Announcements

Announcements

Welcome to Sparks Auction #3, January 13th & 14th 2009

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Stamps of the highest quality, rare stamps which are seldom offered, collections carefully built over decades, and huge quantities of stamps filling cartons — Sparks Auction #3 offers it all!

As we have previewed in this space for the past month, preparations for our third auction are now complete.  We will be mailing printed catalogues this week to our subscribers.  The PDF versions of all catalogue sections are presented on the page in the right sidebar; they can be viewed on your computer with Adobe Reader or within your web browser, depending on your configuration.  Our image gallery, containing more than 2400 scans, is now also on-line.  The auction lots are loaded, along with images, at StampAuctionNetwork.com, and bidders who have registered with us in the past can submit bids there (see our bidding page at right for tips, or if you need instructions on how to register).

In the coming days, we will be using the site to highlight important and interesting items from the sale.  As well, we will provide any corrections and clarifications to the catalogue on our Updates page.  Please make it a habit to check back here to get the most up-to-date information as the auction approaches.

Perhaps the most frequent question we have been asked recently is to comment on the state of the stamp market since the September economic crisis. First, in times of past economic stresses our hobby has fared well and has attracted new devotees to this pastime.  Dozens of auctions have been held and many new record prices have been achieved for items of special quality or rarity.  In short we are seeing no dramatic change in the stamp market as a result of turmoil in the stock and credit markets.

Sparks Auctions Sale #3, January 13th-14th, 2009

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Collectors, dealers and consignors expect the best from Sparks Auctions.
We are proud to report that collections as well as top quality single stamps have been coming in at a rate which has overwhelmed our storage space. In excess of 320 feet (100 meters) of shelf space is filled with albums, stock books and cartons of stamps.
When we began lotting in August we planned a late Fall Auction, but soon realized that scheduling a sale even in early December would result in intense deadline pressure, with the likelihood that we may unnecessarily compromise our policy of offering the best material.
We have therefore set the date of Auction #3 for mid-January. An extended schedule for producing the catalogue, advertising and making all other preparations will guarantee a smooth-running sale, and we will not have a conflict with the busy holiday season in December.
Catalogue preparation will be in full flight next week, with the expectation that mailing will be possible in early December. We will notify customers through our website when shipping has begun.
There are many lots in Auction Three worth featuring and these descriptions will be featured on our website and elsewhere for many weeks prior to the auction.

Fall Auction In The Works

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We are well on the way to completing the lotting portion of our Fall 2008 auction, with 800 lots readied for sale and more being processed. Expect an announcement within two weeks concerning the session dates and the mailing schedule for the catalogue.

Consignments For Our Fall 2008 Auction

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We will be accepting consignments for our Public Auction #3 until the end of July for large lots and the end of August for smaller items and individual stamps.

Please contact Kate or Ian if you have material you wish to consign or any questions about Sparks Auctions.

Sale #2 Summary

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Sparks Auction #2 on June 6-7th, 2008 built on the success of our inaugural sale, with even more bidders and many exceptional realizations. The auction floor in Ottawa saw strong action from local bidders and agents, and again the advantages of international bidding were in evidence, with 160 internet bidders contributing to some good bidding wars and notable prices.

Three items merit special attention:

• A key set of our South West Africa section, Lot 210, the South Africa Forerunners, Scott 1-16 in blocks of four (missing #12) used in South West Africa, and which catalogues $1942, sold for $4600 including buyer’s premium,

• Lot 1453, the Amherst NS precancel (#1-110) on 4¢ bistre Admiral has not been offered in perhaps 10 years, and is missing from most collections. Despite a trivial thin on the back, and not being well-centered, our example sold for $4830 including premium. We are told that this is likely a record price for a single Canadian pre-cancel,

• A postal history collection of early Halifax, neatly written up on album pages, was estimated by us at $1500. Lot 1502 was pursued by multiple telephone bidders when the bidding opened at $2400. Bidding progressed until we were finally able to sell the lot for a final price of $10,350 with premium.

Other strong prices were seen on the South West Africa Pictorial Issue (Sc. #108-120), and Vatican City #33a used. In Canada, the 3¢ Large Queen watermarked mint strip of three, mint 1¢ blue-green Leaf issue, 5¢ numeral on bluish paper, and 10¢ pale lilac Edward all did well. In the Admirals, the mint 4¢ yellow ochre in the dry printing, mint 10¢ plum, and #MR7 all reached prices near or in excess of their catalogue values. Mint NH dollar values of Parliament and Mount Edith Cavell were notably strong, as was an unused Newfoundland #2. Postal history and postcards were very popular, with large cartons selling for three times the estimate in some cases.

We will feature these and more in separate illustrated entries in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back here each day.

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