Contrary to what you have heard, having a great auction of your collection doesn’t solely depend on the prices achieved. That’s a common misconception, and, frankly, it was one of the great frustrations during my former life as an auctioneer. For too many collectors, the largest factor in their perception of their auction success is the one thing that nobody can control - the prices.
A successful auction can be measured in other ways, such as a great catalog that memorializes your collection, or an auction event that reunites old friends and becomes a great final memory of your collecting career, or, of course, a successful auction may simply be one where all of your treasures find new homes and your stewardship comes to an end.
While you can’t control prices, it is possible to help ensure your collection has its best shot at great prices, and at the same time, ensure a successful sale according to any of the other metrics. You can do so by being a great consignor, a real partner with your chosen auctioneer, and the first step is to embrace that very fact. You and your auctioneer on are the same team, and need to work together. True, you may have haggled over commission, but once that contract is signed, leave the antagonism behind.
Hopefully, you are also working well in advance of the planned auction. Giving an auctioneer a mere few weeks to present your lifetime collection to the bidding public will result in a rush job, and rarely are rushed auctions successful by any standard. Work should probably begin months in advance, giving the auctioneer and his or her crew time to plan the auction and do the work in a thorough and organized fashion.
Next, you should take advantage of the planning you have done (I hope!). Gather all your invoices, receipts, provenance, and other information about objects in your collection together, and hand the whole pile (or a photocopied pile) over to the auctioneer in an organized manner so that the cataloger(s) can match up information to object (I was once handed a grocery bag full of loose receipts. That’s NOT the way to do it). Do this not only to help your collection sell better, but also because responsible collectors ensure that provenance stays with objects when they change hands.
You should also ask to participate in the cataloguing process. I’m not talking about you actually measuring tables and writing entries, but rather, making yourself available to the catalogers should questions arise. Review the catalog proof and fill in information that you know but might not have been in the documentation you provided. Understand, however, that opinions differ, and it’s entirely possible, probable actually, that some of your objects will be attributed differently, or may have condition descriptions that differ from what you always thought, or might be estimated way below what you paid. This leads me to my final recommendation for a successful auction.
Respect the auctioneer, the staff, and their process. Remember, you selected them to help you because you thought they were a good fit, and they are on your team. They know how to assemble and market auctions. Let them do their work. It’s okay to ask to be included, and it’s even okay to ask questions and voice concerns (in fact you should, rather than wait and complain after the auction). Just remember, you are on the same team. My favorite auction sellers were those who called me after the sale, regardless of sale prices, and thanked our team for their hard work.
A seller who is an enthusiastic partner with their auctioneer stands a great chance of having a great auction. As I said, prices are up to the whim of the market on sale day, but with a team attitude, your auction can still be a success!
Andrew Richmond is the owner of Wipiak Consulting & Appraisals in Ohio.