This wasn't Christies or Sotheby's, I have used both and have learned to arrange for pickup, but a fairly regular Antique Roadshow appraiser, that I did not even know had an auction.
When I called, he picked up the phone himself(somewhat surprising), when I expressed my opinion that the shipping was "outrageous" he told me to hold, upon which a very nice lady picked up, she and I had a cordial talk, in which she agreed it was a ridiculous charge given the lot value. As do most AH's in the city, they use an outside shipper and don't have direct control, but we shall see.
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