[meteorite-list] TUCSON AUCTION ETIQUETTE/ AN APOLOGY IN ORDER?
From: Matthias Bärmann <majbaermann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 11:51:55 +0100 Message-ID: <E58A96817D444FD4B2BE72C89AC05D09_at_thinkcentre> Mr. Oatman, if you read passus 10 ff. of your quoted link ... http://www.lvrj.com/news/claudine-williams-memory-deserves-better-than-this-81882842.html ... you'll realize that two Counts Deiro are mentioned: Roberto, the father, and Guy, the son. Roberto started the auction business in 1976 and sold it to Guy in 1991 - to "his now estranged son", as one can read. All three articles you're quoting are dedicated to problems which arised in 2010 and in which Deiro auctioneers obviously were involved under the responsibility of Guy Deiro, 9 years after his father had sold the business to him. Not difficult to realize that Count Roberto, the father, can't be blamed at all in this case. Yes indeed, a public apology would be in order. I know Count Roberto from the list as well as from personal contacts, and I know him, to cut the matter short, as a highly reputable and honorable man, with his enthusiasm, his engagement and good sense of humour an absolute enrichment of this list. Btw. as myself being closely in contact with the modern and contemporary art scene I think I can say that Count Roberto's achievments in regard to how to be a serious, fair and successful auctioneer are utmost precise and really splendid. Thanks for this, Count. With best regards, Matthias Baermann ----- Original Message ----- From: "mike oatman" <mkoatman at gmail.com> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 4:14 AM Subject: [meteorite-list] TUCSON AUCTION ETIQUETTE/ AN APOLOGY IN ORDER? Dear Meteorite List and Count Deiro, I read with interest the posts regarding the 2011 Tucson Auction. I have attended the Blood auction in past years and always enjoyed myself. The Count's post seems to indicate that Michael's auction was conducted poorly. I realize that you have emailed that it was not your intent to refer to the Blood Auction specifically, but you must agree that it seems you are directly insulting Mr. Blood and the girls working the ring. I had a chance to google your Auction Firm and it seems that the Deiro Auctioneer's have defrauded many well respected members of the community. Since you mentioned that you serve as counsel to the firms I assume that all of these individuals and charities have been paid the proceeds they had due and that your firms are conducting business in a reputable manner. Sometimes one needs to look in the mirror before offering unsolicited advice to another. In my opinion public apologies are in order. http://www.lvrj.com/news/claudine-williams-memory-deserves-better-than-this-81882842.html http://www.lvrj.com/news/you-win-some-and-lose-some-trying-to-help-readers-99743969.html http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional-local/14198362-1.html Sincerely, Michael Oatman Count Deiro wrote the following I owned and have operated some of the largest auction firms in the nation since receiving my Certified Auctioneer Institute professional designation from Indiana University in 1985. Prior to that, I attended Missouri Auction School and served an apprenticeship at Sothebys in New York. I became licensed in eight states. I was the Charter President of the Nevada State Auctioneers Association. My firms have sold, and I have gaveled down, over a billion dollars in real and personal property, even some meteorites at this auction last year. I have sold my auction interests to family members and have been of counsel to our firms and other companies for the past 15 years. So the qualifying remarks having been made?here we go: SOME (NOT ALL) AUCTION POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES Auctioneers have a legal fiduciary obligation to Consignors. They should be knowledgeable of the items they sell and should be able to pronounce names and make accurate descriptions. An auctioneer has to know the retail value of every lot and have examples to quote to the audience, so that he can open the bid at a sum that encourages bidders to bid on the money. Opening a $500 item at $20 is incompetence. Getting an opening bid that is off the money...say $100 on a $500 item and then asking for $120 instead of $200 is something you learn not to do the first day at auction school. It is critical that auctioneers make the audience believe they know what they are selling, and what it?s worth, so that bidders will have confidence to bid what is being asked. Failing to answer legitimate questions from bidders ruins credibility. Never say ?I have $200?. Auctioneers don?t have anything. Better to say ?at $200?, or $200 is bid.? Taking a bid from an opening bidder, and then acquiring another bid and then not go immediately back to the opening bidder is insulting to him. Work the first to bidders dry?then take a competing bid. Saves time and respects the first bidders. All auctioneers should employ trained ring persons. They are invaluable in encouraging bidders, showing lots, and answering questions like ?where we at?? or ?what?s the bid?? It is not accepted practice for an auctioneer to bid on his own behalf, even if he does not own the goods being sold. If he does, he should never announce the fact, as it tends to discourage bidding and hurts his consignors and credibility. He should have several house numbers to sell a passed lot to, or a lot that didn?t meet an undisclosed reserve, or a lot he has bought. Do not disclose reserves. Do not announce the mail in bids. Give the mail bidder a number and use it as if in the audience. If you disclose the mail in bid maximum before selling the lot you are in deep kimchee. Phone bids should be handled by staff, with a bidder number and the auctioneer should not say ?on the phone?. Merely acknowledge staff?s raised hand. You sell to a number?not a person. As a general rule do not identify bidders by calling out their name. It can do no good and may stop a bid because of a personal issue. Bid calling is an art form. One should develop a pleasing appearance and voice. Use rhythm chants on small amounts and walking chants on the big numbers. The audience gets comfortable in following you and entertained and the sale moves quickly. Start on time and be prepared. Inform the audience of the order of sale and the terms and conditions before calling for the first lot.Introduce your staff and mention who to see for check out and pick up. Arrange lots to develop and keep interest and drama. Don?t bunch smalls one after the other?bidders will get bored and not bid on these items hurting the consignor. Scatter smalls through the sale. Don?t place late entries at the end of a sale. Give them the respect they deserve and place them through the sale by saying ?additional lot number so and so?. Give a proper description. If you add undisclosed lots at the end of a sale you will have lost the bulk of the bidders and hurt the consignor. Tell the audience that there are late entries scattered through the sale and that they are on display at the front. It is absolutely necessary when selling small items such as meteorites to have as much of a preview period as possible and during the sale, either put them up on screen, or run them through the audience with ring persons. Ring persons should know to run the lot being bid on from bidder to bidder not to non participating audience members. Remember! An auctioneer is a third party intermediary between seller and buyer who has been paid to be knowledgeable in auction advertising, promotion and conduct, knows intimately the lot and its value and is beyond criticism of his business methods.. We could go on and on?.but these are some of the absolute necessary policies and techniques. There have been books written. Count Deiro IMCA 3536 MetSoc ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __________ Hinweis von ESET Smart Security, Signaturdatenbank-Version 5854 (20110207) __________ E-Mail wurde gepr?ft mit ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com __________ Hinweis von ESET Smart Security, Signaturdatenbank-Version 5854 (20110207) __________ E-Mail wurde gepr?ft mit ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com __________ Hinweis von ESET Smart Security, Signaturdatenbank-Version 5855 (20110208) __________ E-Mail wurde gepr?ft mit ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com __________ Hinweis von ESET Smart Security, Signaturdatenbank-Version 5855 (20110208) __________ E-Mail wurde gepr?ft mit ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com __________ Hinweis von ESET Smart Security, Signaturdatenbank-Version 5855 (20110208) __________ E-Mail wurde gepr?ft mit ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com __________ Hinweis von ESET Smart Security, Signaturdatenbank-Version 5855 (20110208) __________ E-Mail wurde gepr?ft mit ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com Received on Tue 08 Feb 2011 05:51:55 AM PST |
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