At the Freiburg auction of Deutsche Briefmarken AG, the focus of the company's 11th large-volume auction was on extensive collections and dealer stocks. Particularly sought after were globally diversified inventories with high expansion potential, which attracted considerable interest from major collectors and professional bidders.
Lot 100 achieved the top price of the auction at €143.500. The exceptional estate comprised more than 400 albums covering virtually all collecting areas in Europe and overseas from the late 1950s to 2023. The predominantly mint collection included numerous top-quality stamps, among them issues from the People's Republic of China, the Austrian WIPA block, the Vaduz block of Liechtenstein, and the first French block. As a virtually complete core collection, the item offered enormous potential for expansion or individual sale.
A further spectacular sale followed, this time from the long-established stock of the Hague-based stamp dealer Manuskowski, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025, fetching €75.000. More than 100 albums and over 20 boxes containing stamps from Cape Verde, São Tomé, Qatar, Nepal, Uruguay, Oman, Paraguay, Tunisia, Vietnam, and China formed an impressive cross-section of the international stamp trade.
Specialized “Lucky 7” with SBZ
The so-called "Lucky 7" collection from the Soviet Occupation Zone was also in high demand, fetching €27.500. This specialized collection, housed in 18 Leuchtturm albums, impressed with its numerous top-quality pieces, rare varieties, and over 370 photographic certificates and expert reports. With a six-figure price tag, it was a significant success. Michel-In terms of catalog value, it ranks among the most important SBZ collections of recent years.
Further Manuskowski holdings confirmed the high demand for international stock. One lot, comprising nearly 30 albums and five box sets, including material from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia, sold for €22.500.
Two lots reached €20.000. Particularly noteworthy was a traditional Swiss estate with numerous classic rarities, including a used Basel Dove stamp, cantonal stamps from Zurich, Geneva, and Vaud, as well as numerous certified top-quality examples of the Rayon, Strubel, and Helvetia issues. The collection was complemented by a high-quality Liechtenstein collection with Block 1 and better definitive stamp series.
Another Manuskowski dealer's inventory, comprising over 30 albums, also fetched €20.000. The predominantly mint condition stock from South Africa, Thailand, the Italian colonies, the Belgian Congo, Kuwait, Mozambique, Namibia, and the Spanish colonies once again underscored the excellent reputation of the long-established Hague specialist shop.
The results impressively demonstrate that extensive dealer inventories and meticulously assembled specialist collections are currently among the most sought-after items on the market. Particularly internationally oriented holdings with high substance and development potential continue to enjoy strong demand.
Michael Burzan, AIJP
