Liquidation Auction Advice

good point puzzler. I try to price the shipping/handling to be actual cost including the insertion fee if I paid one.

yes philb, it is a lot of work. the last one I did was 270 comic books to 45 different buyers. Lots of trips to the post office! since I am not selling the stock books themselves, it will also be a lot of work to remove the stamps from 240 stock pages....

Suggestion I sometimes consider myself. What would you accept for the lot all at once. Say 100 pages and you would be happy with $2 a page ($200) total. Since you have to do the pics anyway try one single auction ie massive old german collection for $249.00 to cover all fees front and back of auctions. Then you save all your time and efforts if it goes. For that matter someone on here may take the lot for $200 no fees and a happy connection. Without a catalog its tough but selling off what you like the least first may give you the renewed excitement to keep the goodies and someday go forward with your plan of collecting . Funny how once you do all those pics you may just say damn I like these---lol

To sell Germany pre 1945 (Deutsches Reich) without having a good catalogue, I guess it`s not easy. I`d sell first the 1921-1945 period: less varieties, some appreciated sets (even used) for ex. Niebelung theme, or Olympic Games, the horseraces, automobile expo etc. If someone who needs them will se for example a good Niebelung stamp on a page will probably buy the whole (with less attractive stamps). Beware for the `Germania` stamps- at first sight they look some innocent deffinitives, but they are very tricky stamps (pre 1920- that`s why I`d start from 1921) Just one random example (I opened my catalogue): 1900 10 pf (Reichspost) Cv for used:a) dunkelkarminrot bis rötlichkarmin 1 eur b)rotkarmin 100 eur (100 x a !!) c)rosarot 30 eur (30 x a) . Or: 1902 Germania (now with `Deutsches Reich` inscription) 3 pf CV for used: a) olivbraun bis ockerbraun 1 eur b) braunocker - issued in 1904- 50 eur (50 x a).
I`d also skip selling stamps from the Inflation with CLEAR postmarks (1923) until somebody who is good in German stamps would check them (well, I`m not that good :)).
As for the old German states, some of them are a minefield (Baden, Bayern, Sachsen early issues). Again, I`d start with 1921-1945 period, that`s the easiest, in my opinion (generally sought and less chance to make mistakes). And it`s just an opinion.

thank you for your suggestions nitrolures and wadmalatz. I appreciate the input. I got distracted with an interior room painting project. I hope to look at the situation this weekend. I think it would take a lot of time to organize what I have in any way. It's all really mixed. Thanks again, Jon

Jon, like yourself I have MANY stockpages of Germany...i shudder to think of the time it would take to check each one for that SPECIAL variety ! which ever way you go...Good Luck !