By: Krug Stillo

A Florida widow is seeking the return of her late husband’s $2 million stamp collection from a Manhattan auction house nearly a decade after it was consigned, claiming some of the prized postage may now be missing, the New York Post first reported.

The collection belonged to Stanley Marks, who began trading stamps at the age of 10 in 1937. Marks later became a lawyer and a member of the New York Stock Exchange in the 1950s, turning his childhood hobby into a lifelong passion, the Post reported.

Marks passed away in 2016 at the age of 89, and his collection was handed over to Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries. The International portion of the collection was sold that same year for $750,000, while the U.S. portion, valued at $2 million, has remained on consignment at the auction house ever since, according to court papers filed by the Stanley A. Marks Revocable Trust, the Post reported.

In April, Marks’ widow Shelly Entner and her son William visited the gallery to inspect the collection. During the visit, Entner allegedly noticed that some stamps originally in the U.S. collection appeared to be missing, prompting her to demand the collection’s return, the Post first reported.

The auction house reportedly refused the demand and requested that Entner reimburse $56,000 for insurance coverage and release Siegel Auction from liability before returning the stamps. Entner’s lawyer, Wendy Lindstrom, described the demand as a “ransom” and said her client “refuses to be taken advantage of by Siegel Auction, which has no right to demand a ransom for the return of the stamps,” according to the Post.

Entner is seeking at least $2 million in damages in her lawsuit. Siegel Auction, however, denied the allegations, calling the claims “entirely baseless” and asserting that the collection was thoroughly reviewed during the April visit, the Post reported.

“Siegel has repeatedly offered to return the collection to Ms. Entner,” attorney Daniel Weiner said, emphasizing the gallery’s willingness to cooperate. Despite the assurances, the widow contends that her family has not received full access to the collection and is now forced to pursue legal action to reclaim the valuable stamps, the Post first reported.

Marks’ collection, which had been split between International and U.S. stamps, is considered a major philatelic treasure, reflecting decades of careful acquisition. Entner’s lawsuit raises questions about consignment practices and the accountability of auction houses in safeguarding high-value collections, the Post reported.

As the case unfolds, it highlights both the sentimental and financial value of historic collections, and the legal complexities that can arise when heirs seek to reclaim personal property years after a consignment agreement, according to the New York Post.