A robot calling the lots
RedCopper
Posts: 173 ✭✭✭
I went online to the Heritage (Boulder City )
auction last night and discovered a robot
was calling the lots.
Is this the future of coin auctions ?
It went very quick but I miss Mike Sadler
doing his dramatic rants .
What are other peoples experience ?
1
Comments
It's been the future of coin auctions since you could go online at Heritage and Stack/Bowers to bid. For auctions that have Important Coins™, there will be someone adding color commentary, live phone support, and so on, but for more routine auctions of pedestrian stuff, widgets, and dreck, a robot is sufficient.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I much prefer the robot. Some auctioneers are long winded, boring and annoying.
Stewart, when I saw your thread title and the first line of your post, I started preparing myself for you criticizing one of our (human) auctioneers. Whew!
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
I prefer the robot as it gets to the point, with no color commentary.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
I like the humans! If there are 1000 lots to get through, particularly mid-range or lower type coins, the computer totally makes sense. But I'll watch some of the human-run auctions even without the intention of bidding because it can be entertaining/educational/interesting. Of course, if you are anxiously waiting to bid on lot 300 and each lot is taking several minutes I can understand how it may get a bit frustrating waiting for humans to power through.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Welcome to the future 🙂
I have 1 HA experience ... robot. Makes sense to me (online bid), but I have not been thru any other means.
To me, it seemed to keep the auction going at a "regular" pace.
Heah me now, und buh-leefe me lay-tah ...
If its slabbed, vee can sell it!!!
They need to slow down the robot, I have missed a couple of bids at the last second.
Sure has come a long way from the early teletrade phone bid by phone auctions ... I still hear that sound "you `ve been outbid"
PS ... and you needed a high tech touch button phone ... those rotary dial phones would not work
OMG ... My Mother was Right about Everything!
I wake up with a Good Attitude Every Day. Then … Idiots Happen!
USN & USAF retired 1971-1993
Successful Transactions with more than 100 Members
Danger Will Robinson.
I believe in the “Bigger” auctions, like Show auctions, if there is live floor bidding and phone bidding, they use a live auctioneer. But last night there was no floor or phone bidding, hence the robot got to work the auction.
As a regular bidder, to me it makes no difference either way who the auctioneer is. However, I sense there’s less bidding competition when there’s no floor or phone bidding, so my preference as a bidder is for that format. (I was the high bidder last night on each of the four Indian Cents I wanted).
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Let's face the fact that auctioneering has always been pretty robotic, at least when executed perfectly. It is for the best in running auctions. Why have humans trying to behave as machines?
I still can hear, "Congratchulations....you have won 3 lots in auction ...." in my mind from back when they were in NY State.
"Sorry. You have won. No. Lots in auction ..."
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Nah, in my case there was plenty of time for a few bidders to increase my cost by a few $100 in the last 3 seconds (I still won).