Auto Collection advice

[theshleps]

I am giving serious consideration to selling my collection or at least 90% of it. It is probably worth $1,000,000, maybe more. The majority can be viewed at https://www.flickr.com/photos/157337964@N04/albums
That doesn't include a few thousand post 1960 autographed cards of HOFers or future HOFers as collection has over 100 Koufax and 30-50 signed cards of most HOFers who played in the 1950s and onward as well as say 50 different Ichiro, maybe 100 different each on common HOFers- Brooks R, etc even about 50 Mantle. Amazing multisigned card collection.
Would listen to a serious buyer
Would you if you were me
1) Consign to a AH- they'd put many in lots that wouldn't get optimum price
2) Let rich collectors cheery pick it on items they are willing to overpay on?
3) Look for one wealthy seller willing to buy it all
Then the 2nd major set of questions is considering I have been doing serious buying since 2002, and haven't kept receipts etc how would you look at it all from a tax standpoint.
I haven't decided to do this yet but am considering a major change of lifestyle where the collection can become more of a burden than a joy.
Thanks in advance for all your advice

[tazdmb]

I will tackle the second question since I am a CPA-IF you decide to declare any money received on your taxes, it would be as a long term capital gain. You would be paying taxes and the price sold less the (estimated) cost to acquire.

[felada]

You have some amazing items in your collection. I would guess breaking it up would return more money. There are certainly some cards I would over pay for individually while I probably wouldn’t even bid if they were part of a larger lot of cards.

[johnmh71]

You would be crazy to sell them as a single lot. You'll never get the value they deserve. Breaking them up is the way to go.

[Topnotchsy]

I'm sure there are many items you would get more for here than you would after buyer's premium at an auction house.

I looked through some of your collection and it's incredible!

[btcarfagno]

My thought would be to give the "big boy" examples to one of the major auction houses but don't have them put all of it in the same auction. Have them spread it out a bit. Outside of the top, say, 5 or 10% that you give to a major auction house, then send the rest to a lesser one that specializes in such things and can get good individual prices on $25-500 items. I used Sig Auctions for this purpose and they did very well for me. I was very happy with them. They will spread the collection out over a bunch of months or even a year or more if need be, and they get very solid prices on items within this price range.

[btcarfagno]

Oh...and give me first crack at the Stargell cards that I need!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!

!

[Fuddjcal]

holy schnikies....what a collection. NICE! Sell Mortimer, Sell!