Artfact VS Live Auctioneers
Archive summary
Auction and Show Watch thread on victorianforum.com · started March 28, 2009 by jacon4 · 6 posts · discussion in 2009.
Today i will be attending an Artfact auction online for the first time, as well as a Live Auctioneer auction simultaneously. Since Ebay shut down it's live feed of auctions in jan. i have been to several live auctioneers auctions and so far, less than impressed. I simply dont…
Today i will be attending an Artfact auction online for the first time, as well as a Live Auctioneer auction simultaneously. Since Ebay shut down it's live feed of auctions in jan. i have been to several live auctioneers auctions and so far, less than impressed. I simply dont understand why, in this day & age, the auction houses dont install a cam so the WEB viewer can see and hear the auction. Staring at a puter screen with a still pic of the object and no sound waiting for my object to come up is about as exciting as watching paint dry.
OK, while sitting here watching paint dry (sorry i couldnt resist), i engaged a live auctioneer helper in a chat screen and according to her, all auction houses are offered live video/audio equipment on a rental basis per event. She didnt know exactly how much rental fee was but estimated it at "a couple hundred per event".
meanwhile, i have been sitting in this chair for 10 hours staring at this puter screen, naturally i lost on everything i bid on. The top lot today at Garths was this little blanket chest that went for $42,000 with BP, 4 times its estimated high value.
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/rare-decorated-blanket-chest.-0-c-369b405103
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/rare-decorated-blanket-chest.-0-c-369b405103
James, was your experience any different than when Ebay was in town on these live auctions? In 5 years technology will make auctions better viewed from home than in person ...
John, no, it wasnt however, on ebay it seemed that there were more houses that did live feeds. Since the switch, i have yet to encounter one. I realize times are tight and marketing cost money, catalogs, printing fees, etc. Still, if the lady was correct @ "a couple hundred per event", i am disappointed at the Houses i attend online and, i plan on letting them know it.
Did you happen to notice that Fontaine's auction today included a live streaming video and audio link? It wasn't through ArtFact, but you could pull them both up at the same time (albeit they weren't quite in sync). It was much more interesting to watch ArtFact in the main window with the live audio going. Unfortunately, the live stream stopped working around item 72.