Skip to main content

Attending the Local Auctions

If you have ever wondered where your favorite art gallery or antique shop gets their inventory you may be surprised to know it is often from local auctions in addition to the widely known  high end houses.A few antique shops really do go overseas and ship containers of antiques to the U.S. However most of them let the auction houses do it. Some local auction houses combine their buying power with  houses in other cities to bring in unique pieces fresh to market. In addition, they often do estate sales, consignments, and furniture store buy outs.





So how can you reap rewards from local auctions? Many are dealer exclusive but more and more are opening their doors to non dealers because quite frankly, the bidder who doesn't know the value of an item will often over bid. So here are a few tips to get you through your first local auction. 
Go early- sign up at the sign in table to get your bidding number. Then inspect the merchandise and write down the lot number if you think you MIGHT bid on it. Inspect it thoroughly. Auction purchases are As Is and not returnable. If it is an item that you don't know the value of, use your phone and search for a similar item online. Don't use eBay if you can help it as their prices are skewed, go to one of the 'what is it worth sites' like Worthington.
Once you have an idea of value, write down next to the lot number how much you are willing to pay.
Remember you are wanting to pay wholesale prices, not retail, and you must take into account the auction houses buyers premium which ranges from 5% to 25 % and taxes if you don't have a Tax I.D. Ask if they give a discount for paying cash as many do.
I like to buy jewelry at auction and don't hesitate to ask to see it up close. Bring a jewelers loop or magnifying glass to look for flaws on smalls and furniture both.
 Any valuable smalls will be inside a case so you will want to ask to inspect them. Porcelain,English transferware and American pottery like Roseville show up at every auction as does antique silver.


 Be wary of art.
Most art is from the Chinese school and worth nothing. But treasures on canvas can be found. A local auction goer here bought an American folk art painting that contained one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence inside the frame. Proof that you never know what you will find.

Auctions are often dusty. We are not at Christies or Sothebys, so wear appropriate clothing. And the bench seats and folding chairs are always hard. If they don't serve food, (and most do) bring a thermos of coffee and snacks with you.
I prefer to sit in the back of the room once the auction commences so that I can see my bidding competition but if it is your first time I recommend that you sit up front where you can hear well. It is not true that scratching your nose will get you a bid, lol.
Once you have made your purchase, relax, they will set it aside until you are ready to leave.  When you do leave, you will need to go back to the sign in table and pay for it, get your receipt and a worker will carry it out for you. Don't forget to tip him..and don't forget to enjoy yourself even if you get out bid because that happens to every auction goer. I took all these photos at auctions. As you can see, there are beautiful items to be found locally. Auctions are not only fun, but a great place to learn about antiques and meet other antiques lovers. You can find local auctions at Zip Auction online and often on craigslist. So grab your bestie and have a memorable day at the auction!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Wardian Cases

When I moved into my present city apartment, a mere 680 square feet,  Things had to serve a purpose. No longer could this antique wardian case hold trinkets for display, it had to be functional. So I gave up a rather large chunk of my micro kitchen to grow fresh herbs. I figure it is a fair trade off. I have a full spectrum vita light shining on the plants and they seem to do quite well in there. I adore wardian cases, terrariums and the like. They were a fixture in the Palace of Versailles like the one above, and later the Victorians made great use of them when it was discovered that they could successfully transport rare species of plants home from  around the globe. I thought I would share some pinned photos of various styles.. Imitation cases are usually zinc and plexiglass ,like this one I spotted at a local market. You can tell the age of a real one by the thickness and color of the glass.The glass will most often be 1/4 inch to a 1/2 inch. They are alw...

How to Restore Old Brass Without Losing Patina

Brass is really trendy right now. Much of the home decor brass commercially available is cheaply made and will not retain it's beauty long. But brass made in the first quarter of the 20th century and earlier, develops an exquisite patina. Assuming of course that it has had reasonable care throughout it's long life. Sometimes, a good piece of brass will have just a tiny bit of verdigris, that is the crusty blue green stuff caused by oxidation and tells you corrosion is setting in. I see this a lot on furniture with brass mounts, lamps, chandeliers and light fixtures. Most brass tutorials give directions only on bringing brass back to it's super bright finish. Many antique dealers restore brass to it's bright finish, removing the patina and then apply a commercial solution to darken it again. I can always spot those. They never look quite right. There are some pieces that devalue when you remove the patina.  Natural patina enhances the beauty of a piece, like this cl...

Southern Bacon and Crawfish Cornbread Dressing

Imagine you are dining outside at Blake Shelton's house this Thanksgiving and deep frying some big turkeys. A crawfish dressing would probably be on the menu. Deep fried turkeys and outdoor dining on Thanksgiving day is very popular in the South. And while people don't wild catch crawfish like they did a century ago, crawfish are always popular on the menu. Here I have  paired it with bacon, corn, mirepoix,and jalapenos to give you a dressing with real local flavor. Here is what you need: 5 cups crumbled cornbread 1 1/2 lbs  boiled crawfish tails ( frozen is fine) 10 ounces bacon, cooked and coarsely crumbled 12 ounces yellow corn 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion 1/1/2 cups chopped celery 1/1/2 cups green red and orange bell pepper 1 jalapeno ( optional) 2 eggs beaten 2 cups chicken stock salt, thyme, and sage to taste. Fry your bacon until it is ready to crumble, remove from pan and set aside. Saute the mirepoix, (onions ,peppers and celery) corn and jala...