Auctions : French philately weakness ?

In his Summer 2007 editorial, Timbres magazine's chief-redactor Gauthier Toulemonde tells his happiness to discover the British house of auctions Spink. Like many others in rich countries, it took time for philatelic sales as big as art sales.

However, the French philatelic reader does not see bidding auctions in France. Stamp dealers use another type of auctions : la vente sur offres ("Vickrey auction"). The stamp or artefact goes to the collector who sent the better offer, and is sold at the price of the second best bid. These auctions lasts a month, time for the mail to arrive to the dealer. Not quite the thrill of a live auction...

My amateur reading of a British philatelic magazine made me discover a whole world of aggressive stamp dealers and auctionners. In Stamp Magazine, their adverts present the whole range of selling you can use to get rid of your collection at the best price possible.

At the beginning of the magazine, two monthly pages are published on the auction news from around the world. In May, is told the result of the auction of classic Australian multi-awarded collection of Arthur Gray.

A full illustrated article can be wrote around an auction, with a philatelic goal : the diamond pieces of the Gawaine Baillie's collection in April Stamp Magazine for example. He bought pristine, non-cancelled, mutiples, beautiful British classic stamp... Many words that I don't know if I could achieve in my lifetime on one stamp.

In French philatelic world, I am not aware that United States businessman Bill Gross sold his British collection and gave the 9 136 000 USD to association Doctors Without Border. And he keeps his prestigious American collection... Is Z Grill (2 stamps are known of this one) ringing a bell in youy knowledge ?

In France, I don't know a recent vente sur offres that created such an ado in philatelic papers and electronic media.

Is this major place of auctions in Anglo-Saxon philately a sign of healthfullness, better than the health of French philately ? If more-than-rich peoples collect stamps as such a quality and price, does it proove that it exists a whole hidden iceberg of collectors of all ages and social conditions ?

Update 26 July 2007 :
* Dominique on the Blog philatélie found intels about the Vickrey auction (english name of the "vente sur offres") : its history and its theorization. The article is written in French, but the intels found are in English.