Websites or Auctions (1 Viewer)

[fugie666]

Does anyone have any recommendations for good websites or auction sites for used toy soldiers ..... Just curious other then ebay. Thank you in advance

 

[jazzeum]

Old Toy Soldiers Auctions has actual auctions several times a year.

 

[theBaron]

To expand on Brad's comment, which I second, here is the website: https://oldtoysoldierauctions.com/ If you use Facebook, he has a page there, too.

Old Toy Soldier is run by Ray Haradin, who is a long-time auctioneer of toy soldiers and antique toys, probably the premier auctioneer of such items here in North America. He also publishes the quarterly, Old Toy Soldier.

Prost!
(the other) Brad

 

[jazzeum]

One point about OTSA. If you win an auction, you have t pay a 28% buyer’s commission.

 

[fugie666]

Cool thanks for the replys I will check it out

 

[ccdc11]

28 % fee + 10.00 shipping per lot.
if you pay with a check and place bids directly thru them instead of Live auctioneers it is a few points less. But man can prices go crazy on it.

 

[jazzeum]

28 % fee + 10.00 shipping per lot.
if you pay with a check and place bids directly thru them instead of Live auctioneers it is a few points less. But man can prices go crazy on it.

Prices on there can be disproportionate to the real world. Case in point: earlier this year someone paid $1,000 for a Somerset Ltd. Lawrence of Arabia. The ones on eBay sell for around $100 or you can get one made by Somerset for $250.

 

[theBaron]

Auctions are what they are.
Bidders will get their adrenaline flowing and bid up to what others may think a ridiculous amount. It's no different if you're at a live auction or online.
Auctioneers charge fees for their services. That's no different if you're at a live auction or online, either. Sure, eBay doesn't charge the buyer a premium. But its service fees to the sellers are reflected in the prices sellers will ask and charge.

Prost!
Brad

 

[ccdc11]

Prices on there can be disproportionate to the real world. Case in point: earlier this year someone paid $1,000 for a Somerset Ltd. Lawrence of Arabia. The ones on eBay sell for around $100 or you can get one made by Somerset for $250.

I almost sent you a email when that went for that hammer price. {eek3}
I have also scored some deals there as well. Same as eBay or any other.

 

[jazzeum]

I almost sent you a email when that went for that hammer price. {eek3}
I have also scored some deals there as well. Same as eBay or any other.

You have to do your research before you bid on there and stick to your guns; it’s very easy to get carried away during an auction.

 

[Warrior]

You have to do your research before you bid on there and stick to your guns; it’s very easy to get carried away during an auction.

You're not kiding.

There is a top shelf wargaming figure painted out of the UK and a grouping of 10 figures painted by him came up on Ebay about 5 years ago, bidding vs buy it now.

I put in a bid for 100.00, 10.00 a figure; keep in mind these are 20mm, about 1 inch tall. Someone outbid me, I kept raising my bid, I got to 20.00 a figure, 200.00......................I was the high bidder right down to the wire.............one minute left...................then I started thinking "Am I ****ing nuts or what?!?..........TWENTY dollars for a 20mm figure; don't get me wrong, they are beautiful figures, but that's a massive overpay, I started to have buyers remorse and the auction was not even over.............10 seconds, 5 seconds, 3 seconds, them BOOM!!................."You have been outbid".............some ballbag with a sniping program got them instead.


THANK GOD...........................oh and as it turns out, I knew the high bidder, a guy from Ohio, new to the hobby with lots of money, he threw it around quite a bit.

Then he got bored with the hobby; reached out to me a few years ago, had those very same figures for sale, he wanted 10.00 each........DEAL.

So I got them for half of what I had originally intended to pay.

 

[Warrior]

28 % fee + 10.00 shipping per lot.
if you pay with a check and place bids directly thru them instead of Live auctioneers it is a few points less. But man can prices go crazy on it.

I attended an auction here in MA about three years ago, a local collector liquidating his toy soldier, comic boy, toy, gun and antique furniture collections.

I bought several lots, in addition to what I paid, there was a BUYER'S premium.................Umm, what?

So the auction house gets teh premium and also I assume a rake off on what the item sells for that comes out of the sellers end.

So they butter their bread on both sides.

No cash outlay for the goods, buyer and seller premium...................what a racket.

I'm in the wrong business.

No thanks to that, I am perfectly capable of selling the goods off of my website, at shows and off of Ebay and other selling platforms.

 

[jazzeum]

I attended an auction here in MA about three years ago, a local collector liquidating his toy soldier, comic boy, toy, gun and antique furniture collections.

I bought several lots, in addition to what I paid, there was a BUYER'S premium.................Umm, what?

So the auction house gets teh premium and also I assume a rake off on what the item sells for that comes out of the sellers end.

So they butter their bread on both sides.

No cash outlay for the goods, buyer and seller premium...................what a racket.

I'm in the wrong business.

No thanks to that, I am perfectly capable of selling the goods off of my website, at shows and off of Ebay and other selling platforms.

Every auction house does it from Christies on down.

 

[Warrior]

Every auction house does it from Christies on down.

Understood; it's still a racket, they get money on both ends.

That's quite a system.

 

[theBaron]

I've had a lot of fun at auctions, bidding as a collector against dealers. I was in an auction for some beer steins, for example, and there was a dealer bidding on them. I outbid him each time, because he needed to get them for as little as possible, to save his markup. Even though we bid up, I was still getting them for less than if I had to buy them from him or another dealer in a shop. He didn't look happy about it.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Warrior]

I've had a lot of fun at auctions, bidding as a collector against dealers. I was in an auction for some beer steins, for example, and there was a dealer bidding on them. I outbid him each time, because he needed to get them for as little as possible, to save his markup. Even though we bid up, I was still getting them for less than if I had to buy them from him or another dealer in a shop. He didn't look happy about it.

Prost!
Brad

At the auction I went to, it was mostly collectors, a couple of other dealers aside from me, some lots got bid up to the point where as a dealer, they were not worth pursuing, others were more reasonable.

I thought the experience was worthwhile, I think more and more of this is coming as the collector base ages.....................

 

[theBaron]

... I think more and more of this is coming as the collector base ages.....................

Yeah, Russ Salberg is auctioning off some of his collection, this weekend. I didn't ask him, but I wonder if this represents stock that he would have brought to our show, had we been able to hold it.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Warrior]

Yeah, Russ Salberg is auctioning off some of his collection, this weekend. I didn't ask him, but I wonder if this represents stock that he would have brought to our show, had we been able to hold it.

Prost!
Brad

I don't participate in auctions, but once I determined toy soldier shows are done for 2020, I spent an entire weekend doing a hard inventory, then over the following week I posted a large number of those items onto my Ebay store and have sold quite a few items...........if I'm not doing shows, since I don't have a store, might as well list them on Ebay.

Sadly, this will probably be the way forward for me from now on, not sure when/if shows will come back....................