What Do You Do With Old Hardbound Auction Catalog's

What do you do?

I ask because I have a number of big-name sale catalogs that are just taking up storage space and I doubt I will ever look at them, but they are so nice I can't toss them.

I have the complete Gross US Sales still sealed in the original shipping packaging. Others are the Gordon Eubanks sale, Gary Peterson sale, Arthur Przybyl sale, Dr. Grassi sale.

These were some really expensive catalogs to produce and they need a purpose.

Too expensive to ship or I might give them away.

Thoughts?

The Siegel Gross catalogs have been on my wantlist; I'd happily send you a few bucks + shipping for a complete run. BTW look what they go for on ebay. Looks like they actually have sold for $20-$30 per volume and there are unsolds asking for a lot more. There definitely is some value and demand for them.

Nonsense!

Anyone knows, before you throw out a Royale with Cheese wrapper, you evaluate whether you can sell it on ebay. Same with used underwear with blown-out elastic.

If you can't be bothered to make the effort to sell on ebay, throw them out.

[Sorta kidding...if you have some strong BC material, I'd pay for shipping.]

We accept them at the Northern Philatelic Library in Minneapolis, MN. We remodeled a room and built custom shelving to hold them all. We have thousands of auction catalogs that people can look through and reference.

We also have a large selection of books and accept donations as well Myself and another person have been doing inventory and it is amazing the information available in all this material. Periodicals is another significant area.

I checked out the website for the NPL. Looks interesting. Being open 10am to noon, Monday through Friday, will make it tricky to visit. I'll try to check it out.

I understand where you may be at, rogdcam. I read in this forum, that you sold your US and Russia. If you still have other areas you collect, let the catalogs go when you sell other philatelic stuff.

Otherwise, in my thinking, there may not be much you can do except online sales. You'd do the work of figuring shipping cost for each lot, boxing and transporting to a facility. And then offer catalogs cheap and hope for the best.

But that did not work for me.

I tried to sell or give away 200-300lbs of soft catalogs from various auction houses (Siegel, both Kaufman brothers, the beautiful Steve Ivy catalogs, plus several others).

I called different philatelic literature dealers. The best offer was if I brought them to a stamp show, he would look through them and pick out any he could use.
WelI, I did not want to haul that weight either. So over time I just threw them out as no one, not even local library wanted them.

For me, I am keeping my 'better' hardcover auction catalogs. I have the same as you, plus others. Right now, they don't take too much space, and I do flip through them on occasion.

Another thing to do with auction catalogs, especially the nice ones for single countries or collections, is to bring an assortment to a local stamp show and leave them on a table with the rest of the give-away literature and flyers. Someone might find them useful references.
C.

I would be interested in looking at or taking the auction catalogs from you rogdcam. Are you located anywhere nearby me? I live in northern VA

I do save auction catalogs when they feature a single worldwide collection. Those are very interesting, especially if the auction house gives a little background on the collection. Gives one ideas! I agree with donations to NORPS in Minneapolis. NORPS will also be a couple stamp shows this year. (insert shameless plug for Metropex in Roseville October 23-24, 2026) ;) There are also some key cover collectors auction catalogs that can be handy too.

I've thrown away most of them, saved a few.

NPL is also open Saturday with the same hours as during the week. Cod I am on the board and might be able to arrange a visit during others times. Ping me if you are interested.

Thank you all for the good input.

Right now I am dealing with my wife's health issues but will be doing something with these catalogs once things settle down.

The donation to a philatelic organization makes sense since more people could access the catalogs. Would be happy to consider the NPL but I am in Western MA and shipping is still a problem.

I am going to weigh up the lot of catalogs to get a weight and see what cost we are looking at.

Thanks again.

PS: Bobcat - I would happily have given them to you but we are distant from each other unfortunately.

Have you contacted the Spellman Museum? Are you planning to go to Boston? You could give them away there (leave them in a pile outside the entrance, as mentioned earlier)

Hi Rogdcam, that's Ok...I understand - thanks for messaging me back.