turning point????

[amertrac]

Yesterday afternoon I spent four hours talking to an auctioneer who has done tool auctions all along the east coast about selling my collection( less my four and under club) We discussed the procedure, long and complicated and time consuming.each piece has to be pictured,labeled and described in text. Even though i have a data sheet, picture and a number assigned already it has to be done over
Of course it will be easier with my information handy.The advertising is the most expensive part of the process.Finding a hall and good help is also costly. The conversation started out casually but ended very serious. It would have to be a spring auction or wait till fall , he said that it is to late for a winter sale and summer sales do not go as well as spring and fall. If nothing else he got my gray matter in high gear. and it would be different having the collection in three or four suit cases  L O L .  There ar several ways the auction can be run,   
 straight commission( he does all the work for so much percentage),   
    I pay the advertising and the hall and he gets a percentage. 
  i pay him as an auctioneer and all the other expences.
  I do all the pictures and text and he does the rest

 I have not made up my mind to sell yet let alone how I am going to sell
bob w

[stillfishin]

Bob, thats a tough descision. But then I'm sure you know if you really want to keep the monkey on your back or shake it off......... Several years ago I sold a couple thousand worth of tools at an auction. I ended up with less than half after advertising and selling fees. Still though, I was glad to get them outta there. But then I'm sure you know how that works too. Probably be better for you to craigslist or ebay them off a bit at a time if you wanted to recoup the most revenue. The hard part is to not buy any more while you're thinning down. Its real hard to make any headway then. lol

[amertrac]

I will keep my craftsman and the smalls , Iwont be lonely    bob w.

[skipskip]

My auction guy here charges a flat 25%.

 but that's to put things in  the auction he runs every week.

 Don't know about a dedicated sale.,I'll ask

Skip

[amertrac]

I believe  that a vintage/antique tool only auction draws a different clientele than a general auction although i did sell some tools at a general auction and got reasonable prices. I think the quantiy is too great for a general auction.

[Papaw]

If the quantity is really big, maybe Bus Haury could be of assistance, Bob.

[Bus]

My Wrenching News Auction final percentage has been running about 22% to 24%. That includes the catalog with pictures printing and mailing, the web catalog,  hall rental, advertising, auctioneer (including clerk, cashier and ring men), around 2000 emails sent, and my commission. These are auctions with $50,00 to $90,00 plus gross, if the gross is smaller the expense percentages would be higher. This does not include transportation of the wrenches.  I know this seems high but I haven't found a way to do it any cheaper.

   I have also assisted collectors and auctioneers on site for a flat daily rate and expenses.

 

[rusty]

>daily rate and expenses

...Beer and pizza? ...go for the precentage - P

Seriously tho, the client list is what's worth the money for anything collectable, if you aren't showing what you have to the people who want it, you are just selling it to people who want to buy stuff cheap to speculate on reselling it, there are plenty of those people, but they don't pay well...

I think you are on the right track, the trick is to solve the catch 22, figuring out if it's worth enough to pay someone to figure out what it's worth...

[Stoney]

Rusty did I read a Catch 22 in your post?