When items warrant, Proxiblog will lament and compliment best and bad auctioneer lot descriptions in this light-hearted feature. We will name the best, but you will have to search Proxibid for the bad. (Click pictures to expand and view lot descriptions)
Booyah! To Meares Auctions for being proud of its 10% buyer’s fee and showcasing that in its email blasts! Meares keeps on improving customer service and consignments. Kudos atop booyahs!
Boo! to this unnamed auctioneer who not only posts blurred, impossible pictures but also lists a 1966 clad Quarter Dollar as “40% silver.” Why sell online if you cannot provide the visuals, let along accurate lot descriptions?
Booyah! To Capitol Auctions for a detailed historical description of “CONSTANTINE THE GREAT” ancient coin. It takes time to write accurate lot descriptions, especially on coins, but they lure the high-rollers and Capitol knows that, explaining its top-caliber consignments.
Booyah! to Silvertowne Auctions for identifying rim damage on a coin whose picture does not readily show that. Silvertowne tops our list of best online auction houses because of its expert numismatist who writes the best lot descriptions on Proxibid!
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that thinks a $4 mint set is “an investment” and wants 15% buyer’s fee plus $19.95 shipping to send it!
Boo! to this unnamed auctioneer who used the same picture for several Carson City dollars without noting that a stock photo was being used (or the same in-house photo for each GSA Moorgan). Why do auctioneers take shortcuts with photos when contracting with an online portal like Proxibid?!
Booyah! To Big Fellows Auction in its first Proxibid auction for accurate lot descriptions, including this one noting the tube of silver eagles were pristine out of a monster box (when some eagles of dubious condition are often just stored in such a tube).
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that took a picture of a US Mint box without also photographing the coins inside, not only on this but on eight similar lots, which confuses us, as there is gold inside … unless wanting to give the onsite audience an edge because they have access to the coins on display. We don’t like to think that, even though none of the sets containing gold sold to Proxibidders. That’s just probably an outcome of an auction house taking shortcuts with digital photography. There are no visual shortcuts in online coin selling. That’s a good lesson with which to end this post!
Viewers can point us to other candidates for our “Boos & Booyahs!” series. Just leave a comment but follow our rules–all in good fun as a way to inspire accurate lot descriptions on Proxibid.
Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.