posted on November 30, 2000 09:01:05 AM
A friend of mine has collected autographs all her life. She has four *large* safe-deposit boxes full--hundreds and hundreds, perhaps even thousands. I have seen her collection, mostly of autographed pictures and letters from famous people, and it is impressive.
She has asked me to sell about 450 of them for her on eBay. She thought she'd like to sell them in one batch, but I've suggested she think about smaller groupings, or even singly, although that could be very time consuming!
Our questions: Should she group them by category--e.g. political, sports, literary, movies, celebrities, etc.? If she wants to sell in batches, what's the best number of items? 10? 5? 50?, etc. And would a picture be appropriate with a batch of autographs; is it even necessary? She doesn't own a computer; should she give a telephone number for collectors to call her? Or should they just e-mail me with their questions, and I pass them on to her?
Thanks, guys, for any help you can give. This lady is having a very hard time right now and I'd love to be able to help her.
[ edited by roadsmith on Nov 30, 2000 09:06 AM ]
posted on November 30, 2000 09:45:38 AM
some people collect all types of autographs. most,however, stick to one or two categories. list by category with as few as possible in each auction. scans are very helpful considering the large number of forgeries in this field. she(you) will be asked to guarantee the authenticity/provenance of the autographs.
posted on November 30, 2000 10:01:39 AM
Hello Roadsmith!
It all depends on how fast you wish to move the items.
Bulk lots is not the way to go if you have some time. Single items or autographs will sell quicker, will fill holes in the buyer’s collection, and may bring better prices.
posted on November 30, 2000 10:04:50 AM
With the quantity of autographs your friend has available, I would suggest searching within the autograph areas and identifying some large sellers dealing full-time in this field. Contact them directly and possibly have one of them buy your friend's group rather than taking the time to sell them one at a time on ebay without documentation. I deal with three of these sellers on a regular basis and all publish catalogs and conduct public in-person auctions as well as internet sales. As I'm new to AW, I don't know whether I can offer you their names - if I can, let me know.
Darn, my question is answered in the previous post...the Smiths at Remember When are my primary sellers and the Sanders at Autograph House in Enka, NC are close runners-up (Sanders writes the Bible on autograph collecting)-828-667-9835. They are two of the very best!
[ edited by tg1211 on Nov 30, 2000 10:10 AM ]
posted on November 30, 2000 11:56:50 AM
Hello..
As a serious autograph collector...if she is serious about selling them...I would sell them individually...a scan of the item is a must. If she still wants to sell them by bulk
I would suggest a company that buys collections. Check ot the Magazine "Autograph Collector" they are several companies that but entire collections. Then my 1st thought is DONT sell.. autographs only get more valuable over time. hope this helps!
posted on November 30, 2000 08:36:15 PM
I know a political memorabilia dealer who buys in bulk by the millions. He used to be in the sports business. Not sure if he collects autographs. Interested?
posted on November 30, 2000 09:33:26 PM
Why, sure, saraandmike! How about an e-mail address?!
And I do have a confession to make: Sara and Mike are my daughter and her husband, who live in another state. This is our first "meeting" in the Message Center!
And please see his query on the main page about hardware.
[ edited by roadsmith on Nov 30, 2000 09:36 PM ]
[ edited by roadsmith on Nov 30, 2000 09:37 PM ]
