WANTED:

Postal history from all states and categories, to be offered in my Postal History Mail Bid Sales.

Here's what I need...

I prefer covers and cards that could fairly be expected to realize $15 and up (the sky is the limit) apiece, but I'll accept a few items valued at lesser amounts, if they are accompanied by better items. If you submit a good mix of material, I'll take a few of the lesser with the better. As you might guess, higher-valued lots will normally generate the best bids, which is better for both of us.

...and here are the rules.

Minimum bids on lots in my sales are as follows:
- Material estimated at more than $10: minimum bid is 1/3 of estimate, unless otherwise stated.
- Material estimated at $10 or less: minimum bid is $3.

NOTE: I DO NOT CHARGE ANY HIDDEN COMMISSIONS! My commission is 25% of the price realized (with a minimum of $2.50 per item sold), plus the postage to return any unsold lots. You'll find dealers who claim to charge only 10% to 15% commission, but they will also tack on a so-called "buyer's premium" (another 15%-or-so surcharge) when they invoice their bidders. When you add the commission that they admit to charging you plus their hidden commission (the surcharge on the buyer's invoice), it comes out to a 25-30% take, no matter how you look at it. I have never met a collector who likes that system, and many of them won't even participate in sales that tack on the surcharge. I charge a flat commission on the selling price. I do NOT use the surcharge system.

You can assign estimated values or minimum bids, or I will assign estimated values. I reserve the right to return any material that I feel has been assigned unrealistic values.

I don't know much about foreign material, but I usually run a few pieces in each sale, with an adequate degree of success. If you have some good foreign material, and can assign an intelligent estimate to it, send it along and I'll list it. The same goes for autographs and any other ephemera. I try to be flexible.

I'll accept material at any time, but because I try to maintain a schedule of publishing six catalogs per year, I have established the following deadline dates:

February 10
April 10
June 10
August 10
October 10
December 10

Publication dates and closing dates will fluctuate, depending on the amount of material that is submitted during any given consignment period. It is better for everyone concerned if consignors do not wait until the end of the period to send their consignments. The more last-minute shipments that I receive, the more that it delays the publication of that period's catalog. Due to the quantity of material that is submitted, I must insist that shipments arrive on or before the deadline date in order to be included in the appropriate catalog.

Consignors' checks will normally be sent within forty days after closing. I pay as quickly as possible. The sooner the bidders pay me, the sooner I pay the consignors.

So, why would you consign your material to me?

- I promote my sales in a variety of ways. I advertise in various specialty publications and any other place that seems suitable, depending on the material that's in the sale. The figures vary from sale to sale, and the number is always growing, but I currently distribute more than 1,200 catalogs to collectors and dealers in all 50 states and in many countries around the world.

- I'll treat you fairly and honestly. The only way that I can prove that is through experience, so I ask that you give me a chance. On your request, I'll be happy to provide bank references who will tell you that I pay my bills and that my checks are good.

- I will list as much of your material as I can, as quickly as I can. I don't see the point of sitting on material. I have submitted items to other sales and waited years to see them in print. The deadlines and lag times are bad enough as they are, and nobody benefits until the material is sold, so I try to get it out as quickly as possible. In the case of a large collection or accumulation, it might not be possible to get everything into one sale, but I'll keep at it until it's done - and done right.

As my mail bid sales have become more popular, the catalogs have become larger, requiring more time to compile and edit them. As you might expect, the turnaround time is longer now than it was when my sales where half as large, but the popularity and success of my catalogs are reasons FOR consigning your material to me.

One other comment: occasionally, a new consignor will say that he is submitting cheaper material first and holding back the better material until he sees the results. I question the validity of such a test, as I know of no method of generating much interest in common material. I would hate to be given a poor rating because I was unable to sell a ten-cent cover for ten dollars.

I am not opposed to being somewhat adventuresome, and I will often list material that other sales might reject. Still, as liberal as I try to be about this, I'm just unable to accept common or faulty material, or recent philatelically-inspired concoctions. This can be fun and profitable for both of us, but if the profit isn't there, we're not going to have any fun. Put simply: I lose money on every consignment lot that sells for less than $5, and losing money is not among my goals.

How much material can you send at one time?

I don't care. One piece. Ten pieces. A thousand. If it's something that we can sell, let's sell it and be done with it.

If you have any questions...

Write, call, fax or Email mehrer@postal-history.com me. Then, please take a look through your holdings and see if you have anything that I can help you convert to cash. I'll do my best for you!

(If you wish to receive acknowledgement of your shipment, please supply a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard!)

Jim Mehrer
2405-30th St.
Rock Island, IL 61201 U.S.A.

Phone: (309) 786-6539
Fax : (309) 786-4840
Fax : (309) 786-6551
Fax : (309) 786-7526
Voice Recorder : (309) 786-6551
Voice Recorder : (309) 786-7526

Email : mehrer@postal-history.com

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