Where is the buzz around REA?
 

It used to be that the opening of an REA auction was a major event. There would be several threads going weeks before the auction started. This time, other than the discussion of the Wagner, there is nothing? Is it the auction or just auction fatigue in general?

There are SO many auctions constantly running, and SO much high end material available, that it just isn't the "event" it used to be.

They used to do two auctions a year, now it’s basically every month.

I would love to understand where the flood of material is coming from. Is a whole generation of major collectors getting out, are card doctors stepping up their game/moving more of their accumulated inventory, some of each, something else?

Peter I think it’s coming from guys who are long time collectors that think these numbers are to good to be true and they think he’ll why not time some stuff. Most prob never thought in the 90’s stuff would be selling like this.

That’s just my theory...take some risk off the table.

In 2016 the numbers for a while were unprecedented too, but I just don't recall such a huge amount of material flooding the market, could be wrong.

Maybe They’re not missing the boat this time ?

You know me, my first explanation for everything is going to be the card doctor/TPG axis lol.

I haven't received a single email about it.

You are not worthy.

Seriously though you may have fallen off the mailing list, I've been getting daily reminders.

You're on here 24/7/365, bitching about the card industry.

Everything is a fake, a fraud or a scam. And you continually post over & over & over. *OCD* You have 5 posts already on this fresh thread.

This REA auction is fantastic. I'm loving it. I'm hoping to pick up a few cards that I have been searching for over a year, and they've turned up here.
A few other mixed lots I hope to snag, too. I'm excited. Thrilled. Hopeful.


But, you keep being you, bitching & posting 24/7/365. You saturate these threads with constant negativity.
Your constant negativity has even carried over into the Robert Edwards arena. :confused:

Maybe you should log off and take a walk in the fresh air. The world is not so dark & grim away from your keyboard.

Brian May

+1

You clearly lack reading comprehension because you are misunderstanding/mischaracterizing what I say but fire away. And may I suggest you avail yourself of the ignore feature.

Very possible. On the one thread a few days ago the post was What’s your
National Wishlist ? I said Indictments....not one response.

People don’t care about the card doctors, many will be set up behind tables.

Look, there are people (see above) who prefer their hobby through rose-colored glasses, and I get that.

From my seat in the house, this offering is amazing, some incredible 19th century items. This auction reminds me of the old 2 a year format w.r.t. content. Nice to see new material still entering the hobby.

Agree.

+1, another vote here. The current auction is a very, very nice auction. I have a bunch of placeholder bids in already. However, the Encore auctions do dilute their Signature auctions.

Hi

I think it is a very good auction and has a very good selection. As some said a few reasons for less hype

1. Alot my auctions and auction houses that it seems they all blend into each other
2. All auctions seem to all have bigger selection and more of the vintage, high quality cards of all grades
3. many of the cards that usually only come up every few years all seem to be coming up each auction recently with more collectors trying to make a profit on what they bought in the past at these new high levels.
4. Sensory overload. Every auction has something I want and it is hard to prioritize what to get with a limited budget and fear that the next auction has what you really wanted

But I am happy with REA both as a buyer and a seller.

I am looking forward to some of the items and hope to show them in August New Card Pick up section here on the Forum

I don't know but the near complete T209-2 set is a thing of beauty! I hope to pick up a few of them post auction if possible.

We have to also remember this just because the buzz isn’t on here net54 It could be on Instagram and other social media where the young guns with big cash/crypto hang out.

FWIW, I disagree with you. Peter brings up good conversation points.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a solid auction even without the Wagner, especially for 19th century. I was just wondering why more people aren’t talking about it.

It's another amazing auction from REA, and I was excited to look through it the day it opened, but it's starting to feel redundant to post a thread or even comment about yet another incredible offering from REA, or the other big auction houses. They just keep coming month after month after month, seemingly without end. It doesn't mean that I'm not very interested in this auction though.

EDIT: The sensory overload comment resonates with me too. There are dozens of lots that I'm interested in, though I know I'll be lucky to win any.

+1

And I’ve never seen Peter renege on the BST, like I have Brian. Following through on your own commitments is sooo much more important than whether you agree with someone else’s opinions. Just my two cents

I can only speak for myself. The major consignments I've gotten in over the last year or so have all been either older collectors who are realizing that there is no interest in the collection from the next generation of their family.

or

The next generation of the family dealing with a collection that has been left behind.

Many of scenario #2 have been sitting on the cards for some time now but all the mainstream press about cards has hit the general public's radar and motivated them to act.

Sad side note, even some of these legacy collections that have been in one set of hands for decades are not free from the insidious card doctors. Collections that were still being added to more recently are RIDDLED with problem cards. It's astonishing. I've got trimmed 1952 Topps Mantle, Trimmed 1933 Goudey Ruth Red, Altered 1934 Goudey Gehrig, a stunning 1949 Duke Snider rookie that is probably trimmed, it goes on and on.

Oh and almost all of these collections are raw.

Just my personal observation I can't speak for every auction.

Agree Highly Valued Member +1

You can do both. Complain about the card industry and all its problems and have rose colored glasses because what you collect isn't affected by the card doctors.:D

I am currently doing option C. Not giving a F about the bad side and only worry about what I buy.:eek::D

I have never been one to look at AHs. Might have to start so I can finish my T210 Ft Worth team set.

REA has been open less than 72 hours and the T206 Wagner is a bid away from nearly $5 million, a figure many here said would be the final selling price. I just took a look at the recent bids age, and like previous REA auctions, there are practically no significant lulls in the bidding activity. By my count, the auction is receiving a bid about every 15-20 seconds. On a summer Sunday, with 21 days to go until the auction closes. I think REA is the "event" it always has been, maybe just not here on Net54. That is a reflection on how Net54 has changed, not REA.

Definitely a lot of great stuff in this auction. I certainly think auction fatigue plays a role in the enthusiasm level, but it'll pick up.

Like Leon, I appreciate Peter's observations. It's a great hobby but there's no question there are a lot of bad actors and the problem hasn't been addressed meaningfully, let alone solved. Just my opinion. I think there's plenty of room to enjoy the hobby but still object to the bad stuff. We don't have industry leaders taking up that mantle so we need the experienced collectors to do it.

I know it's been said but there are just a ton of auctions all the time these days. Heritage seems to have a big auction monthly, REA is now seemingly monthly and all the other major auction houses just keep running auctions with incredible stuff. Not as much hype when you can get a big pickup for your PC as frequently as you can now.

I'm not saying I mind the frequency but I think we all get a little fatigue when you are constantly looking at which nights each week you're staying up until stupid o'clock to see if you were a winner....:)!

They’ve completely ruined their “specialness”, imo. Just another monthly auction now, regardless of how they bill them.

And there is no fresh air in Newton.

I'm old school and like the printed catalogs (particularly with REA - the catalogs are so amazing, and the website is rather bad, particularly on mobile). It seems to me like the catalogs are arriving towards the end of the auction these days, rather than before bidding starts? That limits my excitement - I feel that the auction doesn't begin until I have a catalog in my hands.

Peter has been on here for a hell of a long time and many of us Net54 veterans enjoy reading his take.

I loved you in Queen, though! :D

agreed...the way life has become with the interweb...it's everything all the time. There seems to always be an auction going on...and no shortage of quality items with prices the way they are.

I perused REA for the first time last night and dropped a few dozen bids...there are some interesting lots in there.

I had to do the opposite so many items I wanted I have to control the temptation and stay focused on the core collection. Otherwise I buy, then do not have funds when something I really want and then have to flip it and hope nothing I wanted came up in between.
Unfortunately I am weak and often by great things that I got distracted by.
But all part of the fun of collecting

Old veterans bailing out, lots of these meteoric cards all at once, hoping it sets a new benchmark

I can attest to that! The couple of times I ran through Newton and hit those hills between miles 16 and 21 it felt like there was no air in Newton, fresh or not!

And FWIW, Peter is one of the best things going on this forum.

REA's auction has only ONE game used jersey - a 1966 Orioles coaches shirt.

I wonder if that's due to a lack of sellers or a lack of buyers in the GU arena.

I found the downhill after Heartbreak much more problematic than the Newton Hills the two times I ran it.

Expanding on Jeff's point. This is a great time to be a collector regarding auction houses, but you better know what you want your collection to look like and stay focused on your goals, there's lots of squirrels to chase if you're not careful.
Cards that have been in collections for 20-40 years are coming to market for a number of reasons from estate planning to inherited collections to "I can't pass up the money". The opportunity to purchase rare Pre-war gems has never been greater for a new collector, it's fantastic.

That being said, there is definite fatigue from all this stuff coming so fast. I'm just recovering from a Heritage hangover and there's gems at the next Heritage and REA, LOTG is about to post his best auction ever regarding content.
The problem arises when key cards become available so close together, in the past one could budget over time, that's accelerated to how do I fund these once in a lifetime opportunities in a short period of time. Once these key cards are sold they will disappear from the market for another 20-40 years.

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead...

When was the last time a lone jack set was up for auction? There are some really nice 19th century items

Same here, particularly in 2004 when it was 86 degrees!! :eek:

Is this the second or third REA auction with a 1987 vending case? Many great items but with so many Auctions with so many items gets hard to go through so many.

I was there that year!! Nothing worse than sitting around a field in Hopkinton all morning waiting for it to get hot!!

Brian, is that you?

Attachment 470667

My heart was broken long before I got to Heartbreak. I expended too much energy kissing girls at Wellesley! :D

Has Walpole embraced the moral outrage and changed the name of the sports teams from the Rebels? I guess they long ago painted over the Confederate Battle Flag that was painted on the rock wall at the football field. I owned a house on Common St at the corner of Clapp (Dutch colonial) for most of the 1990's.

The first rule of Card Club is that we don't talk about active auctions.
The second rule of Card Club is that WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ACTIVE AUCTIONS.

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