[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

There have been opinions on both sides and I'm not sure group bidding is always good for the consignor.

When I used to join the groups I did so because I didn't feel as a dealer I could outbid a bunch of collectors and still have enough room to make some money. So by joining, I figured walking away with a few cards would be better than ending up with nothing. So my intention was to benefit financially by partnering up instead of competing against collectors.

Ultimately, I decided not to join any more groups because as an auctioneer I put myself on the other side and realized one of the purposes was to keep the price down. Of course, whether or not it ends up that way depends on the underbidders. Usually there are enough to keep the lot honest, but sometimes there aren't. There is no clear answer as to what is correct and ethical.