Auction Houses

[David Zincavage]

I'm getting awfully old and I've been out of California and consequently inactive Nihonto-wise for twenty years. I collected rather actively, and was buying from Japan all the time when i lived in the Bay area.  

I thought of offering some top quality tsuba here to test today's market, but when I started looking through my two banker's boxes of tsuba, I concluded that selling them one at time would be an ordeal.  

Has anyone here dealt with the standard auction houses and can make any recommendation?

Here's an example of a high-end one. 

[Toryu2020]

David - 

sorry I cannot help with the auction question just want to send greetings from the Bay Area. 
-t

[David Zincavage]

Hey, Tom, great to hear from you. I hope you are well.  Happy New Year!

[Bazza]

We're all getting Old mate!!!

Greetings from Australia.  How go the .310 Cadets????  And the fishing.

 

Happy New Year and may all your troubles be little ones...

 

Best regards,

Barry Thomas.

aka BaZZa.

[eternal_newbie]

Another option is to work with a dealer who can sell them for you at a consignment (or even split the collection among multiple dealers).

 

I faced a similar problem myself a few years back dispensing with a collection of middling-to-good tosogu and Grey Doffin helped me out greatly by selling most of them on his site and at various shows. Along with Grey, there are some other dealers active on the Board who can be found in the following forum area:

 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/88-dealer-showcase/

 

Even if they are unable to help you out directly they will probably have better advice than most of us on which auction houses are better and things you should know when dealing with them.

 

Best of luck to you.

[Matsunoki]

Do anything you can to avoid auctioneers. With their massive buyers premium and sellers commission they will keep between 40-50% of what someone pays and you will probably have to do all the descriptions anyway or risk their lack of expertise ruining results. 

The advice above re trying to work with a trusted dealer is good advice. 
You might even find one to buy the whole collection but choose carefully.

 

[David Zincavage]

22 hours ago, Bazza said:

We're all getting Old mate!!!

Greetings from Australia.  How go the .310 Cadets????  And the fishing.

 

Happy New Year and may all your troubles be little ones...

 

Best regards,

Barry Thomas.

aka BaZZa.

 

Barry! How long has it been?  

I hope the Oz commies spare your Boer War rifles. You should see the Khyber Pass Martini in .303 I bought from a returning veteran.

No salmon fishing, but after California, we moved to Northern California hunt country and got in lots of fox hunting. Here's a photo I took with a pocket camera between fences.

My email is: jdz@usa.net.  Let's keep in touch.
 

Happy New Year!