How to run an Auction?

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IronMarshal

How to run an Auction?

#1 Post by IronMarshal »

We have had one type of auction rules since inception 6 years ago. Last year, a newbie to our league with considerable experience in auction leagues said that every league he has been in runs the auction different than we do.
We go in reverse order of finish from the previous year and whoevers turn it is throws aout a name with a dollar amount bid ($1 min.). then the bidding is opened up and players call out bids. When no bids are being made the auctioneer starts saying, "going once.... going twice..... going three times ...... sold! Some guys sandbag and wait until just before the "sold!" is said and place a bid. This extends the time and contributes laughs. I must say that our league is a friendly league among boyhood friends and serves the purpose of getting us together once a year for food, stories, jokes, obnoxious behavior and testosterone flowing competition. We do not play for money. The fee is just to pay for CBS's service and the winner gets a trophy. This may sound lame to some, but it keeps us in touch and our friendships strong and we get to paly fantasy baseball.

The new guy (old friend, new to the league) suggested that in his other leagues, the bidding goes around the table in reverse order to begin and continues from each guy in turn. You either bid (up the ante) or you are out of the bidding. This sounds very interesting to me as the guy that everyone bids agaisnt (I bid, someone almost always tops it, so I get few of the early big money guys unless I overspend, which I do sometimes). I know it expedites the draft and puts a different spin on things, but we enjoy our 8 hours of drafting hijinx.

I wonder how others do auctions?
Which systems are more popular?
And, what you guys think of our auction system?

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Todd Zola
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Re: How to run an Auction?

#2 Post by Todd Zola »

Yours is the more popular way and the manner Tout, LABR and the NFBC do it.

I have played the other way and personally prefer the free for all.

Though I will say the winner usually gets the first toss and then you go clockwise. But this really is more tradition, so long as you don't snake the order, it doesn't matter where you start or the direction.
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Re: How to run an Auction?

#3 Post by da_big_kid_94 »

I agree with Todd - yours is the more interesting way (way we do it as well - prior year's last place finisher throws out the first name and then it's clockwise around the table). I also recall your Anatomy of an NL Only Auction piece.

Back in March 2009, Viper started a thread about $1 players (here's the link; ( viewtopic.php?f=9&t=417&hilit=dollar+days ) . The various viewpoints expressed in that thread (in an adjunct sense) about the relative success or failure of acquiring $1 players have a great deal in common (IMHO) with the methodology espoused by your friend. It may have some positives, but I do not see where they outweigh the negatives. I supposed it boils down to the following thought; "Why am i saving units for bidding when I can only put in one bid per player? I save units to create a competitive advantage for myself - why would I be satisfied to be limiting myself to one bid for each player?" Price enforcement goes out the window when it's limited to one bidder (the one before you). There may be examples of where that structure may work - but there are many more examples I can't see it working well - and there is one other example - I have the first name - Albert Pujols for 45 - if that's a preemptive number, you still need to go around the table to every owner and have every owner drop out for that player - and every subsequent name as well.
These are my views based on my own opinions and observations - your mileage may vary.
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Re: How to run an Auction?

#4 Post by viper »

I personally think the second method is bad. Knowing who is no longer allowed to bid seems to defeat the purpose of an auction. If Ubaldo is brought up for $22 and a whole bunch of passes follow, those at the end of the auction's first round have a huge advantage by knowing who they are bidding against. It partially defeats the purpose of an auction. Multiple times I see two people bidding on a player with all others silent. At the last second a third person jumps in. The initial two drop out but then a fourth person bids and a few more bucks are added to the bid between these two last second entries. That is the fun of an auction.

With regards to $1 players, I'm sure I will restart that conversation again this coming spring. I admit I am sold on that concept.
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Re: How to run an Auction?

#5 Post by da_big_kid_94 »

viper wrote:With regards to $1 players, I'm sure I will restart that conversation again this coming spring. I admit I am sold on that concept.
Just want to make one thing clear - the reference to your $1 player thread was only made in comparison to the one bid per owner concept Iron Marshall had posted earlier in the thread. Had nothing to do with whether the 1 unit end game strategy was either a good or bad thing.
These are my views based on my own opinions and observations - your mileage may vary.
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Re: How to run an Auction?

#6 Post by viper »

da_big_kid_94 wrote:
viper wrote:With regards to $1 players, I'm sure I will restart that conversation again this coming spring. I admit I am sold on that concept.
Just want to make one thing clear - the reference to your $1 player thread was only made in comparison to the one bid per owner concept Iron Marshall had posted earlier in the thread. Had nothing to do with whether the 1 unit end game strategy was either a good or bad thing.
I understood that. It was just a "coming attractions" plug.

I don't think the poster said "one bid per owner". I believe he said you can continue bidding multiple times as long as you up the ante when it is your turn. Once you pass, then you are out and cannot re-enter.
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Re: How to run an Auction?

#7 Post by da_big_kid_94 »

viper wrote: I don't think the poster said "one bid per owner". I believe he said you can continue bidding multiple times as long as you up the ante when it is your turn. Once you pass, then you are out and cannot re-enter.
Originally, I did not interpret it that way. Upon re-reading the proposal, you are correct, in which case this method becomes more of a nightmare because the auctioneer now has to keep track of who has passed in addition to the current high bid. Then there is the position eligibility factor as well ...can so and so bid on a 1B?, etc.
Last edited by da_big_kid_94 on November 16th, 2010, 10:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
These are my views based on my own opinions and observations - your mileage may vary.
"KNOW THY LEAGUE" - the Forum Funklord - 4/13/2009
Fantasy is managing stats ... roto is managing teams

IronMarshal

Re: How to run an Auction?

#8 Post by IronMarshal »

Thanks guys.
That was my feeling, but I was unsure as to what "normal" is.
The idea of the the nightmare for the auctioneer was something I hadn't thought of.
Now, to get ready for next year. I was embarrased this year as I finished right smack in the middle when I have won 3 out of 4 years, the other time I was second. Thanks Mastserball!

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Re: How to run an Auction?

#9 Post by Kelly_Leak »

IronMarshal wrote:The new guy (old friend, new to the league) suggested that in his other leagues, the bidding goes around the table in reverse order to begin and continues from each guy in turn. You either bid (up the ante) or you are out of the bidding. This sounds very interesting to me as the guy that everyone bids agaisnt (I bid, someone almost always tops it, so I get few of the early big money guys unless I overspend, which I do sometimes). I know it expedites the draft and puts a different spin on things, but we enjoy our 8 hours of drafting hijinx.
This is how we run our "Auction" ... I put auction in quotes only because, as Viper pointed out, it is not a true auction in the sense that once you drop out, you are out. We do not use an auctioneer; simply put, it is your responsibility to track the player you nominate when it is your turn. You track the current dollar amount, who is "in" and "out" of the bidding, and whose turn it is to either up the ante or drop out. The entire auction has taken us anywhere from 6 to 8 hours to complete.

There are definitely strategies to this kind of auction. There are several of us that will always stay in the bidding if we believe the player is under value despite needing or wanting the player (at least for the first 10 or so rounds). For instance, I may already own Halladay, Lincecum and Lester, but if Ubaldo is still under value (in my mind) when it is my turn, I stay in the bidding ... there are other owners that will drop out. However, there is almost always a point where the bidding comes down to 2 owners. If I already own the trifecta mentioned above, the other owner knows I don't really want/need Ubaldo. There have been countless instances where I have ended up with guys I had no intention of drafting based on my roster construction at the time. However, I have confidence in my ability to deal away a surplus if need be during the season.

I wouldn't call this type of "Auction" bad. It is just different and requires different types of auction strategy.
10 Team 5x5 (OBP) AL-Only; 100 FAAB; *6 Keepers
1C: J.Lucroy; 1B: H.Ramirez; 2B: A.Cabrera; 3B: A.Bregman*; SS: R.Martin; MI: M.Semien; CI: C.Davis; OF: C.Stewart, T.Pham*, C.Mullins, J.Bradley, E.Jimenez*; DH: N.Cruz
10P: K.Herrera, C.Rodon, B.Snell*, J.Junis, H.Strickland, J.Verlander, M.Givens, C.Roe, T.Cahill, L.Giolito
Bench: N.Lowe, V.GuerreroJr*, J.Choi, F.Whitley, A.Hays
DL: F.Lindor*, B.Zimmer, D.Duffy

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Re: How to run an Auction?

#10 Post by alleyoops »

I've used both, and much prefer the free-for-all. In the "in-turn/drop out" method, we actually had small flags which owners lowered when they were out of the bidding, so it was obvious to all who was left in the bidding. All flags were up at the start of a new player. We allowed more than one bid by each owner on a player - ie. it continued in order until the last flag fell. We found that the "in-turn" method actually took LONGER than the free-for-all, as there were more bids per player.

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Re: How to run an Auction?

#11 Post by cwk1963 »

IMHO an auction, by definition, is a free-for-all. Whether it be an estate auction, public auction house, or fantasy baseball. I couldn't fathom an auction where you had to go in turn.

I don't like the flag thing either. Wouldn't want to telegraph my intentions to the other participants. Sometimes I bid early, sometimes late. Sometimes I bid in the beginning, then drop out only to jump in again at the end. Keep them guessing.

For us, order is determined by throwing a pen into the middle and whoever it points at nominates first then proceed clockwise.

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