Posted By:
Marc S.Sometimes collectors will pay a premium for a large lot of cards - especially when they are all high-grade, from a tough set, etc.
But, often, it's just a matter of convenience. Bill Goodwin probably does not want to go to the expense of listing 500 separate lots of T210s - not only are they not widely collected, but the finishing bids will be modest. Each auction house has its own set of numbers - but, for example, Mastro likes to have an average lot of $5k on its major auctions, and $1k or so on its Collector Classics. Yes, there will be some way over and some under that - but they do like to keep a decent average.
Also - since it is clear that you can assign a cost to the number of lots consigned [e.g. scanning one group of cards instead of 74 cards for 74 lots, plus the printing costs, the shipping costs, etc. - it all adds up], the breakdown of lots can be a negotiation tactic, too. E.G. Sell the cards in one lot for X% commission, sell the cards in 5 lots for Y% commission [y>x], or sell the cards in 25 lots, for Z commission [z>y]. And then you have to try and figure if it is worth the expense of breaking down.
It's often about money in the end - and how it gets distributed.
~ms