Questions to ask when selecting an Auction House (?)

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Musashi

Not a question, but something you can do on your own:

Look at past auctions, how have they done on items similar to yours in the past? Who seems to get the best results on similar items?

Factor any differences in results into the information you've gotten regarding rates to see the truly best deal (e.g. If the AH giving you back 10% of the BP typically realizes a final price with BP that's 25% lower than a house not giving back any BP, which one is putting more money in your pocket.)

Look at how there auctions are organized. How easy are they to search? If you were looking at the auction as a buyer, how would you feel about the titles, descriptions, photo quality, etc.

IMO any assessment of which auction house does best on a particular type of material is not going to be readily apparent by browsing a few past results. It would probably take an awful lot of data and a statistical analysis to control for all sorts of variables. I highly doubt given the efficiency of the market where all major auctions are readily accessible and publicized that there will be any totally obvious patterns that can be detected from a casual perusal.

[G1911]

This is at least the third thread directly about this sale and what the items are still cannot even be said. How many non-BST threads will we have flooding the board as this marketing plan continues to roll out?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by G1911

This is at least the third thread directly about this sale and what the items are still cannot even be said. How many non-BST threads will we have flooding the board as this marketing plan continues to roll out?

Probably not too many more. It's going to be ok. Please don't panic.
.

[Belfast1933]

Originally Posted by Leon

Probably not too many more. It's going to be ok. Please don't panic.
.

Ha, true! This is the last one I will post… (nice finally getting to meet you in person the other night, Leon 🤜&#129307

[Snapolit1]

We all know what the industry leading auction houses are. It’s not rocket science.

Beyond that it’s just a matter of communicating your expectations.

[Belfast1933]

Just want to close the loop on this thread and thank the members here who offered advice and help with how to select the best auction house partner - I was in Cleveland last week and made very helpful connections and felt quite prepared to have informed discussions with some of the major AH's thanks to the input and help from many of you here - some follow-up private messages were super helpful too.

I also hope threads like this provide helpful information to others who are considering consigning - I have found out that not all AH's are alike, it's more than just a numbers (% of BP, etc.) decision and putting a little extra thought and time into the process will likely have a pay-off in the end.

Thanks again -

Jeff

[Leon]

Different auction houses have better histories of selling some things that other AH's do. So, comparing how they did with the same type items should give a clue who to go with. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

Just want to close the loop on this thread and thank the members here who offered advice and help with how to select the best auction house partner - I was in Cleveland last week and made very helpful connections and felt quite prepared to have informed discussions with some of the major AH's thanks to the input and help from many of you here - some follow-up private messages were super helpful too.

I also hope threads like this provide helpful information to others who are considering consigning - I have found out that not all AH's are alike, it's more than just a numbers (% of BP, etc.) decision and putting a little extra thought and time into the process will likely have a pay-off in the end.

Thanks again -

Jeff