New Auction Company

[bottle4me]

Some of you know who I am and some of you know that my dream of becoming an auctioneer began about 4 years ago. Then there are a few of you in the York, Pa. area who know that the true driving force behind that dream was to start an auction company who specialized in antique bottles as well as other early glass.
My theory was this;
If buyers and sellers are trusting their prized possessions to online "auctioneers", wouldn't they be more apt to do so with a REAL auctioneer who is educated, insured, licensed, and bonded by the state of Pennsylvania? I've heard more complaints about some of these bottle "auctioneers" in the past year alone that makes me scratch my head and wonder how the hell they are still in business. Believe me, I know more about at least one of them that would end his/her career in a matter of days and send shock waves throughout the hobby. Not to worry though, the PAA is aware of the situation. That's the advantage of being a licensed Pa. auctioneer. The good guys watch one another to make sure we are conducting business properly and are kept up to date on changes in the industry, through the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association.
It's time to weed out the bad guys and bring new life to a changing market. Ever try to talk to one "them" at a show? Kind of like trying to get the bouncers attention at a high-class club if you aren't on the list. If you aren't one of their big spenders, they really don't have much time for you. They have lost their passion for glass and what truly matters most in the hobby, PEOPLE. I was at a show once and watched one of them rifle through a box full of colored historical flasks, from one of his consignors, as if they were clorox bottles! Deplorable! Where is the passion?! The hair still stands up on the back of my neck when I handle a nice bottle. I still remember every dig from the first one at age 9 to the present at age 41. I love antique glass!

Now, I am not ignorant to the fact that this post alone will open a can of worms. It is not my intention to create trouble for the couple of unscrupulous people in the business. They will be their own undoing as they give me more motive to bring a fresh approach to bottle auctions.

My auctions will be live online, too. Probably liveauctioneers.com for at least a month before the live auction. You will also be able to stop by my auction house and handle the glass BEFORE you bid. I will even open the doors for preview, every day for 5 days prior to the live auction. So you get all the online service from buyers the world over, plus the advantages of a live auction at my auction house on the final day. I'm even considering holding the live auctions in a dinner theater for a more formal affair. My main focus is to bring us together for social purposes and have a nice selection of bottles to bid on as well. I want it to be fun AND profitable.

Speaking of profitable, how are you sellers being treated with commission rates? I can beat their rates, hands down! I can do this by having a very low overhead and because I'm not greedy. I don't want to get rich, I just want to make a living and enjoy the hobby.

So please inquire if you wish to have your glass handled by a REAL auctioneer. Most of you have yet to hear of my company, but you will soon enough.

Sincerely,
Dan Grove
D. Owen Grove Auctions
Bloomsburg, Pa
(717) 676-9270

 

[Steve/sewell]

Capitalism is a beautiful thing Dan and allows anyone with the desire to succeed to do so.With that said some of which you have posted will fall on deaf ears and and other parts may offend some in the business like the said sellers who supposedly are not on the up and up. Others may be open to listen to and give your approach and site a try based on their own bad experiences with various auction houses. Your point is well taken and your heart may be in the right place but sugar will go a lot further then vinegar. Actions speak volumes and they speak loudly. You need to prove your self to the bottle collector world by being courteous and answering any questions promptly.Quick responses to your customers, buyers and consignees will help keep the business machine well oiled. As a suggestion do not offer call-backs. The Hammer Price is the hammer price. If you win the auction it should be yours end of story. The call backs have crept into the business in a way solely for the profit of all concerned but the buyers. This part of the bottle auctions are the side that can get quite under handed I would Imagine as who is checking up on the people doing the callbacks. You can give me all the assurances in the world that the call backs were legit,but nothing beats a live auction where all parties that are concerned see the end result. If you train the bottle collecting world to think this way that your bid is your bid I think over time your numbers would increase anyway because people still want the high end bottles and would bid higher to win them. Good luck keep us posted as to when your site is off the ground.

 

[bottle4me]

ORIGINAL: Steve/sewell

Capitalism is a beautiful thing Dan and allows anyone with the desire to succeed to do so.With that said some of which you have posted will fall on deaf ears and and other parts may offend some in the business like the said sellers who supposedly are not on the up and up. Others may be open to listen to and give your approach and site a try based on their own bad experiences with various auction houses. Your point is well taken and your heart may be in the right place but sugar will go a lot further then vinegar. Actions speak volumes and they speak loudly. You need to prove your self to the bottle collector world by being courteous and answering any questions promptly.Quick responses to your customers, buyers and consignees will help keep the business machine well oiled. As a suggestion do not offer call-backs. The Hammer Price is the hammer price. If you win the auction it should be yours end of story. The call backs have crept into the business in a way solely for the profit of all concerned but the buyers. This part of the bottle auctions are the side that can get quite under handed I would Imagine as who is checking up on the people doing the callbacks. You can give me all the assurances in the world that the call backs were legit,but nothing beats a live auction where all parties that are concerned see the end result. If you train the bottle collecting world to think this way that your bid is your bid I think over time your numbers would increase anyway because people still want the high end bottles and would bid higher to win them. Good luck keep us posted as to when your site is off the ground.

Well put. Allow me to say, "I am steeped in customer service." It is a dying art in this fast paced world but one detail that I refuse to lose focus on. Spending the extra 5 minutes, speaking to one of my clients, forges business relationships that are crucial to ones success. I spent most of my working life climbing the ladder of manufacturing. I spent my last years in said industry wallowing in middle management. All while watching how people ran their businesses and taking mental notes on how not to treat your clients. I also spent the last 10 plus years as a buyer and dealer who spent 100s of hours per year at live auctions. Watching, as well, auctioneers and how NOT to run an auction company. The poorly hidden "tells" when one would "bounce" a bid off the wall, just to run a bidder up a few dollars more. As a side note, did you know that it is your right to ask the auctioneer where the other bidder is? Or my personal favorite, starting an absentee bid at its maximum. Argh!!! It's borderline fraud! I can not be quiet any longer! These are the same buffoons who give the honest guys a bad name. Right out of the gate, with my freshly printed license in my wallet, most people consider me a crook since I'm an auctioneer. Why? Because of the decades of fraudulent practices!

So, as you have noticed, I have some difficulty keeping my opinions to myself. It wouldn't bother me so badly if the nabobs in question hadn't reached said financial status by defrauding the general public over and over again. I have friends who own auction companies and they are quite wealthy. But, they haven't defrauded their clients to reach that financial security. Most people know an auctioneer or auction service who has broken the law on more than one occasion. So why don't we open our collective mouths to put an end to these crooks and foster a fresh outlook on the business? You can go right to the Board of Auctioneers website, here in Pa, and file a complaint anonymously. I'm approached quite often on that note. Usually someone complaining about an auctioneer who did something to them and they felt defrauded. I send them right to the website but most don't ever file a complaint. Why? Have we lost focus or do people just truly not care? Is there a certain amount of thievery that we deem acceptable as a society? I see the temptation, mind you. I conduct auctions of my own and it would be quite easy to run a bid up (referred to as "Puffing") on someone. I could ad 10 or 15% more per month to my gross sales if I did so. But I refuse to do so. It's just plain wrong! These old "fat cats" have been in the business so long, they feel as if they will never get caught or answer for their wrongdoing.

I digress. The business is changing. I am the new face of auctioneers. We embrace the technology of the modern era and use it to our full advantage. It is that aggressive approach coupled with technology that will see my success to fruition. I am eager but open minded. And I am also not ignorant to the concept of more bees with honey. But, every once in a while, you need to jam a broom handle into the bees nest and piss em' off. Tactfully, yes but piss em' off none the less and remind them they aren't God. They can fall.

 

[diggerdirect]

They say negative ads are effective in all the polls, but seems everyone ya talk to one on one don't like 'em. I dont know you from adam and do not attempt to judge your honesty, integrity or passion for auctioneering because of that fact, but it seems to me your posts here have cast a cloud over all auctioneers.

If you have evidence of fraud or other illegal doings that will end careers or blow said individuals out of the water, or sunami's throughout the hobby are not you perpetuating these crimes & doing the hobby as a whole an injustice by NOT doing so? I assume your allegations are based on provable facts not here say so I say step up to the plate.

JMHO

Al

 

[AntiqueMeds]

The biggest complaint I hear about online auctions is bottles not being described properly.
It takes work to do it well.
And the most important part is to be responsible when you make a mistake ... and you will eventually.

 

[epackage]

I HATE CALL BACKS, high bidder is high bidder and I think it's a horrible thing to do. If you're willing to bid higher AFTER the auction ends then make that bid before hand!!!!!


If that is part of your auctions you will never have my business or that of any of my friends...

 

[AntiqueMeds]

so if I like callbacks I cant be your friend [][]

 

[epackage]

ORIGINAL: AntiqueMeds

so if I like callbacks I cant be your friend [][]

That's to be determined Matt...LOL

 

[AntiqueMeds]

I consider call-backs to be a form of auction company extortion to eek more money out of buyers.
Not a great practice in my opinion.
I like the dynamic end-time approach much better where the end time is extented X minutes past the last bid.

 

[MichaelFla]

I agree about the soft end times. If a bid is made in the last 5 minutes, extend the auction 5 minutes. Keep doing that until there is a 5 minute period with no bids. Eliminates sniping, and the person willing to bid the most actually wins the item.