Posted By:
CoreyRS.hanusI agree with Doug. The economy is the economy and that is something a consigner has no control over. However he does have control over who he selects to auction the material. Based on what I have seen over the years, Gurnsey's is not the place I would go. They do seem to overprice a lot of the material, and at least in years past have exhibited an amateurism that makes them pale in comparison to some of their competitors. I remember attending one of their rock and roll auctions when someone while the auction was in progress walked in claiming he had John Lennon's driver license. Gurnsey's accepted the consignment on the spot (so much for due diligience and consignment deadlines), gave it to the auctioneer who then offered it for sale. Another time at one of their baseball auctions a high-priced lot was not coming close to reaching its reserve. The consigner of the lot was well-known and was in the room. After literally several minutes of the auctioneer pleading with the high bidder to go higher so the lot would reach the reserve, the bidder stood up and asked the auctioneer to clam up. The bidder went on to publicly scold the auctioneer for treating him like an idiot -- that why would he have any motivation to bid higher inasmuch as he was only bidding against himself, and that after the auction he would go to the consigner and attempt to buy it privately.