Closing Tonight: Love of the Game Auctions

[Leon]

I think we all love Al (hey Al). I love him as much as the next guy, in a brotherly way of course. That said I hope there is a way to find a better way to close in the future. It was a great auction. I won some items and consign and will continue all of the above. But when a strategy is to either stay awake for 24 hours or set your alarm clock to get up at the closing, it would seem a better way to end can be had. We love ya' Al. I will continue bidding, consigning, hanging out with you....inviting you to my house, but please, from the bottom of my collector/dealer/investor heart, find a different way to close. Great auction, can't wait for the next one!!

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[wolf441]

Originally Posted by Leon

I think we all love Al (hey Al). I love him as much as the next guy, in a brotherly way of course. That said I hope there is a way to find a better way to close in the future. It was a great auction. I won some items and consign and will continue all of the above. But when a strategy is to either stay awake for 24 hours or set your alarm clock to get up at the closing, it would seem a better way to end can be had. We love ya' Al. I will continue bidding, consigning, hanging out with you....inviting you to my house, but please, from the bottom of my collector/dealer/investor heart, find a different way to close. Great auction, can't wait for the next one!!

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+1. A sign that an auction is running too long is when you wake up at 4:30 AM to go to the bathroom and are still the high bidder and then get up at 8:00 AM to find that you've been outbid at some point before the close!

and with that said, I also agree that Al is a great guy!!

[philliesphan]

Well - as a collector based in London, I very much appreciate all auctions that go past 1 a.m. EST, because I sleep like a baby, and deal with bids when I wake up in the morning.

Some of the other auction formats force me in that "stay up all night" or just don't bid category, and many a times I've went to bed and woke up a loser. (Well - every day for that matter, but I digress)

[Peter_Spaeth]

It seems unnecessary and, frankly, obnoxious, to me. And that of course applies to all auctions with this I'll end it when I feel like it at some ungodly hour format. I cannot believe any significant additional revenue for consignors is generated by this model as opposed to either a fixed ending time which forces guys to bid, or a Heritage-style ending where most lots are over early.

[botn]

Doubt we will all agree on the best closing method however Heritage, who I think we can all agree is #1, has a great system. Heritage gets top dollar and their consignors seem to be happy. I agree that leaving the auction open endlessly like this is pretty silly.

[mantlefan]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

It seems unnecessary and, frankly, obnoxious, to me. And that of course applies to all auctions with this I'll end it when I feel like it at some ungodly hour format. I cannot believe any significant additional revenue for consignors is generated by this model as opposed to either a fixed ending time which forces guys to bid, or a Heritage-style ending where most lots are over early.

Peter speaks the truth!

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Leon

I think we all love Al (hey Al). I love him as much as the next guy, in a brotherly way of course. That said I hope there is a way to find a better way to close in the future. It was a great auction. I won some items and consign and will continue all of the above. But when a strategy is to either stay awake for 24 hours or set your alarm clock to get up at the closing, it would seem a better way to end can be had. We love ya' Al. I will continue bidding, consigning, hanging out with you....inviting you to my house, but please, from the bottom of my collector/dealer/investor heart, find a different way to close. Great auction, can't wait for the next one!!

.

This is well stated, and I would "+1" it, but the only difference is that I've made it a personal policy to not consign to AHs that use this asinine closing system. I understand that LOTG's reputation is second to none, but with so many options, I feel my business should go to AHs that are more "bidder-friendly." I realize I'm just one dude, so who really cares, though I can't be alone in the sentiment.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

This is well stated, and I would "+1" it, but the only difference is that I've made it a personal policy to not consign to AHs that use this asinine closing system. I understand that LOTG's reputation is second to none, but with so many options, I feel my business should go to AHs that are more "bidder-friendly." I realize I'm just one dude, so who really cares, though I can't be alone in the sentiment.

The entire premise of this closing method, as far as I can discern, is just dumb. The idea is a bidder has a sum of money in play in the auction and, if he gets outbid at 4 am, will suddenly spring into action and deploy that money on other items he is qualified to bid on in the after hours session. Seems ludicrous for a number of reasons. First of all, many people like me go to bed and aren't paying attention to anything at 4 or 5 am other than badly needed sleep. Second, even though I bid early on items doesn't mean I still want them two weeks later. Third, closing eBay style on a sat night is a good way of having a frenzied close of bidding and catching people who will pay a premium to wrap it up and get certainty. Maybe people who just knocked off a few glasses of wine. It just makes so little sense. And if any sense. 15 minute rule per lot is simple enough.

[RedsFan1941]

the premise is not ludicrous

[Stonepony]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

The entire premise of this closing method, as far as I can discern, is just dumb. The idea is a bidder has a sum of money in play in the auction and, if he gets outbid at 4 am, will suddenly spring into action and deploy that money on other items he is qualified to bid on in the after hours session. Seems ludicrous for a number of reasons. First of all, many people like me go to bed and aren't paying attention to anything at 4 or 5 am other than badly needed sleep. Second, even though I bid early on items doesn't mean I still want them two weeks later. Third, closing eBay style on a sat night is a good way of having a frenzied close of bidding and catching people who will pay a premium to wrap it up and get certainty. Maybe people who just knocked off a few glasses of wine. It just makes so little sense. And if any sense. 15 minute rule per lot is simple enough.

Bliggety won 2 cards due to this " dumb" closing

[Gradedcardman]

Start your own auction house and set the rules to appeal to everyone. Good luck with that. It is what it is, don't like it then move on to Heritage only, BST here or ebay. So much whining lately.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Gradedcardman

Start your own auction house and set the rules to appeal to everyone. Good luck with that. It is what it is, don't like it then move on to Heritage only, BST here or ebay. So much whining lately.

Why is expressing an opinion whining? Please explain. I thought expressing opinions was the point of these boards.

[botn]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Why is expressing an opinion whining? Please explain. I thought expressing opinions was the point of these boards.

This. I guess the answer is when that opinion is not shared by the other person, which is also pretty silly. Wasn't his post whining?

[Bliggity]

Originally Posted by Stonepony

Bliggety won 2 cards due to this " dumb" closing

If I didn't always have to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I'd lose a lot more auctions

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Stonepony

Bliggety won 2 cards due to this " dumb" closing

And if the rules were different he might have adjusted his strategy accordingly and still won. And by your logic, maybe Al should have run it until 10AM today to pick up more guys who woke up later than Dan only to find they were shut out of Memory Lane. In fact, why ever end it, there always could be one more bid.

[Stonepony]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

And if the rules were different he might have adjusted his strategy accordingly and still won. And by your logic, maybe Al should have run it until 10AM today to pick up more guys who woke up later than Dan only to find they were shut out of Memory Lane. In fact, why ever end it, there always could be one more bid.

I was just stating a fact, logical or not.

[BeanTown]

Makes to much sense to have all the bidders at their computer with a firm time of when the 15or 20 minute clock will start on each lot. Having all active bidders ready and logged in should create bidding wars. Yes HA, Huggins and Scott, Brockleman, and even Hunt have figured this out with closing lots individually.

Nothing like giving an advantage to West Coast collectors. Hope everyone uses the optional text messaging for when you are outbid. Nothing like getting woke up at 4 or 5 AM saying you've been outbid.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Stonepony

Bliggety won 2 cards due to this " dumb" closing

I won something too. That doesn't make the closing time any less ridiculous.