Online Antique Auction

Sunday July 10-Wednesday July 13

Our 26th Annual Anniversary Auction!

Full Details Closer To Sale Date

Accepting Quality Antique Consignments Now

You Can Check Out Our Past Online Auctions

Online Antique Auction

Sunday May 29-Wednesday June 1

Quality Offering Of Antique Furniture, Original Artwork; Primitives & Country Décor Items, Early Electric & Coal Oil Lighting; Glass; China, Porcelain Signs; Toys; Wood Carvings; And Much More!

CLICK FOR A VERY EARLY PREVIEW



 Including Selected Artwork From The Estate Of The Late David Britnell.
David was the 3^rd generation owner of John Britnell Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario which was a family run business for 118 years.

This Auction Is Full. 
Accepting Consignments Now For Our JULY 10-13 Auction

CHECK OUT OUT PAST ONLINE AUCTION RESULTS

Online Antique Auction

Soft Closing Wed. April 27 7:30 Pm

CHECK OUT THE AUCTION RESULTS

Featuring Antique Furniture;  Collection Of Tin And Porcelain Signs; Primitives & Country Collectables; Early Electric & Coal Oil Lighting; Glass & China , Persian Rugs, Jewellery, Original Artwork & Prints,  Plus A Whole Lot More!  Selected Items From Two Partial Estates, And A Long Time Collector.

THE MAY AUCTION IS NOW FULL. CONTACT ME NOW TO CONSIGN TO OUR SUMMER AUCTIONS

 ALSO The Time Has Come To Clean Out Our Storage Areas!

So Many Great Items Come Into Our Auctions, And It Is Impossible For Me To Get Everything Through The Sales.

I Want To Move Into Our Spring & Summer Auctions With A Clean Slate,
And I Have Treasures In Storage That Have To Go!

For Past Auction Results Click Below

 Spring Online Antique Auction!

Bidding Started Sunday March 27 6:00 Pm

Closed  Wed. March 30 7:30 Pm

 Quality Offering Of Antique Furnishings Featuring Bow Front & Sides Oak China Cabinet, Oak Stacking Bookcase, Leather Armchair By O.Y. BJ. Dahlqvist AB Finland; Outstanding 1915 Restored Brass Cash Register On Mahogany Stand; Trippensee Planetarium; Barrie Ont Merchant Crocks; Collection Of Porcelain Signs;  Primitives & Country Decor Items; Early Electric & Coal Oil Lighting; Railway Lanterns; Soapstones;  Original Artwork & Prints; Quality Glass & China; Pottery;  Toys; Clocks; And Much More!

This Auction Is Now Full, As Well As Our April Auction. Contact Me For Consigning To Our May Auction.

Click Below For Past Online Auction Results

Online Antique Auction

Bidding Opened Sunday Feb 27
6:00 Pm

Closed Wed. March 2
7:30 Pm

Antique Furnishings; Primitives & Country Decor Items; Early Electric & Coal Oil Lighting; Original Artwork & Prints; Quality Glass & China; Pottery; Dolls; Toys; Clocks; And Much More!

A Selection Of Items From The Estate Of The Late Doris And Ross Stafford, Long Time Residents Of New Tecumseth, Mix Of Items From A Long Time Northern Ontario Collector, Plus Consignments From Several Local Pickers And Collectors!

This Auction Is Full And Now Accepting Selected Antique Consignments For Our March Auction.

Contact Me For More Info On Consigning To Our Auctions

Check Out Our Previous Auction Results!

Another year ends, and again, it will be a year most of us will never forget. Covid-19.  I really don’t have anything more to say about that. Let’s just hope for a better 2022!

Personally, one of the major events of the year, was the passing of Donnie, Sept 7.  We knew for a few months it was coming, but still it was hard. You can read my tribute to Donnie here.

(love this photo of Mom and Donnie)

2021 marked our second year of online auctions, and like most auctioneers, the transition has been incredibly successful.

Often, I am asked, “are you going back to live auctions?”.  I will state now, we will not be going back to live auctions.

For 24 years I did live auctions, and looking back, when we did our final live auction in March 2020, two days before the lockdown, we went out on a high note. Good crowd, good prices, and all my staff together.  If I had known that was to be our final live auction, I would not have changed a thing. It was a good way to wrap up 24 years.

We did our first online auction in July 2020, working out of two storage units. By October we had moved into a large, albeit a little rough around the edges, temporary building. (a former swinger’s club, so the jokes were unending).  In this larger facility, the size of the auctions doubled.

In May 2021, we moved into a 2800 square foot facility in the Bayfield Mall Barrie. Large, clean, comfortable, great workspace and display area…could not ask for anything more!

Make no mistake, online auctions are a lot of work. We average 500 lots, and the presentation of those lots, requires approx. 3500 photos. I would estimate I work 60-70 hours per work getting the auction ready, and then there is a day of booking the pickup appointments, and two more days handling the pickups.

I do all the photos myself. I am very particular, and I don’t think I could have anyone else doing the photos for me.

Rick Osborne is my right-hand guy, or as he often refers to himself, “your mother hen”. Rick looks after the deliveries, assists me with pickups, cleans and repairs furniture if needed, and generally is doing whatever necessary to allow me the time to work on the photos.

My brother-in-law Gerry Jansen looks after the shipping.

The online auctions provide a North American selling platform. The bidder registration now, is on average 250% higher than our average live auction. We have bidders and buyers across Canada and throughout the United States.  We even shipped to England.

The sales on average are up 40% in dollar value.

Expenses are just over half of what my live auctions were costing.

We don’t worry about weather, and I don’t have to deal with escalating hall rent. Pottageville hall rental doubled in the 7 years I was there, and I was informed it would keep increasing every year.  Honestly, I don’t even know if the hall is available for rentals anymore.

Customers often tell me they miss the interaction of a live auction.  I admit, I miss that too.  I always enjoyed standing in front of a crowd and auctioneering.  However, much to my surprise, I have more interaction with most customers now, than I did when I was auctioneering.  I now have a chance to speak with customers when they pick up, talk about the items they bought, joke a little.  I couldn’t do that during a live auction.

Many of my best customers have come onboard with us, and I am meeting a whole new group of buyers, who love the online auction experience.

Consignors like the online auctions for the increased exposure, and the business keeps coming.  I could do two auctions per month, but one is all I want to handle!

So, to summarize (finally), I plan to run out the clock doing online auctions. I want to make them smaller, work a little less, and turn them into a nice “semi-retirement” project.

I need to keep active; I need to be excited about what I do, and the online auctions are filling that need for me.

So, I thank every one of you for your support during our 24 years of live auctions, and I also thank you for your enthusiastic support of our online auctions.

Let’s see what sort of ride 2022 takes us on!
Rob

Our First Auction Of 2022!

Online Sunday Jan 23-Wednesday January 26

Over 500 Lots Featuring Antique Furniture; Early Electric & Coal Oil Lighting; Collection Of Clocks Including Two Grandfathers, Two Pequegnats, Assorted Gingerbread, Wall & Mantel Clocks;  Variety Of Soapstones; Original Artwork & Prints Including Original Harold Beament P.R.C.A. Oil On Canvas (1898-1984); 1930’s Slot Machine; Cast Iron Mechanical And Still Banks; Porcelain & Tin Signs; Primitives & Country Decorating  Pieces; Quality Glass & China Including Royal Doulton; Lladro And Hummel Figurines; 74 Pieces Of Wallace Sterling Silver In A Gibbard Stand; Jewelry; Collection Of Comic Books; Sports Collectables; Singer 221 Sewing Machine; Original Photo Of Lincoln Assassin John Wilkes Booth; Typewriters; Wooden Decoys; Telephones; Toys; And Much More!

YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE AUCTION RESULTS BELOW

The February Auction Is Now Full, Thank You.
I Am Currently Accepting Quality Antique Consignments Now For Our March Auction

Contact Me ASAP If You Have Items.

All The Best To You In 2022!


You Can Check Out Past Online Auction Results

Online Christmas Antique & Collectables Auction
Our 25th Annual Christmas Auction!

Bidding Closed Wednesday Dec 15 7:30 Pm

Nice Offering Of Antique Furniture, Glass, China, Primitives & Country Décor Items, Original Artwork And Prints, Early Electric & Coal Oil Lighting, And Much More!

YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE AUCTION RESULTS

A Special Offering With Gift Giving In Mind…Or Just Treat Yourself!

This Auction Is Full, But I Am Now Accepting Limited Number Of Antique Consignments For Our January 2022 Auction

Check Out Past Auction Results