Schuyler - Rumsey Sale 118 - China Lots Withdrawn

Just received this from Schuyler-Rumsey:




While withdrawn lots are not uncommon, I thought the scale of this withdrawal was unusual. There was a lot of estimate/catalog value and at least one six figure stamp in the group.

And there's not many sales with so many expensive lots withdrawn, especially some six figures ones. To put it mildly, it sounds like something unexpected happened that forced their hand. While Schuyler-Rumsey can hopefully clear some things up soon, it serves as a reminder that things can change in the blink of an eye in the auction world. I wonder if these lots will pop up down the line in another sale.

Karen - I could only speculate as to what happened but the machinations of the auction world always interest me, especially when big dollars are in play. The lots I usually see withdrawn are items that some eagle-eye viewer see an issue with. Given that the process of consigning isn't without effort this fascinates me. Not to mention that consignment contracts speak to just this type of thing and if a consignor withdraws their material there can be financial consequences. We will in all likelihood never know what happened. I wish someone would write a novel with the centerpiece being philatelic auction drama. Probably too niche unless Patterson took it on!

Sounds like someone consign material for the public auction but didn't have the legal ownership . Like a family dispute or friends of the deceased owner wants to know how that material got to the auction house so quickly .