Too many auctions, just right, or too few?

ONE of the impacts of the Covid pandemic on active railwayana collectors was the end of the tried and trusted auction scene that had been the backbone of the movement for decades.

Almost in an instant, saleroom sales ceased and the internet became the fulcrum around which buying and selling revolved.

Those who weren’t online, or were but were unable to cope with its intricacies, struggled with the new order, and felt distanced from the heart of a hobby they loved.

Another major aspect of the change was that some of the timeconsuming financial and logistical elements the auction houses faced with saleroom sales disappeared at a stroke. No more venue hiring costs, no more porters and other staff manning the auctions, no more setting-up of displays for viewing, and in some cases, no more expensive colour catalogues.

In addition – and here was the rub for some collectors – no more calendars set in stone months, or even years, ahead, but rather a flexibility that has resulted in a plethora of sales, some posted online at the last minute, which can be difficult to keep tabs on.

The result, say some of the – perhaps more traditional – collectors is that there are simply too many auctions, which leads to depressed prices, some very average items going under the hammer, and a calendar that is wellnigh impossible to follow.

Happy buyers

Those collectors who are enjoying the new order have a compelling argument in response.

Catalogues online allow just as much time to peruse as the printed versions, vendors who want a quick sale can have their items added to an auction at a late stage rather than having to wait maybe months for the next available slot, more auctions mean more variety and choices, and if the prices are lower – and that is debatable – vendors may be hit but buyers are surely happy.

Then there is the change welcomed by many within the movement that internet-based selling has introduced a new, younger, IT-savvy audience that in many cases has deep pockets and a thirst for railwayana. No businesses can stand still if they are to survive, but have to adapt to changing circumstances, and the claim that saleroom auctions are as much social occasions as a business is challenged by many.

One high-profile railwayana auction house principal told me recently: “I love selling to a saleroom full of collectors and enjoy the buzz, but without wishing to sound dismissive to anyone who enjoys those occasions, I am not in business to organise, and pay for, social events.”

So, the more auctions the merrier, or too much of a good thing? The jury’s out on that one, and may be for quite a while.