OPINION: A brilliant marketing idea or just plain stupid?

MintMoondog

1977 partial set

I don't know how to react to this "adjustment" in how the auction is done. Have you ever seen an auction where the same card is offered in two different lots and only the higher "lot" actually wins? What are your thoughts?

Big80s

I'm not sure how often this sort of auction occurs, but I saw it for the first time in Mile High's January auction this year. They used it for a set of t205's.

Dboneesq

I remember another AH doing this about a year or two ago. It was with a higher graded older set ... I believe a '52 Topps. EACH card was available as an individual or you could bid on the entire lot.

alifaxwa2

While this may help them get the most $$ for this particular set of cards, but it really screws with buyers budgets. If I wanted a few of the PSA 10s for player collections, I would have to make a decision, do I pass up all the 10s I need from this set to bid on other items, or vice versa. I can't go all out on all of them, because I don't have money. But if the bulk lot sells for greater than the parts, then I could be totally shut out of items altogether because I couldn't bid on totally unrelated lots.

Though, I truly can't see the set lot sell for more than the parts.

MattyC

I love those 77 All-Stars with the red banner; may very well bid on one or two of my favorites players. Gorgeous specimens there!

Add: Henry, yes, that format seems to be in vogue right now for set breaks. Have seen it with some very high end sets over the last year or so.

Griffins

Mastro started this with a '59 Fleer set, and a few other auction houses tried and abandoned the idea. Disappointing that Mile High is continuing to use it. If you read threads on other boards you see how many collectors refuse to place any bid in this format, myself included.

Maurice

<< <i>many collectors refuse to place any bid in this format, myself included. >>


Same here. No bids from me.

JustinsShoebox

Safe for seller, bad for buyer.

No bids from me.

Justin

DetroitSquirreL

Ive never bid with this AH, you need 2 references???

3BoyzTrading

No bids from me either. Kinda lame IMO

esquiresports

This is something that has been incorporated by a few auction houses, but none of the biggest names as far as I know. When I first saw it, I thought it made sense for the consignor. The better of two worlds. But then I read many people won't bother bidding in such an auction. The possible effects may be reflected in a recent Mile High 1948 Leaf boxing set break, using the full set versus individual card method. The Rocky Graziano, a PSA 4, only brought about $23K, by far the lowest this card had sold for in graded form. Just last Saturday, an SGC 4 Rocky Graziano sold alone by REA brought $39K, or 70% more. Ouch.

Griffins

<< <i>Ive never bid with this AH, you need 2 references??? >>



you pretty much need 2 references for any auction house. They'll usually take a solid ebay rating for one, and another dealer or AH for the other.

MintMoondog

Thanks for your inputs. I was initially very negative against this practice and edited out my opinion that I would just skip this auction. I am more ambivalent based on your insights, but my initial thought that this would increase the price realized has swung a bit the other way. My gut instinct is that this is a bad practice and diminishes the integrity of an auction kinda trying to have your cake and eat it too mentality. Therefore, I am swinging toward the just plain stupid but a nice try conclusion.

bbuckner22

I had PM'd Henry last night saying I was considering going all out for the 560 card lot. But after pondering it today and reading some of the comments I think I'm out. It should really be one way or the other, either break it up or sell it whole. If you were to bid on the lot not only would you be bidding against another potential buyer of the lot but also bidding against two guys that have to have the pop 15 HOF card even though its 10x VCP already. Also agree with alifaxwa2, you might try and budget your bids on some of the individual 10's only to find out they are going to sell as a lot. Hence, you lose out on bidding on some other unrelated items.

JMDVM

Well, I just got through bidding on some 52 Bowman Large FB, was wondering why the bids seemed low. If I had bothered reading before I bid about this "aggregate" nonsense, I never would have done so. Guess I won't be winning anything.....

1954

As a seller I believe this is a very good way to garnish the highest price. As a buyer it makes me be more aggressive on the single lots and to make sure I have a higher bid along with the other lots to beat the complete set lot. I have seen this type of auction format a couple times and it seems to bring more money to the seller.

elsnorto

It's a great scheme for sellers... unless, of course, enough bidders are alienated by the tactic and take their business elsewhere. I personally would pass on these sort of "aggregate" auctions as well.

Snorto~