Thoughts on recent auctions

[martindl]

I'm surprised to not see postings re. recent auction results. I'm still trying to determine the 'board culture' so don't know whether its verbotten to get into discussions re. relative bargains, auction comparisions, etc.

Anyhow, thought i lead with some of my observations. I focus on bats, so my comments may not apply to all area's.

• too many auctions at the same time -i know the auction houses want to separate themselves from each other and beating out the competition is one way of doing it, but for the collector, the myriad of choices just numbs the senses. I totally missed out on an item in CSS because i was all over Mastro, GFC, Sothebys, etc. - the other side of this argument is that overall buying prices should be cheaper due to the large amount of things being offerred
• houses -i don't think the '1 day internet, then next day live' format helped GFC at all. I for one, figured that a NY local in attendance would emotionally bid up items above any internet bidding that i did, so i generally stayed away. Looks like i wasn't the only one. The Sothebys name tends to scare off some folks, though i saw some nice buys. The didn't have anything i had to have. Mastro is very card focused and again, they had nothing i had to have. I do like their 15 minute rule - not so keen on their picking my increments for me.
• bat bargains - throw in the vig and there weren't many in Mastro. I thought the Lazzari Batrite would go about 30% higher and the 50's Mantle seemed like a bargain, though the lack of a MEARS grade probably didn't help it (and a 13" crack). GFC had plenty of apparent bargains, even with the vig. Poor descriptions and lack of pictures didn't help consigners or buyers. If i'm buying a bat i'd like to know if its got use. I shouldn't have to email to find this out. Sotheby's got top dollar on most everything though the Furillo stands out to me as bargain. Lelands isn't over yet, but bargains are few and far between. I have to say that Lelands seems to be the premier game-used house, prices wise, if you're a consigner.

Other thoughts?

[trsent]

One of the problems is everyone wants to have their auction end in early December for holiday sales. It was just amazing that four auctions ended on the same night, December 8th.

[jboosted92]

Well personally I think I got a steal in the recent Mile High Auction...

Ty Cobb 1914-15 40K Louisville Slugger Professional Model Game Bat W/ Photo Evidence

http://65.98.29.206/milehigh/display...osed%20Auction

With the recent evidence found on 40k bats, and with ALL the Cobb characteristics found on this peice (graded A3, but has chipped knob, and chip on back of bat....would be 4.5 maybe 5) and with all the other knowledge about the bat, if a 40K pic was to surface, the grade and value would go up. Even so, I love the bat!!

[ghostkid]

Wow, is it really true that Joe Jackson's Black Betsy sold for a measely $240,000 in Sotheby's? This is the same bat that sold in 2001 for more than $577,000. I read a post that Sotheby's got top dollar for most of their lots. I disagree, there were many bargains to be had in all of the auctions, including Sotheby's...how about that Ty Cobb 1911-16 H&B sidewritten bat (graded A-10*) that went for $71,825 plus some juice. On another day this bat may well have sold for over $100K. Is the markey softening, or were too many auction houses competing for the holiday dollars?

Kevin

[trsent]

Originally Posted by ghostkid

Is the markey softening, or were too many auction houses competing for the holiday dollars?

I blame it all on the decline of the stock market. 2001 was around the end of the surge.

Then again, go to a web site like http://www.pokerpages.com and read the tournament results from The Bellagio's current event. They had almost 1000 players pay $1500.00 each to just try to win a $15,500.00 seat in today's main event of the Five-Diamond Poker Classic.

http://www.pokerpages.com/tournament/schedule1710.htm

In the old days of poker, we used to have about 200 players in a World Series of Poker no-limit hold 'em tournament with a $1500.00 buy-in. Now 1000 people pay $1500.00 just to try to win a seat in another round. Think, leading up to that tournament, they were running 10-player single table satellites for $335.00 per person where the top two players receive an entry to the $1500.00 tournament to try to win a seat in the $15K tournament.

Maybe the money has re-routed.