From 13 to 15 November 2025, around 80 literature enthusiasts gathered for a symposium at the Heinrich Köhler auction house in Wiesbaden to listen to two days of presentations by 20 speakers on numerous aspects of philatelic literature, its history, but also its collectability, care and preservation. The AIJP also held its annual congress at the same venue on 14 November. The participants came from 19 different countries, including three from the USA, two from India, and one each from Costa Rica and Australia. Germany provided the largest group with 33 guests, followed by Great Britain with 10 attendees, who had an easy time of it as the lectures and presentations were given in English.
The attendance during the summit
In perfect harmony with the event, the auction of the unique Tomas Bjäringer Library took place on Saturday, 15 November, attended by around 30 bidders in the auction room, and certainly by an even higher number who were connected online or by telephone. They had to be patient, because due to the numerous bidding wars and the not always fast internet, it took around 12 hours for many items from the ‘PARIS Library’ to find new owners. The basis for the auction was a 300-page hardcover catalogue in which the 1,277 lots were offered (including not only individual items, but also large lots, e.g. magazines or auction catalogues with up to 15 large boxes of goods).
The starting price of €170,320 was already matched totalling €295,977 on that day, which can be described as a dream result and clearly proved that rare and well-preserved philatelic literature has enthusiasts worldwide. Further analyses will provide more precise evidence of this in the future. In addition, it is likely that the final result will be even higher, as lots with a starting price totalling €35,670 remained unsold and can still be purchased in the post-auction sale. Ultimately, everything will find a buyer.
