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July 23 & 24 catalog

This auction will have items for the Kyle Moore, Craig Stater, Alvin Meikle estates and others.

Another great looking auction Dan.

Looks like one of the best yet, as I saw more items in this one that I would like to own, than any of the others and I have bought items from each of them.

I see a lot of nice stuff I will get out bid on.

Another outstanding venue, with some great Canadians stuff.

That is a lot of stuff.

Looks like great stuff!!! Going to order my catalogue this week!!! Anybody know if I can still get catalogue from past auctions?

Less than a month away from the auction. I have 90% of the items on display at Morphy's office. This will be the most items that we have sold in a two day auction.

We will also have by auction day our August 27 petroliana auction items on display.

I went by Morphy's office last week and looked at everything. Incredible facility and incredible items. Happy bidding!

One more week before the auction.

Fantastic offering!

I need to order this catalog. Anyone have the info?

Yeah, some great items!! But 22% just makes my stomach turn!! I hate giving away hard earned money!! I have no problem paying 10 or even 15%, but 22% is BS. Buy a couple nice items and your putting $1000 plus easy in Morphys pockets. And then there's shipping and packaging.
Yah, I know, factor it into your bid point. But that is a BS position. When it comes down to it, and you want the item, that is out the window. If I pay $800 for a item on Oldgas or Craigslist or... with no premium, that same item is going to cost that same amount in an auction. Plus the premium.
Personally, I don't think the 22% is based on a legitimate business plan, it's based on a "what can we get out of them" philosophy.
Oh well, what can you do except hit the bid button and write the check!! And they know it!!

Kind of says it all doesn't it?

Nothing personal,just business.

Yah. I know. Could also be stated as, 'what will the market bare? I get all that. I'm as right wing conservative capitalist as they come. But in a typical market the seller will output more goods to balance supply vs price vs competition.
This is more like the diamond market, where supply is controlled in order to keep price up. But in this case it's even more of a monopoly if the seller has the rare item you want.
I don't know, it just gets frustrating, and like I said, it turns my stomach to pay 22%!! What will it be next year? Or the year after that? How long until it's 30%?
As some old man somewhere once said, "they have you by the short hairs".

best thing you can do is not get wrapped up in it... it may be a rare piece, but eventually you'll find another item just as rare that you dont have to give a 20%+ premium on.

ive watched several collectors, even friends, overpay like crazy for items coming out of some of these auctions... they say they are thrilled to have the item, but you know deep down inside they feel sick to their stomach, lol

At the last sale there was something I would have liked to have. I bid to what I was willing to pay with the 20 percent included. I did not get the item. A month later I bought a similar item in the same condation from a friends collection for what I was willing to pay at the auction and did not have to pay the 20 percent. Most things there are more then one of them out there, it just takes patiance. None of this stuff is nessery it is just luxury.

Could be worse. In the commercial art world, gallery commissions have gone from 30 to 50%. This is taken from the price, not added like a buyers premium. Buyers premiums in Art auctions however range from 10 to 25%.

I'm not a fan of the buyers premium, but I realize it's not going away at collector auctions. I figure out ahead of time what I'm willing to pay for an item including the buyers premium, sales tax, packing, shipping. I deduct those extra expenses from what I'm willing to pay for something, and that's my maximum bid. I managed to buy 5 incredibly rare globes at the Morphy auction in April. If I hadn't bought those items at that auction the best I could have hoped for was to buy them from whoever got them for even more money later on.
If you're planning on buying more common items, buy them from other collectors at the shows. The price you pay may be the same as the auction price + the BP, but that 20% won't be leaving the hobby.

Well stated Bob. There have been items at these auctions you know you might not ever see for sale again. It throws common bidding logic out the window. I've just been ignoring items I know I might get a chance on in the future.

Vern, I had been wanting one of the globes for 13-14 years. In that time I found a grand total of one of those globes and it was a single lens. When the one showed up in the auction I decided what I was willing to pay, and got it for less.
The upcoming auction has about 30 items I'd like to have. I've narrowed it down to 3 that I'll place serious bids on.

Most auction companies charge 25 to 30 percent, usually they split the commission so the seller pays more of the commission, not sure what there charging the owners, I personally have bid on an item, but included their commission in the final price, probably won't get it but there is always more out there. Its just stuff, something your kids are going to sell as soon as your dead anyway.

20% from buyers, and 20% from sellers, the other 2% for buyers is a credit card fee

Anybody going from Calif?

I personally don't like the high BP either but I believe most buyers, like myself, factor it in when determining value or an upper bid limit. (I also consider shipping costs.) Ultimately, its the consignors who are being penalized more, in my opinion.

IMO- there running stuff thru too quickly & not getting the value for the sellers, for that reason I'd never use this auction house .. ...

I think they're slow. 4 1/2 hours in and only on lot 375. Matthews or Aumann would be on lot 450. Restored pump prices are usually soft at this type of venue.
The 20-22% juice, sales tax, packing and shipping costs, along with rarity/desirability, and condition are all factors as well. Throw in this sale being close to the time of Iowa Gas can all have an effect on prices realized.

Great place to buy pumps again, prices are just tough when you have to ship. Got more for my unrestored Starkey in Matthews auction then the restored one brought here. Canadian twin was also a buy it seems.

Internet bidder 7003 is making Morphy's a pile of money...lol
either winning bid or making everyone Pay!!

current pace is about 70 items per hour if my calculations are correct.

Pumps a good buy...so was the restored pipe organ pump

The other coin op was a good buy along with yes the pipe organ and others. You never know though how high the winning bidder will go.
The wooden gas station though was out of the park.

I just got ROYALY SCREWED!!!! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED on the Sunoco globe!!!!! I'm bidding away and all of a sudden, Boom!! Boom!! SOLD!!! Total BS!! Total BS!!!!!!! I had plenty more still in the hopper!! ***** me off!!!!

If an Olgasser got this Sun Oils globe, get in touch with me, you'll make a good profit!!

I too was bidding on an item and in the lead...got out bid...and seconds later (like ONE)...hammer down SOLD! The consignor lost...I was just getting started. $1000's lost...

You know the same happened to me last time. I had a bid in for a globe that preceded the auction by 2 weeks and then at the auction a floor bid of the same value was recognized over mine and while I was digesting the facts, the gavel drops and I never had a chance to respond. I enquired and was told some poppy cock about the floor getting priority over the internet...but that is for simultaneous bids. At least when I lost today the bidder had a higher $amount.

exactly the same thing happened, auctioneer not in the sellers best interest & costing the seller & auction house plenty- what we were bidding on I was willing too go 3k more then bam auction ended- no way too run a auction, I'm not happy with morphy's! ! ! like it was done intentionally .. ...

Morphy's has to simultaneously record bids from the floor, LiveAuctioneers, Morphy's Website, & Proxibid. Deciding who's bid takes priority is a just a matter of how the bidding sequence falls on any given item.

the delays and the moments items end are random... and super frustrating if trying to bid live. I always bid ahead of time now.

I was told a couple years ago by someone at Morphy that it was best to use the Morphy website (hibid) for online bidding. It might only be advantageous for pre-bids, however.

My guess is there are manual delays in the electronic response you see on line. In other words somebody at Morphys is not triggering the response to buyers online quick enough and the auctioneer gets ahead of them and they quick trigger to catch up. Only my guess. I've lost 3-4 items in each of the last two sales and lost another one today. Glad it's only a hobby and not my lifes blood or I would be very upset.

In response to the above 6 postings, Well then they need to SLOW THE HELL DOWN!!!!
How about this for an explanation. Morphy's Sucks!!! I am livid! I will never participate in one of their auctions again. Oh yah, like they care! They're on they're way to the bank!

Slowing down is not the answer. They aren't really going that fast. I attended the first of this series of auctions last October. It was painfully slow in person! Slowing down will create other problems.

I bid online in the April auction and lost two globes I thought I had bought. I was briefly shown as the winner on one of them. I'm not a bit happy about it, but I realize there are many potential problems with bidding online. Bottom line if you can't be there call ahead and arrange to bid live on the phone.

There's NO excuse!!!!! I'm not going to cater to their inabilities to not do their job correctly!!! That is unacceptable!!
If your going to do something, do it right! Or don't offer the online service only to dive up the prices, yet the service is half a$$ and there is no guarantee it will work!!!
NO!! I am not going to cater to them!! They did a screwed up job and they deserve to be called out for it!!!

totally agree, a "disservice" too both "seller & buyer" .. ...

To everyone on this post, I have been both a bidder and a seller on a online bidding platforms, since 1999.

This is what I have always preached to everyone that has ever ask me about bidding online.

Put an absentee bid prior to the live event, that way you bid will be there, that is what I do for every online auction I participated in whether my own or someone else.

Morphy's auction goes way to slow, we are selling at maybe 60 lots per hour, when I was in business I would sell over a 100 per hour.

So if you really want to buy something at any auction, prebid, phone bid or be there.

So let me heard the ***** now.

Am i reading that poly can right?*****.

How about that associated sign, two guys really wanted it.

only one known .. ...

Dan, my postings yesterday were of course strewn with emotion. Mine is not meant to be a personal attack on you. I don't know your level of participation in these events.

However, the bottom line, this should not have happened. Period! Just a little patience on the hammer, make sure all basis are covered, and this doesn't happen.
Some would say this is the result of internet speed, connection, bla bla bla.... Look, this is not a race. There is nothing in the process driving a need for speed other than the auctioneer wanting to get through all his lots in a given amount of time. And if the auctioneer is paying attention to all basis, and making sure all active bids and bidders are addressed, then this doesn't happen. Does it? It's just that simple isn't it.
And you may say, 'well there are a lot of items to get through we have to be speedy'. No, that is not acceptable. Then split it into three days if you have to. Whatever it takes.

It should not have happened. And all it would take to make sure it never happens to someone again, is a little patience on the hammer and make sure every bidder is covered. Or like I said, don't offer the internet service.

I've lost what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Who knows. And even I say to myself, if it wasn't for Morphy's having their auction I never would have even had such an opportunity. But that doesn't cover it for me. It shouldn't have happened and it should never happen.

Another aspect, and this isn't personal, it's only business.
As an automotive tooling supplier, my customer base is limited to the OEM's and tier 1 and 2 suppliers. And there is ample competition for the work. If we screw up, we are at our whits end to correct the issue and make that customer happy. Not redirect them to other options and pointing out what they did wrong on the project to contribute to the problem. If I did that it would not end well for me I assure you.
However in the auction world, with a potential customer base of some 350 million in the US alone, you seem to beat to a different kind of drum. In stead of hearing my venting and saying even that your sorry it happened, and then possibly doing something about making sure it doesn't happen in the future to someone else, You just want to redirect me and point out what I did wrong. And if I never participate in another Morphy's auction, you won't even feel it.

Again, if your not going to fully honor the internet bids and take the time to make sure they are given equal opportunity, then don't offer the service just to drive up prices.

I had to add one last thing. It's not like I only bid once. I had been high bidder twice only seconds before this happened. So it's not like my bids were not being recognized at all. I was a clear active bidder in the final seconds of this auction and should have been recognized to the end!!!

same scenario, resolution: if there is a problem with the internet bidding which there is "do away with it"
& have the "bidders phone in" when there bidding
then everybody is happy "seller & buyer" .. ...

My quote is why you should absentee or phone bid if you really want something.

Also this statement was bidding with a company that only used one bidding platform.

You have to compare apples to apples.

I have bid live for 6 years using Morphy Live including the last 2 days and never have had a problem! My guess is those having issues have to do with your internet connection! I also switched to a static IP address a year ago which has made my connection fast but also helped with banking and other secure sites to remember your computer!

I have bid/purchased through proxy-bid many times for 4 years and never have had an issue. Yesterday something went wrong. I dont know what it was, but it wasn't my internet connection or anything having to do with it.
FWIW, I'm over it. Lets get back to the fun.

I was backup bidder on lot #722 at $500. The winning bidder was an absentee bidder at $1700. How does Morphy's explain a $1200 difference between my bid and the winning bid? On the surface, it sure does appear that Morphy's ran up the absentee bid. I'm sure this is why a lot of people don't want to place an absentee bid. I know the auction companies say they don't run up bids. Does this have anything to do with floor bidders? Dan? Pat

Pat I do not understand the question, Morphy's was four online bidding platforms, bidders can absentee bid or live bid on all of them, phone in absentee bids, bid live on the phone or be there in person.

If you are watching a online auction whatever platform you are using if you get out bid by an other online platform it will say you were out bid by a floor bidder.

At this point I am not a fan of Morphy's either as I am still waiting for reimbursement on a globe from the May Las Vegas auction that was totally destroyed in shipping. I have purchased several items from the Pennsylvania auctions and didn't realize that for the Las Vegas auction Morphy's would absolve themselves of all responsibility once the hammer dropped. Their supposedly "experienced" shipping partner Box Brothers is some type of corporate chain that has no idea how to pack globes. Per their instructions I returned the pieces of the globe and they have had it since June 7th and I still don't have a check. Every time I call Box Brothers I get the run around about their corporate office processing claims and other B.S. - still no check. Every time I call Morphy's I get the Box Brothers say they have been in touch with you and are processing your claim. Again, terrible customer service from both of them and another piece of history lost forever.

Dan, I was the backup bidder on lot #722 with a bid of $500. I bid through Morphy's HiBid platform. The bid history showed the winning bid to be an absentee bidder with a winning bid of $1700 with 17 bids! That was a $1200 difference between my bid(backup bidder) and the winning bid. It didn't show any bidders between my bid and the winning bid. I took a picture of the bid history screen after the lot had closed and tried to post it last night but had trouble posting picture. I downsized it but it would never load. I thought that if there were floor bidders that it should show but it didn't. I know some people who pre bid and won lots at less than they bid. It just looks like an absentee bid was run up by Morphy's. I could send the picture to someone on Old Gas if they would post it. Pat

That bid history is cool. How/where did you access that??

During the auction and shortly thereafter. I was still able to view it yesterday. Not able to today. If you look to the left of the realized price, you see 24 bids. My mouse arrow was over that. If you clicked on bids, the bid history box would pop up. That's what I took a picture of. As I stated, I know of someone who won a lot who's max bid was $1250 higher than his winning bid. As he said, his bid could have been run up and it wasn't, so I don't know! Maybe there is an explanation for it, but it sure doesn't look good on the face of it and with 17 bids for winning bidder? Pat

Dang, I forgot about when the auction was going on, I was deep into a project. I guess someone was looking out for me. It has been my experience that when I leave an absentee bid I get the item for that amount plus buyers fees? I longer do that! Les

Dang, I forgot about when the auction was going on, I was deep into a project. I guess someone was looking out for me. It has been my experience that when I leave an absentee bid I get the item for that amount plus buyers fees? I longer do that! Les