champagneinhand
Posts: 10282
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline
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I can tell you that auction house stuff is really tricky. I would have you ask some serious questions first and foremost.
1. when he submitted the group of said bottles to auction house, they should have been inspected by a professional, where each bottle had notation about any marking on capsule or label, shoulder fill, etc. Then each bottle would be given a small sticker with a serial no. of inspection and then the bottles would be listed accordingly. If the auction house has a minimum of a reserve auction price and the amount was met, then he should be entitled to receive his unsold bottle back. Of course he will have to pay for shipping and the storage fee.
When I have auctioned, they have a suggested start point. if you request to have your bottle(s) listed higher then they will do that for a certain agreed upon time frame. If the bottles do not sell, they usually go down to the current market. I am always wary of any bottles without notations, as some auction houses will not take detailed notes, and will list higher, for a small time period, but these usually stick out like a sore thumb. My question number 2, is that if these were all from the same winery and vintage, and he/she is presumably going to drink said bottle instead of selling then he/she should know that the wine inside should be of the same quality. Shouldn't any scuffs, like normal bin markings... be similar from bottles originally purchased and stored together. Is there something they are not mentioning to you about the quality of one of the bottles? I'm not trying to be the devil's advocate, but usually wines don't just go up for one session of auction, unless it is a house that doesn't require a hefty minimum reserve. I can say that wine bid, really went over all my bottles very thoroughly and I wanted higher price than they had listed as reserve on a bottle of 2000 Margaux. Yes it did go for the few weeks at my requested price, then down to current market value where it was snatched up. Much lower than today's price for it. The auction house also, stated in written agreement the amount due if I wanted my wines back, if they didn't sell. I think I had to pay some fee, plus storage and transportation. Its a big long contract that, he/she should have read through very carefully. They usually don't break up wines from the same vintage and seller, during the auction period, unless there are huge differences in appearance. They are usually listed as multiple available at the listed price. I usually feel much more comfortable bidding on wines with multiple bottles, that all have similar cosmetic appearance. I just don't really understand why the person isn't happy getting one bottle back over the other. Maybe that's just me, or maybe they have arranged for a private sale. Auctions are not simple, or for the faint of heart. You can do well or lose you butt, on the whim of when its sold, which BTW is usually much better in Fall through the start of the new year. Not always true for each varietal, but champagne usually goes up in price on auctions toward the years end, unless a lot of single bottles are thrown into the mix, but sifting through that is on the buyer.
again, just responding to the details provided. I know you don't see your bottles if you are viewing the auction from your computer, signed in under the user name that is selling. I also know bidding on your own bottles under an alias, voids most contracts and could be considered fraud in some cases. I would really encourage your friend to read through his agreement with a fine tooth comb. Most of these places are very professional, and have the contract part of the business as heavily weighted towards them as possible, but usually fair to both parties. They are in the business to be profitable, but they want you to be happy as a buyer and seller. Its all about balancing fairness and profitability, that keeps the doors open, plus being reliable. i'm not saying a mistake couldn't have happen, as they do from time to time everywhere. Just wondering about your friends expectations. Also would be interested if he used a auction site or a broker. I believe winecommune.com, which is administered by JJ Buckley, is a broker of used wines rather than an true auction house. Just curious.
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