In the Computer Age, are Auction Catalogs now Pretty Much Useless?

Like many others, every year I get flooded with with probably over 100 lbs. of auction catalogs and probably over 90% of them just get pitched the day they arrive unless it's a noteworthy sale or has some really nice color plates I'd like to save.
I don't see the point of flipping through an auction catalog when I can just go online and see everything I need and also place any bids, etc. I can't even remember the last time I mailed in a bid sheet from a catalog, yet the major auctioneers all still seem to send out these expensive catalogs and pay the postage.
I would think if the major auctioneers discontinued the large yearly expense of producing and mailing out all these catalogs, maybe they could lower their fees?? Am I missing something?
Opinions?
I don't see the point of flipping through an auction catalog when I can just go online and see everything I need and also place any bids, etc. I can't even remember the last time I mailed in a bid sheet from a catalog, yet the major auctioneers all still seem to send out these expensive catalogs and pay the postage.
I would think if the major auctioneers discontinued the large yearly expense of producing and mailing out all these catalogs, maybe they could lower their fees?? Am I missing something?
Opinions?
0
Comments
Buying top quality Seated Dimes in Gem BU and Proof.
Buying great coins - monster eye appeal only.
Heritage seems to be keeping track of the fact that I haven't mailed in a snail mail bid in a long time and I have stopped recieving their
catalogs. I only bid online these days.
The life of a typical web page is less than 18 months. After 18 months, the sample of auctions/coins becomes skewed in favor of the largest companies, so on-line auction archives are nearly useless in tracing ownership/pedigree or market research.
On-line resources offer immediacy and convenience (as long as the electricity stays on), but are of very limited future utility. This holds true in any field where analysis of information trends is important.
All the auction companies I know will be pleased to remove a name from their mail-out list. Saves them money.
The National Archives is struggling with the "technology refresh" problem as are major research programs. Care to listen to an original Dictaphone recording from 1930?
(Stolen punchline from a 19th century barb towards the young antiquarians and coin dealers, Samuel Hudson and Henry Chapman)
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
U.S. Type Set
Just like all printed material, auction houses have to be thinking strongly about creating PDF 'books' & letting the bidders decide whether or not to print them. Print just the pages with coins you're interested in, while keeping the entire PDF catalog stored on your computer. Exchanging PDF's would be a snap.
These can be uploaded to computers, PDA's, phones, etc.
It's just a matter of time.
BTW, if these are created as PDF's, archiving would be simple.
roadrunner
These will still be written for a very long time to come whether all are committed to slick paper or not.
<< <i>I'm pathetic. I still need my catalogs.
For some reason, I miss things on line.
Plus, I prefer writing notes and referencing coins the old fashion way.
In the end, NOTHING replaces seeing the coins in person. Not the web or any catalog! >>
I'd rather spend my money on coins than jet fuel.
Sure, I goof up now and then, but I'm happy doing what I'm doing.
I think Ebay and similar auction services (e.g., Heritage) have taken the wind out of the sails of mail catalogs. Why would I want to leaf through a physical catalog to find a coin I want, when I can do it much faster and more efficiently online? True, electronic pictures and descriptions aren't always the best, but print photos and descriptions aren't that much better for telling you what you really want to know.
Frankly, I think the potential is there on the Internet for these listings to be much more valuable. Lots of different sites have 3D views of their wares. (This is done in electronics all the time.) I see no reason why the same can't be done for coins. Being able to turn an image and see how the light plays off of it would be much more useful than any static print image. Granted, it would be a lot more work, but it would give customers that "in hand" experience that all distant auctions (print and online) currently suffer from.
-- Adam Duritz, of Counting Crows
My Ebay Auctions