The shape of an issue

Use this as the pattern. Keep the headings. Replace every placeholder with a sale you can point to.

The sale

PLACEHOLDER. House, city, date, and the kind of auction: estate, antiques, or single-owner. No house is named in this draft.

The lot

PLACEHOLDER. One object, in the words the catalog used. This draft names no object and states no price.

How it was photographed

When the issue is real, this section will cover:

• The frame that shows the whole object
• The frame that shows a mark, label, or signature
• The frame that shows the damage
• Whether the shot includes a scale, a hand, or a ruler

The point is the habit, not a gear list. Which photograph made the catalog possible.

How it was described

When the issue is real, this section will cover:

• Whether the title leads with the form of the object or with the maker
• Whether the condition line is specific enough to preview from
• Whether each claim has a photo behind it

A sentence with nothing behind it is the sentence to question. That is the standard we want the letter to keep.

A habit worth stealing

PLACEHOLDER. One cataloging practice, written only after we have looked at a real lot. This draft does not invent one.

When those blanks are filled from a real sale, take the draft banner off the page. Until then, this is a template, not an issue.