Yes, some of the pieces went higher than expected. You can thank my brother, Greg and a few other bidders for recognizing the value, bidding up and in some cases winning stones like the Johnstown piece and Norton County which I have seen sell for far below what they went for. These were the exception and not the rule. I saw a Jerry Armstrong painting sell for 1/5th the amount I would have expected so many bargains were to be had and not just on NWA pieces. I am sure there are a lot of happy collectors and dealers running around after purchasing at this auction.
It is supposed to be a fun event and the prices realized should not be taken too seriously. I had a good time even though others and myself took a beating this year on sell prices. You cannot win all of the time and this provides needed contrast. Best Regards, Adam ----- Original Message ---- From: "m...@mhmeteorites.com" <m...@mhmeteorites.com> To: Adam Hupe <raremeteori...@yahoo.com>; meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com; Adam <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com> Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 10:58:12 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] TUCSON AUCTION ETIQUETTE/ AN APOLOGY IN ORDER? I will chime in on the prices. Like Adam stated, much fine NWA material sold for pretty low prices, that Dhofar 700 slice was a killer. On the other hand, the Norton Co pieces sold for 40+/g, the Worden was 300/g (I originally sold pieces of this for 15-20/g in 2002)! Sylacauga sold for about 2150/g, some of the TX chondrites were 6-10/g, and the small Allende slice was 15/g (if I can remember correctly). The Johnstown 7.3g sold for 2300, not too shabby. Matt ------------------------ Matt Morgan Mile High Meteorites http://www.mhmeteorites.com P.O. Box 151293 Lakewood, CO 80215 -----Original Message----- From: Adam Hupe <raremeteori...@yahoo.com> Sender: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 10:48:43 To: Adam<meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] TUCSON AUCTION ETIQUETTE/ AN APOLOGY IN ORDER? Yep, most of the material I entered went below my costs. A gorgeous 33.2 gram complete slice of Dhofar 700 prepared by Marlin Cilz sold for only $220.00, a fraction of what it would have realized on eBay. It cost me nearly this much to have it prepared if you take cutting loss into account and this doesn't include what I paid for the stone itself. I saw a thin section sell for only $80.00 that should have realized at least $400.00 so I did not feel so bad and I did not take the low prices personally. I knew going in that items would not realize their full potential but was taken back a little bit by how low some of the items sold for. Prices were all over the board so you cannot take these prices and draw any conclusions from them. The market is not in ruin as some used to state. The only consolation for losing so much money is that a few collectors approached me after the auction and were very appreciative of the items and that I did not place any reserves on them. Best Regards, Adam ----- Original Message ---- From: "actionshoot...@carolina.rr.com" <actionshoot...@carolina.rr.com> To: Linton Rohr <linton...@earthlink.net>; Richard Montgomery <rickm...@earthlink.net>; mike oatman <mkoat...@gmail.com> Cc: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 10:28:43 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] TUCSON AUCTION ETIQUETTE/ AN APOLOGY IN ORDER? I thought the same thing too. I have never seen an auctioneer close bid so fast. Almost like they were in a hurry. ---- Richard Montgomery <rickm...@earthlink.net> wrote: > I watched the auction ffrom California via Ruben's broadcast...which was > awesome!...the only thing I noticed that struck me as a bit odd was how fast > Michael closed the items, and I kept wondering if more time was taken that > bids would have increased substantially. (I don't think this was on > purpose...please don't mis-understand!) There were some real low wins on > some pretty amazing pieces (like the TFL thin-section)... > > Hat's off to Greg H. for a fantastic donation to a great auction! > > Even though I haven't personally met any of you, after watching, reading all > the posts and pictures and videos this year I feel as if I have. Thanks > everyone. > > Richard Montgomery > Goldierocks > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Linton Rohr" <linton...@earthlink.net> > To: "mike oatman" <mkoat...@gmail.com> > Cc: <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com> > Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 10:36 PM > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] TUCSON AUCTION ETIQUETTE/ AN APOLOGY IN ORDER? > > > Good grief! > All this post-auction bickering reminds me of the old adage, "No good deed > goes unpunished". I had a great time at the auction, in spite of not winning > a single item, and I appreciate the efforts of all those who make it happen. > I don't go expecting the tightly run ship of a world-class auction house, > but to have fun with friends in the meteorite community - some old, some > new, and some I've yet to meet. > Is everything perfect? Of course not! We're all human and we live on planet > Earth. But we should be celebrating our common interest, not quibbling over > petty problems. I can understand the differing points of view, but I don't > understand the point of complaining about it all. I assure you, we'll all > have bigger things on our minds on our deathbeds. > So hats off to Michael, Ruben, Leigh Anne, Suzanne, Lisa Marie, Twink, John, > and anyone else involved. We'll have even more fun next year! > Linton > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "mike oatman" <mkoat...@gmail.com> > To: <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com> > Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 7:14 PM > 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 > >l > >http://www.lvrj.com/news/you-win-some-and-lose-some-trying-to-help-readers-99743969.html > >l > >http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional-local/14198362-1.html > >l > > 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@meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at >http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list -- Stuart McDaniel Lawndale, NC ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
