Last night, as I was leaving, I read the latest MoPo e-mails and saw that a "live" auction had charged a buyer $40 for shipping a single poster. I quickly dashed off a smug jesting e-mail suggesting the auction move to West Plains, or completely lose its live component.
This was wrong of me for two reasons, and I apologize. First, because the auction was not run by someone I barely know, but by Morrie Everett, who is one of the two greatest champions of this hobby (Richard Allen is the other). DECADES before there really was a hobby, people like Morrie and Richard created the modern hobby, and it is clear they did it out of love, not because of financial gain (both had long successful careers in the "regular" business world).
Plus, Morrie has always been one of my best supporters, buying from me, consigning to me, and publicizing all I do. I can't imagine how betrayed he must have felt reading my unfunny e-mail.
But more importantly, Morrie fills a void in this hobby. There are still lots of collectors who LIKE going to shows, seeing the items in person, and knowing they can go home with their purchases, and not have to worry about shipping. But the shows have been withering for years, as more and more people stay home and bid on their computers. When Morrie adds an auction to a show, he gives a lot more people a reason to attend the show, and that may make the difference as to whether they have a show the following year.
I DO think $40 is way too much to charge for a single poster, but for years Christie's and Sotheby's have often charged $100 or more. The difference is that they pocket the over-charges, where Morrie gives all the money to a local L.A. shipping company. And you can call Morrie up on the phone and complain to him, and he will listen and explain, whereas there is no one to call at Christie's or Sotheby's (at least no one who cares about you).
So I apologize to Morrie for my criticism of his auction, and hope he will forgive me. I used to run "live" auctions, and it is extremely difficult, and you often find yourself in "can't win" situations like this one. I am sure Morrie is doing the best he can.
Bruce
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