What was I thinking? Advice from my personal Auction Yoda
Sometimes I am an irrational, emotional, blubbering, competitive, vengeful, stupid auction bidder…or that’s how Zabrina put it to me during our Friday drive and hike SecondMoonshot retreat and reflection. That’s how it sounded to me at the time anyway.
It all started when I had the bright idea to give thoughts and feedback on our (ok…her) lot selection flaws and how we (ok…she) were picking too many low value boxes producing low profit listings. She clearly had no room for feedback and instead turned the tables on me and gave me three (just the first three) opportunities that I had to improve my (not “our”) bidding, lot selection, emotional state and restraint.
She broke this down as follows (he words, not mine)..I can’t recall what the gas pumping reference was about, but sure it wasn’t good and probably just something I have blocked from memory, but subconsciously knew it was important to include…guessing it was moments of excessive flatulation on my part.
So, to prove my intelligence and worth which was slowly disintegrating with each word that came out of my mouth, I did the only thing I could do…I shut-up, listened, reflected, almost cried several times, and had a short period where I was pretty sure I was inadequate as a human being of which I am sure I will recover from in the coming months and years to follow.
She laid it out as follows:
1. Curb emotional bidding
There is no disagreement that sometimes I get caught up in the battle, desire to win, and/or teach someone a lesson. But she reminded me over, and over, and over, and one more time for good measure that I should control these desires.
2. Consider buying in exhausted old categories
The thought as she put it, was that sometimes I get on a focus buying spree for some categories like stems or books, then completely shot off that category of item missing high value low cost opportunities simply because I am stubborn and close minded. She put it no less delicately.
3. Notice the frenzy buy buy but time before the $1 part of the evening starts
Basically, the message was to settle down, slow down early in the auction (don’t stop, just slow the pace). This is where I pay too much), don’t maximize the big picture to get low cost high value lots that often come in the last 15 minutes. This phenomenon only occurs at in-person auctions.
Really?
The evening that followed was our Friday night auction at One Man’s Treasure. Time for me to reflect and apply my lessons from my Auction Yoda. Damn…she was right…again. We bought a lot, but every purchase was thought out, intentional, and high potential…I stopped when I needed to, bid on items she told me to (this was a hidden lesson I would come to realize over time) and tried with all my might to keep emotions aside. There was a high risk item or two in the pull, but far less than normal and one amazing outcome was that at the end when we got home to separate the buys into garbage, donate and sell stack…the garbage and donate stacks were virtually empty.
This was probably one of our best hauls, it wasn’t huge, but packed with value.
Zabrina was quite pleased with herself as she should be (and continues to remind me), a constant reminder to me that only good can come from knowing that a man is not and will never be a match at wits with his wife. She then informed me she will give me three more lessons once I had mastered these and proven I am teachable. It was only at the end of our lessons did she inform me of the truth that while it may be my company, she is ultimately the Chairman of the Board and has ultimate control over…well everything.
Damn, I love her, an amazing woman.
Went to OMT Auction again on Friday, July 22, 2022 with awesome results, all for under $100.
John
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