dixiebee
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posted on November 5, 2001 02:40:22 PM new
I attended an auction at a neighboring town last Friday night. The auctioneer has been sick lately and this is only the second sale he has had since the Spring. Although his flyer promised antiques and collectibles, there were only a few with the remainder being junk items. Perhaps this is the norm because the number of buyers in attendance was also low. It was the first time I had been to one of his auctions.
I was talking to another buyer and, all of a sudden, we hear a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass. It seems that the auctioneer was trying to get at least $1 on a big box of plates. He picked up the box and smashed it against the wall when there were no bids. A few minutes later, he did it again with another box of glassware. None of the buyers said anything and neither did the auctioneer.
When we were standing in line to pay at the end of the night, it was the talk of the buyers. A few people mentioned seeing something similar happen over the years. Have you seen anything like that before?
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pmelcher
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posted on November 5, 2001 03:55:44 PM new
No, and if I did, I would never go to another one of their auctions again. How very rude!!
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dixiebee
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posted on November 5, 2001 04:32:51 PM new
pmelcher: I called my husband on the way home and told him that I probably wouldn't be going back -- unless there was something specific in his flyer that I was interested in. He did promote a full-blown antique auction on New Years Day that I will probably go to but I will be sure to take my "bodyguard" with me.
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lattefor2
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posted on November 5, 2001 04:45:18 PM new
Hi dixiebee, I have heard stories when people are trying to bargain with a flea market vendor, or swap meet dealer on a price, the dealer will so called accidently drop the item and say, oops!. I have never seen that happen. However, at a live auction I have seen when an auctioneer does not even get an opening bid, he usualy asks the floor workers or most of the time the workers themselves just keep adding merchandise to so call sweeten the pot, the audience starts to show more attention and sometimes they just keep adding and adding, price keeps going up, that can be fun. I have never seen what you have described nor would I like to. You mentioned he was ill prior to this, maybe that has something to do with that type of behavior.
Reenie
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iluvladybugs
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posted on November 5, 2001 06:02:30 PM new
I've seen this happen several times. It is to prevent "dumpster diving" after the auction.
I was at an auction once, and hesitated for a second before bidding. The auctioneer said "too late", and smashed the item & threw it into the dumpster!
I haven't been back to that auction since.
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mrspock
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posted on November 5, 2001 06:11:49 PM new
I was set up at a swap meet on a hot aug afternoon.
The vendor next to me was selling junk
He had a plastic fishing tackle box the woman asks him how much?
.25 he replies ill give you .15 the woman says he takes it out of her hand throws it on the ground jumps on it and kicks it accross the parking lot ...ok he says I'll take .15 for it now.
vendors were applouding him...it was great.
come on if it wasn't worth a dollar bid what would you have him do ...try a a dime ?
spock here......
Live long and Prosper
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blairwitch
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posted on November 5, 2001 06:20:37 PM new
Ahhhh I had to do this once. Back in the mid 90's when I sat up at flea markets. I sold sports cards and a guy was trying to haggle on a .25 cent card in my junk box. I simply took the card and ripped it in two. My other customers started laughing really loud and the guy now embarrassed took off lol. I said out loud "why would someone make an ass of himself like that? I will NEVER go back and sell at flea markets again.
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mrspock
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posted on November 5, 2001 07:19:24 PM new
blairwitch
I kinda enjoyed flea markets I wouldnt want to go back to it full time but I plan to do a few this winter to unload stuff that won't sell on ebay
the way I see it flea market customers are about 80% ok 10% real jerks and 10 % really great
I made a lot of freinds from customers who would come by and hang for a while
And i had a preety good time dealing with the 10 % jerks.
AS i said I wouldnt want to go back to depending on it to eat but once every month or two will be ok
spock here......
Live long and Prosper
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twinsoft
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posted on November 5, 2001 07:48:50 PM new
Yes, it's probably to prevent dumpster diving. Likely it's part of the seller's contract.
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dejapooh
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posted on November 5, 2001 10:04:58 PM new
I was in Darling Harbor, Sydney trying to sell Olympic pins in 2000. A woman came up to me and wanted my Taiwan Ping Pong Team pin. I asked $10 (aus, about $5), she offered $3. I said, $5, she said $4 and proceeded to spend the next 10 minutes trying to get me down that last dollar. I refused so finally she walked away. I turned to the guy next to me and said, "In 5 minutes she will be back, offer $4. I will ask for $10, the price having gone back up after the end of my "special sale." She will offer $5, and I will turn around and throw this pin into darling harbor. I will then tell her that if she wants it she can swim for it." in exactly 5 minutes she returned. The guy next to me started to laugh. She offered $4, he nearly bust his gut. I said $10. She offered $5. The guy next to me was on the floor for 15 minutes. Her jaw dropped as her eyes followed that pin as it skipped on the water and sank to a watery grave.
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Libra63
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posted on November 5, 2001 10:42:35 PM new
I have been to alot of auctions and flea markets but never heard of this. Sounds like a great idea to keep in mind. I plan on a few flea markets next summer. I just have to much junk.  (that's what my husband says}
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ketzel
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posted on November 5, 2001 11:04:35 PM new
I live in the US, where 10 dimes equals 1 dollar.
Even if the box of plates only brought a
dime, it was 10 cents more than the seller
had before the auction started. And I believe
that the purpose of an auction is to sell
items and make money for the seller? Each
and every item sold adds to the bottom line for
the seller, even if it is under a dollar an item!
Who in their right mind would hire an
auctioneer who treated their clients' merchandise
in such an off-hand manner? After all,
if the item didn't sell at auction the
seller could always donate it to charity
and take the tax deduction ...
Ketzel
[ edited by ketzel on Nov 5, 2001 11:06 PM ]
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dixiebee
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posted on November 6, 2001 04:19:38 AM new
Interesting replies. My parents are the flea marketers in our family and they do have some tales to tell. My dad works on the volume theory so his prices are always very competitive. He sells t-shirts, socks, sunglasses, etc. His pet peeve is women who have to "squeeze" the socks. After 10 years of this, he still has no clue why they do that. Neither do I. 
I was talking to my dad last night and he is reporting that flea market sales are down too, his being down about 25% from the weekend before. He did fairly well the weekend prior to the end of the month and was looking forward to this past weekend since it was after the first of the month when everyone gets their government checks, etc.
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computerboy
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posted on November 6, 2001 07:30:31 AM new
I would have paid a dollar to see it happen.
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RainyBear
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posted on November 6, 2001 12:19:23 PM new
That seems like a real waste. Couldn't he have just given the stuff to Goodwill or something?
It makes me even more appreciative of my favorite auctioneer. When he can't glean even a $1 bid from the crowd, the item usually goes into the next week's auction. A couple of times I've even seen him say, "If anyone wants it after the auction, it's free." Of course, he doesn't do that very often....
[ edited by RainyBear on Nov 6, 2001 12:19 PM ]
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littlebits
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posted on November 6, 2001 12:46:59 PM new
I pass out "I'll be back" tickets. In small print is "previous prices void". If they do come back I either have the only one or the best one of that item and all deals must start again. I especially like the husbands who try to negotiate and don't get thier way but send the wife back to pay, and usually at the asking price with no problem. The flea market is high profit and maximun intertainment for the dollar invested.
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meridenmor
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posted on November 6, 2001 12:50:55 PM new
I have seen this a number of times, usually the auctioneer does this when he's trying to get the attention of the audience. It really makes 'em sit up and pay attention. And I have done this once or twice. Usually when someone has aggravated me so much it is either smash whatever they are interested in or smash them. Also, it may not be worth the auctioneer's time and bookkeeping expense to sell something for 10 cents. Most auctions I go to have a minimum they will not go beneath. Dale
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llama_lady
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posted on November 6, 2001 01:51:30 PM new
I go to an auction house where the auctioneer is wild. If he can't get a dollar bid, he yells, 'throw it in the trash'. Later on some one will pull it out. too strange. Don't let your kids run wild or go look at the "stuff" behind him, he will start yelling at you. There are some tables behind him and he says he can't hear. O.K. I can deal with that but I don't think he needs to yell. Only the newbies are dumb enough to go behind there once he starts the auction. As for the kids, most of the ones that run around and scream during the auction need their butts smacked and so do their parents.
I've never seen him throw anything, but he will keep piling it on until he gets a dollar bid. I have gone home with 5 or 6 boxes of pure junk just to get one item.
geesch.
Actually when he is taking his blood pressure medicine he isn't too bad.
[ edited by llama_lady on Nov 6, 2001 01:52 PM ]
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toolhound
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posted on November 6, 2001 02:21:37 PM new
I was talking to another buyer and, all of a sudden, we hear a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass. It seems that the auctioneer was trying to get at least $1 on a big box of plates. He picked up the box and smashed it against the wall when there were no bids.
Sounds like this auctioneer was looking for a way to get everyones attention. As you stated you were talking to another buyer and probably a lot of others were talking too. Nothing more agrivating for an auctioneer than a bunch of people talking and not bidding. He may have been a little extreme but he did get your attention.
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mrspock
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posted on November 6, 2001 04:38:50 PM new
Another time when I was doing flea market full time:
Sunday morning we had a really poor saturday and I had a payment to make monday morning.
A couple came along started beating me down on a item I fianally ageed on a price of 50.00..5.00 over cost 30.00 less than marked becouse I needed the cash
They then said "We'll be back"
Turned out to be a great day, gross into 4 figures
Late in the day just before closing the morning couple come back...we've decided to take it they say...fine I say 80.00 plus tax.
but you said 50.00...yes I did that was this morning I needed the cash I had a great day ,dont need the cash you want it now 80.00 plus tax.
I did finally give them a 5.00 break 75.00 plus tax.
spock here......
Live long and Prosper
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dixiebee
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posted on November 6, 2001 05:46:02 PM new
meridenmor: My auctioneer was also named Dale. You wouldn't happen to be in Kentucky would you?
toolhound: The conversation I was having with this other person was quiet and non-obtrusive. There could have been others there blabbing away. Perhaps it was the kids that llama_lady mentioned. Of course, one of those kids was very savvy. She kept offering me $2 for an item I had just paid $3 for. She and her brother also were very interested in most of the items I had purchased and kept wanting to put their grubby little fingers all over them. I finally decided to have a little talk with them, they became my friend, left my items alone and waved "bye" to me at the end of the evening.
This brings to mind another recent auction where the talking among the bidders got so bad that the auctioneer good-heartedly offered to shut the auction down and have a party instead. A good time was had by all.
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figmente
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posted on November 7, 2001 05:35:53 PM new
I've seen the auctioneer pay $1 to take an unsold lot.
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sparkz
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posted on November 7, 2001 09:04:33 PM new
You're all overlooking the obvious. His auction next week is going to be for mosaic supplies. He's probably gonna get 50 bucks for that box of broken dishes.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
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roadsmith
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posted on November 7, 2001 09:18:15 PM new
LOL, Sparkz! You took the words right out of my mouth. I was going to say that the mosaic pieces would have fetched more than the plates, maybe. And on ebay, too!
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LAIOCHKA
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posted on November 11, 2001 06:14:55 PM new
If the item had a retail value of
$20.00 and it didnt sell at $1.00,
He can write it off and it also prevents
The people that clean out garbage to take it,
But depending on the condidtion of the item
He can write off almost the full 100 % off retail, atleast that's the way we have it in europe, I dont know how it is here.
Do you know the saying "you break it- you own it" ? after you own it, you can write it off
Your taxes
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