Donley's Auction June 12th & 13th

[Jerry B.]

I am sorry to read that the Donley Auction is having an auction in the days directly preceding the 2024 Midwest Expo in June. I thought their auction last year had a detrimental effect on the APS Expo. Years ago when the Church sale spring up just prior to Union the Donleys were extremely unhappy. I believe there were disciplinary threats made to any vendor that set up at the church. How is the current situation any different???

I attended last years Donley auction that was held just prior to the expo. Yes, I did buy a few things. Most APS members expressed concerns about the effects on the expo. Those concerns proved to be valid as Sunday attendance and sales were less than desired. I will not be attending their auction this year but will be a vendor and buyer at this years APS Midwest Expo. I believe the Donleys are more concerned about $$$ than the success of the expo.

Jerry B.

[phonolady]

Jerry,
We agree with you 100%. The Donley's can hold and do hold auctions
anytime they want to. Having this right before the Chicago show is at best
a hindrance to the show and at worst down right not promoting the Chicago show at all,
to gain benefits for themselves.
We are very disappointed in their decision to have this auction right before the Chicago show
and hope they will reconsider this timing.

All the best,

David & Lerria Rosamond

[Phono-Phan]

I attended last year's auction and also set up at the Midwest Show. I have to say that I didn't recognize any people that attended both the auction and the Midwest Show that weren't dealers setting up at the Midwest Show.

[Indestructible]

Well said Jerry! Agreed.

[Raphael]

To begin with, I am no fan of the Donley clan. I have never attended one of their auctions and never will. My reasons why are not pertinent here. But, putting that aside, from a pure business perspective, what better time to hold an auction, when there are a number of phonograph and music box people coming to Chicagoland and thus, potential auction buyers. The Donley’s are not in this for love of the hobby; they killed the Union show when it no longer made business sense for them.

That the Donley’s previously went ballistic over the church sale and also forbade any parking lot deals at Union is of course hypocritical, and I never thought it was right to begin with. Hypocrisy seems to be the order of the day throughout our country.

Jerry, your statement that the auction reduced attendance at the Expo is pure speculation. There could be many other factors at play. Given the size of the show, I think potential buyers can see it all and do their buying in one day. In this day of internet auctions and sales, with many dealers also having websites, shows are dying, with or without competition from other venues.

Suppose the auction was held two weeks before, or after, the Expo. Would you also be blaming them for poor Expo attendance?

I’ve always been of the opinion, in several businesses that I have successfully owned, that there is room for everybody. Just keep it honest and above-board, and let the other guy do his thing. And complaining about the Donley schedule will get you nowhere; just be glad they are not doing it on the same dates as the Expo.

I was not even aware of the auction, nor have I looked at the catalog, until I read Jerry’s post. Again, this is solely in defense of the business decision as to the timing, not the principals.

Raphael

[Raphael]

To begin with, I am no fan of the Donley clan. I have never attended one of their auctions and never will. My reasons why are not pertinent here. But, putting that aside, from a pure business perspective, what better time to hold an auction, when there are a number of phonograph and music box people coming to Chicagoland and thus, potential auction buyers. The Donley’s are not in this for love of the hobby; they killed the Union show when it no longer made business sense for them.

That the Donley’s previously went ballistic over the church sale and also forbade any parking lot deals at Union is of course hypocritical, and I never thought it was right to begin with. Hypocrisy seems to be the order of the day throughout our country.

Jerry, your statement that the auction reduced attendance at the Expo is pure speculation. There could be many other factors at play. Given the size of the show, I think potential buyers can see it all and do their buying in one day. In this day of internet auctions and sales, with many dealers also having websites, shows are dying, with or without competition from other venues.

Suppose the auction was held two weeks before, or after, the Expo. Would you also be blaming them for poor Expo attendance?

I’ve always been of the opinion, in several businesses that I have successfully owned, that there is room for everybody. Just keep it honest and above-board, and let the other guy do his thing. And complaining about the Donley schedule will get you nowhere; just be glad they are not doing it on the same dates as the Expo.

I was not even aware of the auction, nor have I looked at the catalog, until I read Jerry’s post. Again, this is solely in defense of the business decision as to the timing, not the principals.

Raphael

[JerryVan]

To begin with, I am no fan of the Donley clan. I have never attended one of their auctions and never will. My reasons why are not pertinent here. But, putting that aside, from a pure business perspective, what better time to hold an auction ...

... this is solely in defense of the business decision as to the timing, not the principals.

Raphael

Well stated and fair.

Two events, closely scheduled, could actually increase the crowd for both. If the Donley's held their auction 1 or 2 weeks before the show, and buyers made the trip to Chicagoland for it, would they then be inclined to make the very same trip all over again for the show? Or, conversely, how many would skip the show, opting instead to make the trip a week or two later for the auction only? Would last year's show have had even worse attendance if not for the added draw of the auction? We'll never know of course, but it could have been a possibility.

[Jerry B.]

Suppose the auction was held two weeks before, or after, the Expo. Would you also be blaming them for poor Expo attendance?

You are correct... It is speculation that expo attendance was effected by the auction. It's a business decision made by the Donleys. But I will stand by my statement that the auction just prior to the expos is exactly like the church sale prior to Union. The Donleys were outraged but now the opposite is ok. That's wrong.

Jerry B.

[JimN]

I remember that Steve Stanton had a phono auction a day or two before the Union show, and this happened perhaps 2 years in a row. I think the auction building was on the same street as the famous church parking lot. I came early to attend the auctions. I also seem to recall that the auction and the Union show were promoted together, and that Randy was involved in (or at least attended) the auctions. I always suspected that this eventually led to the Donleys starting an auction business.

Jim Nichol

[JerryVan]

I remember that Steve Stanton had a phono auction a day or two before the Union show, and this happened perhaps 2 years in a row. I think the auction building was on the same street as the famous church parking lot. I came early to attend the auctions. I also seem to recall that the auction and the Union show were promoted together, and that Randy was involved in (or at least attended) the auctions. I always suspected that this eventually led to the Donleys starting an auction business.

Jim Nichol

I attended at least one of the pre-Union auctions. If we're thinking of the same auction, it was not run by Stanton. The auctioneer may have a good one, but he had zero idea of the value of phonographs. For example, he'd begin selling a Victor VI for a $100 starting bid, then proceed in $50 bid increments. It drove Donley crazy! But then, he hired the auctioneer... When it came time to pay for your buys, their computer system crashed. It was a total mess.