Jump to content

HAVE YOU EVER FOUGHT IN AN AUCTION WITH ANOTHER MEMBER ?


Recommended Posts

It’s a nightmare: you made some friends who are collectors on different discussion forums, and one day you realise that you are coveting the same piece at an auction…Have this ever happened to you in the past ? If you find out after the battle, it’s less bad than if you know before the sale. I’ve already experienced it, but with two different members for the same coin, it’s the first (and hopefully the last) time ! I was bidding on a two coins lot a few weeks ago, and I won it after 5 other bidders battled with me. After I posted my new acquisitions here on NF, two friends PM me to inform me that they were after the same coins…: @Furryfrog02 and @Agrippa. I felt kinda sad after I read their messages. Will we still be friends ? Will they still want to talk to me ? But after a few hours of reflexion, I completely changed my point of view: no remorse, no pity for these traitors. Indeed, because of them, perhaps I overpaid for these latest acquisitions ? 😡 I hate them now ! 😡

 

PLEASE TELL US YOUR STORY !

 

IMG_5137.jpeg.04eb62635442f55f508153e4c5803653.jpeg

 

 

 

  • Like 10
  • Smile 1
  • Yes 1
  • Laugh 3
  • Cool Think 1
  • Popcorn 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

..yup...Julius Germanicus & i were bidding on a coin of Lucilla on ebay back in the day...he won it in the last seconds (he posted it when he got it in)...but hey, that's how it goes...1st your money then your clothes...:P.....

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never had it happen with any of my bids. However, I've seen a few posts, on ancient coin forums, in which 2 members realize, after the auction, that they had bid on the same coin. They always seem to be friendly about it. Often, the losing member congratulates the winning member. Sometimes, the losing member expresses some regret, for driving up the hammer price for the winning member. Sometimes, the winning member expresses some regret, for taking the coin away from the losing member.

I've never seen 2 members battle for a coin, knowing before the hammer, that they were bidding on the same coin. I guess, theoretically, 2 members could agree to not compete for the coin, in some way, in order to reduce the hammer price. However, most members don't advertise that they are going to bid on a particular coin, so as not to generate extra interest in the coin, before the auction. Therefore, these battles between members, seem inevitable. It's just part of the fun.

  • Like 6
  • Cool Think 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha! Yes I recently got in a bidding war with @Furryfrog02 and a couple other members here once, on eBay. I didn't win the coin, though. It was a Marcus Aurelius Germania Capta sestertius. Nice coin.

Then I found an even nicer one, much more rare in a different auction, bid more aggressively on that one, but lost it too. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes.

  • Like 7
  • Cookie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Benefactor

This happened only once that I know of, when @Finn235informed me after I'd posted an Aristoboulos + Salome win that he was the underbidder. There was another time I was pretty sure another member here would go after a coin, so I messaged him ahead of the auction to make sure he was aware of it and then withheld bidding.

To date, I don't recall ever letting someone know what coins I'm after at an auction. I'm actually a bit paranoid about it. I won't discuss the auction beforehand and I'll even make sure to not post any similar types. I have listed the five remaining Priority 1 coins on my list to two members I trust in the hopes that they may stumble across one of them, but those coins are outside of both collectors' primary interests so I hope I wouldn't bid against them, unless I piss them off. 🙂 

  • Like 5
  • Smile 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never known about it (before or after) but there are some coins I suspect I might have been. Most of what I want is quite specific and other people on the forums don't care so much about them, but sometimes a coin seems to be right for certain other people on the forums. I don't want to ask, of course, in case I make them want it...

  • Like 6
  • Smile 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Benefactor

Personally, I don't give this much thought.  If I'm the under-bidder or the winning bidder, my view of the outcome is one of equanimity: glad that someone obtained a coin that they want, and glad to have won a lot to add to my vast, undisciplined collection.  I really try not view bidding as a zero sum game in terms of feelings.  For me the law of averages, perhaps even Fate, will dictate outcomes these auction bids.  I mention that there are plenty of fish in the sea, so unless we're taking about a great rarity; there will be other opportunities - patience is the key here.  

Edited by robinjojo
  • Like 7
  • Yes 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call me cold, but whether friend or stranger, makes no difference to me if I  want a coin. I’ll still give it my all. I only know of one instance where I won a coin another member (but not someone that was a friend) had been after; they posted something about having bid on the coin in question. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am with @robinjojo on this - the price lands where it lands - to the highest bidder the coin.  I've lost many more bids than I've won - and I still somehow have a nice collection.  Admittedly my tastes run a little into obscurities that don't attract a lot of competition.

GondopharesIndo-Parthian.jpg.fc7ed805af04d9def7d32d3641b2cee4.jpg

Indo-Parthians, Gondopharid Dynasty, Gondophares, circa 40-5 BC, drachm (Bronze, 11 mm, 2.37g), uncertain mint in the area of Pathankot

Obv: Diademed and bearded head of Gondophares to right; traces of legend in Greek

Rev: Athena Alkidemos advancing to right; to left, 'stra' in Kharoshthi; to right, 'hoa' in Kharoshthi

Ref: Senior 222.1Dii

Note: here's where Pathankot is

image.png.d1e0ecde339f694bbd7835ac6c9342f6.png

Edited by Sulla80
  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ambr0zie said:

It might have happened in more than one occasion, but once @Roman Collector won a Faustina I bronze coin in an auction .... against me. We found this out after it was over. 

The good part is I quit bidding quickly and it wasn't a bidding war. 

Yes! And I'm pretty sure that I've lost auction lots to @shanxi and @Barzus at times, too. But it's all part of the life of the collector. I consider @ambr0zie, @shanxi and @Barzus good online coin friends. I don't have any enemies in collecting except CLIO. 🤬

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Sulla80 said:

Indo-Parthians, Gondopharid Dynasty, Gondophares, circa 40-5 BC, drachm (Bronze, 11 mm, 2.37g), uncertain mint in the area of Pathankot

If we're posting Indo-Parthian Pathankot drachms here, here's...

Senior222_1D.1.png.cfd8df73ac55b4b0ac501ab8e0d606ed.png

a Gondophares drachm,

Senior232_1D.png.4625d61f35e5843083e4bf33e2218649.png

an Abdagases drachm

Senior246_6D.png.d65923b2f51968ae63b28660cd3fe3e2.pngSenior246_15D.png.43c06d6543a0830160dad9d0eb570422.png

and two Gondophares-Sases drachms.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Ocatarinetabellatchitchix said:

Same for me my friend-collector. And by the way, I’ll never forget this Friday in January 2022 when we witnessed « live online » the birth of your fourth kid !!!

He's quite the happy busy 1.5 year old now 🙂
He immediately goes for any coins that I have out and loves sitting on my lap when I search rolls from the bank. 
I think he will make a good coin collector along with his older siblings 🙂

  • Like 4
  • Heart Eyes 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Benefactor

It has happened a couple of times on Leu and Frank Robinson.

On the former sniping is a problem at the last second when bid prices often escalate to nosebleed level.

On the latter, just getting the bid counted as the aution ends, and maybe a 10% higher bid wins the piece. Frank tends not to inflate prices plus the logjam of emails he must receive at hammer time makes it hard to deal with that many bids simultaneously without some kind of algorithm working in the background.

I have won a few, and so have my counterparts, so I'll call it a draw.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...