Want to Sell Your Stuff at Auction?
Frequently Asked Questions for Consignors


1. What Types of Items Do You Accept for Your Auctions?

Well, we'd like to say we sell only Rembrandts, Van Goghs, Tiffany Lamps and Original Remington Bronzes, but that's not quite exactly the truth. While we do get a good amount of high-end items (Like, Paintings for $120,000 and $136,000, and a Rare Chinese Screen for $230,000), the truth of the matter is we sell a huge variety of antiques and collectibles, mostly from medium-to-high-end. These items include, but are not limited to, Chinese Antiques, Antique Furniture, Oriental Rugs, 50's, 60's, 70's Mid-Century Modern Furniture, Ornate Lighting Fixtures and Mirrors, Figurines, Lamps, Pottery Porcelain, Art Glass, Depression Glass, Carnival Glass, Stemware, Perfumes, Oriental Items, Antique Jewelry, Gold Jewelry (Both Antique & Contemporary), Vintage Costume Jewelry, Bakelite, Collectible Pens, Pocketwatches, Good-Quality or Antq. Wristwatches, Bronzes, Oil Paintings, Prints, Sculpture, Ephemera, Stamps, First Edition & Other Collectible Books, Advertising Items, Old Toys & Dolls, Antique or High-Quality Cameras, Crocks, Floor Lamps, Garden Statuary & Architectural Items, Stained & Leaded Glass Windows, Tapestries, Fancywork, an Occasional Automobile, etc., etc.

Many of the items we auction come from estates, collections, people who are moving, people who are divorcing, people who need a little bit more space and a little less stuff, and people who just love to find treasures and sell them for more than they paid for them (Think American Pickers, for Example). We like to sell items that are desirable, that will get people jazzed and excited - NOT junk. Unfortunately, there is a fine line sometimes between a desirable collectible and junk. If you're not sure if you have gems or junk, let us know and we'll help you determine what you've got and what it's worth. We're Experts at it, as our Team has been Dealing with Estate Goods for 30, 40, and 50 Years.


2. What Are Your Commission Rates? In general, here are our rates:

10% For Any Item Bringing $4,000 or More
15% For Any Item Bringing $1,000 to $3,999.99
20% For Any Item Bringing $500 to $999.99
25% For Any Item Bringing $140 to $499.99
$35 Flat Fee For Unsold Items or Any Item Bringing Under $140

Sample Consignment:

1. Small Oil Painting by Edwin Harris - $5,500
2. White Jade Antique Chinese Small Carving - $1,100
3. Lg. Reproduction Bronze on Marble of Woman with Cherub, Artist Unknown - $600
4. 4 x 6 Oriental Rug - $180
5. Box Lot of Miscellanous Items - $90

Total Sold = $7,470
Commissions = $915
Your Check After Commissions = $6,555.00

As you can see from this example, the Edwin Harris Painting went really well, as it should (We had a Larger Painting by this Artist Bring $10,000 in the past). Since it brought over $4,000, the commission rate on that item is 10%, or $550.00. The White Jade Antique Carving sold pretty well also, bringing $1,100, so the commission rate on that piece is 15%, or $165. The Reproduction Bronze did Pretty well too, $600, so the commission rate on that was 20%, or $120. The 4 x 6 Oriental Rug brought $180, so the commission rate on that vase is 25%, or $45. Finally, the Box Lot of Miscellanous Items brought $90, so since it brought under $140, the Commission Rate was a Flat $35.

One Lesson to be Learned Here is to try to bring to auction the items of better worth, and you will get a lower commission rate overall. If most of your items are of little worth, they may not be worth auctioning at all, and for your sake and for our sake we might want to take a pass on those items. If you need a little guidance as to whether your item is of any value, please phone us or stop by with your item. We will advise you on your piece to the best of our ability, and if you have a good number of items, yes, we do make house calls...!

Generally, if you don't think your item or grouping will bring $100 easily, it's best to keep adding similiar items to the lot to enhance it a little. When it comes to making lots for auction, the more the merrier. That is to say the more (nice items grouped together), the merrier (the consignor will be when they get their check).

In general, when consigning at auction, results can be somewhat unpredictable. One thing we can say for sure is that your items will bring fair market value on the day your items are auctioned. Since the Internet is "the great equalizer", generally, high-quality items will bring good money wherever the items are auctioned, provided they were marketed well, using a Worldwide Internet Platform. We use two of the Best Internet Platforms that for our Higher-End Auctions, to Ensure you get great representation for your High Quality Items. Overall, Some things may bring way more than you expect, some things may bring less. But overall, the vast majority of our clients are very pleased with the results we deliver and the speed of payment (We have a check ready for you 9 days after the auction in most cases). There are very few auction houses that pay out that quickly, as in, almost None. Most of the auction houses in our area require your item to be placed in a specialty-theme auction (which could take up to 2-3 months), and then you wait one month after that to get your check mailed to you. With our auctions, your items are brought to auction usually within a 2-5 week period, and you are paid 8 days after the auction! And, you can pick up your check in Person on Settlement Day!

The rates quoted above are our standard commission rates. Our commission rates may differ for different situations and clients.


3. What Days and Hours are You Open For Bringing in Consignments?

We are Open For Consignments the week after the previous auction only, Tuesday thru Saturday, 9:30 A.M. to 5:45 P.M. However, we Implore you to Call Ahead at 773-465-3300, or Text Photos to 224-465-3686, before Bringing them in. We want to make sure your items are Appropriate for the Auction, so you Don't have to waste your time and effort bringing things in that we know are not going to sell...

Bringing your items in as early as possible is usually of great advantage to you. This allows us plenty of time for us to list and advertise the highest quality items as soon as possible, to give them the best chance at obtaining the best selling price. In general, we list the highest value items first, because we know these pieces will make the biggest difference to your consignment if they are listed early. If you bring in a high quality piece and do not see it listed a week or so, feel free to give us a call to remind us to get it listed. There are quite a few items for us to sell, so occasionally we may miss listing a higher quality item due to the large volume of "stuff"...!


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