Re: Query: The House Called Hadlows by Victoria Walker

R. Totale <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 12:17:44 -0000, "Graeme & Chris Williams"
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> >It was interesting. When we enquired about the book we were told it would
> >make high hundreds based on a copy on the internet selling for £1600 (we had
> >seen the same one). We sent the book and got back the catalogue with an
> >estimate of £2-300. When we contacted Bloomsbury they said that the only
> >copy they could find on the internet was £500. 
> 
> Most surprising that a well-known house like Bloomsbury is basing
> estimates on what they find on Internet databases.  Don't they have
> trained in-house experts?  And what do they do when (as has become
> more and more prevalent) there's a 10 to 1 ratio in the price of the
> copies ordered, and their friends and customers who they know well
> represent the high end?

surely this is a common auction house ploy?  they entice you in with
high potential figures then dumb them down later. I sold some
paintings in auction through another major auction house earlier this
year and they did exactly the same they told me initially how good the
realisations would be then when it came to estimates and reserves they
completely changed their tune.

ASD