batting a thousand so far!
Our thanks again to everyone who showed up for our Oct 30 auction.
Once again a good crowd, over all spirited bidding, and I was pleased with the results.
Initially when I decided to move our auctions to Pottageville, I thought it might take several sales to build to the sales level I have been accustomed to. I thought the attendance might be a little lower than Bond Head auctions, and perhaps the prices a little softer. I really wasn’t absolutely positive it would be a a good move….maybe 90% positive. Well now after only two sales…I am 100% sure it was a good move!
Our sales totals for the last two auctions are up 20% over the same period last year, and the attendance numbers are just about exactly the same. Consignments have been flooding in, and it has actually been a bit of a challenge to keep up, but I have managed to do it!
The response has been positive from everyone I have spoken to, and I look forward to a good winter season.
One of the comments I get , is about the quantity and quality of photos I post on the website. In the last three weeks I posted a total of over 400 photos for the Oct30 and upcoming Nov. 6 auction. I enjoy doing it, but it is a time consuming process. There are times when I wonder if it really makes that much of a difference?
Well I was approached by a man at our last auction who told me the following. He said he and his wife go to a lot of auctions around the province, and the one thing that really sold them on attending our auction, was the photos. He congratulated me on them and said they were some of the best he had seen.
So when I get feedback like that I am encouraged to keep doing what I have been doing. We do get a lot of new people out to every auction, and some of them travel quite a distance, so it would seem pretty evident that it does pay off. I may not always be able to post over 200 photos per auction, but I will do the best I can to promote every sale to the benefit of the buyers and the consignors.
And before I wrap up, there is one other thing I have to mention. Recently I was at a house call and the very nice lady showed me a clock that she said had been appraised by one of the travelling appraisal clinics that show up at various malls and functions. This simple wall clock, in only average condition, and made by a very common manufacturer, was appraised at $1000. I had to tell her to drop a zero off that price, and make it $100. She was rather surprised when I told her that was all I would expect at auction for it. In fact I had recently seen a nicer one bring only $70 at auction.
Now, part two of my story. A couple of months ago I received a phone call from a lady who had a cylinder music box, appraised again by the travelling appraisal clinics, at between $20,000 and $40,000. Now this is out of my league of expertise, so I set her up with a very reputable and honest collector of high end cylinder machines. He looked at it, went on-line with his ipad, and showed her they were only currently selling for about $800. He was not interested in buying it, and told me he has sold much better machines for around $2000.
So why would the appraisal clinics quote such outrageous prices? I really don’t know. All I know is it is very disappointing when someone like me has to inform someone that their “treasure” is worth a fraction of what someone had lead them to believe.
So that’s it for now. I have an extremely busy three weeks ahead of me. Two sales in three weeks, and lots to pick up, photo and get ready for auction!
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