Iron Man Auction Short Circuited at Lot 163

After 162 successful lots, the Iron Man auction hit a standstill when McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois lost their internet connection, leaving bidders in the dark.

Midway through the bidding on lot 163, a Stark Industries Missile and Ten Rings Flag, the Live Auctioneers software froze, while the Propworx USTREAM cast went black. Fearing it was their own technical difficulties, bidders flooded the convention center with calls, while others flocked to the USTREAM chat-room in search of further information.

It wasn’t long before Propworx CEO Alec Peters was able to reach out to a few of the larger voices within the hobby so that the news was spread and further panic was averted. But as bidders patiently waited, it became clearer that the technical issues were not going away.

A “test” message eventually appeared on the Live Auctioneers, but after several attempts were made to get things back in order, the auction was eventually postponed.

“While it is never good when your technology fails, and it is tough on the bidders, we decided to reschedule the last 57 lots until next week. This is actually the fairest and best solution for everyone. And everyone in the audience and the collectors following us on our online stream were really supportive. They actually thought it was a better idea to postpone the last 57 lots than to pick it up where we left off, so that is all good,” Propworx CEO Alec Peters said.

Early excitement made up for soggy ending (Courtesy of Shannon Wendlick, The MPPC)

Although it was a rather soggy ending to the day, there’s no questioning the overall success of the auction. The bidding was fast-paced and very exciting. At any given point there were upwards of 55 members in the audience and countless members watching on the internet. Not a single item went unsold and more than a handful of collectors walked away with great deals.

Prices of items ranged from $50 to the Iron Monger helmet and torso, which sold for an incredible $16,000.

The remaining 57 lots will be auctioned off at a date to be determined later (no later than Tuesday). Keep an eye on both Propworx.com and LiveAuctioneers.com for further details.