Imperial Auction

[Rick]

NT

[kai]

Well, I know that auctions can be intense and that auctioneers sometimes do have to make decisions within seconds. Also telephone lines can break down or internet connections (or the local server) can get swamped, that's why I placed absentee bids well in advance of the auction and received (automatic) confirmations that they were placed in time.

Since Ron was notified on lot #4 and lot #67 went to a floor bidder, I have very little hope left for #47. My bids were considerably higher for all 3 items and, since they were placed well in advance, seem to have been intentionally ignored. Needless to say, I am not amused and I guess the consignors won't be either that the prices realized are definitely less than they should have...

I do hope that Nicolas, Dom, and Henri were more lucky with their bids than me and at least Ron got a bargain. Would be really a shame if this culturally significant Rukai sword went into a "black hole" collection or to any tribal art dealer...

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

I DID SEE A FEW BIDS MISSED AS THE BID CAME IN LIKE A SNIPER BID AT THE LAST SECOND BUT WHEN THE AUCTIONEER SAYS SOLD ITS ALL OVER SO CUTTING IT TOO CLOSE IS RISKY AT SUCH AUCTIONS.

Yeah, I'm not talking about some live online bids that came in a bit too late. But absentee bids (placed in advance!) have been around forever and any auctioneer should be able to handle them at least as reliably as floor bids - it's that easy.

I AM NOT TOO FOND OF INTERNET AUCTIONS AS THEY ARE MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN THOSE WHERE ALL BIDDERS ARE ON SITE.

Well, the main point of an auction is to realize the highest price possible and telephone bids have been established for decades. While I like to snap up a bargain as much as any other forum member here, I do strongly feel that, in the age of smartphones, international bids should be handled reliably by any auction team.

Regards,
Kai

[Spunjer]

kai,

i didn't like the looks of this auction as well, so i went ahead and emailed liveauctioneers hoping i could get a non-partial response. like you, i did the absentee bid route too, but logged in anyways just to watch. looking back, i should have participated live, but in this one instance. the final amount of that one item was exactly the same as my max bid, so there was really no reason for me to bid any higher.
the following is the liveauctioneers staff response after i pointed out the descrepancies:

Here is the transcript for the end of the lot:

2011-03-19 20:05:13:468 Clerk Accepted bid for 650.0 from bidder spiderguard77@yahoo.com bidding from Absentee on platform 1
2011-03-19 20:05:13:823 Clerk Accepted bid for 700.0 from bidder bidding from Floor on platform 1
2011-03-19 20:05:13:823 Absentee bid automatically placed for 750.0 on lot number 0303 from bidder spiderguard77@yahoo.com previous high bidder was Floor
2011-03-19 20:05:17:757 Clerk Accepted bid for 750.0 from bidder bidding from Floor on platform 1
2011-03-19 20:05:21:760 CSM: Message - Fair Warning... This lot is about to close.|yellow|rs
2011-03-19 20:05:24:733 Clerk pressed sold button

As you can see your bid was immediately sent. While a floor bid was taken 4 seconds later, this could indicate that both bids were submit at the same time and there was some confusion about which bid the auctioneer accepted, and the floor bid was only logged when that confusion was clear. In this case, though, you would need to ask the auction house directly if they can still sell the lot to you.

Regards,
LiveAuctioneers Staff

(Note:the dollar amount is fictitious and i changed the time since i'd rather keep that to myself on what i bid on)

granted, auctions this big can make little room for mistake, but it shouldn't be so blatant! it just turn people off from bidding online in the future. like you said though, there were some good deals on this auction, but still that don't make it right for the other people who felt they were slighted. i just hope this whole mess get straightened out...
i made out on the scabbards; i just hope the blades fit.

p.s.
you guys should know if you won the items or not. just log in on AI's website, then click on your name. look for items won, and it should tell you then if you won it or not.

[ALEX]

I dealt with Auctions Imperial since they started, and always found them to be most professional and courteous. I bid live on-line, and there is alway risk of a program glitch, delay, unexpected timing surprise, with a subsequent result of not winning an item, and I am aware of these risks. I "lost" quite a few items because of these conditions, but it needs to be understood that this was/is neither AI fault nor their responsibility. This is a nature of live bidding on-line. AI are truly great people, and I respect and appreciate their efforts and assistance.

[laEspadaAncha]

While a glitch in the matrix kept me from participating in the online bidding this year, I did so last year and had a rather unpleasant experience...

There was one lot I actually won, a Scottish dirk on which I was the high bidder when the hammer dropped, and I received an acknowledgement of such - I even have the screenshot showing I was the high and final bid.

And then, the next day, when I realized I hadn't yet been charged for the lot, I checked the hammer prices, only to find they showed the hammer price to be $25 below my bid to a floor bidder.

That pissed me off a little.

Now, I attend enough auctions in person (1-2 a month, every month) to know that the auction house wants to show a little love to the bidders who take the time and effort to attend in person. I've seen auctioneers drop the hammer a little early, or offer a very slight incremental increase to the floor. But this - a full day after the fact - was IMO unacceptable.

[Dom]

I'm really laughing (yellow)
my idea was;
if there is a country with technological system,
should be States of America, and us, in regard, no more than TCN ... I'll have to change my mind ...

no news from "Auctions Imperial" after that email sent on March 21st, 2011

Good day Gentlemen

might you found here below my last position with you, before live auction started

Lot Num Description ...............................Qty ... High Bid ...... Your Bid ..... Time Left ..... Bid Type ..... Bid Status
167 A RARE BUKHARA PITCHAU DAGGER 1.00 ..... 500.00 ........ 801.00 ...... -closed ..... -Absentee ... You will be notified if you were the successful bidder for this lot

https://www.auctionflex.com/showbuye...ion=Bidhistory

could you be kind enough to tell me what I should expect ??
as per as the auction reached $675 may I consider me as winner ??

in opposite case, may you teach me where, and how I was unsuccessful,
to be able in future to face this challenge with more chance

with my best regards

à +

Dom

domayeux@gmail.com

I might just said that I feel me deceived
nevertheless, I noticed Alex comment's, mentioning the "professional and courteous" of that Co.
due to my personal feeling towards Alex, I'm ready to trust on him about those appreciations,
but I should like to understand at least where is the "gap"

à +

Dom

ps/ my second bid was
lot 127 AN OTTOMAN KILIC SABER my last offer was U$ 6,200.00 and it reached U$ 7,400 ... no discussion

[yuanzhumin]

Hello all,

I finally received a mail confirmation from Oliver Pinchot saying that I was the winner of the lot 194 (nearly one week after the end of the sale) and that an invoice would be sent to me shortly. So it seems after all that my bid was well taken in account, but the after sale communication was far from being the best/fastest.

Anyway, Kai, I do agree with you that as far as Internet bidding is authorized, the auction sale should go all the way without any trouble. If the Internet absentee bid system is not working perfectly during the sale, then it shouldn't have been initiated, and the sale should remain limited to live bidding. It's better like this than the frustration of having thought to win the lot when you are not.

Dom, I do understand your frustration. I hope that your bid will prevail in the end and you'll finally be recognized as the legitimate winner.

Take care

Nicolas

[Rick]

Originally Posted by yuanzhumin

Hello all,

I finally received a mail confirmation from Oliver Pinchot saying that I was the winner of the lot 194 (nearly one week after the end of the sale) and that an invoice would be sent to me shortly. So it seems after all that my bid was well taken in account, but the after sale communication was far from being the best/fastest.

Anyway, Kai, I do agree with you that as far as Internet bidding is authorized, the auction sale should go all the way without any trouble. If the Internet absentee bid system is not working perfectly during the sale, then it shouldn't have been initiated, and the sale should remain limited to live bidding. It's better like this than the frustration of having thought to win the lot when you are not.

Dom, I do understand your frustration. I hope that your bid will prevail in the end and you'll finally be recognized as the legitimate winner.

Take care

Nicolas

I am so happy for you Nicolas; congratulations; I feel almost as I had won it .
Very glad this amazing and rare sword didn't fall into a 'black hole' .

Please share many great pictures of this sword when you receive it .

[Nathaniel]

Originally Posted by yuanzhumin

Hello all,

I finally received a mail confirmation from Oliver Pinchot saying that I was the winner of the lot 194 (nearly one week after the end of the sale) and that an invoice would be sent to me shortly. So it seems after all that my bid was well taken in account, but the after sale communication was far from being the best/fastest.

Anyway, Kai, I do agree with you that as far as Internet bidding is authorized, the auction sale should go all the way without any trouble. If the Internet absentee bid system is not working perfectly during the sale, then it shouldn't have been initiated, and the sale should remain limited to live bidding. It's better like this than the frustration of having thought to win the lot when you are not.

Dom, I do understand your frustration. I hope that your bid will prevail in the end and you'll finally be recognized as the legitimate winner.

Take care

Nicolas

Yes, Congratulations Nicolas! Beautiful piece!

[Dom]

Originally Posted by yuanzhumin

I finally received a mail confirmation from Oliver Pinchot saying that I was the winner of the lot 194

Congratulations Nicolas
you are a bloody lucky guy
at least, you killed the "black cat" ...
... I hate you ... LOL

à +

Dom

[yuanzhumin]

Many thanks to all of you for your warm support.
I will do my best to show you the knife when it is in my hands.
Hope it will be soon!
Best/ a +
Nicolas

[VANDOO]

CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING NUMBER 194. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF HANDLING IT AND THOUGH IT WAS MIS- IDENTIFIED I WAS SURE IT WAS FROM TAIWAN AND WONDERED IF YOU WOULD BE BIDDING. I THINK YOU WILL LIKE IT AND IT SEEMED TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE. THE SNAKES CARVED ON THE SCABBARD BACK MADE ME SURE IT WAS FROM TAIWAN. THE SNAKE LOOKS MORE LIKE THE PLANERIA WORM WE STUDIED IN SCHOOL IT HAS A TRIANGLE HEAD WITH THE TWO EYES ON THE TOP, THAT FORM SEEMS TO BE ONLY FOUND ON CARVING FROM TAIWAN. ENJOY YOUR TREASURE

[Spunjer]

wow! that was quick shipping! just got it five minutes ago...
anyone looking for a wrangka?

[dennee]

Anyone know what the Tibetan shield went for? I drove up for the show and stopped by the auction preview to examine the shield (but I didn't want to hang around all night).

It was rather interesting; the "heart mirror" added as a boss suggested to me that it might have been used by an oracle.

[Spunjer]

is that the sba phub shield? it went for 3,000

[dennee]

Thanks! That's some good scorekeeping. They ought to have you do their "prices realized."

I'm glad I didn't stick around for the auction. The shield is interesting and rare but only decent condition, and I wouldn't have been willing to spend so much on it.

Seems like there's less Tibetan stuff found in Baltimore each successive year.

[Dom]

Originally Posted by Dom

no news from "Auctions Imperial" after that email sent on March 21st, 2011

I might just said that I feel me deceived
nevertheless, I noticed Alex comment's, mentioning the "professional and courteous" of that Co.
due to my personal feeling towards Alex, I'm ready to trust on him about those appreciations,
but I should like to understand at least where is the "gap"

Hi Gentlemen
I know where is the "gap" with "Auctions Imperial"
THEIR COMMUNICATION .... it's a complete miss

I was right to believe Alex, because this evening (29/03) very late,
I received my invoice dated ... March 20th, 2011 ... at last
Al Hamdoulillah ... Thanks God

pics a.s.a.p. the Knife will be home ... the life is beautiful

à +

Dom

[Nathaniel]

Congrat's Dom! Al Hamdoulillah!

[Spunjer]

Congrats, dom!

[yuanzhumin]

Felicitations, Dom!
The same with me. I received my invoice yesterday, and the knife should be shipped by the end of this week.
As soon as I have it in hands, I will take pictures to display on the forum.
Best
Nicolas