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What Should You Expect from an Auction House? |
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Monday, 17 August 2009 |
 If you're buying and/or selling with a sports memorabilia auction company, make sure they're doing what they should be to earn your business.
The growth of the auction side of the sports collecting hobby has been nothing short of phenomenal. In fact, it's probably the biggest difference in how business is done compared to fifteen or twenty years ago. eBay, of course, has changed the hobby forever. Perhaps the most amazing fallout from that, though, is that narrowly focused businesses like sports memorabilia auction houses have sprouted and thrived.
 Auctions have always existed in the hobby. Sports card shows in the 1970s and early 80s often weaved an hourly auction into their event. Bigger shows had large auctions at the end of each day. Dealers were almost assured of getting rid of inventory. Buyers sometimes got a deal. Later, telephone auctions, some automated, entered the hobby. Who doesn't remember Teletrade's massive listings in hobby publications?
Yet it wasn't until the last ten to fifteen years that auction companies became driving forces for how baseball cards, game-used bats and jerseys and other items are sold. Now, rarely does a month pass where a major auction catalog isn't shipped to collectors around the world.
 The catalogs have brought some amazing pieces of sports history into the marketplace. They're fun to look at even if you don't have the disposable income to bid. They've grown in size to where some resemble the phone book of a small city. For collectors, it's a popular way to buy and sell.
If you're choosing an auction house with which to conduct business, are they doing the right things to make it a good experience? What should you expect as a seller--and as a buyer?
The list starts with the "four Cs"
1) Communication: Many companies are smaller than they look. That's no excuse for not communicating with customers. Do they respond promptly to your questions via phone or email? Are the answers thorough and not a four-word "reply" that leaves you feeling unimportant? If so, it's a red flag.
2) Courtesy: Do they treat you like a non-hobby company does when you call? Are they polite and not anxious to get off the phone? When you've met them at a show, what's your impression? Sports memorabilia business owners shouldn't be any less courteous than the clerks at your favorite store.
3) Clarity. When you ask a question, do you get a direct answer? If you don't understand something, do they make an effort to help you? Vagueness is never attractive.
4) Commitment. Do they do what they say? Do they market your items well? How are they doing it? Do they advertise on the internet? Are they actively seeking new business? Are they engaged in social media? How many catalogs do they distribute? Don't be afraid to ask.
5) Honesty. Do they accurately describe items in the catalog? If they've made mistakes, do they own up to them or try to ignore them?
6) Prompt payment. If you have to wait weeks to get paid, something's wrong. Yes, it's the buyer's responsibility to pay. But it's the auction company's responsibility to do what it takes to get that payment so they can pay you. The law is clearly on the side of rightful ownership.
7) Prompt delivery. If you've bid and won before, is your item delivered within ten days of payment being received? It should be.
8) Proper packaging. How are your items shipped? Sensibly? Protected from bending as they travel through the carriers assigned to get them to you in one piece? Most companies seem to have this one down, but it's not a given.
How do you know who to conduct business with based on the above? Chat with others online. Search the web. Contact the Better Business Bureau where they're located and check on their rating. Go to shows and talk with other collectors and dealers. Doing your homework is always the best way to start.
In the end, though, your own experience will determine who sinks and who swims. Chances are your experience will mirror others. Mistakes are often repeated but so are the positive experiences that allow sports memorabilia auction companies to thrive--even in a tight economy. |
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