Auction Hits and Misses

Times change and so do tastes, items that were popular years ago have faded away.  

 

When I first started out buying and selling, my father in law would go to auctions with me.   He was an antique dealer and did shows around Indiana and Illinois  in the 80's and 90's.   He used to go crazy, because I would drop out early on oak furniture and glass ware.  He couldn't understand how I would let those pieces go.  It took him about 10 auctions to figure out I wasn't the only one.

 

 Some things do well auctions and some don't, many people bought amazing things throughout their lives and feel it should be worth the same amount today.  There is a market for everything if the price is right, and many times people see an item that's the exception as the rule.  

 

As I look around my house and think of what I have and what my grandparent had I can see the difference.  I don't really collect anything, I like primitives like shipping crates and jars, but don't decorate my house with them.  We have a formal dining room, that we don't use ( in fact it was an office for over a year and I have been married for 13 years and we used our wedding dishes once).  Our house has 4 bedrooms, and I use one as an office.  People who are building their homes now are very different than a generation ago.  This has lead to a huge supply and demand swing for many items.  

 

 

Here are some examples that generally have minimal value.

Anything marked Avon 

Beanie Babies ( I know you saw in FaceBook that one sold for $350,000 and it did), these fell out of favor in the late 90's and vast majority were never valuable.

Vintage dining room sets,
80's or 90's baseball cards
Formal China
Collectors plates, and tea cups.

And a few hot items
Early comics and baseball cards.
Mid Century Modern Furniture and lighting.
Gas and Oil signs
Pyrex Bowls
Wood Boxes and shipping crates
Good tools
WWII

Obviously this is not an all inclusive list, and every auction is different. 
If you are looking to hold an auction be sure to hire a professional, and they will help you understand what you have and what it should be worth. 


Walter Holt Owner operator Have Gavel Will Travel (HGWTllc)
Auctioneer St Louis, Mo area
314-517-4013
havegavelwilltravel.net