Max bids on auction house sites

[Archive]

Posted By: Robert

Like the rest of you it is frustrating that almost everytime your max bid is reached in the auction houses. I just won 3 at Mastro's last sale all maxed..The same goes for the last Lipsett auction. I must tell you though the first time I got into the auction game was at Lipset's and I made a big error in posting a bid on one of his items and it did not go to the max bid. So if it help Lipset is an honest auction site.

Bresdo


[edited to give it a title]

[Archive]

Posted By: qualitycards.com

Just cause your max bid was utilized, it doesn't mean that the auction house ran you up. I have won many lots under my max, won a bunch at my max and lost some by the next increment and some 10 times higher. This is life in the auction bidding game.

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie

I think of my opponent as the closest bidder, not the sky.

Only if I'm running out of dough will I place a bid at the top I can afford, a couple of bids early, so someone else doesn't take my top slot.

[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

As someone who has run many auctions over the years I must say that often a bidders ceiling bid will be reached, and that is a fact of life. I know some dealers may run up bids but I bet it happens a lot less often than you might think. If a card is worth $100, and you leave a max of $100, don't be shocked to pay $100. And it was most likely fair and square.

[Archive]

Posted By: ockday

My Mastro max bid experience has almost always been good. I usually don't post max bids but when I do, I'd say about 1/2 the time the max bid is not reached.

Alan

[Archive]

Posted By: rob

I won my first mastro auction this past week and my max bid was not reached...beginners luck perhaps.

[Archive]

Posted By: Howie

When you have expertise in the item you're bidding on you'll have a pretty good idea on what the item typically sells for. When you're working with fixed bid increments and a 15% buyers fee it's simple to pick the spot on the bidding scale where you think somebody can't outbid you or else they'll be paying too much. Other experts will bid up to the level you already own and not bid any higher. If you overvalued the item it'll go for less than your max bid. If you undervalued the item or hope to rip a bargain you'll lose. If you're pretty good you'll get the item at your max bid.

[Archive]

Posted By: Aaron

I had never placed max bids on the major auctions until last week and had good experiences with both.

I had to go to USC/UCLA basketball game on Thursday night just before Mastro's Collector Classic's extended time ended and went into the individual lot 15-minute rule period. I placed a bid with an automatic max bid two increments higher in case someone bid while I was at the game.

I cam back fully expecting to have either lost the item or won it at my max bid, but was pleasantly surprised to discover I had won the lot at my original bid price.

I also used a max bid on a lot in Lelands "Fredo" auction Sunday night that was several increments higher than my original high bid that I won with. Although this auction had the same closing time rules as E-Bay, so my bid went in with only about two minutes left in the auction.

[Archive]

Posted By: Robert

I find it rather odd that shortly after posting this forum I got a call from Doug Allen President of MastroNet personally. He wanted to make sure that I was not accussing Mastro of schilling the bids up to the max. Obviously he reads these threads and I never did accuse them as well as I have only participated in 1 of there auctions so far. Did anyone else get the same call, seems to me they are getting a little paranoid.

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

It's not called paranoia, it's called good business. They obviously understand that there are some very influential people on this board and that we actually have an impact on the hobby. Just look at the DiMaggio bat situation. Even an article in the NY Post didn't prompt action by anyone, but a thread here did.

we aren't going to have an impact on the eBay scammers, but we can and do have an impact on the major auction houses and dealers that read this board, and there a lot of them.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

[Archive]

Posted By: Aaron

Robert, don't sweat it. Doug once cold-called me at work when I posted here that I thought Mastro's policy of allowing its employees to bid on Mastro auction undermined customer confidence and was a conflict of interest. I spent a half-hour on the phone with him, but it was like talking to a brick wall.

Just like the Planich stuff and the recent revelations of self-authentication and concealed conlict of interests by SCDA in MastroNet auctions, I don't think they are particularly concerned about what we, as customers think, so long as it doesn't interfere with their revenue.

What I do find disturbing is that Doug used my e-mail address here to look into Mastro's customer database to find my work phone number. It really sends chills down your spine as to what other uses they may be putting our customer information to without our knowledge or consent. (Not to mention, if they are willing to access our account information without our consent to find our contact info and seemingly have no problem with it, what's to stop them from accessing our account information without our consent to learn our bid limits? Of course, I'm not accusing anyone of anything--in fact I already posted I had a positive experience with a max bid in their just completed auction--but it certainly raises the specter that this is something they have the ability to do.)

Ah, but they have such good stuff....

[Archive]

Posted By: Wp

It's hard to believe that an auction house that exceeds 30 million dollars per year in sales would play the games that are being insinuated in this thread. It must be frustrating for Mastro. as they have no way of defending themselves against charges of shilling. How do you prove that you do not shill? I would think that in the auction business the sanctity of the max bid is the first commandment.

[Archive]

Posted By: Aaron

Wally, I think a good way to fend off charges or suspicions of shill bidding would be to implement the same "honest auto-bid" system Robert Lifson has for his Robert Edward Auctions (he also does not allow REA employees to bid on REA lots). It's about as close as you can get to E-Bay's system with today's technology.

[Archive]

Posted By: JimB

I have placed Max Bids on numerous Mastro lots. I have won some and lost some. More often than not, when I have won, it did not go to my ceiling. In fact, I can only think of one time that it did and that time, I only needed to be bumped once from the current bid to hit my max. My gut says they are honest with it.
JimB

[Archive]

Posted By: Bob Marquette

I don't know why you guys are griping about winning lots at your max bid. What's worse is when you place a max bid and the lot sells for the amount of your max bid and you DON'T win the lot. At least with Mastro if you place a max bid and the lot sells for that amount, you get the cards. Doesn't work that way with Hunt's.

[Archive]

Posted By: Wp

Bob,
I agree, when you place your max bid you should be happy to win the lot at the max level. If you are unhappy at the Max level your bid was too high.
Jim,
I whole heartedly agree with you.

[Archive]

Posted By: Andrew

Any opinions on Heritige out of Dallas, TX?

“A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.” - English Proverb

[Archive]

Posted By: dan mckee

Buyers premium is insanely high, do not consign, because you won't get the full value of your stuff as bidders will take into consideration the 20% BP. As in most auction houses, the house wins, not the consigner or bidder.

[Archive]

Posted By: dan mckee

I wanted to add that I have left several ceiling bids on Steve verkman's auctions and rarely has it gone to my ceiling. Most of the time it is under including his last auction.

[Archive]

Posted By: Bob Marquette

Although their winning bidder's fee is insane, I bought a really nice green E98 Lajoie from them about 4 months ago and was very pleased. Good price, card as described and the transaction (shipping, etc.) was first rate.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jay Miller

I have dealt with Mastro since their first auction and I have only had first class service. I have also had first class service from RE Auctions, Lew Lipset and Barry Sloate. There is too much complaining--these guys do a good job in a difficult environment.

I would take the fact that Doug Allen took the time to respond to a complaint on the board as a positive. So what if he looked up your phone number in the data base (if he in fact did that). He saw an unhappy customer and he wanted to rectify the situation. Stop whineing and enjoy the hobby!

[Archive]

Posted By: Aaron

"I would take the fact that Doug Allen took the time to respond to a complaint on the board as a positive. So what if he looked up your phone number in the data base (if he in fact did that). He saw an unhappy customer and he wanted to rectify the situation."

Hardly. If he wanted to "rectify the situation" he could have merely e-mailed me about my concerns (by listing my e-mail address when I log-in, I'm consenting to anyone here doing so).

His using the MastroNet database to find my contact information (which is exactly what he did) was an invasion of my privacy, unethical (possibly illegal) accessing and misuse of my account information, cold-calling me at work was meant, IMO, in no uncertain terms to express to me that I should watch what I say about Mastro because they know who I am and are watching me. It was a very threatening phone call on the part of Doug Allen and, at minimum, meant to silence criticism. (And if he's accessing my account information without my permission, how do I know he's not doing so again, and giving it to others?)

I'm sure Richard's situation was very similar. (And whoever else Allen has done this to.)

Honestly though, to me, all it proved was that Mastro made no bones about accessing its customers account information whenever it wanted to and for whatever reason, and could do the same to find out our bidding history. So, while Mastro may contend they don't practice shill bidding (and I have no evidence they do), certainly they have the capability of doing so (which can be said for most of the major auction houses).

[Archive]

Posted By: Jay Miller

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step out of line the man comes and take you away

Great song!

[Archive]

Posted By: ockday

the "senior" crowd here would of course know that's by Buffalo Springfield with a young Steven Stills..circa 1967

[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

First off, thanks to Jay not only for the kind words about my auction but also for remembering Buffalo Springfield and the lyrics to "For What It's Worth". They were one of the sixties greatest bands, morphing into Crosby,Stills, Nash,and Young who were also very good but not quite as good.
As an auctioneer I find some of this discussion funny. First off, let's take Mastronet. They run auctions in excess of $10 million, have a thousand things to consider on auction night, and some guy who leaves a ceiling bid of say $1000 thinks they have nothing better to do than run up his lot so that they can pocket an extra $20. Believe me, they don't even have the time or interest to do such a thing. I have won many lots in many auction houses for below my ceilings; likewise, there are many out there who have bid in my own auctions who have won lots an increment less and at times multiple increments less than their ceiling. And likewise, if you leave a ceiling bid, sometimes it will go there and you should be happier to win the lot than to lose it to someone else. I just won three lots in the Hunt auction for my ceiling (and one for less) and I thanked them for the process. If you're afraid of the ceiling bid, stay up until four in the morning and guard your bid zealously. If you're like me, I'd rather get a good night sleep. Leave a ceiling and just be happy if you win the lot.

[Archive]

Posted By: Robert

The funny thing about Doug calling me was I never said anything negative about MastroNet. I have no qualms with them and agree with Barry I set my max bid on an item and am glad if I win I would just like that extra bonus every once in awhile of getting it under my max. It makes you fell like you really got a good deal.

Robert

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie

paying and mailing set up (for me and Ben) to say it was fine--but I should e-mail him at the end of the auction "to remind him of the conversation." I didn't even know who he WAS yet! I nearly swallowed my teeth when I saw him listed as President of Mastronet. Our winnings totalled a little over 1K. I thought it was very, very special treatment. The Jos. Hall mouse-nibblerd cabinet may have been saved from Ben's theft--some cabinets were in a different place the thief didn't discover.