Posted By:
barrysloateHi Scott- good question, and since I am sitting on the same side of the desk as you, I can offer a different perspective.
Of course all consignors would like to see every piece sell for a world's record, and the auction house take as small a cut as possible. But of course that is not always going to happen.
One thing I do for my consignors is I try to communicate well with them. When they send me material I like to give them some say in how it will be presented. Likewise, I like to keep them updated along the way so they know I care about how their material does. Most auction houses are very interactive when they are trying to get a collection, and then once they get it they become hard to reach. My business is relatively small, and yours is pretty huge, so that would clearly be tougher for you. But I think consignors want to feel that the auction house cares as much about their material as they do.