Mastro auction and other auction questions

basketballcollector

Pardon my novice question, but I know Mastro & the other large auction houses have these incredible sports cards & memorabilia auctions on a regular basis. WHERE do they get the stuff for their auctions ? Who are the consignors ? Collectors ? Dealers ? Former players/GM/equipment managers ? It just seems that every auction is larger than the previous one. (I also noticed in this last one, the sports catalog was much larger than the Americana portion)

Thanks.

Basketball Collector

mikeschmidt

Specifically as it relates to memorabilia - it is the only place to consign. You can't realistically sell memorabilia on Ebay. Plus, there are numerous clientelle with deep pockets that only buy from the major auction houses.

Dealers consign there, collectors consign there, and estates are sold through auctions. Most active collectors buy new stuff all the time, and eventually get tired of some of their existing collection. Some, after years of collecting, retire from the hobby. Others, seeing similar auctions sell for tons of $$$, cash in when their collection values rise - that is one of the big reasons there has been so much unopened material in auctions over the past 12 months.

Best-
M

Ruthfan

Although Mastro's has had some pretty impresive American items in the auctions the sports is what they are known for so that is why you will most always see a bigger sports catalog