ThePortForum.com

Some Forum members seem to be pretty experienced auction buyers. I am not, not least because I do not know an auction house which is not either in London or Abergervenny.

What are Members' views of balancing risks against the presumably advantageous prices available?

Auction is much safer for Port than for Bordeaux, as our favourite tipple is much less sensitive to poor storage.

But people get carried away at auction sometimes, and pay far too much - last Saturday I saw a dozen Noval '70 - one of the less impressive wines of that vintage - sell for an absurd £770 (including BP)

Talk to me before you bid - there are some hidden pitfalls in the auction circuit, and I have a good database of prices, which I update regularly - also, I wouldn't want to bid against another TPFer!

Tom

John,

If you genuinely think you might bid in the future, and you've no experience, you've just hit the Mother Load!

I dont know Tom well enough, but I do know he's our Auction specialist, and a tight bugger to boot!

I say that in the nicest way. If I was to scour the Auctions, I couldn't think of a better man to advise me, and there he is, saying you can call him 1st.

Squirrel that away, and watch the Auctions on the Net. When an interesting one comes up, use your 'Get Out Of Jail' card, to good effect.

Alan

John,

I have to agree with Alan. We all ride on the coat-tails of an auction-miester here, and his name is Uncle Tom.

My advice would be, if you spot anything you fancy - email Tom and let him roll your dice, or at least let him tell you how hard to throw them

Derek

My only auction experiences have been as a spectator at property auctions where people go seriously mad, and at drunken charity auctions where bidders go even more seriously mad. I shall start to look around and take up the kind offer if something looks attractive.

Many thanks.