris rams "gamer" sold for an anemic $225 with only two bids - this thing would have sold for at least $500 on ebay even if listed as nothing more than a vintage rams gamer. just pathetic.

so i'm sorry, i just don't buy into the notion that the economy had anything to do with the ridiculously low selling prices realized - just a very poorly conceived auction imo.

I agree with you on the economy thing - a quality piece is still going to bring a decent priice no matter the time of year. But, a live auction on a Monday morning in December? And, a couple of weeks from Christmas?

Jim

[helmets]

Yes, the Christmas thing was going through my head after each of my successful bids. That and the 20% fee that I kept forgetting...

The timing of the year was the biggest concern for me. I had to stop and tell the Mastro rep that kept calling me that I wasn't interested in a couple lots even though they were going to go for less than I had originally planned to bid and aquire them.

[helmets]

I don't know all of the rules of an auction like this, but as I am reviewing some of the lots and the final prices, there are a few with only one bid, yet, the winning bid is more than the starting bid. The Unitas jersey is one. The starting bid was 25,000 and there was only one bid, yet the final bid was 35,000. I don't get it...

Is the 35K a proxy bid that someone sent in? Do they get it for the 25K or if the proxy is 35K is that what they end of paying? There are other examples as well. I thought it may be a reserve, but I do not see one on the lots in question.

Help me understand...

[RKGIBSON]

I think the economy did effect the final price, on the lower price stuff more than the upper end stuff. Any time you take one or two guys out of the bidding process it could reduce the sale price in half. Take the guy that owned this stuff. There are several things that I bid against him on in other auctions. At the end it was me and him. If me or him was out of that bidding process I know the price would have been half. If this stuff belonged to someone else and he was bidding, I'm sure the things he was interested in would have went for way more. Just two more bids by him at the end of the Jim Brown would have put the price at $62557.00. Thats why I think they cost their self thousands of dollar by the format they run.

The unknown with the proxy bid is why I did not handle this auction like I do on other auctions that has a item I really want. I did not know if the highest proxy bid was the starting place or if during the live auction my proxy would have only been increased with a competing bid. I did get several things less than my proxy, how I do not know. One item sold for my proxy but I did not get it, I don't know how that happened either.

Roger

[VERIS#60]

In the jersey description it is noted the amount of wear on the crotch piece. If the buttons were used this many times putting the jersey on and taking it off, should'nt there be at least one repair? Can anyone give me an answer to that? Thanks!
Bruce

[aeneas01]

I think the economy did effect the final price, on the lower price stuff more than the upper end stuff. Any time you take one or two guys out of the bidding process it could reduce the sale price in half. Take the guy that owned this stuff. There are several things that I bid against him on in other auctions. At the end it was me and him. If me or him was out of that bidding process I know the price would have been half. If this stuff belonged to someone else and he was bidding, I'm sure the things he was interested in would have went for way more.

roger, the reason i think this auction makes a poor poster child for a bad economy is because of the anemic number of bids submitted on just about every single lot. your point about taking one or two guys out of the bidding war is exactly right, but if you introduce the lots to a larger audience then there is the possibility that this dynamic can be diminished. anyway, i just think that if this auction was better executed, had it reached more collectors, then the hammer prices would have been much, much higher. did you happen to win any of the helmets?

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