[meteorite-list] Tucson Auction Announcement
From: Michael L Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2006 12:11:30 -0800 Message-ID: <C1A05872.312BC%mlblood_at_cox.net> Greetings all, Those who know me may be aware I have been struggling with an illness that includes a bad cough and weakness for a few months. I have gone to a lung specialist for medication and last night spent the night in a "sleep center" studying my brain waves and breathing patterns (VERY weird) and will be using a breathing type device during sleep from now on. Anyway, the point of all this is I have been delayed in getting the auction catalog up on line in a timely manor. In addition, since the rent on the place I hold the auction has TRIPLED since last year, I have had to come up with some ways to cover that cost, and one of them is a graduated fee for sellers based on time they provide me with a list and quality jpg of their item(s). However, since I am late getting my catalog up (target date was Sept. 30!) I have decided to give a "special" to all list members who get me their item lists and JPGs before midnight, Sunday, Pacific time. They will get the lowest rate offered, which those who got in before Sept. 30 got - the same 10% I have charged all along. NOTE: Entries graduate as bidding time starts all the way up to 40% if you walk into the auction in the last 15 minutes before bidding begins. MANY people have done so in the past, and they will be helping to pay for the dramatic increase in overhead. I believe at the moment, a mere 15% is in effect - but as I said, for the weekend all list members get the 10% lowest possible commission rate. I do plan on having the catalog "up" within 72 hrs - in fact, I commit to doing so right now. However, I cannot guarantee ALL the photos will be "up" when I "launch" but several are in place all ready and I am working on it even now. I have 75 items to date, most of which have NO minimum bid and many of which are superb specimens (ie a 6.5g whole slice of LA 002 with no minimum - as well as many historic falls as well as super rare NWA Type specimens, etc). I am looking at limiting the catalog to 100 quality items and limit last minute entries to the highest quality specimens with little or no minimum. This should keep the auction snappy and ending at a reasonable hour - and I hope to have someone taking payments DURING the auction for those who only wanted to bid on one or two items and then leave as well as having two people "cash out" at the end (if possible). As always, I retain the right to decline any entries I believe would meet with less than enthusiastic response from bidders. This is always a balancing act between value, rarity and no or low minimum bidding, except in cases where the value or interest is so low I will not accept it even with no minimum. Any item must be one that stimulates interest. While photos do not have to be professional quality, they do need to be in focus and of reasonable quality. Please mark the SUBJECT box of your email entries, " Tucson Auction." If you do not hear back from me within 12 hrs or less, your email got lost. Please use only JPGs and NOT "Zip Files," as I cannot download most of them. Thanks! The catalog will be up SOON! Best wishes, Michael -- It is difficult to get a man to understand something if his salary depends on him not understanding it. - Upton Sinclair -- What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It is what we know for sure that just ain't so. - Josh Billings (but oft credited to Mark Twain)Received on Sat 09 Dec 2006 03:11:30 PM PST |
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