What if you were to sell your entire collection

[gonefishin]

What auction houses could specialize on properly liquidating an entire collection that consists of so much more than just cards; ephemera, memorabilia, autographs, bats, game used, original art pieces, tickets, score cards, etc. I ask because I'm guessing that everyone's collection has also evolved to include complementary/sports related items.

If someone's collection consisted of let's say 50% cards and 50% other, how would one approach selling that? I think about it sometimes and if I made a decision to sell, it would include everything! In reality, there is a substantial amount of value in things other than cards. Cards always take center stage, but a type 1 autographed photo of a pre-war player can bring pretty big money also.

[BioCRN]

I know I'm operating on a different level than many here. Some people spend in a single auction what my entire collection is worth.

I have no 5-figure cards, a slew of 4-figure cards, and a lot of 3-figure cards.

I've kept it simple for my wife (or other survivors) if I check out early.

I have a list of "auction house" cards and which ones to contact. I have a list of "send this stuff off to an Ebay cosigner" cards and which ones to contact. The rest of the stuff isn't worth worrying about and should be given away or sold for whatever they can get whether it's a good deal or not.

Those 3 tiers (especially the first 2) are rather trouble-free for survivors that aren't part of the hobby and easy to navagate. It's only 3 auction houses and 2 main Ebay cosigners that do good volume and can handle a $500 card as easily as a $15 card.

From where I'm at, maximizing the money return isn't the point, it's getting a fair value for the least amount of trouble for the person dealing some dead person's valuable junk.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

...I assume that anyone offering me an investment is selling garbage because anything worth doing the salesman would be doing with their own money and not cold-calling me to buy into it.

ding, ding, ding!

To answer OP question about selling my entire collection. I've considered selling it all but it's been a part of my life for over half a century so I don't think it's possible. However, I have been thinking about keeping certain parts of the collection and selling off the rest. The only reason for doing so is that I don't want my family to be stuck with trying to figure out what to do with ALL of it when the day comes I'm not here to enjoy it.

[Al C.risafulli]

I speak to people who are in various stages of making this decision - or planning for it - every week.

I can tell you that, with very few exceptions, making the decision to do it is much more difficult than actually doing it. When I'm asked for guidance, my guidance is always the same:

1) Selling off a collection doesn't mean you can no longer collect. I have sold collections for people who have continued buying - lifelong collectors who liquidated very large collections often take some of the funds from the sale and plow it right back into the hobby, focusing either on things that will be easier for the family to sell, or less valuable so that it doesn't matter as much. Selling your collection doesn't mean you have to turn off your passion for the hobby.

2) Making the decision to do it is much more difficult than actually doing it. In most cases, collectors who I've worked with were very much at peace with the idea of selling - it was getting to the point where they actually do it that's difficult.

3) If the plan is to sell after you're gone, be sure that your plan is as ironclad as possible. I've seen several examples of a person's wishes not being honored, even when they're written in a will. I know of one case where a safe deposit box of great cards simply vanished (either nobody knows what bank it's in, or someone removed them). I know of several cases where a person asked someone to help a family dispose of a collection - or they plainly specified what auction house to go with—only to find a family making a different decision.

4) Don't leave notes in your collection with instructions. Don't leave verbal instructions with a loved one. Put it in a will, make it plain as day what is to be done with your collection, and don't leave it to your loved ones to fight over it.

5) Really - especially for people who are part of a message board community like this one - there's something to be said for consigning your collection while you're still here to experience people's joy in winning one of your prized pieces. Remember the enthusiasm over the sale of Leon's collection, or the Dreier collection (or much smaller ones that have played out here on the board) - it's a lot of fun to be able to see people posting about the white whales they picked up, and being able to share the stories of how YOU got that item.

A lot of folks take a lot of time talking about which auction house will break the less valuable stuff into the smallest parts. The reality is that the most valuable stuff is going to bring you the most money, and its much more important to know how your BEST stuff will be presented than it is to know that your $20 commons will be listed individually. One extra bid on a $50,000 piece is the equivalent of 125 $20 commons. If those 125 cards are sold in one giant lot that averages less than $20 per card, but the auction house gets you two extra bids on a $50,000 item, you're far ahead of the game.

I'm not suggesting that the auction house should lump all your stuff into one big lot, but I am suggesting that sticking your collection in an auction house that's going to take your best pieces and bury them in the middle of a catalog with 25 other examples of the same thing might not be the best choice. Focus on the auction house that's going to treat your material right.

When choosing an auction house to sell your collection, trustworthiness is important - especially if the sale is going to happen when you're gone. Pick someone you know is going to be honest with your family.

-Al

[unamuzd1]

I've been pondering this lately as well. My t206 cards would be easy to move, I assume. It's the thousands and thousands of other cards that start where OP starts and wrap up around 2010 or so that make my head spin. This has been a useful thread to read.

[ALBB]

Originally Posted by bmattioli

A. You do not know everyone's situation..

B. Some people are collectors and their collections make them happy

C. Some folks don't need the money

D. Detailed lists are kept

E. MYOB

I remember as a kid..parents would say" Hey !. MYOB "
LOL

[Exhibitman]

Trust not will. Trust = must, or the trustees risk a breach of fiduciary duty claim.