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Author
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Topic: Too many space auctions set in April?
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yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 03-29-2010 10:22 PM
   
Anyone overwhelmed with the number of auctions coming up?Regency-Superior, Goldberg, Heritage, Bonhams... all in April. Plus Aurora and Lunar Legacies just finished in March... Why do the auction houses think collectors may be able to spend money in all of these auctions in the same month? All the collectors I know don't have an unlimited budget so they will have to pick and choose what lots to bid on with potentially every auction losing out. Similarly collectors lose out as they hold back funds from one auction so they can potentially win a lot they want in a future auction. Doesn't make sense to me. Thoughts? |
Playalinda
Member Posts: 152
From: Peoria, AZ, USA
Registered: Oct 2009
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posted 03-29-2010 11:09 PM
Makes perfect sense to me. The more auctions the more we can chose from. It's tax refund time too! Why put the money into an boring savings account. Invest into a rare or one of a kind space memorabilia item and double or triple the original price paid in the near future. It will be certainly more than any bank will pay us in interest. |
SpaceSteve
Member Posts: 428
From: San Antonio TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 03-30-2010 12:16 AM
quote:
Originally posted by yeknom-ecaps:
Anyone overwhelmed with the number of auctions coming up?
I agree with you. I've never understood why auction companies seem to all gang up on collectors at the same time.I also collect vintage baseball cards, and the auction companies in that field do the exact same thing. It drives me crazy. And as for the sentiment that it's tax time.... The auction companies should know that not everyone gets a refund. Unfortunately, I owe the Govt this year  Heck, even in the years I got a refund, it never exceeded $250 (I needed the money as I earned it). |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-30-2010 12:34 AM
I guess if one is a consigner he/she would take a negative view of multiple auctions in such a tight span but for buyers its more opportunistic (bidders and their money decompressed over larger number of auctions = greater choice, decreased competition and lower prices) |
freshspot
unregistered
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posted 03-30-2010 03:27 AM
I agree with ScottI am a consigner in one auction and I wish I had held off as a seller till another time. However as a buyer I love this. Time to pick off some bargains! Dave Scott
(not the astronaut) www.apolloartifacts.com |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 03-30-2010 05:50 AM
Four major space auctions in 9 days... yes it's too much. As mentioned above the ones to suffer will be the consignors.I think most people tend to go into auction season with a budget. If there is only one auction there's a fairly strong temptation to spend it all in that auction. If there are two you are likely to hesitate in the first auction because you know you can always bid on something else in the second. If you do spend in the first then you'll have less to spare in the second. With four actions it's even more of a mess. It seems to me that if one or more of the big auctions moved slightly out of season they'd pick up buyers with fresh budgets and would have little immediate competition. |
Larry McGlynn
Member Posts: 1255
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 03-31-2010 08:29 AM
What amazes me is that we do manage to spend the money to buy many of the better lots at all these auctions. It says something for the collectors in this hobby. While individually we may all be on a budget, but as a group we seem to do pretty well at buying these artifacts at all these auctions. The auctions don't even account for the number of private sales that happen through out the year too. I used to be a "Great! Another &*&%*^ space auction" guy, but I now think that number of auctions actually helps expand this hobby, which will help us all. A rising tide carries all boats. ------------------
Larry McGlynn
A Tribute to Apollo
www.apollotribute.blogspot.com |
lunareagle
Member Posts: 587
From: Michigan
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-31-2010 09:57 AM
I absolutely agree with Mr. McGlynn in that the continuous offering of great quality artifacts from the space race will only help to broaden the collector base, which is good for everyone. Do you realize that New York City auction houses offer approximately $20 million a month in fine jewelry and all of it is absorbed? Do you realize that between $50 and $100 million of rare coins are offered on a quarterly basis, many of the same coins over again, and all is absorbed. The total of all of the April space sales may reach $2-$3 million and that is after about the same amount nearly six months ago. So I fail to see any big deal. If I am a space collector or even just someone who enjoys seeing what can be bought, I am thrilled to see such a cornucopia of offerings.I would suggest that collectors here consider savoring and appreciating what is being offered NOW, as I can assure all that there is not a great deal left to come directly from the astronauts. And, the quality of the offerings has certainly become better and better over the last couple of years with certification that is top notch. I understand that budgets are a personal issue and not everyone will be able to participate in every sale, but the Spring and Fall are the key auction seasons, so what do you suggest, the auction houses work together and schedule? Come on! All of the houses are presenting great items for just about every budget. |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 03-31-2010 10:27 AM
Agree that this has caused many bargains to be had but if the item I really want is in the last auction I usually have to pass on many bargains to have the opportunity to bid on the one I really want and sometimes not win that one so I lose out on all. |
spaceflori
Member Posts: 1499
From: Germany
Registered: May 2000
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posted 03-31-2010 03:10 PM
If you look on eBay... a search as of today right now brings up 4217 items for sale in the memorabilia category.Add 352 autographed items plus 935 in space philatelics and 276 in covers we are at 5780 items offered just this week. Now if you add the other eBay Germany, France, UK... Germany alone has over 6000 space stamps and covers offered EVERY week. I wouldn't say a few floor auctions with a combined amount of lots around 1500 or less is much.  |
Spacefest
Member Posts: 1168
From: Tucson, AZ
Registered: Jan 2009
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posted 03-31-2010 06:03 PM
Of course ANY moron can sell on eBay. At least the floor auctions have the benefit of screening out the schmaltz, and a human interface in the form of professional copywriters, genre experts, and licensed auctioneers. |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 03-31-2010 10:25 PM
quote:
Originally posted by spaceflori:
Now if you add the other eBay Germany, France, UK... Germany alone has over 6000 space stamps and covers offered EVERY week.
Florian - number-wise I agree but if you subtract some of your eBay listings if you total up the total prices sold in an entire week it is less than only a couple of the prices in lots of the floor auctions. |
SpaceSteve
Member Posts: 428
From: San Antonio TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 03-31-2010 11:38 PM
I just finished going through all the websites for the April auctions, and I now feel a bit better about them. I collect astronaut autographs, and am now able to see on my computer screen, at one time, all the items I'm interested in, and can now prioritize them.There are still 7 auctions from the 13th to the 21st (there are some baseball card auctions in the mix), but there is some duplication of items; so it isn't as bad as I first worried. Anyway, each of us just needs to prioritize the items we're interested in, among all the auctions, and go from there. Good luck to everyone!  ...as long as you're not competing against me.  |
spaceflori
Member Posts: 1499
From: Germany
Registered: May 2000
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posted 04-01-2010 12:10 AM
Indeed most stuff doesn't sell on eBay for various reasons, I was just referring to the total potential offering on eBay - not judging the quality of the overall offer, of course!Unfortunately out of the 6000 German space auctions I'd say 98% are crap (not in terms of a forgery but more the price or quality of them). People seem to list almost every space stamp individually that I sell by 100 in a package. Astro-Auction constantly has around 500 items every week as week incl. some really cool stuff from the astronauts collections, so if you take that offering as well, you come again close to the floor auctions. |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-01-2010 03:38 AM
Am I the only one who thinks that the quality of items in the upcoming proliferation of auctions has declined - especially the signed items? I normally pick out 15-20 items from each auction that I'd be potentially interested in bidding on (and could afford!). I'm struggling to find more than half a dozen in each auction. |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 04-01-2010 06:38 AM
My impression is that signed items used to make up a good third to half of the dedicated space auctions content. Over the last 5 years or so this has reduced considerably, to the point where signed stuff is almost optional.RR's monthly auctions have probably taken over a lot of the signed market, with Armstrongs being a specialty. Direct sales on AA or eBay probably account for much of the rest. |
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