Incompetent Auctioneers

[JBrandon]

Just for fun and because we all like to feel superior, a couple pics + descrips I found on an auction site. It is a bit irritating though when a professional auction house doesn't know enough, or hire enough good help, or care enough, to correctly identify what they're selling, or even make a decent effort to describe it. You would think it would be in their interest for attracting potentially interested buyers. First one described as "English Fox Hunting Rifle" Yeah, right, and that's all they say about it. For Auction: English Fox Hunting Rifle (#0106) on Apr 03, 2021 | American Heritage Auctions in OH

 

[Mulebrain]

Great pictures, you can really see the guns in their entirety

 

[springfield art]

There's couple of regular gun auctions near me, they really have had to upgrade things since offerings are now National, what with the internet. One really big one has staff just for guns. The guy saying the trapdoor was a Civil War gun must've watched too many B-movies & Westerns!

 

[kje54]

There's couple of regular gun auctions near me, they really have had to upgrade things since offerings are now National, what with the internet. One really big one has staff just for guns. The guy saying the trapdoor was a Civil War gun must've watched too many B-movies & Westerns!

John Wayne's the Horse Soldiers............

 

[GANGGREEN]

One of my pet peeves as well. I understand that the average auctioneer or his people can't know everything, but they're giving away money by not appropriately identifying this stuff. You'd think they'd want the money and would find someone to help them with descriptions.

 

[hawkeye2]

It's been my experience that it's as much or more the seller's responsibility to provide the auction house with as much info as possible rather than rely on them to research each item given them to sell.

 

[buickmarti]

Have bought 3 muzzleloaders on auctions in the last 2 years. 2 were loaded and one had a cleaning jag stuck in it.

 

[buickmarti]

Best one is the CVA Hawkens caplock it had a pyrodex pellet in it and a unmentionable slug. Wonder why the could not make it fire?

 

[SOLANCO]

Best one is the CVA Hawkens caplock it had a pyrodex pellet in it and a unmentionable slug. Wonder why the could not make it fire?

Maybe it;s good they didn't. Who knows where it would have been pointed?

 

[Rudall]

One of my pet peeves as well. I understand that the average auctioneer or his people can't know everything, but they're giving away money by not appropriately identifying this stuff. You'd think they'd want the money and would find someone to help them with descriptions.

Why complain? If you are a buyer isn’t this to your advantage?

 

[SOLANCO]

If you put something up for auction YOU are also a buyer. You are paying for the services of the auction. CAVEAT EMPTOR.
Pick the auction house carefully. It is NOT their job to research your possession. Give them all the info you can find on your gun along with an honest description of it. If there is something special about it TELL THEM.

If your gun is something out of the ordinary? Use a house that specializes in firearms, not art and antiquities or job lots from foreclosed homes. The specialist house will learn more about your gun than you told them.

If you think selling your gun at auction is a simple just give it to them and hope for the best? Then you are better off trying to sell it yourself privately or approaching a gun dealer you have a relationship with.

 

[SDSmlf]

Guess one could just avoid auctions. Unless auctioneer specializes in the particular area you are interested in, there will be complaints. Best to avoid the internet and stay home.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I was in the auction business many years ago before the internet was available so things have change a lot. That being said if the auctioneer is selling a general group of goods or a household they often go by what the seller tells them. As noted above they can't be an expert on everything. If uncle Ed said the trap door was great grandpa's civil war musket that may have been how it was listed. Also, the nature of an auction is to try to sell everything for as much as possible but knowing some items will bring much more than normal value and some will sell for somewhat less. If you are selling a high dollar gun collection or other serious collection it is best to enlist the services of an auctioneer who specializes in those types of items.

 

[Sam squanch]

I’m sure some auctioneers exaggerate a little bit. Most auctioneers around here know nothing about antique guns and muzzleloading things in general. The last gun auction I went to was eye opening. The cheapest gun sold , a muzzleloading shotgun, just fair condition, went for $700!! This is out of control!

 

[Col. Batguano]

Auctions often get out of control when bidders get caught up in an emotional and competitive frenzy. The auctioneers know this and try to feed it as much as possible.

My buying strategy (in online auctions) is to try to bid early at about 75%-80% of the "good deal" price I'm willing to pay for an item (if commonly available and another is likely to come along reasonably soon). Then just watch it and see what happens. I might or might not jump back in depending on how much action the item is generating. In the case of a one of a kind item that I HAVE to have at almost any price, I wait until the very end before making my move. The whole idea is to either dissuade competition, or, to just try to catch other potential competitors somewhat off guard.

 

[Kansas Jake]

The bottom line on auctions is the auctioneer or auction house’s fiduciary responsibilities are to the seller in most cases. They need to try to get the best money they can. Most work on commission so it is also in their best interest. At the same time an unknowledgeable or dishonest service usually has problems in the long run.

 

[user 34300]

I attended an antiques auction some years back. A brass frame BP revolver was described as a modern reproduction. To me it looked a bit crude, It has an odd smooth olive patina. I did not know enough to judge.

The appraiser had a shill buy it for $150. It appeared at a local gunshop the next week for $13K for sale by the appraiser. It was a minty original Griswold and Gunnison. The "appraiser" died a couple of years later of cancer. Carma?

 

[Kansas Jake]

There should be a special place in Hell for those folks. We always tried to be honest in our dealings. If there was something I had an interest in buying at an auction I was up front about it. We also had a number for the few items we would sometimes get stuck with if we couldn't get a bid and needed to move on. I would back off on any items where there was good crowd interest and bids because you didn't want to offend buyers.

 

[nhmoose]

I get paid by a local auction house to check and unload any ML's that he takes in. Neat I get to check each and every one close up so I know which ones to buy.