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Dealings with Irish auction houses?

  • 06-12-2018 9:09pm
    #1
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,699 ✭✭✭✭


    Just wondering if anyone has had negative experiences with auctioneers in the antiques trade here.
    Have been short changed once myself, ie didn't get all of the items that I had bid for. Couldn't do anything about it as they had already been paid, the lots were collected by someone else and some months had elapsed since I got them, so my goodwill and trust has been shot. Afterwards I had heard that others had a similar experience and didn't get all they had bid for either. In another place it's an open secret for bidding to start from a high emailed or phoned in bid. Another auctioneer hasn't paid his seller.
    Note these places sell general curios/pub items/clocks etc, with fake 'novelty items' mixed in with genuine antiques, not the high profile auction houses who steer clear of questionable material.


Comments

  • #2
    Del.Monte
    Registered Users Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭Del.Monte


    In general, my dealings have been very positive - stretching back over 30+ years and my only bad experience was with one of the big auctions houses in Dublin many years ago. Auctioneer tried to knock out something that I was selling - with a reserve - to one of his pals at way below the reserve and I had to buy the Lot back myself.

    I think as a rule they are as honest/dishonest as the rest of society and my biggest complaint is that some of them still need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century let alone the current one.

    ****



  • #3
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,699 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    I note that at least one Munster based auction house that advertises in the national press, doesn't have photos of their lots online, let alone online bidding.
    No realisations posted after the auction has finished is another annoyance with auctions here, except for a select few that bother doing so. Had a few items that I wanted to move on so I went to a UK auction house instead, what a dream to deal with.


  • #4
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,191 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    If you place a bid before hand, in "the book", Auctioneers just use this as the opening bid.
    Whats the point of spending a few minutes working your way up from half of that just to reach that bid point?
    Sell it, have your commission in the bag, move on.


  • #5
    signostic
    Registered Users Posts: 5,878 ✭✭✭signostic


    Bought coins mostly from auctions and found that for the most part the tranactions went smoothly..as with all buying Caveat emptor...however I did buy a few lots of coins from an UK auction house, paid by bank transfer but waited for a few weeks but no package arrived. I had to phone them and they said they lost the lots but would refund me which they did. Always wondered if I had'nt contacted them would they have just pocketed the money.
    i never sold anything through auction, just wondering if its a good idea to leave stuf to an auctioneer as the charges can be high?


  • #6
    cameramonkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,220 ✭✭✭cameramonkey


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    If you place a bid before hand, in "the book", Auctioneers just use this as the opening bid.

    Certainly not true in auctions I have left bids for.


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  • #7
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,308 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    If you place a bid before hand, in "the book", Auctioneers just use this as the opening bid.
    cameramonkey wrote: »
    Certainly not true in auctions I have left bids for.

    How else it is supposed to work? If the auctioneer has an early bid in the bag, shouldn't he start with that number as it's technically the lowest bid?

    Otherwise, say he has an online or advance bid for €500 at the start of the auction and someone in the room bids €100, how are things supposed to proceed?

    On the BBC1 TV auction programs in the early evening, the auctioneer usually kicks off with an online bid, the bidders in the room then have to follow.


  • #8
    Nekarsulm
    Registered Users Posts: 11,191 ✭✭✭✭Nekarsulm


    cameramonkey wrote: »
    Nekarsulm wrote: »
    If you place a bid before hand, in "the book", Auctioneers just use this as the opening bid.

    Certainly not true in auctions I have left bids for.

    Just curious, have you ever left a book bid for something and ended up getting it for less than the amounth of your bid?

    Such an auctioneer is surely failing their client.


  • #9
    Del.Monte
    Registered Users Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭Del.Monte


    Leaving a bid with the auctioneer is so early/mid 20th century - the auction world has moved on. Online/phone or actually being present in the saleroom is the only way to go.

    ****



  • #10
    cameramonkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,220 ✭✭✭cameramonkey


    I often bid for things in Rathmines, I often leave bids. Sometimes these bids are unsuccessful but sometimes I get them for less than the bid that I left.

    At the auction house they have one of the staff bidding in the absence of the client. It all seems above board to me.


  • #11
    pirelli
    Registered Users Posts: 2,876 ✭✭✭pirelli


    Every Auction house has it's own rules as per bids. Most Auctions start higher and then drop until a floor bid or even online bid is made. Then it builds up from there to the Hammer price.

    Some Auctions start at the lower estimate, some may start on absentee bids, however the vast majority start a higher estimate and then drop the price down quickly until bidders sense a bargain and the bidding begins until Hammer.

    If there are no bids then the highest absentee bid win's. Floor bids usually trumps online bids of same value and Reserves must be passed.


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