Beware SUPER AUCTIONS ROB STORMENT
Chuck St louis
not sending checks for the stuff that they sell at the super auctions.
They claim that they send checks after 60 days, well it has been 90
days and no check, no return phone calls, etc. I hear I'm not the only
one not to receive money.
Lots of people of KLOV are also complaining about slow or no pay. Not
only does this crook mis-represent the stuff they sell he also is not
paying for them. Rob you'll be amazed what some people will do over
$1000. Can't wait to see you at one of the auctions!
gary stuart
ya i hear they are in trouble the police showed up at the last auction
here in dallas last month. but i dont know the details of what
happened maybe somebody else can chime in.
miracleman
Big12bus
They came to arrest him in Mesquite. He was no where to be found.
Another company did the auction. Have talked to a few people who are
involved and Rob is on the ropes. DO NOT TAKE ANY EQUIPMENT TO A
SUPER AUCTION.
silverball
back in 2002 or so and I quite going due to the BS involved back
then! I remember a Tri zone that got bid up to $700 and at the next
auction, that same machine showed up in the same shape and sold again
for $575. And the guy who had won it the time prior was bidding on it
again but stopped $100 short of his last win!
kbliznick
That bidder was no doubt the owner of the machine and it's a process
called "buy-back" where the owner is allowed to bid on the machine to
drive up the price. Illegal in some states, but legal in most of the
places that SA operates.
Big12bus
Actually my understanding is some of this activity is involved in the
reason the "Feds" are involved. Shills, phantoms, etc.
It is going DOWN!!!!....
citznfish
although I have been to a fair number of auctions, they have really
tanked in the last 2-3 years.
azpinlawyer
That bastard deserves exactly what he's getting.
silverball
>
> That bidder was no doubt the owner of the machine and it's a process
> called "buy-back" where the owner is allowed to bid on the machine to
> drive up the price. Illegal in some states, but legal in most of the
> places that SA operates.
So then its not really an auction! Its a seller trying to get as much
money as he can for his game. A true auction is: Heres the item,
highest bid irregardless gets it. No owners invovled!
PT
auctions have become in the last few years.
> DO NOT TAKE ANY EQUIPMENT TO A
> SUPER AUCTION.
It's amazing that people have to be told this. Sort of like "Do not
put your cock in the wood chipper."
John
kbliznick
Not saying that I agree with that, just stating the facts.
Some more facts: "irregardless" is not a word :)
Kris
Kill Bill
Oh sure, now you tell me. Wish I would've read this 5 minutes ago...
cody chunn
That's only one fact, not some.
:0)
-cody
"kbliznick" wrote in message
news:d0e68ee2-035b-47de...@r16g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
John Dayhuff
Hasn't this stuff on Rob been like common knowledge for like the last
8-10 years......? I always heard that he had warrants for his arrest
in Michigan and other states too. Thats why he stayed down in the
Florida area so much.
John P. Dayhuff
Battle Creek, Mi.
269-979-3836
Big12bus
I think it has been somewhat knowledge that it has been going on as
far as auction shilling, bidder fraud, possible arrest warrants but to
have the Police at the auction, Changing auction companies, SA
stiffing folks at the end of the night and people throwing
chairs at the last Mesquite auction because they cannot get their
money....Ahhhhh NO..
Abby Normal
I don't like to sell at them, but I've gotten some great deals at
these auctions, and they can be a lot of fun.
goatdan
We've beat this horse to death but...
The SA format caters more toward the sellers of the equipment because
it allows them to ensure they are getting a fair price for their
machine. If you had no owners involved at all, and I got together
with all the pinball people in town and no one bid on a TAF that was
at the auction other than me, and it sells for $100, the owner of the
machine is getting screwed.
I've been screwed by this process before when I didn't know better,
but at the same time I understand it and appreciate why they do it.
If this is true and SA is going away, I think it will become much
harder to find vids. Not pins, but the vid market will dry up even
further. Too bad, as I've gotten some great deals on vids at SA in
the past.
mikepin
an auction its YOU vs the sellers. Who plays the best poker/
bluff wins!! They all have been this way FOREVER. Yes they are
great fun and gatherings to bullshit and YES may times you can get
deals .Unfortunatly sometimes the AUCTIONEER is also the owner...
Happens at most all amusement auctions SOMETIMES!!
yzfguy
woodchipper....ouch!
super8man
Why can't they just put a reserve?
RandyV
> If you had no owners involved at all, and I got together
> with all the pinball people in town and no one bid on a TAF that was
> at the auction other than me, and it sells for $100, the owner of the
> machine is getting screwed.
Or the owner of the machine should just sell his game for whatever price he wants to get instead of "risking" it at auction ...
Randy
Dan Q very much
> Why can't they just put a reserve?
Sometimes they do. Like when the seller can't be there for the sale.
But buybacks amount to the equivalent of a living, breathing, dynamic
reserve, so I don't see much of a difference, bottom line. Auctions
don't always announce a reserve before bidding starts. And buybacks
aren't any big secret, just to newbs.
Not to defend these guys, I was always p.o.ed with their tactic of
acting like it's starting at $1000 say, and they got it, and asking
for $1100, then when no one bids, the asking bid mysteriously goes
back below $1000. That's blatant phantom bidding.
I'll miss it, though, I scored a crane machine and wall mount jukebox
for very reasonable amounts. Always surprised what the pins brought
(or didn't, saw many that were bought back and shouldn't have been for
what they were fetching) even before adding fees and tax, considering
condition. A few decent deals now and then but those were the
exceptions of course.
I'm sure most of you guys have noticed they have no 2011 calendar on
their website yet.
Too bad they hadn't started taping their reality show, although I
guess the season would be cut short!
Mark Clayton
bidding against you...
Even in legitimate auctions, it's often legal for the house
to take fake "chandelier bids" up to the reserve price. Unless
the auction is a no reserve, absolute auction, they are not
obligated to sell anything to anyone. That's all legal
and the accepted rules at many auctions. Now lying
about reserves and shill bidding above the reserve
is always crooked. And God knows what you need to do
to get the cops after you, but it's probably a lot
more than screwing with bids.
-Mark
-----
http://pinballpal.com
Dan Q very much
> God knows what you need to do
> to get the cops after you, but it's probably a lot
> more than screwing with bids.
I think skipping town without paying the sellers qualifies.
Mark Clayton
-Mark
-----
http://pinballpal.com
Miku
Only went to one SA auction and was very disappointed on the pin side of
things. Did not stick around for the auction to start. I think that
Chuck's point here is not the questionable "bidding" practices, but that
they do not pay the sellers. Not a great way to do business for the
long haul. I think buying from a seller face to face is still the best
way to go. I actually bought a game from Chuck and it turned out to be
a nice game at a good price, no auction involved.
KARMA
--
Miku
This USENET post sent from http://rgparchive.com
MrBally
Called the office number listed on the website 714-535-7000; Recording
says closed for the holidays until January 11th. I called the number
that I would always get unsolicited calls from a few days before any
Michigan SA (Kzoo & Detroit) 951-278-8706 which is also California
based. It has been disCONnected.
kirb
> Watch out if you are taking stuff to sell at Super Auctions, they are
> not sending checks for the stuff that they sell at the super auctions.
> They claim that they send checks after 60 days, well it has been 90
> days and no check, no return phone calls, etc. I hear I'm not the only
> one not to receive money.
>
> Lots of people of KLOV are also complaining about slow or no pay. Not
> only does this crook mis-represent the stuff they sell he also is not
> paying for them. Rob you'll be amazed what some people will do over
> $1000. Can't wait to see you at one of the auctions!
Super auctions are a roaming group of criminals. Nothing about that
business model is fair to the buyer.
Knowing that going in is fine, but supporting that company is now
lining the pockets of Rob and his band of misfits at the expense of
the sellers.
Kirb
MrBally
Think of the Penguin and his henchmen on the old Batman teevee series.
The Penguin had his megaphone while Rob has his battery fired
obnoxious PA horn.
goatdan
Well, right -- but let's look at this again from an ops standpoint, as
ops have always been the drivers of selling games at auction -- I'd be
surprised if local collectors amount to more than 1 or 2% of machines
put up for sale at any particular auction. As an op, you may not have
time to sell 50 games, deal with all the tire kicking that goes along
with the sale, and so on. This gives you a quick way to move a bunch
of machines potentially while also protecting yourself.
Let's all be honest -- if you've gone to multiple auctions, and you
find out a buddy is going to bid on that game whatever it is, you
don't bid on it. At one auction, there was an EM that I thought was
great, but one of my buddies bid on it -- I didn't bid. After he won
it -- for $300 I think, I told him that if he ever wants to sell it
I'd be interested, as I was going to bid $600 on it. He told me that
he isn't planning on it as he loves it and was willing to pay $1000
for it. So, simply based on the fact that I knew that he was bidding,
whomever the seller was lost $300 on the machine. That's also
collusion, it's just that because it benefits the buyers, everyone's
willing to overlook that one. At auction, ops / house = bad,
collectors = good. And, if the rules were set up to really benefit
people that way, then they would have nothing else to sell.
I mean, if this is true that they aren't paying people, they will
still have nothing else to sell anyway, but my point is just that in
an auction for equipment like this, the benefit of the doubt has to go
to the buyers to get as much equipment there each time (and thus, at
least theoretically, the most bidders possible too) to continue the
cycle.
Finally, think about this as an example -- let's say that the auction
gets a TON of machines. I've been to a couple auctions like this,
where you go and it's a normal bidding size crowd, but for whatever
reason instead of the usual 200-300 pieces, there is 600-1000 of
them. Well, after 300 have sold if no buybacks are available,
everyone has basically spent their bank, and the auctioneer ends up
giving away the last 300-700 machines. The same thing can happen if
you end up dropping off a machine at auction where there is suddenly
10 of that same machine.
At the end of the day, it's not the fairest system, but it is what
works in this sort of setting. If you don't agree, don't go to any
auctions -- and if this is true that people aren't getting paid, then
it looks like no one will be going to any more auctions.
goatdan
> Knowing that going in is fine, but supporting that company is now
> lining the pockets of Rob and his band of misfits at the expense of
> the sellers.
To be real fair, I don't exactly think that even if they didn't pay
out for the last five or whatever auctions that there is enough money
there to really line their pockets before they 'disappear forever' or
whatever. At any given auction, a decent majority of games were
provided by Super Auctions. On top of that, you have to pay the
locations where the auctions are being held. If they aren't paying
out, I doubt that it is going to be worth millions suddenly and
they'll all hide in the Jamaica or something.
Also, if they knew that this would be coming and they were all going
to skip town, I think you would have seen them blowing out their games
at the last few auctions for whatever they could get for them.
Otherwise, they are going to be stuck going bankrupt with a ton of
easily seizeable merchandise that I would guess with some confidence
would be worth more than the money they make by stealing from the
people who took machines to auction.
To me, something about this whole thing just doesn't add up yet. It
could be that they are really in financial trouble though -- I know
how much it cost to rent locations like where the Milwaukee SA was
because I've been courted by the State Fair here to potentially move
the MGC there, and even with incentives for me, it isn't cheap at all
to host something there. With what I saw at the last auction, I can't
imagine that after expenses they made much of anything to be there --
and that was the December auction, which usually does quite well. It
may just be that the business model in today's climate has failed, and
they need to change direction (or had a change in direction forced
upon them). I also did notice that before that auction, they didn't
send out any postcards telling me it was then, I received no phone
call about it, the only way I knew was I heard it mentioned by someone
else. Seems to me more like they ran out of money completely, since
if the plan was to take everyone for what they could, they would have
advertised better to make the prices higher to line their pockets
more.
I think we'll end up seeing how this all shakes out in the next couple
months once we know if SA schedules any additional auctions, and if
people get paid. I most definitely hope that everyone does, and
although it's rare that I buy things at auction, I would miss if they
go away forever.
frenchy
when they used to have tons of nice pins and good prices. Figured out
a long time ago those good old days were over with.
Kyle Wren
silverball says...
>
>So then its not really an auction! Its a seller trying to get as much
>money as he can for his game. A true auction is: Heres the item,
>highest bid irregardless gets it. No owners invovled!
A bunch of others have already touched on this in other posts, but let me add my
2 cents that I have never minded buy backs at auctions. And I have bought most
of my collection at these things. I know for sure that US Amusements (RIP) and
Auction Games Sales would both announce their terms at the beginning of the
auction. Plus it was freely available in their written terms if anyone bothered
to read them. Not bothering to show up at the beginning to hear them and just
assuming something is not the fault of the auction company.
And this little process could be used in your favor if you were a little savy
about it. I know at a couple of auctions when I knew I was being owner bid I
would run up one or two items early with really fast counter-bids, and then I
would stop suddenly so the owner would be stuck with it. It kind of conditioned
them against bidding against me later down the line when we got to what I really
wanted, a lot of consignors would bring a lot of games and you could tell who
brought what by watching them unload. Never got stuck with a dud once.
Those were the good ole days of coin op auctions, pretty much a thing of the
past now. I used to drive 5 hours for a good auction. Now I sometimes don't even
bother attending the one they have 10 minutes from my house.
--
Kyle Wren - CARGPB #27
goatdan
> And this little process could be used in your favor if you were a little savy
> about it. I know at a couple of auctions when I knew I was being owner bid I
> would run up one or two items early with really fast counter-bids, and then I
> would stop suddenly so the owner would be stuck with it. It kind of conditioned
> them against bidding against me later down the line when we got to what I really
> wanted, a lot of consignors would bring a lot of games and you could tell who
> brought what by watching them unload. Never got stuck with a dud once.
When I was definitely bidding against the seller and the seller was
the only other bidder, I took to the strategy of looking right at the
seller and telling them, "This is my last bid, take it or leave it."
I'd do before I actually met my max bid, because I had always figured
I could then say if they bid over me again, "What will it take for you
to give it up?"
The sellers don't like to get exposed like that, but it makes it clear
you know what you're doing, and then it gives them the decision to
take it or leave it. In a lot of cases, I wonder if the seller knew
what the bid before it was going to be if he would have just took it.
I know a significant number of cases where they were getting an
awesome price on a game and then they ended up buying it back,
probably because they got too excited over it. Sell that beat RBION
for $2800 to the legit buyer instead of buying it back at $2900?
That's one that I remember that I bet the seller is still kicking
themselves over...
Hassell Castle
buyer
and a seller at SA. I've enjoyed the comrodiary with friends...thats
actually the highlight of it for me.
But as everyone agree's it has been going down hill over the years. I
too was
warned not to sell anything at the December Mesquite auction as I most
likely wouldn't get paid. I did take something I wanted to get rid of,
but I found
something too....so it was a wash.
In any event. Let me state that I am friends with one of the guys that
did (no longer) work for SA.
He was very disgusted of their practices and what
was bad, was since Rob is never there most of the time..it would fall
back
on him.
A new auction company is forming, it's not SA. IT is NO WAY associated
with SA.
However my friend and a few others are starting it, without the
schnanigans.
They are hoping to turn the amusement auction format around and bring
it back to being a good auction
for everyone. On top of that they're premiums are going to be 10% to
the buyer
and seller...no more rediculous SA 16%!
I know these guys and I wish them well at
their endevour. Just because they worked with SA doesn't mean they
stand behind
Rob's moral's. Let's give these guys a chance. First auction is
scheduled for February in Mesquite.
I'm looking forward to it.
More news to come...stay tuned.
rdjohnson
Well, I hope somebody keeps the auction business going. The only
thing worse than a bad auction is no auction at all. I have managed
to pick up some good deals at SA. I have to say non of them were
"working all the way", but still good deals after a little work.
It reminds me of the old gamblers joke. Why does a gambler play in a
game he knows is crooked?
"Because it's the only game in town."
On a different subject, has anyone received a CL reply from someone
wanting to sell your pinball machine on a new History channel show
called "Hard Sell"? It is supposed to be some kind of auction. I
don't know how it would work on a taped TV show. I didn't bother to
respond, but is this what we can expect next.
Ron
Ron Lyons
for the auction house to do that.
Lets take Auction Game Sales for instance.
If you sell a game, you only pay 10 bucks for any game you buy.
So say your game comes up for auction. There's two different ways
this could go down.
1. The auctioneer could keep track of who owns each machine, and be
careful not to let the seller bid.
OOOOORRRR
2. The auctioneer could let anybody bid, including the seller. If the
seller buys his own game...... then he pays a 10 dollar fee like he
would on any other game.
It's not always that they 'allow' shill bidding (although some times
they know full well the owner is bidding)... it's just that it's
easier, and simpler, to not keep track of who owns what and who can
bid on what.
Anybody can bid on ANYTHING, period. It's easier that way for them.
Ron
silverball
being, I dont know how many times I ran across a stash of games and
was trying to get the seller to negotiate the price only to get this,
"Well I heard they have these auctions in Dallas where people pay
millions of dollars for these things" blah blah blah. Furthermore,
when you add 16% to the buyer plus that 8% sales taxes then the seller
pays his commission plus they expect you to tip the handlers $20,
wheres the deals to be made? I only bought one machine at a super
auction that I won for $120. WHen I left the auction with machine in
vehicle, I had actually paid $188. A real deal is finding a minty
Black Knight in someones basement and they say, its your for $100 and
you haul it off, or finding 20 games in a wearhouse and gettin em all
for $2000 plus $150 to some local kids for doin the loading!
Sparky
but they haven't been here in about two years. I always had a lot of
fun, and I'll miss them. I always enjoyed seeing and talking with the
other collectors, and I liked seeing the different coin-op items that
might show up for sale. As a pinball and gameroom-item collector,
it's tough to find a place that sells all those different types of
things under one roof at good prices, even if they are projects.
I bought two pinball machines at two different auctions, and I sold
two pinball machines at one other auction. I only had one problem
with a transaction, but it was in my favor, although corrected about
two months later (they only charged my credit card $113.43 instead of
$1134.30).
When I sold my two pinball machines there, I had finished shopping
them both the same week of the auction but was planning on selling
them on CL. I decided to take them to the auction instead, just to
see what they might fetch. I was fully expecting to buy them back, as
I wanted about $1300 - $1400 for them. They were both fully shopped
and 100% working. The GI got a hammer price of $1500 and the DH got
$1550. I didn't even have to do any bidding! Maybe the people there
were just happy to see two games in decent shape! After my premium
deduction to SA, I was very pleased with the amount of the check (this
was about four years ago, and the check didn't bounce).
With the games I purchased, I knew what I wanted to pay, and I knew
exactly what I was getting regarding the shape of the machine. I
bought a Flintstones for about $1100 out the door, put about $200 into
it, and eventually sold it for around $1500. At another auction, I
bought a T2 for around $1100 (mentioned above in the transaction
mistake), put about $300 into it, and eventually sold it for around
$1600. Both games had problems, and I probably bid against the owner,
but I knew exactly what I was getting and exactly what I wanted to
pay.
I hope someone else brings auctions back to the Nor Cal area.
Mark Malmberg (Sparky) - Ceres, California
MrBally
I have managed
> to pick up some good deals at SA. I have to say non of them were
> "working all the way", but still good deals after a little work.
>
BUY...@aol.com
Heres the deal BOYS you go buy a taf for $2000 put 3 weeks of time in
it and a few parts
take it to the auction its a bad day for the auction no real pin
buyers just a few assholes from rgp your addams high bid is 2100
auction sells it cause you didn,t want to bid on it
now your auction fees to sell it and your time and $2000 you paid
now you lose $ 500
how long will you stay in biz?
when you go to a auction you set a price in your head what that pin is
worth and bid up to it not a dollar over
if everyone sold pin,s at a loss there wouldn,t be any pins at the
auctions
my self I won,t miss rob but did enjoy looking at his wife when
they use to come to mt holly nj
MrBally
>
> - Show quoted text -
Since you won't be seeing Melissa at an SA anytime soon:
http://www.facebook.com/mstorment
BUY...@aol.com
>
> - Show quoted text -
thanks she looked better as a blonde
edate...@cox.net
I have been to many Super Auctions over the last 20 years and have
done my share of buying and selling.I did go to a auction he had in
Dudley Mass not to long ago and sold a couple of things not for big
money but he did owe me around 500 It did take him a couple of months
but he did call me and said how sorry he was for taking so long to
pay. I did get a money order 2 days later.I dont know what went wrong
with Super Auctions but I have had alot of good buys as well as
selling. I hate to see Rob go down as he has always treated me fair
Just my two cents worth
edate...@cox.net
I had been going to super auctions for many many years. I did both
selling and buying and many times did well on both ends.The last
auction I was at was in Dudley Mass a few months ago and sold only a
couple of games. Rob owed me around 500 dollars and it did take him a
couple of months to pay me but he called me and told me how sorry he
was for being so late with the payment and sent me a money order that
took two days to get. Rob has always treated me fair so I cant say
anything bad about him. I truly hope he can get back on his feet and
take care of business.
gordo...@yahoo.com
gordo...@yahoo.com
gordo...@yahoo.com
gordo...@yahoo.com
gordo...@yahoo.com
Frank Furhter
format (auction) that is known to be a scam, shill, and fuck-you-over
format, and then expect to get paid?
Sell it yourself, Pray Tell you actually do something and do it your
fucking self for once, you fucking pathetic pile of shit looser that is
afraid of the boogie man in your own mind.
List it, take the risk it, and reward it. Otherwise, you get what the
fuck you signed up for, which is usually in this life of no moral
report, a full and dry ass fucking by who you 'trust.'
Good luck with the sale!
--
The Frankster, a playfield prankster
Once upon my crank her ballpark shrank.
http://PinWiki.com, Prep-H 4 pinballers.
CARGPB #42 (Free to join, sign up now!)
Dangling Team-EM Member (debauchery a-go-go)
Rule #1 of RGP, there are no rules or rulers.
false...@gmail.com
kr...@beercocitybev.com
american...@gmail.com
> Is this the guy who is constantly selling games on Pinside from Mesquite TX?
Frank Furhter
are being fucked over by the folks with games, auctions, and
parts/materials. Its way way beyond resolve at all levels. Hoarders,
auctioneers, and large regional operators (or small) are out to fuck the
next shithead noob that comes along wanting to put a shit and shingle
out for business, or hobby.
Frank Furhter
have...@gmail.com
Frank Furhter
>
Doesn't some traveling 'know it all' on tour sell games, and travels to
pick them up, and is that the guy on tour now that goes by 'nic'?
have...@gmail.com
davidt...@gmail.com
Telephone 830-358-1166
Cell 512-552-6139
Email Je...@centexauctiongroup.com
Website FB Page Centex Auction Group
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2017
CENTEX AUCTION GROUP ANNOUCES THE DISSOLUTION OF ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH SUPER AUCTIONS AND ASSOCIATES
New Braunfels, TX, August 19, 2017– Centex Auction Group has announced that it has dissolved its relationship with Super Auctions, owned by Robert Storment. Being new to the industry of Auctions and Arcades Centex Auction Group formed a relationship with Super Auctions and its owner Robert Storment over the last few months. Super Auctions was brought on for Marketing and guidance with the plan of Centex Auction Group purchasing Super Auctions futher out in the future. Centex Auction Group appreciates everything learned from Super Auctions/ Rob Storment including the time and effort provided to show the company the workings of the industry, but at this point has decided that it is in best interest not to continue with the partnership with Super Auctions/ Rob Storment.
“I would like to Thank Super Auctions and Rob Storment for everything that you have shown us about the industry and its inner workings and I wish them all the best in all future ventures.” Jeff Alexander President and CEO
Centex Auction Group will continue its business as normal in the same location in New Braunfels, TX providing great customer service. We will continue with Auctions out of this locations as well as retail sales of video arcades, consignments, and In-House/Out-call Tech Services Provided by our new partnership with Game Dr. owned by Scott Ferraiuolo. We would like to extend our Gratitude to all our valued customers and your continued business.
# # #
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Jeff Alexander at 830-358-1166 or email at Je...@centexauctiongroup.com.
steambo...@yahoo.com
I had heard he was sent to jail.
Thank you
C. Lockhart