Live auctions- Have you seen one Lately?

[vetteguy53081]

With daughter home from college and GF having more weekends off, I really have not checked into weekend auctions. Just wondering who has been participating with live auctions (im sure Tbrown has) and what goodies has everyone been finding.

Feel free to post pics and tell us about your new acquisitions, what bargains and even freebies you have scored.
What can you tell new reefers and those new to auction , what to look for?

 

[doubleshot00]

A local store near me (1 hour away) Does auctions on Saturday nights. After a few cocktails it gets pretty competitive.

But ive gotten a few good pieces for decent price.

 

[Ben549]

With daughter home from college and GF having more weekends off, I really have not checked into weekend auctions. Just wondering who has been participating with live auctions (im sure Tbrown has) and what goodies has everyone been finding.

Feel free to post pics and tell us about your new acquisitions, what bargains and even freebies you have scored.
What can you tell new reefers and those new to auction , what to look for?

I've bought a bunch from TCKs and SBBs auctions and a few from BL.
Got some really nice torches, hammers, blastos, gonis, acro, etc.

Personally, I don't like auctions, especially when they have popcorn bidding.
I like the excitement of 1-10 corals being posted in a thread and the fastest person gets the coral. IMO, it adds more excitement and engagement to the live sale experience. Auctions are only really interesting in the last 5min of bidding and when you add popcorn bidding, it gets dragged out. Auctions also seem to draw in more resellers which makes the hobbly more expensive for people trying to reef on a budget.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Haven't done one yet personally, but I have heard they are fun to do

 

[vetteguy53081]

Haven't done one yet personally, but I have heard they are fun to do

They can be fun but sends you into a fast impulse buying mode and will empty your credit card balance quickly.
There are many treasures and unusual specimens posted you just dont see at an LFS

 

[PhishMonger84]

has anyone gotten any "steals" at these live auctions.

i'm not a gambler, i don't use ebay- its just not how i like to do things but i did throw 5 min bids at a reefpro auction, i won't up the bids but just curious if anyone has walked away with a really great deal. i saw a desjardini tang at 31 currently. thats a steal in my book

 

[ScubaFish802]

They can be fun but sends you into a fast impulse buying mode and will empty your credit card balance quickly.
There are many treasures and unusual specimens posted you just dont see at an LFS

I have been steering clear of the sales after I noticed a couple of vendors which raise the prices the week prior.

If you have your eye on a specific coral and have been tracking the price, you may be surprised at the fluctuations that occur around sales.

Not saying everyone does this, but I can definitely agree it makes it easy to be irrational when you have to move so fast to check out you can't even blink or you lose the purchase to someone else.

 

[vetteguy53081]

has anyone gotten any "steals" at these live auctions.

i'm not a gambler, i don't use ebay- its just not how i like to do things but i did throw 5 min bids at a reefpro auction, i won't up the bids but just curious if anyone has walked away with a really great deal. i saw a desjardini tang at 31 currently. thats a steal in my book

reef pro- Its a battle at the end of auction Friday. Ive gotten fish from them before but lately and suspicious is that Bids are often outbidded by same person (initials: B........S.......) and i find it hard that this person has purchased this many fish over 5 months.

 

[PhishMonger84]

reef pro- Its a battle at the end of auction Friday. Ive gotten fish from them before but lately and suspicious is that Bids are often outbidded by same person (initials: B........S.......) and i find it hard that this person has purchased this many fish over 5 months.

honestly, that was my suspicion. And i figure if i ever do it again i will wait until the last 15 mins, see whats there and be patient. I don't think they are going to sell at a loss, so you are very likely right that an employee or friend of goes in a raises the bids when tension and excitement are higher, especially ending on a friday night when some ppl have just gotten paid or are "enjoying" their freedom in whatever means they choose.

 

[shakacuz]

Thirstysreef on IG is having ebay auctions on some nice pieces (HW, SCOP, sunday driver, insanity, amongst some of his cultured pieces). I do believe SBB also recently had auctions.

 

[exnisstech]

I used to do auctions going back to ubid (non aquaria). I've even used sniping software on ebay. I don't do auctions any longer. I've seen too much shill bidding on what few coral auctions I have looked at. I also don't like to spend the time following, same reason I don't do any of the live sales here. I'll just look for what I want at a price I'm willing to pay.