Amazing Old Time One Owner US Collection Sale Upcoming At Cherrystone

So I was "on the floor" and found a couple of things interesting. First, it seems like CherryStone was trying out Stamp Auction Network as they had both SAN and their own internet-bidding platform running. Seemed like the use of two systems may have slowed down and constrained bidding a bit as there didn't look to be an automated connection between the two. Maybe CherryStone is assessing SAN for full use?

Second, the actual number of bidders on the higher-end (aka rare) lots was small. I think the most I saw was 3. And again, for the higher-end stuff, I didn't see a lot (in some cases any) internet bidding. So while the prices were solid for the rare stuff, the starting prices seemed to (reasonably, I believe) be out of most people's range.

Perhaps Cherrystone was trying out SAN. It could also be they wanted more exposure than Cherrystone Live could provide.

From what I saw online, it was a nice sale with more bidding than I anticipated.

Well done Cherrystone.

My impression of the auction results is that the true rarities made their mark and otherwise offset the somewhat sobering results of realizations for those stamps that were decently centered ( and by decently centered I am referring to those that would have corresponded to the old VF or better centering) and with clean certs but that had no gum, if unused. For these stamps, and there were several, either we really need to readjust our expectations or preferably Scott catalogs need to readjust their valuations and leave the world of fantasy behind. It also should be a cautionary statement as to what collectors buying classic unused NG stamps with clean certs should think about paying going forward.

It also should be a cautionary statement as to what collectors buying classic unused NG stamps with clean certs should think about paying going forward.

Why a cautionary statement? The prices paid aligned with previous realizations for similar stamps when you examine the SAN database and PowerSearch. We also do not know that this sales owner overpaid in the first place. I see no need for alarm bells here as I see no anomaly's.

By my count, approx 15% sold for 20% or less, 36% for 30% or less, 50% for 40% or less, 65% for 50% or less, and about 25% for 50% or more. Plus the unsolds. Cat values were thoroughly mixed in every % level so it does not seem to have been a factor.

There was a time that we all remember when taking a certain percentage of Scott was a reasonable approximation of the market as defined by auction realizations. Unless my memory is faulty, that percentage was not 30% or lower. But here we have by recollector's calculation at least 50% of sold items going for that percentage of Scott. I would interpret that as a relative decline compared to historical controls for classic stamps, with NG and clean certs. If I were in the market for such items today, it would sway me to auction only and away from well known retailers unless their prices fell in line with auction realizations + the buyers premium. Just one collectors opinion.

The realizations are in line with a regular old Siegel auction without the graded wonders. Go to PowerSearch and do a few minutes of research. Nothing new to see here.

You are referring to auctions. Not everybody buys from auctions. Let's just pick three well known dealers: Rupp, Momen, and Posner. I don't think you are going to get VF or better with a clean cert at 30% Scott from any of them.

I am referring to auctions because this thread is about an auction. With that being said there is no black and white. I recently purchased three stamps from Chris Rupp that had been previously purchased in Siegel sales and ended up with him. I did research to find this out. I bought all three at approximately 50% of what they had gone for with commission at Siegel. You never know what the market will do and generalizations never work based upon a sale or five.

With regard to your personal example, I guess it would depend on when those stamps were purchased fro Siegel, whether Rupp bought them himself or he got them from an intermediate source, and what price Rupp bought them for or more likely Rupp was acting as the broker between you and the purchaser from Siegel, who then consigned the stamp to Rupp since it is illogical to assume that Rupp would resell at 50% of his buying price.

Exactly. Many, many variables and one cannot draw any conclusions based upon the transactions such as that the market is dropping. At another time with different players the price may have gone up. Who knows.

Anyone notice the Schermack 3, 314A M pair went unsold? Opened at $130k without finding a buyer.

They will probably broker a deal if they have not already.

Revcollector pointed out earlier that the 85F was opening at 20% of cv. It sold for 1.61 million dollars with fee.

@ RogDCam - there are two 85Fs, no? A few more 314As exist