It’s good to get out to talk with others away from home to get their opinions. A trip in January both to Pennsylvania and New York State created the opportunity to talk with auctioneers. At the annual Pennsylvania auctioneer’s convention in Harrisburg, talk with some revolved around the question of internet auctions. By and large, the auctioneers did not feel threatened by it - rather they felt it was creating more buyers at their sales. These are the new dealers who are assembling merchandise for their web site sales. Many report a thriving business, which is creating a demand for more goods. The auctioneers are right in the middle, making good on it.
 One of my brothers, who is a lawyer, has a print in his office which shows a cow, with one man tugging on the halter and another on the tail. A lawyer is sitting on a stool, milking the animal for all it it’s worth. Naturally, new buyers create more competition --and the established dealers, who for years supported the auctioneers, almost alone, find they must compete with the “noveau dealer” who is out to gamble on greater riches from nationwide competition; hence many are prepared to bid higher, though they do not have the experience of what the public wants and is willing to pay.
  In New York State a visit was paid to a well-established auctioneer at his facility near a major city. He was optimistic about the future with no thought that internet auctions would hurt the established auctioneer as there would always be a need for those who can empty a house, farm, or place of business in a manner that never can be done electronically. He showed me a life size bronze wall plaque that had been offered on the net and the highest bid obtained was $3,100. The disappointed dealer consigned it to an auction in his gallery and it sold for $4,100 plus a 10% buyer’s premium
eBay is having its own problems. Allegedly, a competitor accessed its customer site and began soliciting them for its own use. The Federal Trade Commission settled the charges against Reversed Auction.com Inc., but the company was immediately sued by eBay. So, if you have an eBay ID, guard it well. The net auction service is having more problems with hoaxes being perpetrated, such as the sale of an unborn baby; the sale of human organs.  It was reported on the net that an offer of ten million dollars had been offered for the web site name,
Year2000.com, but evidently this was a come on for a higher bid. Ann Grimes reported in the Wall Street Journal that a Canadian put up a site name for sale and within two hours had an eight million-dollar bid. eBay has in place such safeguards as a feedback forum which allows users to compare their buying and selling experience - an escrow service which holds payment until a sale is satisfactorily consummated - the company will reimburse buyers' money for items which are never received, and maintains a 24 hour customer service to aid any with problems. If you are the victim of a hoax, you should report it immediately.
    In conclusion, talks with many auctioneers on the trip indicate that most are not worried about internet auctions. Where many of the larger galleries are taking mail and phone bids anyway for major items, they are merely changing their sales tactics. The country auctioneer has little to fear. They look forward to increased sales to new buyers they might never have seen.