Heritage raised minimum value for coins to be in Signature auctions

Printing catalogs is advertising.
It is a huge business. It doesn't take everybody receiving a catalog to purchase something, to cover cataloging costs. Most retail catalogers hope 2% of catalogs generate a sale. 1% and they're losing money, 3% and they got a huge win. Plus all that advertising. Just look at the buzz generated here. If only one of us seeks a catalog and makes a purchase, well ..... times a percent of how many catalogs. Advertising doesn't cost, it pays.

 

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True, but I think most people bidding on HA don't need (or want) the catalog. Most of the information is online or people already know what they want.

I think the heyday of catalogs was 30-40 years ago...Sear's Catalog, Lands End, etc.

And that HA catalog is using VERY HIGH QUALITY glossy paper stock....very impressive...much nicer than the cheap paper catalogs we got as kids or young adults.

 

Catalogs are not past their heyday. Think direct marketing. Every aspect of cataloging is a science. As you mention paper, just one of many marketing aspects of catalogers.

True that many people won't seek out a catalog, but businesses can put one in your hand, unasked for, through direct mail. And there something about the feel of a catalog. The tactile sense. How many people look forward to the garden seed catalogs in the heart if winter. Ahhhh.... spring!

 

I’m a legacy client though I haven’t been getting catalogs lately but I haven’t bought anything in the last couple years as life got in the way

 

I’m with @Lehigh96 though the $500-1000 coins are a lot of what I buy

 

One thing to remember is that heritage sells a good number of 6 and 7 figure coins and art that is x times even more expensive than those. Basically one extra bid on any one of those because of the catalog pays for their printing for the year and then some. There's also the aspect that it's an extra to attract the high value collections where maybe the consignor wants catalogs put out.

 

side note: I was reading Scott Travers' new book, The Coin Collectors Survival Manual, 7th edition, and on page 147 it mentions the Jim Halperin and Steve Ivy (the owners of Heritage) owned 24.254% of NGC as of 2005, but in recent years have increased their ownership position to 30.3%.

 

Could it be that they have so many coins coming in that they had to go to $1000.
I don't know. Just asking.