can anyone suggest the best way/place to sell and entire collection? i have many watches and not the time to sell them individually.
thank you,
marnie

Hi Marnie -

Financially, I believe you'd do better selling them individually at auction. I usually pass on entire collections because invariably there are items that I'm not interested in. Try out our own IHC185 Auction Mart.

Hi Marnie

I would agree with Eric "you'd do better selling them individually" but if you provide me a list I may be interested in the entire collection. I am only a few hours from Columbus. Email me at jac4ky@aol.com

Regards
Keith

perhaps i will try just a few more at the auction site. i have over 100 watches. it would take a while to compile a list. and my time to work on it is very limited. otherwise, i will probably just get it overwith and sell them all at once. thanks.

If you don't want to sell them individually but would like to maximize price, you might do something in between like selling in small lots. Maybe group them 3 - 6 watches in a group with similarities...like railroad watches, ladies pocket watches, later model Elgins, Waltham KW/KS, or....???

Marnie I always buy entire collections with no cherry picking but I cant pay retail as I turn around and sell them individually. You can email me a list if you want. Of coarse I do not want to step on anyone elses toes who may want them. I just thought I would throw that option out at you.

There are auction houses you mite try they do the work but get some of your money when they sell them there one were I live there mite be one near you.The one near me is called clairs I went to one of there's tried to buy a waltham chronometer it needed work the stem pulled out and who knows what else was wrong with it when the bidding got past what I wanted to spend I let it go.

I will offer to list them on eBay and the ihc185 site for you. It would take about 2-3 months to liquidate the collection and get the money back to you. You would need to pay all fees and a nominal seller fee. It sounds like a fun project. Of course, if there are any sweethearts I would like to make a first offer.

John

thanks for all of your advice. i will have to think of what i really want to do. i wish there was more than 24 hr. in one day - and the energy to do more.

Marnie:
I went through this a few years ago with my mother's estate, and have pondered it recently concerning my own small collections (of Japanese netsuke, ukiyo-e prints, pocket watches and mechanical calculators.) As others have said, you will get far more by selling items individually, on international auction sites like eBay or this site, than by selling the collection all together. My recommendation is to find an agent who is knowledgeable about watches and who will photograph, list, sell, package and ship them individually. Even if you pay a 10 to 20 percent commission this will yield more money than selling the complete collection to a reseller, who is looking for a large profit margin. Individual collectors are looking for one specific item, and will pay more for it than someone who plans to resell it. I don't know John Beale but his offer sounds good. Compare it with some local estate liquidators or antiques dealers in your yellow pages, or ask on this board for other offers. Good luck.