Our Work

Turning Missed Bids into Revenue with Automated Underbidder Outreach for Michael E. Aldrich Stamps

Overview

About Michael E. Aldrich Stamps

Michael E. Aldrich Stamps is a specialized auction platform for philatelists, focused on the buying and selling of rare and collectible U.S. and international stamps. Each auction features up to 8,000 individual lot listings, with items typically ranging in value from $100 to $100,000. Known for its deep industry expertise, MEA Stamps delivers a premium experience to serious collectors around the world.

Industries

Auction Platforms, E-commerce, Philately

Technologies

.NET 8, C# 12, Azure Functions

Services

Process Automation, Customer Engagement, Email Marketing

Challenge

Despite decades of success, Michael E. Aldrich Stamps saw a recurring issue: when bidders were outbid, they often walked away disappointed and didn’t return. This wasn’t just a missed customer touchpoint; it directly impacted final sale values and consignor satisfaction. Manual follow-ups were unrealistic at scale, leading to lost revenue and missed opportunities.

MEA Stamps needed an automated way to engage underbidders and give them a second chance to act, with the goals of driving up bids, increasing consignor revenue, and maximizing commission earnings.

Designing the Solution

Michael E. Aldrich Stamps partnered with Ticomix to reimagine the key moment in the auction experience when a bidder gets outbid. The objective: design a streamlined, automated way to re-engage interested bidders without overwhelming the team with manual work.

We focused on how the system should behave and interact with both the auction data and the bidders. The result was a thoughtfully planned, lightweight solution with these key design priorities:

  • Trigger-based engagement: Define the exact moment a bidder is outbid and flag it as the re-engagement point.
  • Personalization logic: Plan for custom messaging that includes bid details, item info, and a compelling next step.
  • Real-time responsiveness: Design the system to react instantly to auction changes without delays.

Developing the Solution

Once the design was finalized, Ticomix built the system to operate quietly behind the scenes. No complex user interface is needed, just smart, scalable functionality that delivers results.

  • Backend automation: Business logic detects when a bidder has been outbid and triggers notifications.
  • CRM integration: The system connects seamlessly with MEA Stamps’ existing platform, ensuring data accuracy without extra work.
  • Low-latency performance: Daily notifications are sent, giving underbidders a timely chance to re-engage.
  • Built for scale: Whether it’s a dozen auctions or hundreds, the system runs automatically and efficiently with zero manual oversight.

This hands-off solution is both powerful and practical, freeing up the team to focus on what matters most, serving their collectors and running great auctions.

Results

  • Increased revenue: Converted lost bids into successful sales, directly increasing auction revenue.
  • Enhanced efficiency: Eliminated the need for manual follow-ups, freeing resources for more strategic tasks.
  • Improved customer experience: Addressed underbidder disappointment quickly, keeping customers engaged.
  • Targeted marketing: Effectively engaged bidders already proven to be interested in purchasing.
  • Customer loyalty: Strengthened customer relationships with personalized, timely communications.

This system helps underbidders feel seen and gives them a timely opportunity to stay competitive, minimizing disappointment and increasing the likelihood of a higher final bid. Michael E. Aldrich Stamps now benefits from an automated system that boosts consignor revenue, increases commissions, enhances customer relationships, and scales effortlessly. Partnering with Ticomix transformed a previously overlooked gap into a powerful growth engine.

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