Saturday April 21, 2012 – 10:30 AM
Preview hours
Friday 4/20/2012 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday 4/21/2012 8:00 am – 10:30 am
Live Railroadiana Auction
Brookline Auction Gallery LLC
Route 130, Brookline, New Hampshire
in conjunction with Scott Czaja as Sales Manager
Absentee Bidding Information
April 21, 2012 Catalog
o No hidden Reserves - All items will be sold
o Auction format - Scott Czaja will catalog this auction and be available for consultation
o Absentee bids will be accepted and fairly executed (phone, email, mail)
o New Hampshire has NO state sales tax
o Fall sales - Possible delivery to the Gaithersburg, MD show (reserve early)
Why you should consign
Brookline Auction Gallery LLC web site
Featured items:
More great Dater Dies
Huge selection of Timetables
Large Book Collection
More nice, diverse Annual Passes
Trolley items (pins, badges, timetables, etc)
Over 70 Menus (Political, Sporting, NYC B&O) – sold in lots
Progress to date:
o November 14, 2011 – 80 lots are “Catalog Ready”. I’ve already got 253 pictures. The April sale will have some very nice items. I’ll try to get a new “Gallery” of selected items as I work on the catalog.
Absentee Bidding – Everyone always wonders if auction houses are legitimately executing absentee bids. We instituted a new policy in Oct 2011 and it worked well. We also increased the number of lots sold per hour to 120 from 100. The new policy is:
(1) If there is only one absentee bid on an item, we will open that item on the floor for $10.00. Several items sold in excess of $200 and they were opened by our absentee bid person for $10.00. Ask anyone who attended in person if this is true. We may open a $2,000 lantern for $100 just to save time but the concept is that we WILL execute your absentee bids fairly. We also had over 600 absentee bids on the Oct 22, 2011 auction.
(2) If there is no interest from live bidders an absentee of $10.00 will take an item. This did happen several times. This makes the whole auction move along and it saves everyone some time.
(3) If there are multiple absentee bids we will open the bidding at one bid above the 2nd place bidder. If we have bids of 20 and 200, we will open the item at 30 (one bid above 20). If we have bids of 90 and 100 we will open the item at 100 (one bid above 90). I was asked why the absentee bids either went on forever or I would bid once and give up. If I have bids of 20 and 30, I will bid 30 once and that’s it. If I have bids of 20 and 300, I’ll be bidding from 30 up to 300 against any live bidders.
(4) I hope this helps both prospective absentee bidders and auction attendees understand our absentee bidding policy.
(5) We DO NOT reveal any bids or the names of people who place absentee bids.
(6) There is a minimum absentee bid of $10.00. Absentee bids must end in a $5.00 (no pennies please).
(7) Absentee bids must be in on time so that we can sort through all of the bids and determine starting bids and high bids for all lots.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q1
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What is a "Reserve"? Why do I care?
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A1
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Some antique auctions have used a semi-secret technique called a "reserve." It is a secret value below which an item will not be sold, and the item is returned to the consignor if no bidder reaches the secret minimum. This way of doing business is hard on bidders as well as the auction house. We are trying to make this auction a buyers' experience. Without reserves all items will be sold with no secret minimum values.
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Q2
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Is it too late to consign items?
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A2
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No, However this is a specialty sale and to properly catalog and advertise your items for maximum return you should consign early.
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Q3
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I have attended some of the Brookline Railroad Auctions. Will this one have a catalog? When can I get one?
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A3
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Yes. There will be a free online catalog. There will also be a free online “list” of one line per item available. The online catalog will be available sooner. We will also have a simple list (one line per item) printed out so you can doodle along with the sale. There will be a minimal fee for this.
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Q4
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Why are there two web sites (www.TagTown.net and www.brooklineauctiongallery.com)?
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A4
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Scott Czaja is the Sales Manager and is responsible for: getting consignments, developing the catalog, answer collector questions. Brookline Auction Gallery LLC will supply the auction facility including auction staff. Ron Pelletier, a licensed New Hampshire auctioneer will sell the actual items. Brooklilne Auction Gallery LLC also provides Bonded storage (insured) for consigned items. Both Scott Czaja and Brooklilne Auction Gallery LLC have other business activities that do not include each other. We are partnering on specific, live railroad auctions.
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Q5
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Do I have to attend in person or can I call in or mail a bid?
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A5
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We will definitely accept "absentee" bids. All bids are held in strict confidence. You can leave bids with Scott Czaja or Brookline Auction Gallery. You will be responsible for shipping, handling & insurance costs. There may be some large or "awkward to ship" items. They will be flagged in the catalog.
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Q6
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Will there be internet bidding?
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A6
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There will not be ” live” internet bidding. This style of auction is a disservice to people that attend in person having to wait for someone sitting at a computer to actually determine when an item has sold and not the auctioneer. We had over $80,000 in cumulative absentee bids in the first auction and over $60,000 in the 2nd smaller auction. The 3rd auction had over 600 absentee bids. These bids were executed (almost) without a hitch. We do not need to use another 3rd party service. You will need to register and agree to the terms of the auction.
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Q7
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Will there be phone bidding?
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A7
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Maybe, if you know that you will need to bid by phone, please schedule with us early. We will also need to "register" you so scheduling is even more important. We will also need to know what specific lot(s) you are interested in. We may require a “minimum starting bid” to execute live phone bids. Talk to Scott.
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Q8
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I am interested in consigning. What do I do?
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A8
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Contact Scott Czaja. I will ask for a list of what you have. We need to manage the material already consigned with new consignments so that everyone has a chance to have their items featured. We have many collecting categories that fill up fast.
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Q9
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What commission do you charge for consignments?
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A9
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This depends on: (1) how much you have, (2) the quality of what you have, (3) time to catalog which can include cleaning, packaging or other preparation work.
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Q10
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I can’t wait to the auction to sell my things. Will you buy my collection?
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A10
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Yes. It helps if you have a list of what items you have. This way I can schedule a detailed evaluation.
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Q11
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Can I get on a list so I get updates on the auction?
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A11
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Yes, I will bring a "sign up" sheet to shows. In addition if you send me an eMail with "Brookline auction" in the subject line I'll put your email address into a distribution list. When major milestones are met, I'll notify you regarding what we are up to and how to get access to new pictures and other information. We also all have non-internet friends. If you know of someone who is not online, please eMail me their mailing address and I'll send out notices when the catalog is available or other important milestones have been met.
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Q12
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Will you accept left bids from Canada?
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A12
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Yes. You would be responsible for paying in $US and you would be responsible for any duty fees. All customs forms will be filled out with an accurate accounting.
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Q13
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What is Gaithersburg Delivery?
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A13
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We have scheduled this auction to take place 2 weeks before the largest transportation show in the country (Gaithersburg MD). Scott can deliver your items to the show if you have pre-paid your bill. There are some exceptions to the delivery rule. Ask Scott for details. Please remember that there is limited space and weight capability in our van so schedule this early.
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Q14
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Who are you?
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A14
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I, Scott Czaja, bought a switch key at a train show in 1972. I collected off and on for years and then got serious about collecting Railroadiana in the 1980s. I have been the New England Regional Vice President of the "Railroadiana Collectors Association Inc." since the mid 1990s. I have been a member of Key Lock and Lantern since the 1990s. I have been a member of various railroad historical societies for years. I have attended major Railroadiana shows since the 1990s. I have been a fulltime Railroadiana dealer since 2001. I did mail-order sales for years before there was an eBay. I have done detailed collection appraisals valued at $210,000 and $375,000. I use my name as my eBay ID: S*Czaja. I want collectors to find me and I have nothing to hide. It is my goal to make this an auction by a collector for collectors.
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Feel free to contact
Ron Pelletier @ info@brooklineauctiongallery.com
or
Scott Czaja at: sczaja@hotmail.com