How Polyphony's Auctions Work

A few introductory remarks are in order about Polyphony’s auction system. Polyphony’s auctions are standard, old-fashioned "blind" auctions of the sort with which you may be familiar from other dealers. A minimum bid amount is specified for each item and bids below that amount are not accepted. No "topping" bids are accepted and, in fairness to all participants, I do not furnish information about the status of bidding before the auction's close. You may change your bids - add to them, change the amounts, or withdraw them entirely - up until the close of the auction. At that time, I expect bidders to make good on the offers which stand at that point.

If you are not familiar with mail auctions and wonder why I choose this format rather than a fixed-price system, there are essentially two reasons:

First, it is difficult to gauge the degree of interest in a given out-of-print disc. I determine its condition and I generally know how scarce it is, but the level of interest remains unpredictable. So, based on condition and rarity, I set a minimum bid below what my experience with the same or similar material suggests that a collector who is seeking the record would find a reasonable price. Thus I hope also to attract bids from people who may not have a burning interest in the specific item, and I let my customers determine the price.

Second, fixed-price systems present the collector with the problem of potential prior sales. A long-distance phone call or e-mail message may be necessary to secure a desired item, and if the collector's copy of the catalog has been delayed at all in reaching him even a phone call will probably be too late. An auction system allowing a couple of weeks for bidding demands no such celerity (though in cases of equal bids I determine the winner by the earliest postmark or message.)

Bids may be sent by:

  • Email (Polyphony2@aol.com)
  • Fax (847-831-5577)
  • Conventional Mail (see "Contact Us" for full address)