Need your help with Sales Strategy

[Robbie]

Hi Net 54 friends,

My name is Robert Slatkin. I have been collecting baseball memorabilia for about 30 years, with the past 15 to 20 years mainly focused on baseball newsphotos.

The past couple of years have been very difficult for me financially with my wife getting cancer, and some other issues I don’t need to share with everyone. I am not looking for sympathy, just some advice on how to best sell some items and raise some needed money to pay bills.

While collecting, I have picked up different kinds of collectibles and Americana with individual values anywhere between $20 and $300++ (everything from original Redline Hotwheels, to posters and ephemera, coins, cookie jars, etc.). I also have some sports (mostly baseball) memorabilia items valued between $25 and $500+. I believe most auction houses only want higher priced items. Although I have a good idea of the values, I have very little experience as a seller.

It seems hard to find one seller to do the best on both the collectibles stuff and the sports memorabilia. Auction House, Ebay, private sales, I don’t mind any of them as long as it is a good source to maximize the sales price.

Can anyone recommend someone who would be a good source to sell the collectibles and Americana?
Also, someone to sell baseball memorabilia in the price range mentioned?

The only company I have spoken to is Huggins and Scott, which I am considering. How is Hakes?

Thank you for your help!!! I sincerely appreciate it. (I am posting to both the card side and memorabilia side).

[travrosty]

hakes is good, they specialize in americana too.

[Leon]

I am biased of course towards our advertisers and since you are posting on this board you want folks to see your stuff....Huggins and Scott does a great job with your kind of things and has for years. They are great people to work with too.

[RichardSimon]

Henry Yee would do very well for you with these types of items.

[BigJJ]

All of these are great.
For Toys, Cookie Jars, etc. - Morphy's - Dan Morphy Auctions - www.morphyauctions.com
There is also Anderson Auctions for political, think Hakes, suggested above, would be my first stop though. if certain items do not sell or are not wanted at Hakes, here is Anderson - http://www.anderson-auction.com/
Also, Heritage has weekly Sunday auctions of such priced baseball memorabilia www.ha.com
Talk to the -owners- of the houses and tell why the sale and hopefully they will work on commissions.
Best

[perezfan]

Huggins is indeed very good, but they have stated that anything under $500 value is difficult to get into their Catalogue. Perhaps they could group certain pieces together, to make the $500 threshold per lot.

Mears is another good option for items in this price range. Frequent auctions, ever increasing awareness, and very quick to pay consignors. I use them a lot.

Hunt Auctions would be another viable option. They have a monthly Internet/Phone Auction that always generates a lot of interest.

A key consideraion... If there's a venue that you can drive to, it could be a determining factor. The cost/time/effort of packing, shipping and insuring all of your stuff sounds overwhelming. The ability to just load up the car and drive (thus avoiding the shipping costs) should be a key consideration.

That said...

Huggins & Scott is in Silver Sprng, MD
Mears is in the Milwaukee area
Hunts is in Exton, PA (just outside of Philly)

Hope this helps.

[Robbie]

I want to sincerely thank those of you who have taken the time to post helpful information. You are the people that make this hobby great, and in my opinion understand what should be the strongest bond that brings us together on this wonderful site; the love of the hobby, and to support others who do, as well.

As I initially mentioned, I have been in the hobby for 30 years. And although I don't post often, I will bet I have spoken to, seen, know, or met every single one of you who were kind enough to take your time to help with suggestions. Thank you guys.

Robbie