Reply to fine.books:
Make no assumptions.
It is worth noting that making a list of 300,000 books is not done by any "reputable auction house." And a catalogue for a shelf-sale is never issued, though basic lists are often provided for smaller shelf-sales (of, say, 1,000 books at the most). It is also worth noting that we did provide a list on the first day of auction, and each list was 30 pages long and offered very general category information. Not a single list was picked up by a single bidder other than the McMurtry 100 list; rather than waste another 3000 pages of paper, we opted not to print a list for the second day.
We allowed an entire week of preview for bidders to inspect the lots and make notes. The serious buyers who were there did exactly that (most taking one to two days). This auction was designed for dealers who wanted to pick up a large quantity and variety of stock -- not for those looking for specific authors or small groupings on specific topics. It's a complete 180 from our typical catalogued auctions which cater more to collectors or smaller dealers interested in more specific material.
In the end, this auction was conducted in accordance with the wishes and needs of our consignor, Mr. Larry McMurtry. As auctioneer, our job is to give our consignor what he wants, period. While selling the lots in smaller groupings, strictly categorized in a list, would typically bring more money in the end, top-dollar was not the goal of this sale. For personal reasons (mostly health concerns), Mr. McMurtry wished to sell the entire stock within 2 days and before the end of this Summer. Fast and efficient liquidation and an enjoyable event was the goal -- and it was achieved.
The critic who really has our ear is Larry McMurtry himself who told me, and I quote, "You gave me exactly what I wanted. I made the right choice with your auction company." He could have chosen another house, but he didn't. To me, that says volumes about our company and the level of service we provide. And the way the auction was packaged and publicized -- bringing in the national media from the NY Times to the LA Times -- is a reflection of not only Mr. McMurtry's noteriety but our company's ability to operate on a national stage. There has never been a shelf-lot auction that has brought such national attention. Even many of the bidders were interviewed by a reporter at one point or another.
There were good reasons for why we did things we way we did. We heard nothing but compliments from the buyers, our staff barely ate or slept for an entire week, and yet we quite successfully pulled off one of the largest book auctions in history...in two days.
This auction was a landmark event, and I am proud of my staff and the auction as a whole. I think we may have raised the bar for future shelf-lot auctions. The bidders had a great time, many left with some great books, and all left with some great memories.
Is this type of sale perfect for every type of buyer? No. Could we have done anything differently? Sure. Could it have gone any better? Nope -- not in a million years.
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