Our kickoff event will be a presentation and discussion on auctions by Spencer W. Stuart–how they have worked traditionally, how they have changed during the pandemic, and how they are affecting the rare book trade.
Please save the date: Saturday, October 2 at 2:00pm (Zoom LINK)
To enhance the conversation, the speaker encourages attendees to read two of his short articles HERE and HERE.
The auction house, at times, is a blackbox for those who do not regularly engage with them. Often we only hear of auction houses’ “Blue Chip” sales reported in the media. For many collectors over the past year and a half, these myths were dispelled, with auctions becoming a tool of a diverse character for collectors developing as well as deaccessioning their collections. In this talk, Stuart will provide a lay of the ‘Lockdown Auction Landscape’ and discuss the structural impact it is having on rare book and print markets. In light of these changes, he will explore what one should consider in participating in the auction event as a consignor and buyer. Taking a multi-perspective approach, Spencer will examine the specific interests of those involved, following the auction process step-by-step and illustrating the dynamics of each decision.