Good suggestion, and right you likely are, Marie, however Nancy said she had looked "everywhere".  As the experienced researcher she truly is, I did not imagine but that she had examined the 1850 and 1860 censuses, as well as the tax records, both of which might shed light on her problem.  Still, thanks, and for the benefit of all others, I should have mentioned those additional sources stated by you.  

In addition, Frank Drake has correctly added, "Like any business, it may have been that your ancestor's was involved in lawsuits over debts, unsatisfactory contracts, etc.  Consider checking the antebellum civil litigation index in the city or county(ies) where you suspect he did business.  You might find records that way. You might also find he went bankrupt right after the war", as did many.

Finally, though consignments did occasionally happen, most sales by other than owners were done by folks acting as "agents" for those sellers.

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: marie yeager 


  If he owned a slave market, would he not have been the owner of the
  slaves until they were sold, excluding for lack of a better term
  "consignment transactions"?  If that were the case, Wouldn't the slave
  schedules of the federal census to be a place to look? One dealing in
  slave trade should own a numerous amount above the norm i would think?
  Just a suggestion

  marie




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