Video screen sales (Cattle don't come through the sale ring)

Curious as to everyone's thoughts on the sales where cattle don't come through the ring, only being presented on video?

I know this is much easier to pull off than a conventional-type sale, however I am not a fan.  I like to see the animal that I am bidding on in the ring.  As a sale consultant told me, it eliminates impulse buying as well.

I know in the past, I have pulled the string more than once as the animal was in the ring, not seriously planning on bidding on her until that time.

We have talked about this format for our sale, but I think that our buyers would strongly dislike it. 

Would like to know other opinions.

Agree 100%.  It eliminates the impulse purchase.  I know there were some heifers last Saturday at the Midwest Made Sale that would have brought more had they been in the ring.  It's impossible to fairly evaluate 50 head in the hour before the sale. 

My #1 thing that I completely understand but don't like one bit.  I'd agree with the impulse buy thing as well but too many sales have set their new record averages with that format to make a legitimate argument that it hurts the prices.

I think it only eliminates impulse bidding on the low-end cattle in the sale.  The top end cattle are looked at very closely...so bidders are very comfortable to "pull the trigger". 

The lower quality animals don't get as many looks before the sale and thus bidders are probably more reluctant to bid since they are not in the ring (and they are not that good).  However, often times you can't do a good job evaluating cattle in a sale ring anyway.  So you probably better off not bidding on anything that you didn't evaluate closely prior to the sale. 

So...on one hand I agree video sales may eliminate an "impulse" bid or two, but in my opinion that is very limited and would have very little impact on the sale. 

The sales that I have watched in which the cattle go through the ring, I have not really been able to tell anything about the cattle anyway. There is too much of a delay and the camera can't seem to keep up with the cattle. Another thing that kinda gets my goat is the charge that I got for tuning in. I think that when the seller is paying that I maybe shouldn't have to pay to buy the cattle on top of the commission fee. I will add that I am amazed at how good PPL can make calves look in the videos. I would highly recommend going to look @ the lots that you are interested in if possible or have someone that you trust look for you B4 buying online, again if @ all possible. JMO

Although I'd much rather see the animal in the ring, I don't completely dislike this type of sale...it's just different.  I have usually made up my mind on whether to bid on an animal or not before the sale starts.  Like others have said, I don't think I can tell alot about an animal in the sale ring.  I do like to see how they act in the sale ring as this may change my mind about bidding on an animal.  The only other time I might bid when I hadn't planned to is if something I thought I probably couldn't afford isn't bringing as much as I thought it would. 

I do not like it! I agree with what others have said, I want to see them in the ring. I might change my mind if the price is right and I did not look real hard in the pen at her. We have done that before, especially in a lot group of similar heifers. Don't get first or second pic, but can afford third pic and have a last minute choice to look at the left over girls to decide if that is what we want. Bought one at Grindstone that way a few years ago. We were very happy with her.
Another point not brought up is temperament. There have been numerous times we have sat on our hands because an animal comes through that just goes nuts in the ring; snorting or charging and that behavior was not picked up when she was in a pen of 10 other cows. We bought one once like that; and her attitude was nasty at home when we got her there. Not as severe, but definitely not the nicest girl in the group. We have had her for 2 years now, and though we can walk up near her, she still will not let us touch her. We did not pick up on her attitude in the pen!

I like to see them in the ring, but I agree with what CAB said.