| Buying at auction, be it for stamps or
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| | bidders must be interested in it. Shills
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| coins, antiques or even cattle, can be
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| | are especially skilled at figuring out
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| one of the most exciting and profitable
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| | how high you are willing to go. Lunatics
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| experiences possible. It can also be
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| | are the ones who absolutely have to have
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| expensive and utterly frustrating. The
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| | a lot and will bid whatever it takes to
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| best way to come out ahead is to learn
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| | win it. The best way to deal with these
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| the tricks of the trade early. Here are
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| | three worthies is to hire an agent to bid
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| some suggestions that should help you get
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| | for you.(4) Agents are professionals who
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| on the fast track to success.(1) Do your
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| | have developed skills at bidding at
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| research. Knowledge is your most
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| | auction. One famous New York stamp
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| important tool, even more important than
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| | auction agent was so skilled at hiding
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| money.(2) Learn how to be
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| | his bids that only the auctioneer and a
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| inconspicuous.(3) Beware of zombies,
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| | few other people ever knew how he did it.
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| shills and lunatics. The best way to
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| | As strange as it may sound, paying an
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| avoid them is(4) Hire an agent.(5) Be
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| | auction agent the extra 2-5% fee may save
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| selective. Don't be afraid to spend the
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| | you many hundreds of dollars or more in
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| extra dollar when something especially
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| | the long run. The zombies, shills and
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| rare or in exceptional condition comes
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| | lunatics won't know who is bidding
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| your way. You may never get another
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| | against them.(5) Finally, one of the most
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| chance.To elaborate:(1) Every experienced
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| | important skills of all is the ability to
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| buyer knows how important knowledge is.
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| | recognize when to open up the purse
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| Questions of authenticity, condition, and
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| | strings. Condition and rarity are the two
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| rarity are always the key considerations.
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| | most important determinants of price. The
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| If you are fortunate enough to have both
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| | exceptional item is always worth an extra
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| knowledge and money, you have the world
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| | bid or two. One customer who was
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| by the tail. But even if you have limited
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| | examining my stamps at a national stamp
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| funds you can still do very well if you
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| | show remarked, "I've been looking for
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| know something the rest of the potential
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| | this one for more than 40 years and you
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| buyers don't.(2) Once you have spotted
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| | have a very nice copy. But I never pay
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| something you want to buy, fade into the
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| | more than half catalog for anything." I
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| woodwork as much as possible. The last
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| | wished him well. It was a scarce stamp
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| thing you want to do is attract attention
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| | and I expect he'll still be looking if he
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| to yourself or the lot you are interested
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| | lives another 40 years.To summarize:
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| in. After you've been around long enough,
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| | knowledge is the primary key to success
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| your competition will find out who you
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| | at auction bidding. Secondly, develop
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| are. Until then try to keep as low a
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| | your skills as a bidder and buyer. Then,
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| profile as possible and guard your
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| | learn to recognize the individuals you
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| information. Use a code system to keep
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| | will have to deal with on the auction
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| track of your limits. I'm constantly
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| | floor. Cross them up and use and agent.
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| amazed at how careless some bidders are
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| | And finally, know when to pay a premium
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| with their auction catalogs and what they
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| | for the exceptional item.Best of
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| write in them.(3) Zombies, shills and
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| | luck!John Anderson has been bidding at
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| lunatics are every auction bidder's
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| | auction for more than forty years and
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| nightmare. If a zombie knows who you are,
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| | has purchased hundreds of stamps,
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| he/she will follow your every move. Their
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| | antiques and collectibles that way. Now
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| motto is: if that person is willing to
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| | semi-retired from stamps he is a
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| spend a hundred dollars for a lot, I sure
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| | full-time writer. His first novel, The
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| can afford to spend a hundred and ten.
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| | Cellini Masterpiece, was published under
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| Most people know what a shill is. It is
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| | the pseudonym of Raymond John. He is now
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| someone working for the auction house or
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| | hard at work on his second, and an
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| seller who artificially pushes up prices
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| | auction plays an important role in the
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| by bidding against you. In order for an
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| | plot.
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| item to get a good price, two or more
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