Acker Merrall vs HDH auction experience as seller

[jchayka]

Michael,

Just wanted to say I sold wine for the first time at auction this last June.

I went with HDH. They provided excellent service and really walked be through the process. All with a zero percent sellers fee.

It was difficult to say goodbye to my wines but they made it easier by a long mile and everything went as smoothly as I could imagine.

John

[Poppy_Davis]

Wow, Tom. Very mature of you to call Tim a “nut job” on Facebook and then tell me to “fuck off.” Then you delete that off your page before giving me a chance to respond.

This was my post:
“I have to say I’m quite surprised by your response. I don’t know Tim McCracken and have only seen his posts on the forum. Calling him a “nut job” for disagreeing with your stance is uncalled for. You obviously put $$$ ahead of all things when it comes to business. Others choose to only do business with companies who share their values. I fall into the latter category. Knowing what I know, I would absolutely never do business with Acker.”

And then after you responded by telling me to “fuck off,” I wrote a response that I don’t keep people in my life who talk to me like that. Goodbye and good luck.

[Tom_Reddick]

If you had the industry knowledge that you claim, or an ounce of integrity, you would not have posted the things you did on this thread. I make no apologies for calling out a known purveyor of counterfeit wine. And I make no apologies for calling you out as an apologist. Let me make it abundantly clear, you are the problem with the industry. As for my knowledge compared to yours, I leave that for others to decide.

P.S. YOU were the one that took it personal against me. Don’t try to intimidate me with your claims of slander.

Okay kids- this is getting out of hand. One final post from me and then I will leave it be.

Tim- since you did not answer my question, and my research online turned up nothing- I have to assume that for all practical purposes you do not hold a job that has any direct ties to the secondary wine markets, nor that you have the personal finances to be a major participant. That does not make you a lesser person- but it does mean I am wasting my time fighting ants with a blow torch, and so there is no need to continue.

My only final thought is that I am not “the problem” with the industry- I AM a part of the industry, as are many others. You are merely a sullen spectator.

But I do thank you- oddly enough the little fight on this thread has yielded me several surprise emails of support plus 2 new cellar leads and an inquiry from another professional organization in Europe looking to connect with the Texas markets. Whatever animosity we may share, I now owe you some gratitude for some unexpected business leads and for that I thank you.


Poppy- I asked a simple question in a non-public FB post to my wine friends list. I made no mention of this board- you are the one who chose to make that connection, post it here and generally stir up trouble. That reply was not to you- it was not even threaded to your reply- it was to someone else who also was playing the delete game evidently because I saw the notification but not the post once I replied. I never had a chance to reply to you. I certainly would not have told you to fuck off- but my reply would have been rather stern all the same. The other person was someone I had predicted would go crazy about this, but I had not expected such from you.

In any event, since you brought it here- and incorrectly so- you are now blocked as well, and that is that.

Best to all, sorry for the thread drift, I will say no more on this thread unless by chance specific questions arise from the OP or others on the mechanics of engaging in business with the auction houses mentioned.

[CFu]

If anyone wants to sell me some direct cellars of good shit, holla.

[Tim_McCracken]

Since I was mentioned in a public Facebook post as a result of this thread, I am reposting that Facebook post here for posterity:

For the wine friends- I don’t know who this nut job Tim McCracken is supposed to be, but thanks to our little fight on a certain wine forum I got 3 new cellar leads this morning. Just goes to show- the real world knows Acker is a good place to do business.

I am not friends with Tom on Facebook. I am not going to dignify his petty insults with a response. I am apparently not a player in the secondary market. Hmmm.

[ToddFrench]

Back to the OP, I would never do business with Acker. My tiny stringed instrument company suffers at the hands of dishonest business practices by its competitors, and similar shady dealings surrounding competitors to The Wine Check. I know that dishonesty can pay off in business, but I’d never resort to it. I have a moral code and a strong business ethics code - that’s why I’d never do business with Acker after what I know now.

[k_s_h_i_n]

I have been around as long as Tom R. The wine market, especially auction, is dog eat dog world. Most of the buyers and sellers don’t care about the ethics.

[Alan_Rath]

I have been around as long as Tom R. The wine market, especially auction, is dog eat dog world. Most of the buyers and sellers don’t care about the ethics.

I’m not much of an auction buyer or seller (outside of ordinary wines on winebid or K&L), so I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I can understand Tom’s position, in a way (though I have to say I’m a little surprised at his tone, doesn’t seem like him at all). But I’ve come to the point where I won’t even buy retail from Acker, despite the fact that they have some wines for sale I’m interested in, often at the best prices. One way to look at it is that Acker is a significant player in the auction market. Another way is that if enough stand up buyers and sellers refuse to do business with them, that would change fairly quickly.

[ky1em1ttskus]

^ huge +1.

[steffenpelz]

I have been around as long as Tom R. The wine market, especially auction, is dog eat dog world. Most of the buyers and sellers don’t care about the ethics.

I’m not much of an auction buyer or seller (outside of ordinary wines on winebid or K&L), so I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I can understand Tom’s position, in a way (though I have to say I’m a little surprised at his tone, doesn’t seem like him at all). But I’ve come to the point where I won’t even buy retail from Acker, despite the fact that they have some wines for sale I’m interested in, often at the best prices. One way to look at it is that Acker is a significant player in the auction market. Another way is that if enough stand up buyers and sellers refuse to do business with them, that would change fairly quickly.

The way I see it (admittedly very pessimistically), there is a chance that no amount of rebellion here in the US will really dent the global auction market at this point in time…just too much money chasing too little supply (and that is WITH the counterfeits in circulation).

[CFu]

I have been around as long as Tom R. The wine market, especially auction, is dog eat dog world. Most of the buyers and sellers don’t care about the ethics.

I’m not much of an auction buyer or seller (outside of ordinary wines on winebid or K&L), so I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I can understand Tom’s position, in a way (though I have to say I’m a little surprised at his tone, doesn’t seem like him at all). But I’ve come to the point where I won’t even buy retail from Acker, despite the fact that they have some wines for sale I’m interested in, often at the best prices. One way to look at it is that Acker is a significant player in the auction market. Another way is that if enough stand up buyers and sellers refuse to do business with them, that would change fairly quickly.

The way I see it (admittedly very pessimistically), there is a chance that no amount of rebellion here in the US will really dent the global auction market at this point in time…just too much money chasing too little supply (and that is WITH the counterfeits in circulation).

I feel like the same thing was probably said about conflict/blood diamonds.

[DanielP]

I’m not much of an auction buyer or seller (outside of ordinary wines on winebid or K&L), so I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I can understand Tom’s position, in a way (though I have to say I’m a little surprised at his tone, doesn’t seem like him at all). But I’ve come to the point where I won’t even buy retail from Acker, despite the fact that they have some wines for sale I’m interested in, often at the best prices. One way to look at it is that Acker is a significant player in the auction market. Another way is that if enough stand up buyers and sellers refuse to do business with them, that would change fairly quickly.

The way I see it (admittedly very pessimistically), there is a chance that no amount of rebellion here in the US will really dent the global auction market at this point in time…just too much money chasing too little supply (and that is WITH the counterfeits in circulation).

I feel like the same thing was probably said about conflict/blood diamonds.

Well diamonds aren’t exactly a rare resource

[CFu]

The way I see it (admittedly very pessimistically), there is a chance that no amount of rebellion here in the US will really dent the global auction market at this point in time…just too much money chasing too little supply (and that is WITH the counterfeits in circulation).

I feel like the same thing was probably said about conflict/blood diamonds.

Well diamonds aren’t exactly a rare resource

neither is wine. But high quality diamonds are a rare resource … same as high quality wine. Unlike wine, a counterfeiter can’t just make diamonds to sell at the highest market value at top auction houses.

[DanielP]

I feel like the same thing was probably said about conflict/blood diamonds.

Well diamonds aren’t exactly a rare resource

neither is wine. But high quality diamonds are a rare resource … same as high quality wine. Unlike wine, a counterfeiter can’t just make diamonds to sell at the highest market value at top auction houses.

I was going to say the exact opposite. You can make lab grown diamonds to sell. Sure, they’re not “exactly” the same, but hardly inferior.

[m_ristev]

oddly enough i have purchased wine from hart davis hart which had an acker merrall sticker on the back of it…

i’m curious if people who refuse to do business with acker also refuse to purchase and drink wine from producers who directly consign with them?

[CFu]

oddly enough i have purchased wine from hart davis hart which had an acker merrall sticker on the back of it…

i’m curious if people who refuse to do business with acker also refuse to purchase and drink wine from producers who directly consign with them?

Does that mean we have to ban Tom from this board as Todd and I refuse to do business with Acker? Where does the spiral end of how far we have to disassociate ourselves with Acker?

[Jayson_Cohen]

oddly enough i have purchased wine from hart davis hart which had an acker merrall sticker on the back of it…

i’m curious if people who refuse to do business with acker also refuse to purchase and drink wine from producers who directly consign with them?

Does that mean we have to ban Tom from this board as Todd and I refuse to do business with Acker? Where does the spiral end of how far we have to disassociate ourselves with Acker?

I’m considering moving out of the UWS so I don’t have to pass W. 72nd Street everyday. But to each her/his own.

[CFu]

oddly enough i have purchased wine from hart davis hart which had an acker merrall sticker on the back of it…

i’m curious if people who refuse to do business with acker also refuse to purchase and drink wine from producers who directly consign with them?

Does that mean we have to ban Tom from this board as Todd and I refuse to do business with Acker? Where does the spiral end of how far we have to disassociate ourselves with Acker?

I’m considering moving out of the UWS so I don’t have to pass W. 72nd Street everyday. But to each her/his own.

How do you feel about their internet company.

[m_ristev]

i am not in any camp on this issue, i just wanted to point out the convoluted nature of this debate

[ky1em1ttskus]

i am not in any camp on this issue, i just wanted to point out the convoluted nature of this debate

Aside from your first post, it all seems pretty straightforward to me.