Nate Sanders Auctions - What Are They Doing?
 

Nate Sanders is the Most Unprofessional Auction House I Have Ever Dealt With (since I have never really dealt with Coach's Corner).

Just want to share my last 24 hours dealing with this "Auction House".

With 24 hours to go until tonight's auction close, I called them yesterday to learn how their auction was to end. In my conversation with an employee it sounded like they make up rules as they go along. maybe they would call me, maybe they wouldn't. I could call them but if I bid in the last 24 hours (and then it was changed to three hours during our phone conversation) they would call me to let me know I was outbid.

This evening, at 20 minutes until the close of the auction, I bid on three items. within a few minutes I was outbid on all three.

Not a problem, I assumed I would have more time to bid (at least three hours as I was told). I was nearing my financial limit on all three items so I was unsure if I wanted to even bid again on the items.

I went back to the web page after the 8pm (est) initial bidding close and could not get back to my items to rebid. under "my bids", I had to go to "previous auctions" to see and learn that I lost all three auctions. How could I loose the auctions if I was to still have three hours to rebid?

At 8:20 the phone rang and it was someone from Nate Sanders calling. Now get this: I was told that one of the rings I wanted, the owner "just" at this moment had lowered their reserve. (I was also told yesterday that they no longer bid on behalf of reserve even though it is clearly written in their terms that they can). I was told by the employee on the telephone that the ring was mine if I wanted it at my last bid, plus the twenty percent buyers premium.

I was shocked and asked them what kind of auction house are they running? What games are they playing? Other people had bid on that ring in the last three hours. Why was the auction house at 8:30 (30 minutes after the initial bidding closed) offering to sell me the ring? Yes sell me the ring, not a request to bid on the ring. And remember, I was outbid and "lost" the auction according to their website.

I have never dealt with this auction house before this auction and unless they have something I desperately need in the future, I will avoid them. Too many improvisational proceedings here for me.

With some auction houses bidding up the reserve in real time sessions on the auction floor when the auction is live, or hidden reserves not being met, or auction houses and their employees owning and buying items for inclusion in their auctions, I truly appreciate the few auction houses that don't play these games.

When I met the Nate Sanders folks at the National, I encouraged them to check out net54baseball.com and to respond about how they are running ebay "buy it now" and "best offer" auctions and offering the same items in their auction at the same time.

I told the lady on the phone I could not wait to get off the phone so I could post this story on Net54. I hope they check it out and respond to my post.

Auction
 

I was very confused with their auction format/ebay auction, etc. I stayed clear-didn't seem right to me,

Maybe they had called the other bidders and they declined to purchase the ring.

I have never bid with them, nor will I start now.

Thanks for the story and the warning.

Is this the same Nate Sander's Auctions that is selling the below "500 Homerun" item?

http://www.natedsanders.com/ItemInfo.asp?ItemID=27554

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Nate is apparently a hack in many areas. After seeing the putrid easy to spot fake and your little bidding story, Fudd would say...

"Run (don't walk) like Rabbit with thorn in paw away from that Knuckle Head.

If Knuckles is selling an easy to spot fake like that one, he's worth his weight in B.S. in any event.

Did anything in his auction even meet the reserve? I didn't see anything that did in the items i looked at.

My experience
 

Sorry to hear that you had to deal with this. I transacted with the auction house last year as a seller and while payment was made, the deal left me feeling less than appreciated.

I sold a late 1880's piece of NYC ephemera that they immediately flipped for a $2K profit. I am not bothered by that - some people/companies are well connected with buyers and some aren't.

The sale was made via EBay and they didn't bother to leave positive feeback or even acknowledge the receipt of the item. Furthermore they were abrupt and borderline rude during transaction conversations.

I won't sell to them or buy from them again.

From Nate D. Sanders
 

Rashaan consigned his Heisman Trophy ring to me with a $15,000 reserve. I am happy to post the paperwork for this to this site for everyone to view. My site clearly stated on the item page, "Reserve not yet met." When the bidding did not reach $15,000, I contacted the highest bidder (who had previously been outbid by Rashaan's reserve) and Rashaan to see if they wanted to make a deal. Rashaan said yes and the bidder said no.

That would be me. I received the phone call. Nate, I bid on one other item during the last three hours of the auction. Why was I not called on that item?

Why was the Yankee player ring on ebay with a buy it now and in your auctioin at the same time?

Seems that you and your auction house are just winging it as you go along.

I was told by your staff that although your auction house can bid on behalf of the reserve, I was told that your company no longer does that.

I've dealt with Nate for several years now. He's probably spent $20,000 to $25,000 or so with me buying miscellanous stuff. He's a good guy. Known primarily in the non=sports autograph industry, not so much for sportscards and sports memoribilia. The best way to deal with Nate is email. I can honestly say I don't ever remember talking to him. If you talked to Laura , I believe that's his fiancee, might be his wife by now. Nate pays good prices. However, I don't buy much from Nate as since he pays good prices, he has to sell for better prices. He started his autograph business as a teenager years ago and has made it into a succesful operation. If you are not happy in his customer service or his auctions, just don't deal with him, but he's always been a fair and trustworthy guy with me. The opening statement that made a not so veiled, indirect comparison to Coach's Corner is absolutely uncalled for and is bush league at best.

Nate can answer for his own business practices, but just wanted to chime in on his behalf since I have personal knowledge of dealing with him over a several year period.

Take care,

Mike

I stand behind my wording. Nate Sanders and his company was the worst dealing I have ever had with an auction house. The purpose of mentioning Coach's Corner was to give credibilty to my comment that his company was my worst experience, and to acknowledge that however bad the service and policy is, it is not even close to being on the level of Coach's Corner. Coach's Corner as we all know, is an organization intent on blantant forgery.

I never said or implied that Nate Sanders or his company was committing fraud. Although someone responding on this topic thread did show an item from one of Nate Sander's auctions that most on this board would feel is not an authentic item.