Sparks Auctions recently announced its new full-time director of consignments and lotting is Stéphane Cloutier, who resigned from an established 32-year career to take on this key role within the Ottawa-based auction house.
Throughout Sparks’ formative years, it worked with more than 10 collectors who assisted with lotting and describing consignments.
According to Sparks president Ian Kimmerly, throughout this “apprenticeship” process, it become clear Cloutier was “the leading student.”
“Sparks has come to rely on Stéphane as our chief lotter, working part-time but often more than 20 hours a week,” said Kimmerly.
“I cannot emphasize enough how much I, and the Board of Directors, believe that this tremendous step will propel the future of Sparks Auctions.”
In his new role, Cloutier will be lotting and describing a higher percentage of the lots on offer and will review the work of other describers so every lot will bear his input. His role will also include consulting with potential consignors on the best presentation of their collections in order to achieve superior results. He will also be actively pursuing consignments and traveling when necessary to do so.
A DECADE OF SUCCESS
“In the spring there was an idea, followed by several drafts of a business plan, an over-subscribed offering of shares, an initial auction, and the hiring of a full-time manager,” said Kimmerly. “All this happened in 2007.”
Now, a decade later, Sparks’ 24th auction catalogue is ready for the printer.
“From the beginning we have made it our goal to improve with each auction. Key to our success is Kate Morrow (nee Winsor), whose talents and calm managerial demeanour have been steady,” said Kimmerly. “Sparks is fortunate to have the support of a team whose dedicated efforts in lotting, sale preparation, on-line presence, and auction-day management have been praised by collectors and dealers alike.”
This success has been exemplified over the past 10 years by the many internationally-recognized and award-winning collections presented by Sparks. These include the Leech New Zealand, Kershaw Nepal and Tibet, Cantor Small Queens, and Kerzner Squared Circles.
Cloutier is the long-time president of the Postal History Society of Canada, and for many years, he has been a key member of the Orapex organizing committee and continues to serve as its past chairman. In 2016, he was elected by his peers to be a Fellow of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. He’s also a member of the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada as well as many other philatelic societies and is also an accredited philatelic national judge and exhibitor.
To contact Cloutier, email stephane@sparks-auctions.com.