This is a good one
 

This live auction ended on ebay. Looks like some poor fool spent big bucks on mid 20th century piece :p


http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/120...DVW#la-image-1


Lew

I've never seen an auction company on ebay that I'd do business with. If anyone has examples of good ones, I'm open-minded though. :rolleyes:

They seem to go out of their way to provide incorrect descriptions, awful photographs that show little details of the piece, and are just generally disobliging. :shrug:

I'm open to correction. :)

Steve

I WILL HAVE TO AGREE THE ONLINE AUCTIONS SEEM TO BE GETTING WORSE AS TIME GOES BY. MOST ALL OF THEM CHARGE A 22 PERCENT FEE TO BUYERS WHEN ADDED TO WHATEVER THEY CHARGE THE SELLER THEY ARE MOST LIKELY MAKEING A MINIMUM OF 40 %. THEY SELL ALL ITEMS AS IS USUALLY WITH POOR PICTURES AND VERY LITTLE INFORMATION WHICH OFTEN IS NOT ACCURATE. SOME WILL STICK A 5% VAT TAX ON ITEMS AND SOME WILL WRAP UP YOUR ITEM FOR AROUND $35.00 FOR A SMALL BOX. THEN YOU HAVE TO GET SOMEONE TO PICK IT UP AND SHIP IT TO YOU AT YOUR EXPENSE. IF YOU RECEIVE THE WRONG ITEM OR THE ITEM IS NOT DESCRIBED CORRECTLY THE OFFICIAL AUCTION REPLY WILL BE "TOUGH LUCK" WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE SEE SUBPART#567 OF OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS. WHEN I FIRST WENT TO AUCTIONS THERE WAS NO BUYERS PREMIUM THE AUCTION HOUSE MADE ITS PROFIT FROM THE SELLERS LISTING FEE AND A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL SALES. I STILL ENJOY GOING TO SOME OF THE SMALL AUCTIONS LOCALLY AND THEY STILL DO IT THE OLD FASHONED WAY WITHOUT A BUYERS PREMIUM.

SO IF A AUCTIONEER SELLS ONE ITEM EVERY 4 MINUTES WITH AN AVERAGE OF $200.00 EACH THAT WILL BE AROUND $12.00 PER MINUTE. AS MANY ITEMS SELL FOR MORE THAN THAT AND I DOUBT THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SELLING A LOT OF ITEMS FOR $100.00 OR LESS, THEY ARE MAKEING A KILLING. ONE BAD THING IS I SEE SOME ITEMS SELLING FOR LESS THAN THEY SHOULD BECAUSE OF THE HIGH S&H AND BUYERS PREMIUM THAT COMES OUT OF THE SELLERS POCKET AND HE WILL COME OUT ON THE SHORT END OF THE STICK, NOT THE AUCTION COMPANY. I HAVE BOUGHT ITEMS AT A FORTH OF WHAT THEY WERE WORTH AND BY THE TIME I PAYED ALL THE EXTRAS PAID FULL PRICE OR MORE. IN SUCH A CASE THE SELLER GETS HOSED AND I DO NOT GET A GOOD DEAL BUT AS IN GAMBELING THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS.

AUCTIONS DO PREFORM A SERVICE AND MAY HAVE A HIGH END MARKET WHICH CAN LEAD TO MORE MONEY FOR A SELLER IF HE USES SUCH A HOUSE AS CHRISTIES OR SOUTHBYS. A LOT OF THESE SMALLER AUCTIONS ESPECIALLY ON THE INTERNET DO NOT HAVE THE HIGH END CLIENTELLE BUT CHARGE AS MUCH OR MORE THAN THE BIG AUCTION HOUSES. I DO FEEL SOME OF THE AUCTION HOUSES ARE CHARGEING MORE FOR LESS WORK ON THEIR PART THESE DAYS AND DON'T GIVE A HOOT IF THE SELLERS AND BUYERS ARE HAPPY OR NOT AS THEY THINK THERE IS A NEVERENDING SUPPLY OF THEM OUT THERE. OTHER SMALL AUCTIONS BUY THE ITEMS THEMSELVES AND AUCTION OFF THEIR MERCHANDISE THAT WAY THEY AT LEAST GET THEIR MINIMUM PRICE MET( OFTEN MUCH MORE) PLUS A 22% COMISSION ON THEIR GOODS. SO DON'T LOOK FOR A FAIR SHAKE FROM AN AUCTION HOUSE AND GET YOUR LAWYER TO LOOK AT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE YOU BID TO AVOID NASTY SURPRIZES.

Sadly a very difficult area to buy without being able to handle. If I were to buy one online I think I would stick to the ones that are plain and basic just brass often with quite narrow blades and small handles. For some reason weapons from this part of the world are going for rather high prices but they are very common.

Guys the kicker is that the one who bought it was at the auction in person :eek: :shrug: .So evidently he was either an ignorant collector or just plain stupid :rolleyes: People think that these auction houses really know what they are talking about and consider what they describe as the gospel when it comes to antique weapons.

Lew

I wish someone would pay that for mine!
 

I wish someone would pay that for mine!!! I do have a lovely one here from the 1800s along with a much newer one....anyone want to part with their hard earned cash :p

We have a auction house in The Haque, The Netherlands which has a good reputation. Once I went there since they had a keris collection for sale. The ''keris specialist'' of the auction house was feeling very important but had no idea what a ''luk'' was (I had to explain that to him). Genuine pieces from Bali were auctioned for a criminal low price. The specialised buyers had a really good time since they had already devided the spoils before the auction started. The seller was robbed. So it does not only happen on internet.