How to use Heritage Auctions’ Make Offer to Owner program to get the perfect present you missed at auction!
If ever there was a year in which people could be justified for allowing the holiday season to sneak up on them, 2020 is it. Seemingly every aspect of life – especially those considered “normal,” like employment, travel, social activity, etc. – has been turned upside-down, and in many cases, shut down altogether.
All of a sudden, it’s December.
How did that happen?
Now the holidays are upon us, and while it’s relatively easy to find stocking stuffers, what do you do for that person who seemingly has everything … but also means everything to you? This isn’t the time for a novelty coffee mug, or the oddities that get given – and given again – in holiday gift exchange. Instead, it’s an occasion for a profound statement to those about whom you care most. Short of offering the moon, or even a private tropical island, here are some suggestions, each of which can be had for less than $1 million.
Heritage Auctions has an option for those looking for a gift that never will be forgotten in its Make Offer to Owner program. It’s exactly what it sounds like: some who buy at auction are willing to entertain offers from others who missed out on lots they desperately want. Heritage Auctions’ MOtO program gets those two together.
Keep in mind, just locating an item through MOtO does not mean it will be arriving at the door in a few days; after all, people bid and buy almost exclusively because they see things they want. In fact, fewer than 1% of offers are immediately accepted, and fewer than 5% of offers eventually result in a negotiated transaction. In the majority of cases, the winning bidder buys a lot with the intention of keeping it.
But there are items out there that some people just have to have. At the very least, they can make their pitch and see if the new owner bites. What follows is a list of intriguing lots that sold just in the last few months. The new owners have not said they will sell, or even that they will consider doing so. But as hockey legend Wayne Gretzky famously said, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
In other words, when you see the absolute must-have item, make your pitch. If it is rejected, you lose nothing. But if your pitch is accepted …
Below are 10 of our favorites, followed by the opening MOtO bid. Pop your feet up and browse HA.com’s archives to find a last-minute treasure. The best options are those accompanied by a green Make Offer to Owner button – it doesn’t mean that specific item is being actively shopped, but it does indicate that the owner has actively responded to other offers, and very well could entertain yours.
It can’t hurt to ask, right?
Thomas Moran Mountain Lion in Grand Canyon (Lair of the Mountain Lion), 1914: $612,300+
Pokémon First Edition Base Set Sealed Booster Box (Wizards of the Coast, 1999): $468,000+
King Kong (RKO, 1933). Very Fine+ on Linen Three Sheet: $436,800+
Mel Ramos The Daredevil, 1962: $178,750+
Diamond, Platinum Ring: $130,000+
Tornek-Rayville, Very Rare Ref. TR-900, U.S Marine Diver Issued, Serial #0862, circa 1966: $125,938+
The Beatles 1966 Genuine Shea Stadium NY Concert Poster: $106,250+
L. Frank Baum The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: $105,625
A Tiffany & Co. Silver Yachting Trophy: Newport Citizens Cup, New York, 1887: $65,000+
Revolutionary War and War of 1812: British and American Artillery Buttons: $39,000+
These lots, and others, are not for everyone, and again, very well might not be available from their new owners. But what they are is an indicator of the extraordinary items that find new homes after a trip across the auction block at Heritage Auctions. Visit the Make Offer to Owner program on HA.com and you just might come across the perfect gift for someone important to you … and an owner willing to sell it to you.