Thread: Dear Grays Auction winner...

People seem to get carried away in auctions, I went to an auction locally with the intention of bidding on a small vertical mill with a dead motor expecting it to go pretty cheap, this size generally go for around $1300 - $1500 when new - some dope paid $1100 for it.

The prices for some of that stuff was astounding...

I think the granite square which was only 600X400 went for well over $2000...

I had my eye on a grinding square. I was no where near the money on it...

Best entertainment I've had for a while - I did my modest best to push prices on some stuff to the truly stupid point, then dropped out. Like musical chairs, there's a fine line here you don't want to be on the wrong side of.......

The good news is, it makes some of the stuff I already own that much more 'valuable' for the estate sale in the future.

I got what I was after at a price considerably less than I paid for a similar item 15 years ago, so I'm happy. What I didn't get, I won't miss. Time to open a bottle of wine and toast all those people out there with lots of money and no ability to find out what stuff sells for new....

PDW

Originally Posted by variant22

Yet they can be purchased new (and balanced to 25,000 rpm) for: http://www.ebay.com/itm/TECHNIKS-TE-...-/131317264526.

Yes - I wonder what quality they are, though......

Oh - wait - I don't have to wonder, do I....

PDW

I go to quite a few auctions and regularly see stuff go for stupid prices. But I've also been to some auctions where stuff has gone stupidly cheap. Onsite auctions are the best, I find most stuff on grays goes for too much even before you add BP and GST.

Originally Posted by snapatap

I go to quite a few auctions and regularly see stuff go for stupid prices. But I've also been to some auctions where stuff has gone stupidly cheap.

Slideway grinders come to mind - until you factor in moving expenses....

PDW

This is a good one......

Why pay $429 for a brand new press from H&F

https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/P143

When you can pay a TOTAL of $619.08 for the very same press second hand......


http://www.graysonline.com/lot/0178-3011572/manufacturing/20-ton-shop-press?

OUCH.......That is going to hurt......

For this reason I have all but given up looking at grays auctions.

Cheers

Piers

I bid on a number of items at this auction but didn't end up buying anything. I am sure there are going to be a lot of examples of incredible prices but this has me baffled.


http://www.graysonline.com/lot/0913-...mps?redirect=0

I thought these would be great for holding things on the table of the planer or new slideway grinder and probably fetch $100-200. But more than $1000 with fees!!! You have got to be kidding.

The granite straight edge at about $850 is maybe fair but the granite square at $2500

Grays occasionally has sales where the prices go through the roof for no immediately obvious reason. And it is often not just one or two items but the whole sale that achieves high prices. Is that just the way auctions go or is there more to it Time for some conspiracy theories!!

Anyway it just a hobby for most of us so we need to keep our heads when those about seem to be losing theirs. There are many more auctions to come before this current cycle finishes.

Originally Posted by markgray

I bid on a number of items at this auction but didn't end up buying anything. I am sure there are going to be a lot of examples of incredible prices but this has me baffled.


http://www.graysonline.com/lot/0913-...mps?redirect=0

I thought these would be great for holding things on the table of the planer or new slideway grinder and probably fetch $100-200. But more than $1000 with fees!!! You have got to be kidding.

The granite straight edge at about $850 is maybe fair but the granite square at $2500

Grays occasionally has sales where the prices go through the roof for no immediately obvious reason. And it is often not just one or two items but the whole sale that achieves high prices. Is that just the way auctions go or is there more to it Time for some conspiracy theories!!

Anyway it just a hobby for most of us so we need to keep our heads when those about seem to be losing theirs. There are many more auctions to come before this current cycle finishes.

I was an early bidder on those clamps, for the same reason - good to hold stuff down on the planer or HBM. However, I already have a set, so I dropped out early. I'll now 'value' mine a bit more highly but for that price, I'd make a set before I'd buy them.

As you know I wanted that granite straight edge, as did a few others here. Once the price crossed a certain point I lost interest. OK a granite straight edge is going to be more stable than a cast iron one, but I can *make* a CI one for a couple hundred dollars (plus a labour of love) and - we have no idea how good the gear in this auction was, so who knows whether the granite one was pristine or worn to uselessness. Those who had the time to do a personal inspection I guess, but that wasn't any of the people I talked with.

All in all I find it amusing, in a black humour sort of fashion. Shakes my head, thinking 'someone paid *HOW MUCH* for that?????' The sale price on the granite square was unbelievable.

All good fun. Hope they enjoy their purchases. More for the rest of us next time.

PDW

Originally Posted by markgray

http://www.graysonline.com/lot/0913-...mps?redirect=0

Time for some conspiracy theories!!

That winning bidder purchased most of the granite (inc square), sine plates, clamps, T&C grinder (3.2k inc rip for a Deckel SO clone [see..] - outrageous in itself) and who knows whatever else. Paid through the nose for all of it.

I can't say I can see any benefit in shill bidding Grays auctions. It's my understand that Grays offers companies a guaranteed amount and then splits the difference?

I also note that in many cases there were 3 bidders going at it.

Hi Guys,

What little experience of auctions that I've had has been similar ! Really stupid money paid for kit. Though I did go to one where I was warned that there was a syndicate out to buy as much as possible for export to India or Africa. They started by pushing the bids up right at the beginning and put any competition off. After the first few lots there was only one of the syndicate bidding and winning at give away prices.

NOTE: This was pre internet auctions.

With the sk40 moniker, pretty sure they were for the DMU pair, so not cat - only thing I can imagine two parties bought one machine each and were determined to get the bits they thought belonged. I think the last 69871 arbor I got was around $30.