PHILATELY IN UNCERTAINTIMES

German auctioneer Christoph Gärtner recently commented on the state of the stamp market following what has been a challenging few years, with Brexit, Covid, and the war in Ukraine affecting us all.

Writing on the auction firm’s website, Gärtner explains: ‘Brexit [comes] with new customs and postal regulations, which affect not only the trade, but also the collector… How simple it was before Brexit. Corona completely unexpectedly hit us with contact restrictions of all kinds. No more stamp fairs, exchange days and exhibitions. Auction viewings no longer or only limited, auctions only online, who could have imagined this before 2020?

‘The same applies to the war in Europe, which has been going on for weeks and is stirring us all up, that was actually unimaginable, too. To clear up misunderstandings: our problems in the philatelic field are only marginal compared to the human suffering that many people had to and still have in connection with covid and war.’

But as the auctioneer points out, there have been improvements in recent months and the future is looking brighter. ‘The auction houses and the trade as a whole are looking to the future with optimism. In addition, there are positive side effects of this long period. For example, “old hands” who actually had no sympathy for the internet have recognized the advantages of modern communication, particularly in the area of lot viewing, and are more active on the web than ever before.’

Gärtner Auctions have also confirmed that due to a change in demand and for ecological reasons, they will only send catalogues out to collectors when ordered, with all auction catalogues being made available online as PDF downloads.

Visit the Gärtner Auctions website at: www.auktionen-gaertner.de