selling cards at auction - learner's permit

[baradayo]

I need advice on selling cards. I have some old pre WWI cards that have never been graded, never been traded, hadn't seen the light of day for 60 years.

By sharing scans of the cards, I've been told some of the cards could have five figure value, and others in the 4 figures. Pretty impressive for little pieces of card board!

I've talked with auction house representatives and owners, local dealers, somebody's ex-boyfriend's cousin, etc. and have been trolling this forum for information which has given me a lot to think about, but now am hoping the wisdom of the crowd will help me resolve my many questions about choosing an auction house.

If I intend to sell at auction, and am going to chose among the most positively mentioned auction houses, what would make me chose one auction house over another, or do I simply choose the auction house that will provide me the best deal?

Given that there is probably a relatively small market for my cards can I assume that any of the good auction houses will successfully advertise my cards and bring in those buyers?

Is there an advantage / disadvantage in going with a smaller auction so my cards don't get lost among the 1000s of lots some of the bigger houses have?

Is there an advantage / disadvantage going with an auction house that is primarily baseball cards versus other sports and materials (such as rings, and jerseys and hockey sticks)

Is there an advantage / disadvantage in having the auction house manage the grading process?

I know that is a lot of questions and I look forward to the advice of this very interesting group of collectors. Thanks in advance