Thinking about selling my collection

[Indian Steve]

Howdy All, I've been collecting relics since i was 10 years old and am now 66. I have several hundred whole points, lots of hardstone, a few pipes, one nice Ohio pot, boatstone, a few drilled wolf? teeth, bone beads, and on and on. I'm thinking of selling my collection and just wondering what would be the best way? Most of the relics were found by my wife and me in the south-eastern US along with a couple of local private collections that i bought years ago. For many years, I visited local schools, museums, Boy Scouts and festivals showing relics, explaining their uses and giving away pottery shards & relics to kids. I have a couple of 5 gallon buckets of brokes and limited the collection to only whole or very nearly whole pieces. I know the difference between real relics and leverites although i have brought buckets full of leverites home just because i liked them. Leverites are not considered "collection pieces". They are just cool {at the moment" rocks and i like cool rocks. Here are a few pictures of some of my riker cases. Sorry for the picture quality. It is too nasty outside to take pictures today so these are quickies taken in a too dark log house. If i do decide to sell, it will be sold as the whole collection, not in pieces. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

Wow Steve, I've seen some of them. I pray all is well with you.

 

[Mackaydon]

Put them into an auction with a minimum net-to-you bid; a bid that you would be satisfied with.
Don..........

 

[Twitch]

Calling Steve V.... @GrimReaper??

 

[Indian Steve]

Hi Deepseeker, I'm doing OK. Facing some kidney issues and finally realizing I'm not going to live forever and don't want to leave the pile to be sorted and sold by my wife and daughter. I still love to look at them and show them off but the real thrill was in the hunt. I'm thinking of selling my antique clay pipe collection too and might even let the Indian & Norton go. Hope to see you soon.

 

[T.C.]

Prices are way down. The market is flooded with the " 'ol timers" collections. You may have to piece it out as well. Good luck and nice collection.

 

[kentucky Quinn]

Wow, I don’t know how anyone puts monetary values to the stuff they’ve found. I have maybe 20 full points I’ve found in just one year. I don’t think I would even know how to start. I would ask crazy prices, then, that’s just my two cents. We are all mortal, damn it! Take care, and best of luck with the kidneys.

 

[dognose]

My view for what its worth:
If seriously selling through an auction house, contact a reputable auction house which specializes in Indian relics.

Be realistic in your expectations. Its a common theme to place an intrinsic value on personally found items, but that may not always be realistic. A relic or any item is only as valuable as what an independent third party is willing to pay when no outside influences are placed upon them, including shill bidding or "Chandelier Bidding." One cannot expect another to pay an intrinsic figure.

Some auction houses are different in the manner they operate. Some will purchase a collection outright, then sell it through their house without advertising they are the actual owners of the items. An owner auction event can be and often is much different in outcomes than a consignment auction.

Over the last 20 years I have followed a number of well known, and lesser known houses to gain an understanding of this for my own personal estate. I still study these religiously now that its a habit when not relic hunting.

The hammer prices of some auction houses on relics provides a wealth of knowledge on the market for these items. Some have more consignment fees than others and can range from 15% to 25% for the seller often depending on the quantity and quality of items.

While recent hammer prices have been more depressed recently than expected, they still have fallen within presales estimates for 80% of the relics. Until a few months ago, I would estimate prices were very strong and bringing greater than presale estimates for a majority of relics. After conversations with some other relic collectors in the area and a few 'major' relic collecting houses, this could be attributed to the lack of relic show events being held and pent up demand driving up the hammer prices. Supply and demand.

I have been to many auctions over the last 30+ years, both large and small. I attend some primarily to view and inspect rare relic as a learning aid and others to possibly obtain. If you have a decent size collection with many unbroken specimens, go the well known well respected route. Due diligence is required. -- cant say that enough.

Another angle to think about -- after getting an estimate of sales after determining your house of choice, think about sales to a large collector who could purchase outright. Be thoughtful that no commission would be paid and that should factor into your asking price.

Take tax considerations into your sale.

 

[Indian Steve]

Thanks to everyone that has responded. I made another thread with more pictures because it was taking foever to load one at a time to this thread. It took almost 45 minutes just to load the pictures on the other thread. I'm still in the "considering" point and not quite convinced to sell but who knows?

 

[Mackaydon]

A good auction house will have a rep. who can assist you with evaluating your collection for sale. In that way, neither party will have wasted time.
Don......

 

[Relicgrubber]

I regularly bid on artifacts here.
https://heartlandartifacts.com/

 

[Tdog]

You're thinking about selling your collection and I'm thinking about saying don't do it! Hope this helps.

 

[IDXMonster]

Firstly....health is paramount. I hope that swings a 180! I’ve had a few things crop up along the way as well and every time they do, I think...what if I can’t detect, or can’t detect as much as I do? It sucks big time.
Second...I think M-Don might be right...put the collection into reputable hands with a minimum(and realistic) amount that you would take for them.
Third....you couldn’t be more right...the treasure is in the hunt. Sooner or later, EVERYONE realizes this, and it’s WHY we do it in the first place, no matter what we are hunting.
Good luck with your decisions and feel better!

 

[Truth]

Bro that is one intense collection you got there I’ll know you do the right thing but think about it and then think about it again

 

[newnan man]

I think about that all the time. You & I are the same age & no one in my family is really into artifacts. They would probably sell them for nothing. I certainly won't leave them to a museum so I may start selling them off to offset my soon to be retirement. Still I have some I don't think I can let go. Memories & quite a few belonged to my younger brother who died 20 years ago.

 

[flinthunter]

Here's another well known artifact auction house in Ohio that you can look into. https://www.premiereauctionsgroup.com/

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have the same problem, no one in family really interested in them, I do have a friend that is a collector, known him since he was born and he is in his 30s now and has mention wanting to buy some of them so will probably sell some to him as most are from Missouri and that is where he lives.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I should say something here, since it's likely I'm the only one here who knows Steve personally, know his wife, been in his house, and on and on.

Indian Steve is about as straight up a fellow as you can ever expect to meet in this life. He is neither a "user" or a thief. And through his life, he was born a treasure hunter!

 

[Indian Steve]

Over 20 years ago, a collector came and offered me $10,000 for my collection. I thought that he was crazy and didn't want to sell. The collection has entertained hundreds, maybe even thousands of people since then. There is a local yearly music festival {Floydfest} that gave me 2 five day passes, free tent pass, artist parking and 8 free meals worth over $600 in exchange for me doing 4 one hour display and BS sessions. It was a blast and i would do it every year if i was still able. Parts of my collection have been seen in dozens of grade schools, scout groups and other local festivals and several pieces went home with kids over the years. That really has nothing to do with monetary value, but does make them priceless in another way. I would greatly appreciate if anyone would take a wild guess as to value? I will not be insulted by any guesses. I have actually teased my wife by saying if they are not worth selling, I would like to be buried covered in them. {I plan on a grave in the backyard woods without casket and concrete wrapped around me}. Could you imagine some kid walking up to the root ball of a big uprooted oak tree a couple a hundred years from now and finding that pile of relics! Thanks Again for all of the comments and advice.

 

[dognose]

When you get down to the bottom line, most of us have this problem.

One cannot avoid the end result. And in todays world with all that's going on, if you don't have anyone in your family circle impacted by the current environmental issues, consider your family lucky.

That said, as part of my wife and my estate planning, I have included detailed instructions for dispersal of my collection after I depart. Specific frames are left to specific family members, but the majority are to be sold.

Here is a good column on this topic, found in the October 2016 Central States Archaeological Society journal "After You Are Gone, What Happens to Your Collection?"