Got this in the ol' email box

I. We have had many consignors inquire about whether Robert Edward Auctions will have a table at the National Convention. We will not. The reason is very simple: We are not dealers and do not buy and offer items for resale. That is the big draw for table holders, but we are strictly consignments. As a pure consignment auction house, it is not economical for us to invest the time and resources required to set up at shows. And while our being at the show might be convenient for a few consignors, many consignors make a point of seeing us just before the show, and even more come to see us or send in material immediately after the show. Many collectors and dealers call us directly from the show to discuss important items for potential auction. There have even been cases where we were able to provide a cash advance on a great item that has been enough for the consignor to actually purchase the item and place at auction! We will be busy methodically working away on our next auction the entire week of the National (we like to think of ourselves as the “tortoise” as opposed to the “hare”) and as always we will be available to field all inquiries. Our National Convention Week strategy may seem unusual, but it makes sense for us. In addition to being most economical, the week of the National is always one of our biggest weeks for taking in consignments. We’d rather provide lower commission rates and larger circulation for our consignors than put on an expensive “show” at a convention. Our goal is always to put more money into consignors’ pockets.

II. We have also been asked by many if Robert Edward Auctions will consider changing our auction closing style to allow for the closing of lots on a lot-by-lot basis on a ten-minute clock as opposed to closing all lots at once. The answer is no, REA will continue to close all lots at the same time simply because this is better for consignors. We can understand how buyers would much prefer auction lots to close one at a time on a ten or fifteen minute clock. If we were bidding in an auction we would prefer that too, but what comes along with this format are all of the inherent flaws of a live auction: Bidders have to really be on their toes. There is no margin for error as far as when the lot is coming up or closing. If you are unprepared for any reason during a specific few minutes (or in the case of a live auction, a specific few seconds), you are out of luck. If a bidder is interested in many lots and attempting to manage finances, there is a tremendous potential for confusion and inefficiency, and great potential for being shut out of lots of interest as each lot is closing at a different time. If you happen to miss the closing of a given lot by a few minutes for any reason, or if a bidder is outbid on a lot which frees up capital to bid on another lot – which now happens to be closed – the bidder can’t go back in time and bid on a closed lot. In short, it is our strong opinion that closing lots one at a time creates the potential for items to sell at lower levels, and to not sell to the person or institution who would really want to pay the most. This type of system is very desirable for focused and experienced buyers but totally inconsistent with our commitment to make sure that consignors receive the highest prices possible. There are plenty of items on which a ten-minute lot-by-lot closing system will have no impact on the final price, but our view is that when there is an impact, the bias will always be negative. In other words, this style of auction will very often favor the buyers - at the expense of the sellers – allowing buyers to win lots cheaper than otherwise, and the best case scenario is that there will be no difference for the sellers. The seller never wins. Our goal is to make sure that every lot is sold to the person or institution that wants to pay the most, and that if a buyer does not win a lot, the only acceptable reason is that 1) the lot was not of interest, or 2) the price was too high and the buyer decided to stop bidding. Our system provides this result on all lots all the time – not just sometimes. Again, we have the ability to provide a lot-by-lot closing already built into our software. If a big consignor or group of consignors were to request this style of auction close, we would easily be able to accommodate them immediately, but we do not anticipate ever receiving such a request.

III. Robert Edward Auctions is currently accepting consignments for our next blockbuster auction. We are receiving many exciting consignments for our Spring auction. Packages are arriving every day! Consignments accepted through December 2005 for our spring auction will be given special discounted consignment rates as well as the most aggressive cash advances (if desired) as extra incentive to get material in to us early.

Don’t compromise! There is no way to get more for quality material than in an auction truly committed to maximizing the value of your consignment, and by an auction house which, with good reason, is trusted by the collecting community like no other. At Robert Edward Auctions you 1) Get top dollar; 2) Have your material presented in the most ideal manner in the most important auction of the year; and 3) Enjoy the unparalleled service and peace of mind that only Robert Edward Auctions can provide. Everyone wants to send us material for our premium catalog auctions at the last minute. Robert Edward Auctions goes out of our way to reward early consignors. We offer the most ideal forum in which to bring high quality individual items and significant collections to the marketplace. Cash advances are always available. If you have quality material you think might be of interest, please call or write.

Sincerely,

Robert Edward Auctions

www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Robert Edward Auctions specializes in the very best in all areas of baseball collectibles, as well as other sport, non-sport, and Americana collectibles including political and campaign memorabilia, autographs and manuscripts, and original illustration art.