Almost without fail, the amount that our auctions total 12 hours before the end is doubled over those last 12 hours.
So if a set of auctions total say, $12,000 at 7 AM the morning before they close, then they will total $24,000 after they close (this has proven true over the past several years, and if there is a variance from that, it is tiny). This is obviously reflective of how many people wait for the closing hours and minutes to bid.
But last night's auctions totaled just $8,800 at 7 AM and yet when they closed, they totaled $29,282, meaning they more than tripled!
Why? There were at least a dozen people like Harry Caul who were sitting at their computer mostly waiting for the Polish and Czechs, and the bidding was hot and heavy (see all the results at
http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/date/2013-01-15/sort/4/archive.html)
Why did this happen? One fellow who had sold most of his Polish collection through us years ago had saved the very best, and he now needed money and sent what he had saved. Coincidentally, another fellow sent a nice collection of Polish and Czechs, and together the two made for a sensational offering, and the people who like those poster recognized what a rare opportunity this was and bid accordingly.
