Need help liquidating large antique collection...

[DrDan]

I saw there were some antique dealers on here so I thought I'd give it a try.

Recently my mother passed away and her and my dad (also deceased) were antique collectors all their lives. During the 40's and 50's they bought loads of primative early american furniture, iron banks, blue onion ware, galena pottery, shaker furniture, etc., etc.

A whole house full of the really old items in excellent condition.

The collection is located in Northern Illinois. Does anyone know of an auctioneer who knows how to market and sell such a collection in Northern IL? I know a local sale wouldn't bring the people who have the money and appreciation for such a collection, so I need to search...

Any help would be appreciated.

DocDan

 

[Von]

Re: Need help liquidating large antique collection

Dr. Dan,
Send me your E-mail address or a private message and I will try to help you the best I can.

 

[RPM]

DrDan,

Have you thought about eBay? For specialist pieces you may want an appraisal first, but for most things eBay is a remarkably efficient marketplace.

I'm sure there will be plenty of comments regarding people's individual experiences. I just know that the local antique dealers complain that eBay is making their life difficult.

Time to get the digital camera out?

 

[RichZ]

Dr. Dan, I'm one of the antique dealers in TBN, but unfortunately, I have no connections in your area. I can tell you a few things that you should know.
1. Find out what percentage the auction co. takes. In NY 25% is standard, so you take home 75% of the gross.
2. Find out if there are hidden costs. Who pays for advertising, you or the auction co. In NY the auction co. usually foots the bill, it's part of their overhead.
3. If it's not an on-site auction, are there transportation charges for moving all the stuff to an auction hall. (In my experience, you get more money at an auction hall than on-site.)
4. Does the company have it's own auction hall, or do they rent one for each auction? People are usually willing to pay more, if the auction company has it's own hall. Some people are reluctant to part with big bucks, if there isn't a place they could go back to complain to, even though all auction sales are final.
5. Try to do a little research on some of the pieces yourself, so you have an idea of what they'll go for. For example, here in NY, Shaker stuff is REAL hot. A simple chair can go for well over $1000, if it is truly Shaker, and not just Shaker style. If you have any documentation to prove what the item is, it will increase it's value.
6. Make sure the auction co. is experienced in the type of stuff you have. Antiques cover a very wide range, and no antique dealer or auction co. can know everything. For example, I'm pretty knowledgable about late victorian and early 20th century furniture, but I know little of earlier of later furniture.
7. References are very important. If Von knows someone in your area, and he reccomends them, that would probably be the way to go.

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to e-mail me directly for any more info. I'd really like to help, because many people can get taken with antiques, and many people think they have gold when they don't.

Rich

 

[RPM]

By the way - couldn't agree more with RichZ's points above - and my comments re: eBay were not meant to tread on the toes of any antique dealers. Enough said.

 

[RichZ]

Don't worry, Patrick, I didn't take that as an insult, and I'm sure Von didn't either. E-Bay can be a good way to sell antiques, but when you're dealing with the volume that Dr. Dan is, it's just too complicated, selling and shipping each item separately. For a whole estate, an auction is the way to go./w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Rich

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Dr Dan

About the only thing I know about selling antiques a dealer friend of mine told me:

"Have a good story ready". It seems alot of deals are made based on the power of the story that goes behind it. From watching antiques roadshow, I think maybe he's right.

As to e-Bay, for the volume you've got, it wouldn't be practical, however, it is an exellent source for research. It would at least give you a starting point for pricing, and might help you identify some of the items, especially in the glassware department. (There's a lot of glassware and some of it gets quite expensive). Antique books are also available at the library, but I've found the prices they list usually are more than I can buy the stuff for locally.

SHF

PS, it might be time to get an Antiques or Estate Appraiser in. You might even consider more than one, since some items may be outside the experience of any one Appraiser to even identify.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by StoneHeartFarm on 07/06/01 10:24 AM (server time).</FONT></P>