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It looks like I got skunked at Heritage!

renomedphysrenomedphys Posts: 4,011 ✭✭✭✭✭

Well, today they had their Platinum Night auction and there were coins I was bidding on. Along comes a lot that I had marked, it was about to hammer, I made a cut-bid, and it looked like my bid was accepted. I guess I was confused because I legitimately saw my bid accepted and I saw it was at that price, and the hammer fell.

Look at this!

Anyway I called Heritage to see if in fact I was the winner and they said that another bid same as mine came in literally milliseconds before mine!

I sure wish I had known, I would most assuredly bid again 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

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    airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 22,763 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2, 2026 2:25PM

    I've been there, but at Stack's. I think their website and app are worse than Heritage in terms of making it obvious what your status is. I once slid the slider to place my bid (a cut, I think), and it got all the way to the right and the bid was at the amount I had bid, so when the lot closed I celebrated until I realized I'd lost. I surely would have placed another bid if I had realized I wasn't winning.

    For both, I really wish they'd make it super obvious. On every lot, show very clearly one of these:

    You are WINNING
    You are LOSING
    You have not placed a bid on this lot

    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
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    msc672msc672 Posts: 12 ✭✭

    That is incredibly frustrating. Is that a 1794? I can't quite make it out.

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    Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,421 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Millisecond? Ouch!

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

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    renomedphysrenomedphys Posts: 4,011 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sheldon 22, MS62. Ex Sheldon. Cool pedigree. I had 26k bid in my notes but I might have gone one more. Live auction fail.

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    logger7logger7 Posts: 9,849 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Can you use a snipe on their auctions?

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    alaura22alaura22 Posts: 3,961 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm not understanding
    Wasn't the auctioneer paying attension?
    If bids are still coiming in why did he drop the hammer?
    I watch many auctions and there is always a delay after the last bid before the hammer drops
    Sorry you lost

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    jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 43,012 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @logger7 said:
    Can you use a snipe on their auctions?

    It's not a hard close.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

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    airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 22,763 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @logger7 said:
    Can you use a snipe on their auctions?

    No. All Heritage auctions (internet only or live+internet) are traditional auctions in the sense that they go one lot at a time, and a lot doesn't close until all bidding activity is completed.

    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
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    tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,753 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If it’s something you really really have to have then you really should use a representative in the room

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    renomedphysrenomedphys Posts: 4,011 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @tradedollarnut said:
    If it’s something you really really have to have then you really should use a representative in the room

    And traditionally I would have been at all these auctions myself, until they were all brought back in shop-side. When was that? Covid? I realize that this is a “me” problem as I do have a tendency to rely too heavily on convenience.

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    epcepc Posts: 456 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2, 2026 7:02PM

    @alaura22 said:
    I'm not understanding
    Wasn't the auctioneer paying attension?
    If bids are still coiming in why did he drop the hammer?
    I watch many auctions and there is always a delay after the last bid before the hammer drops
    Sorry you lost

    If I understand correctly, the OP saw that the new bid was the amount he had bid, but did not notice that he was not the new leading bidder. A bid accepted is not necessarily the new leading bid. Neither he nor anyone else entered another bid, and some seconds could have passed before the hammer fell.
    But if two of the same bid come in at almost the same time, I'd think the latter one would not be "accepted". So something does still seem off, if the details provided are accurate.

    Collector of Liberty Seated Half Dimes, including die pairs and die states

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    MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 40,030 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MFeld - for an online bid, is it so that 2 same amount bids "at the same time" wouldn't necessarily show "outbid" to the second, losing bidder? what would happen if a floor bidder hit first and an online bidder hits at the same amount as the floor bidder hits?

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
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    epcepc Posts: 456 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If I recall correctly, the Heritage bidding interface will disable the bid buttons (one for full increment, one for cut bids) when you are winning. So, if you see active bid buttons, you're not winning.

    Collector of Liberty Seated Half Dimes, including die pairs and die states

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    P0CKETCHANGEP0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Better to use “live proxy” bidding than roll the dice with HA’s janky software.

    Nothing is as expensive as free money.

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    MFeldMFeld Posts: 17,127 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MsMorrisine said:
    @MFeld - for an online bid, is it so that 2 same amount bids "at the same time" wouldn't necessarily show "outbid" to the second, losing bidder? what would happen if a floor bidder hit first and an online bidder hits at the same amount as the floor bidder hits?

    I’m sorry, I don’t know whether two online bids of the same amount can arrive “at the same time” or what would happen if they could.

    Regarding your second question - if a floor bidder’s bid is received before a live online bidder’s bid of the same amount does, I believe that that the online bidder’s bid wouldn’t be accepted. However, it would be best to call client services to check on this.

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

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    BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 11,788 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Timing is everything.

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
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    RedRocketRedRocket Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @BLUEJAYWAY said:
    Timing is everything.

    Along with a hefty bank account.

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    I had the same thing happen once, thought I had won and quickly noticed I was out bid.
    I did not bid again as I did not want to go higher, but had to make quick call before hammer.
    I have not used the phone bidder route, but if I was someone who had to have a coin I would use it.
    (note: took me 6-7 years to finally get a coin for slightly more and I prefer, sometimes patience is a virtue.
    Now if only a couple exist and in strong hands, chances can be very few) .
    >
    Good luck to all in pursuit of your goals.

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    MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 40,030 ✭✭✭✭✭

    how does live proxy show up online during the live bidding? "live proxy?"

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
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    winestevenwinesteven Posts: 5,602 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 3, 2026 12:42PM

    @MsMorrisine said:
    how does live proxy show up online during the live bidding? "live proxy?"

    No. I believe it shows up as Heritage Live, the same as someone actively placing a bid from their computer. However, if YOU are the bidder via Live Proxy, you will see on the screen as either "you are the high bidder" (or something like that), or, if you've reached your max and someone bid higher, it will show you that "You were Outbid".

    Here's a key point I omitted above with my detailed explanation: If two potential bidders enter the SAME max bid via Live Proxy (like $4,000 each person on the same lot) the person who entered it FIRST will be the one that "owns" that max bid. However, the other collector will not know that, until they see they were not the high bidder when that max level was reached when the coin was on the block. That's why I enter my "Live Proxy" bids as soon as possible once the bids open a few weeks before the actual auction.

    A day without fine wine and working on your coin collection is like a day without sunshine!!!

    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

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