Oh my, I can’t believe how lax I have been in keeping you all updated with my latest endeavors. It’s been such a hectic time and I have so much to tell you about...unfortunately no huge news, just lots of great places I have found and such fun projects that have kept me busy during my blog-hiatus.
I’ll start with one of my favorite Saturday afternoon winter activities…the Andrews & Andrews auction in Northport Maine. I can’t really remember the first time I went to an auction but I’m fairly certain I bought something fabulous…Barbie Dream House maybe???
As a young adult I started going to the Andrews & Andrews auctions at The Fabulous Blue Goose Center on Route 1 in Northport Maine with my grandmother. She loved auctions and as a matter of fact was one of the first women auctioneers in the state of Maine many many years ago so I was genetically coded even from the beginning. I think the most important lesson my grandmother passed on is to set a price in your head for what you value something and STICK TO IT…don’t get carried up with having to win because there is always another item coming along. Maybe not today but you will find the perfect item at the right price, don’t get carried away in a bidding war or you will certainly overspend.
My absolute favorite Andrews auction story is from about 10 years ago, my grandmother and I were at a Saturday afternoon auction in early spring and a lot of dishes came up. It was toward the end of the auction so the crowd had thinned and no one was immediately interested. These particular dishes weren’t something that was initially on my “target” list but auctioneer Dan mentioned that they were Limoge and they really were quite pretty….the dish addict in me took over and as soon as I raised my number to bid my grandmother leaned over and said “now why do you need more dishes” way louder than she intended (by this time she was very hard of hearing). Being part of a family of many dishes, she saw no reason why I would need a full set of china no matter what the dish looked like. Well, I won the lot for $15 and it ended up being service of 8 (missing the cups) of Limoge Bernardaud pattern.
When we got home she was amazed at the bargain I had gotten and had admitted she didn’t realize what I had bid on when she questioned me at the auction, she just saw dishes and thought “what the heck is she doing”. She was so proud that I had recognized and won such a deal she immediately wrote off to Replacements to get pricing information. Replacement dinner plates are listed at $49.99 ea (* 8 is….) SCORE! We laughed about this many times while she was alive.
Andrews & Andrews always have great stuff and their prices are generally really unbeatable (unless of course there are too many out-of-staters in attendance). They hold auctions all year round but I find that the winter auctions really hold the best deals…again less competition with mostly locals being the bidders.
A couple of weeks ago I headed north to visit family and hit the auction. On this particular Saturday I wound up winning a beautiful wood carved frame that I am planning on having a mirror put in and a few transferware serving pieces.
It was a wonderful afternoon with lots of fun things to look at. I’m always amazed at the items that end up going for a lot of money as well as the items that go dirt cheap.
It was a wonderful afternoon with lots of fun things to look at. I’m always amazed at the items that end up going for a lot of money as well as the items that go dirt cheap.
Couple of key things to remember when going to an auction
1. Most importantly go to the previewing and identify items you are interested in, set a price and STICK TO IT. Don’t get carried up in “bidding to win”.
2. Keep in mind that most (if not all) auctioneers add a Buyer’s Premium to every purchase. Most I see are somewhere in the 12-13% range...this is a fee the buyer pays on top of the winning bid.
3. Sales tax also applies. So when bidding for easy math I just add 20% to what the bid price is to cover the Buyers Premium & Sales Tax.
4. There are usually box lots that come up at the end of the auction that are the best bargains. These are miscellaneous small lots that include some super fun things.
5. The audience dictates what are the hot items. One auction you may go to and see a vintage trunk go for ridiculous money the next the auctioneer practically can’t give it away.
6. If you miss the preview be aware what you bid on might not be exactly what you expect. There may be flaws that the auctioneer unintentionally doesn’t identify or misses – you still own the item when your bid wins.
7. Finally, in my opinion it’s terribly bad form to “bid up” an item just to make your fellow buyer pay more. The old adage “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” really does apply here. The only one who benefits this behavior is the auction house – if you don’t truly want an item don’t bid on it.
