#7627 
Buying and selling antiques and jewelry at auction: It's been a long time since I last attended an auction in person. If I needed a reason for my lack of personal participation, I certainly found it today.
Rushed morning in order to leave the house on time.  Drive miles from home to get there, the road is full of traffic and maniacs. 
I arrive at the auction location and start examining items, all of which I've seen in the online catalogue. There's not a great deal of resemblance between what I saw on my screen and what I see with my eyes.  Colours are dull and faded, surfaces worn and tired.  Most of what I see looks like the discarded remnants of a poor yard sale.  The lots that drew me here, touted as between 1-400 years old, look suspiciously recent in their vintage. I try to enquire politely about the auction guarantee that items are 'as described'.  I'm assured that they are because "the consignor said so". I dare not even hint at the topic of recourse and returns. 

         #6343 
I decide to see what happens with a few items well into the auction. I have to sit and wait for the first 300 or so lots to be sold. This must be 1 of Dante's inner circles of the Big H. Watching paint dry sounds exhilarating in comparison. Finally, my lots are up. I've considered long and hard and decided I'd bid to $500.- , which is double the high estimate. The bidding starts at well over $1000.- I nearly fall off my chair. Within a few seconds, the auction has moved on to dull, duller, dullest. My moment of glory came and went and I might as well not have hung around. I slink out.

#7081
Buying antiques and jewelry at auction is neither easy nor always, is it safe. However, 
I couldn't let you think that my buying skills have deserted me entirely, so I'm offering a preview of a couple of items I did buy from acquaintances who are both knowledgeable and honest: inspecting them in person myself so that I know that they are in great shape, chatting with an experienced and knowledgeable person about them for more information. I know they stand behind the items they sell. I know their word is good. On topic, these are not antiques or jewelry from auctions, not simply yard sale discards, but very rare and exciting finds. What more could I ask for?