By Jesse Robitaille
Vance Auctions, a family-run firm based in Southern Ontario, celebrated 50 years in business with its 359th sale this November.
After working in his father’s Toronto-area stamp store, Vance Carmichael launched the namesake firm in November 1972 and ran his first mail auction with 348 lots. His 359th sale, held on Nov. 23, marked the half-century milestone with more than 6,800 worldwide lots of singles, sets and postal history. A total of 250 bidders also won a collectible Vance Auctions mug.
“It is very gratifying to have reached the 50th anniversary milestone,” said Carmichael, the firm’s president. “I have been lucky to have had a great staff over the years and appreciate all our bidders over the years, some who have been regularly bidding with us for 30 or 40 years. We are working hard to celebrate more anniversaries in the future.”
The company, which has about 15 full-time employees based in Smithville, Ont., has expanded its office three times, all within the same building, to accommodate the 40,000 auction lots and online specials offered each year. Carmichael’s son Chris – the family’s third generation in the stamp business – also joined the firm full time in 1996. Together, they host about half a dozen major sales a year while attending shows to buy material and source consignments.
“We are excited about 2023,” Carmichael said. “We have six auctions planned that will continue our tradition of offering our bidders a wide array of worldwide material. Much great material is already on hand for these sales. We also will have booths at four or five stamp shows in 2023 where we look forward to meeting many of our customers.”
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