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I'll first say that I have a small number of fellow Lego enthusiasts who
are somewhat closer friends than the rest of you [1]. This group of
individuals, some local and others who are outside the US, have either
been very generous in their dealings with me, or we've just gotten to
know each other over the course of dozens of emails or numerous
get-togethers.
So, when I was contemplating the start of my new Town auction (which
I'll shamelessly plug, it's at:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/2436/townauct.htm) I realized
that there are a few sets that more than one of my friends may have an
interest in. What is the best way to offer these sets to them without
sacrificing the value they could bring to me in an auction, or showing
favoritism between a number of my friends? I wouldn't really feel right
asking for top dollar from these friends, but I am trying to make back
some of the money I recently spent on large collections. So what am I
to do?
A potential solution I have considered, but not yet implemented, is to
create a preferred customer situation where I grant a select group of
people a blanket discount in my auction. So if bidder X wants a set in
my auction, and they are on my special list, I grant them a predefined
discount on anything they win. Say Mr. X wins 4 sets totalling $200,
and my discount is 20%, then I only ask them for $160.
A couple problems are:
1. Other bidders will think this is unfair because they are bidding
against people who have a monetary advantage.
2. My preferred bidders will bid higher than they would otherwise
because they are always mentally including their discount in their bids,
thus driving the price higher than it might otherwise reach. Then if
the preferred bidder doesn't win, the winning bidder pays more than they
really should have [2].
Final thoughts:
There is of course the first rule of auctions which states that the
auctioneer can do whatever the heck he wants [3]. There is always going
to be someone who has more money and can bid higher if they want to.
Okay, so in some cases there are people who have seemingly unlimited
Lego budgets (you know who you are, point point), but in general it is
true. I'm open to any opinions people want to share on this, I have not
yet decided one way or the other myself.
Followups set to lugnet.general 'cause I'm not sure where this should be
discussed.
(1) I count approx. 75% of you all as Lego friends in one form or
another, very few are enemies or rivals :-) I've had contact with many
of you at one time or another, whether to make a deal or just correspond
about Lego related stuff.
(2) Hard to say what a set "should" sell for, but driving up the price
artificially not a good thing to do and I fear this type of preferential
treatment might do just that.
(3) Within reason of course.
--
Michael Ulring
ulringmc@email.uc.edu or ulringmc@columbus.rr.com
WorldCom Advanced Networks, Software Developer
http://oz.uc.edu/~ulringmc
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/2436/
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Message has 5 Replies:
 | | Re: Thoughts on having preferred customers in auctions
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| (...) Stop trying to tailor reality to fit every nuance of your sensibilities. An auction is the fairest way to dispose of things in return for value but it is incompatible with certain other goals, e.g making everyone happy. Let auctions be (...) (26 years ago, 27-Jan-99, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: Thoughts on having preferred customers in auctions
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| (...) I would agree that this would be considered unfair - regardless of why you're doing it, you are tilting a (theoretically) even playing field, which is one reason people run auctions rather than straight sales(1). (...) What I have considered (...) (26 years ago, 27-Jan-99, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: Thoughts on having preferred customers in auctions
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| (...) This shouldn't be an issue at all. I am almost ALWAYS at a monetary disadvantage in auctions, especially if I am bidding against Tony, Larry, Rob, or Gary ;-) (...) THIS one might be an issue. (...) | Please do not associate my personal views (...) (26 years ago, 27-Jan-99, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: Thoughts on having preferred customers in auctions
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| Michael Ulring wrote in message <36AE9BC8.CC361301@e...uc.edu>... :2. My preferred bidders will bid higher than they would otherwise :because they are always mentally including their discount in their bids, :thus driving the price higher than it (...) (26 years ago, 29-Jan-99, to lugnet.general)
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