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Pillar Of The Community
9813 Posts |
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Just received this email from Charles Epting: Quote:
In the November issue of the American Philatelist, I wrote an article detailing many of the goings-on behind the scenes of a major auction house. The response I've received has been wonderful, and I'm very happy to have hopefully shed some light on what it is we do on a day-to-day basis.
There is, of course, another side to the coin that I didn't cover in my article. The tedious but consequential realities of catalogue printing, shipping times, and other logistical hurdles that we must nevertheless face in order to deliver the best sales possible to our clients. It's not the most glamorous side of the industry, but it exists all the same.
Originally we announced that our next sales, including the "Erivan" Collection Part VIII, would take place December 20, 2022. However, a dramatic increase in printing costs from our usual suppliers in the United States would make it impossible for us to keep our current buyers' premium or continue to offer consignors the most competitive rates possible. Rather than pass along these costs to our customers we've made the decision to move printing to Europe, meaning that we need to factor in several additional weeks to ensure our catalogues can reach everyone in time for the sale.
We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we promise that adding these few weeks to our production schedule will allow us to deliver you the catalogues that both our buyers and consignors deserve.
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
8645 Posts |
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I got this too. So it's cheaper to print in Europe and ship them here to be mailed then to just print here? Something wrong with this picture. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
515 Posts |
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All Kelleher catalogs shipped to me in the last few years have been sent FedEx directly from the printer in China. ???????? |
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Pillar Of The Community
9813 Posts |
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Quote:
Something wrong with this picture. Yes, there is, and it's called inflation. Paper, ink, electricity, fuel, transportation and labor have all increased greatly over the past two years. |
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| Edited by rogdcam - 11/29/2022 4:29 pm |
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Valued Member
111 Posts |
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I get auction catalogs from firms I've never bought from or asked to receive. They almost always end up in the trash. I'd rather look at stamp images online where I can magnify them. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
6450 Posts |
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Caspian 65 -----It is a marketing method to get new customers , it must be hard for Stamp Auction firms to pick up new customers . |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
8645 Posts |
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Quote:
Yes, there is, and it's called inflation. Paper, ink, electricity, fuel, transportation and labor have all increased greatly over the past two years. It's not as if this is only happening here..... |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
3206 Posts |
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While I can't speak to paper & printing, n general inflation has been higher in Europe than in the US. On the other hand, the dollar is significsntly stronger against the Euro than it was not that long ago.
As for shipping, European shipping rates are generally higher than they are in the US, and certainly it is more costly to ship from Europe to te US than it is to ship within the US, but don't make the mistake to think that all the catalogs are destined to go to the US. They may have a significant % of European customers.
I don't know if they will use a meter or live postage, but discount postage might be cheaper in some countries than in the US.
Lastly, sometime it is cheaper to do a drop shipment (send in bulk to another country where ithe individual pieces ebter the mail stream).
Lots of things to consider. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1787 Posts |
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Presses, ink, paper, binding are about the same where ever, but the cost of human labor is less expensive in some areas outside of the USA, enough to cover any additional shipping costs, if any. Once the digital proof is ready it can be sent anywhere in the world with a few clicks and arrive at the printer's location in seconds.
POTUS Trump pushed to have international, as set by the UPU, postal rate altered due to imbalance. For example it was cheaper to mail something from China to the USA than it was to mail the same item from your address in the USA to an address across the street from you. I general the rates favored under and less developed countries (lower sending rates) and punished more developed countries (higher sending rates).
Another example was UN NY postage was available in bulk at huge discounts from face. Many mailers would ship (mail) their auction catalogs from the UNPA in NY. That is until the UNPA got bent out of shape for having to actually provide mail services for the stamps they sold. The UNPA then severely limited the quantity of mail one firm or person could send in a day which has been further reduced to about nothing except for a few items one day per week. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United Kingdom
7156 Posts |
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Well, the effect of the change in charges has been to make material sent to the US from the UK more expensive than that sent to distant … Canada. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
6450 Posts |
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You can add KELLEHER'S magzine to the list of increase cost . They have STAMP COLLECTOR'S QUARTERLY which I have been getting for free for years . Next year it will only be received thru a subscription plan ,that sounds like a fee to get it . |
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Pillar Of The Community
9813 Posts |
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I suspect that the Erivan catalogs are the cost driver. They are small but elaborate hardbound books of very high quality. They contain an unusually small number of items for a catalog and every time I receive them I wonder about the cost involved to produce versus the potential realizations. They must have a written agreement to do this. I have a pile of them. Harmer could probably do themselves a favor by pruning their mailing list instead. |
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Valued Member
United States
239 Posts |
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I for one will not miss receiving Kelleher's free " magazine". Graphics production could be done better by a 5 year old and editing was poor. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
8645 Posts |
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Quote:
Another example was UN NY postage was available in bulk at huge discounts from face. Many mailers would ship (mail) their auction catalogs from the UNPA in NY. That is until the UNPA got bent out of shape for having to actually provide mail services for the stamps they sold I remember those days well. |
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Pillar Of The Community
Canada
1347 Posts |
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A friend of mine runs a local printing shop here in SW Ontario, and he has had no end of supply chain issues with his paper stock for certain weights, not to mention the increased costs when he can even get the proper stock. And as a smaller press he is at the end of the line with his suppliers too.
He does his best to keep his costs to his customer down, but when your suppliers are squeezing you, some of those must be passed on.
~Greg |
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Pillar Of The Community
9813 Posts |
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When Epting says "Europe" he is probably talking Eastern Europe where printing is still relatively inexpensive. |
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Replies: 15 / Views: 709 |
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Posted 11/29/2022 3:02 pm
