Our First Sale Back In Cookstown….

but I think it is time to make some changes!

Thanks to everyone who attended our Friday May 28^th auction….our first auction back at the Cookstown Curling Club. I planned a large sale for our first one of the season there, but I honestly have to admit… it did not go as well as I hoped! It was a warm muggy night, and although we had a good crowd…approx. 150 registered bidders…the bidding seemed sluggish for most of the evening.  On many pieces we eventually got a reasonable price, but there were still an awful lot of items that sold for less than what I expected. For the last three years almost, we have been overall strong on furniture prices, and usually pretty good on the primitives.  Glass and china can be low unless it is something particularly good, but the unusual pieces still bring good money for the most part. However, Friday night the furniture prices seemed soft, and the primitive and “as found” items were particularly soft in price. We had over 700 lots selling in two rings and over 200 pieces of furniture combined in the two rings.  Now that is a large sale, but last years May sale had the same amount of furniture and over 800 lots total for the two rings.  Last year’s sale was a record sale for us…but this year…good… but not even close to a record. So I am going to make some changes.  I am putting that in print and you can hold me to it! After much “dissection” of the last sale, I decided we have to reduce the number of items in the primitives section, and try and eliminate a great deal of the really bottom end pieces.  This sale had too much…how shall I say this….JUNK!  Things that have very little potential to refinish or repaint, and other items that simply have very little demand or market value. We had some unexpected items show up as part of some consignor’s loads, and I now am simply going to have to refuse them at the door.  I try and explain to consignors that they must only bring antique or good collectables, and if it is primitive or “as found”, it must have some potential to restore, or some potential as a decorator item.  People seem to love the cast iron, cement patio furniture, painted dressers, washstands and buffets etc, and that is what I want to have more of.  Items with potential.  I can no longer accept items that consignors just want to “get rid of” and don’t really care what it sells for.  They may not care…but I do…and more importantly…my customers do.  I don’t want to waste time and hard work on items that no one wants. So having said that, I am going to make some changes.  I started already, and I know I am going to “tick off” a few people  (that has already happened!)…but I have to steer the auction in the direction I want it to go. Overall I think we do well with quality items…never been a problem to sell or get reasonable money for.  However, I have to clean up and eliminate the low end pieces… some primitives, “as found items” and some glass and china.  It will take a few sales to clean up the back log of low end items that I am committed to selling, but from now on I will be even more particular about what I accept into the auctions. These large auctions are an awful lot of hard work, and at times I feel I am pushing my wonderful staff to the limit in order to get them done. I want them to continue to be fun and profitable, so I will be making some changes. There…now it is in print…I am obligated to do something! Have fun on the auction trail and hope to see you at our June 25^th auction. Rob IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS OR ANY OTHER PAST BLOG, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS TO rob@robsageauctions.com Just Click On The Link And Send Your Comment!