Day at the Auction Rant

Al Babin moved to New York and is using green now? ;-)

Tim

-- "That's for the courts to decide." - Homer Simpson Website @

Here in the Chicago area there is a Chinese guy who shows up at any auction that has tools, machines or steel stock. He walks around very quickly marking off what he wants. Just before the auction starts the auctioneer and this guy go off and have a little sidebar. The auction starts and everything this guy looked at is suddenly unavailable! What BS!!! A couple of guys started bitching out loud at one auction the auctioneer threatened to have them thrown out. That and these damn buyers premiums make auction almost not worth going to anymore!

Welcome to the world of auctions. I am not aware of bidders and auctioneers rigging the auction here in the Dallas TX area. I have been going to auctions for about six years. Each one can be a new experience. More than once the auctioneer will combine multiple items around one item I want-gone. Items get pulled off the auction list. You make a great point about what people will pay for items. Some items sell for and even above retail. I just shake my head.

Overall though, my auction experiences have been positive. After the last auction I attended this past Oct. I chuckled to myself and thought I should have a patch over one eye. Those auctions make up for past bad experiences.

I religiously check the Sunday paper auction listings.

Gary Repesh

LOL. This was what one knowledgeable person told me about auctions - that the most important detail is not:

What the machinery is, or What condition it's in, or How much it's worth, or Where it came from, or How much they want for it,

But rather, exactly who is there bidding on the stuff. Find out the personal relationship between the auctioneer, and the sellers, and you understand the entire ball of wax.

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

I'm going to pick up the New York Times this morning. Even with the annoying nonsense, there were some bargains that I would have gone for if I really needed the item- a Blackhawk hydraulic power pack and rams for $35, two 30 ton Blackhawk jacks for $35 each, an old pallet jack for $80, a CP 1/2" and

1" impact wrench for $125. I could have had a spot welder for $55 but I didn't want everything on 2 pallet rack shelves that had to go with it. I wanted a small, rusty old knockdown gantry crane that had no wheels, but decided to let the other guy have it at $100- I have no idea how high he would have gone. The big, heavy duty rigging stuff was definitely a bargain for the riggers at the auction.

Ha ha. That guy probaly *was* the commisioner!

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

I wouldn't put up with that crap at all. Find out who in your state licenses auctioneers and complain. See if he is doing anything illegal. Lane

The best deals are a day or two after the auction, many times bidders will run up prices and then back out when they come to thier sences the next day. I have made some great buys by checking back with the auctioneer a couple days after the auction is over, in some cases you buy machines for scrap prices. Many times a buyer will buy a lot for just one item in that lot and abandon the rest of the lot and the auctioneer will scrap the left overs or give them away to anyone willing to haul the stuff away.

Best Regards Tom.

Absolutely!!! or ask the buyers, when they are weeding through a bunch of pallets. Ive purchased stuff from them for pennies that I wanted badly at the auction.

Gunner

"By calling attention to 'a well regulated militia', the 'security' of the nation, and the right of each citizen 'to keep and bear arms', our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important." -- Senator John F. Kennedy, (D) 1960

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 19:08:28 -0600, "Mike Henry" wrote something ......and in reply I say!:

I have struck this situation. Good piece of advice. I wanted a couple of bits for a jackhammer, but they were in a bucket with others. I was willing to go quite high because the bits I wanted were worth a lot, even if I did not want the others. I realised I was being bid against by a dealer, and backed off. I have had some good bartering with him at his shop since, that I did not get before.

MInd you, it can make you sick to see what these guys pay at an auction sometimes, and then see what they are selling them for....

****************************************************************************************** Until I do the other one,this one means nothing Nick White --- HEAD:Hertz Music

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

!!

FYI,

Auctioneers have licenses.

Take a video tape camera to the thing, shoot it. send tape to the state agency that controls such things...

What these guys are *described as doing* is illegal.

_-_-bear

"Special K." wrote:

-- _-_- BEAR Labs - Custom Audio Equipment, Cables, Mods, Repairs -

Not true. If the seller is aware of the sale and approves of it, then it's no harm, no foul.

-Carl

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 03:05:32 GMT, Carl Byrns wrote something ......and in reply I say!:

Would that apply only if the Auction was "Subject to prior sale?" Otherwise there is an expeectation that all ite,s are available for auction.

What I can't understand is why the guy doesn't rock up during a prior inspection time when he would not offend so many people.

****************************************************************************************** Until I do the other one,this one means nothing Nick White --- HEAD:Hertz Music

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

!!

The line "Subject to availability or prior sale" is buried in the copy of most newspaper auction ads to cover the auctioneer's ass in case something gets broken or sold or held back by the seller.

Yeah, that would be better customer relations.

-Carl

The last auction I attended, the only item of interest to me was not offered even though it was on display. When questioned on this, the auctioneer agreed to put it up for bids. When offered, he asked for an opening bid of 150% of the new price for the item, and when no bids were forthcoming, he looked at me as if to say "there you go, now go f*** yourself",. haven't been back. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

I think I would have walked out of there laughing as loud as I could.

Jon

If it is advertised as an absolute auction, they should accept counter-offers. Even if they are opening it at some ridiculous number and won't drop, they may entertain lower offers shouted out, since not responding to them is completely blatant and bogus. If nobody says anything, they claim there was "no interest" and move on. Of course, that's apparently what they want to do on some items. I've been to several auctions run by Hunyady/Vilsmier and never saw any of those shenanigans going on, I think that's why the major utilities are comfortable using them. The only time they "passed" on an item was if nobody would give them five bucks for it, and you didn't have to shame them into dropping the opening bid.

For what it is worth, a few years ago, when I was a bit more active in the auction scene around here, I used to cause the auctioneers to roll their eyes in disgust because my opening bid was always painfully low...say...$5 for a compound miter saw, or $50 for a Unisaw or vertical mill. However, they had to take it...and it usually DID go up from there. I did get a really nice vacuum pump for $10 once though, that way. Regards Dave Mundt