Florida Widow Seeks Return of Late Husband’s $2 Million Stamp Collection

A widow from Florida is pressing a Manhattan auction house to return her late husband’s stamp collection, valued at $2 million, for the first time in almost ten years. She suspects that some of the valuable stamps might be missing.

This remarkable collection belonged to Stanley Marks, who began trading stamps at the tender age of 10 back in 1937. Marks later became a lawyer and joined the New York Stock Exchange in the 1950s, transforming what started as a childhood interest into a lifelong passion. He passed away in 2016 at 89, leaving his collection to the Robert A. Siegel Auction Gallery.

According to Sherry Entner, Marks’ widow, court documents reveal that the stamp collection was categorized into international and U.S. stamps, with the former sold by Siegel Auction Gallery for $750,000 back in 2016. Meanwhile, the U.S. portion was valued at $2 million and has since been sold on consignment.

Entner, along with her son William, visited the auction house in April to view the collection. During their visit, Entner felt that some stamps assumed to be part of the U.S. collection in 2016 might no longer be there, according to the legal filings.

The family had requested the return of the stamps, but Siegel has reportedly refused, insisting that Entner pay $56,000 in insurance premiums for the collection and free them from any liability. In light of this situation, Entner’s attorney, Wendy Lindstrom, commented, “Mr. Entner will not allow Siegel Auctions to take advantage of him. They shouldn’t be demanding a ransom to return the stamps.”

Entner is pursuing a claim for at least $2 million in damages.

However, Siegel Auctions dismisses these claims as “totally baseless.” Their attorney, Daniel Weiner, asserted that the family had thoroughly inspected the collection during their visit in April, confirming that “all stamps were there.” Weiner also noted that Mr. Siegel has repeatedly offered to return the collection to Entner.