Crazy auction weekend

[bill gates]

Rolatop had replacement cabinet which stopped me looking any further. The figures looked pretty cool to me, especially the leprechaun.

[ab88]

Thee elephant was atrocious
It kept stopping the sound was out prices were all wrong.
Auctions restarted and now we know
Get back to proper auctions
They way it should be mr hunt
Employ a kid to do the computer work and
you do your mums old job
Easy peasy

Despite the audio/visual issues I didn't see any real problems with The Elephant House sale. I won a few, lost a few didn't have any issues really. In fact it went fairly deep in before the trouble started. I didn't see any 'wrong' prices, with online sales you have to follow the big bidding button only and not always the audio as its often slightly out of sync.

It all made decent money from what I noted so I don't think anyone can have massive complaints.

[frayle]

The technical issues were unfortunate, but in no way catastrophic, and are unlikely to be repeated. The system works well, but for complete success you do need to view the goods, as indeed with any auction.
The upside is that you can bid in the warm with tea on hand, which is a bonus when there are many lots to get through.
The down side is the lack of sociability, and the necessity to go and collect, but again no different really from a 'regulat' auction, unless you view, bid and then take away, but that makes for a long old day.
Most auctions these days seem to rely far more on absentee or telephone bidders than ever those attending in person. It is probably the future?

[ab88]

I've got an auction next week where I can't view on the bidding days.... so I have to travel from Cambridge to Oxford to view and then back again to bid, or I can pay an online surcharge (an extra 2%) and bid from home before going to collect.

Its all a bit arse about face, but it's progress I'm told.

[sweetmeats]

I first saw this machine on a visit to New York with COCO (Coin Operated Collectors Association) on their annual convention in 2008. Mel Gatlin invited me to see his wonderful collection at his home. I had first met him in 2005 at a COCA meeting in California. I show a photo taken at this time. To see it 'live' was awesome oro. In the March edition, 2009, of the COCA magazine an ad by Ira Warren shows TWO elephants he had just acquired for restoration. I do not know of their current whereabouts. Mel's elephant was sold by Morphy auction in 2020 following his death. It was lot 1050 and sold for $80,000! (Hammer pictures below). The one sold on Sunday had the man replaced but was otherwise complete. Does anyone know who made them, any patent or any other examples? This must be one of the cheapest machines sold at auction in my thirty plus years of collecting. Where were the American collectors? A dream come true for one collector!

[john t peterson]

Where were the American collectors?

Sleeping. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

J Peterson.
Wide awake now, USA

[aristomatic]

See item from recent auctions starting to turn up for sale.
Always fun to see the item descriptions on the listings too.