Do you have small online auctions run by a local outfit that totally flies under the radar?

Would you share the details of these auctions with forum members? Or do you hope that the goods go un-noticed and sell at very low prices?

One of our local galleries (In London... the real London! In Ontario Canada) has auctions each Monday and we’ve bought watches, a bicycle, furniture and art. Some items went for relatively low prices, while others went sky high.

A 30mm (approx) Rolex with original leather band described as pre WW2 with what is often called a military dial went for about $300 Canadian last year. I did not even look at it but have since become more interested in smaller watches, thanks in part to this forum and @JwRosenthal .

One upcoming auction has what appears to be his and hers matching Rolex watches and a 1980s Patek Phillippe. I took screen shots for your viewing pleasure. (I am not affiliated with this auction house, it is called Gardner Galleries, and they do not specialize in watches, so movement shots never happen).

If you ever buy from them, we can meet for coffee and talk watches!

Any similar small auction houses near you?



For better pics, you will need to check out their site.

 

A few more pics...

 

We had a few excellent small estate auction houses locally a few years ago- you never knew if it would be garbage or treasure, no online catalog, just show up for the preview 2 hours before he auction. I used to schedule my work days so I could go early- they were awesome. But alas they are gone. I think one is still in business, you have inspired me to check them out.

 

where I live Manchester (the real Manchester England) all the local auction houses are online, but I did pick up an Omega Cone, changed the battery and now have fully functioning vintage watch. I would post a picture, but I'm on holiday in North Wales.
There is something about being able to look at and handle a watch at auction, rather than rely on pictures and ratings of an Ebay seller.

 

Discovered a local auction (John Weldon) in Dublin that had no online bidding! Mostly jewelry, but a few watches each month - but those mostly garbage. However, in January they'd estimated this at €500-€800:



I sauntered in and was competing against about 30 in the room (total) and one phone bidder. Wandered out with the watch on my wrist. Happy days.

I was thinking these guys are a gold mine. But since Covid they've started listing their stuff on easy live auction.com.

Bloody Covid, is there nothing it hasn't ruined?

 

I am fine with members keeping their secret locations to themselves, I don't share such sites with others either - it's like foraging for mushrooms

I have had some luck with smaller auctions, though the only real find I could have secured was snapped up by a collector with bigger pockets than me without me competing, as he had found it too and I forfeited the bidding. Perhaps @Skrotis still has a photo?

 

I am feeling reckless.

I'm new at the game, but have bookmarked a few auction sites I *think* don't get much 'watch' traffic. But I've yet to test any of them, so won't recommend any from personal experience. That said, I'll share one that looks to have a potential bargain listed. This site only ever has one, maybe two watches listed at any one time.

Today's candidate is a nice Breguet Classique. And is the only watch currently listed as far as I can tell:

https://www.troostwijkauctions.com/uk/mens-watch/03-33622-32038-6560157/

Sorry to anyone that might have had their eye on this. Life can be hard.

 

I get notified of smaller UK watch, jewellery and arts auctions in the UK by a website.

Interesting at first but the descriptions of the watches are woefully inadequate, there is no indication of servicing or running and I’ve always been reluctant to take a chance.

Also hard to see what bids lots attracted or went for and, because of the lack of information, there’s no option to return in the way you can with a misdescribed eBay item, regardless of whether or not the eBay listing has said 'no returns'.

Additionally, the PayPal/Credit card insurance aspect isn’t there and there can be the supplementary charges and taxes imposed by the auction house.

 

There's actually quite a few smaller auction and liquidator outfits here in Ct that one has to attend in person. It can be a mine field otherwise. I always go and personally handle the watches (if any) during inspection as shifty dealers are notorious for salting the sale with fakes.
The "tell" is to carefully pay attention to the auction descriptions. When they say "lots include personal home/estate contents/collection and others" watch out...the "and others" part covers their asses for the shifty dealers inserting their crap into the auction lots. Of course there are genuine items but I have seen the same tired Rolexes presented by multiple "estate sale" auctions and no bargains to be found. Other brands and especially older swiss stuff could fly under the radar and those deals I snap up.

 

Easy Live have so wrecked local auctions. If you watch the live feed, you can see that the local bidders stop at a certain point and the auctioneer gives a knowing smile when he sees that the online guys are doing a lot of the bidding. Still - can't turn back the clock.

 

I’ve never been to a live auction but I would love to. Must be fun!

 

I live in Canada, as well and the small auctions around Uxbridge, an hour north of Toronto used to be good but now that they are online, the 2nd hand dealers watch them and bid a bit too high for me. For example, I dropped out at $120 for a manual wind gold capped Longines that someone bought and placed on a Canadian watch forum for $400. Without seeing it, I could not really determine the condition. There was also a gold capped 1950's Seamaster with a black dial. With the poor photos it was hard to determine if it was a repaint. I suspected it was original but with no sense of the movement condition, I dropped out at $345 which was still higher than I wanted to go - you all know the appeal of those old black dials...

 

I used to get some amazing buys at the in person local estate auctions on off-brand stuff. I got a 1940's 30mm military dial Solar brand for $30, and a Birks Eterna for around $50. I picked up a 1950's Certina for $7.50 in a lot of 5 all at $7.50, that included a Wittnauer cocktail watch and a couple of old beat up Bulovas. Those were the days.

 

I've been to one, maybe two, art auctions, so this was my first jewelry auction (the watch above). I'm not sure how angry I should be at this here travesty I'm about to impart. But here is how it went down...

So I was working that day, and was unsure if I'd make the auction in person. So I put in a paper bid for in and around my limit. Now as it happens I got off work early, so down I goes to watch the auction in person. Careful not to bid lest I be bidding against my own earlier paper bid.

It turns out there was a couple of interested parties present, but all but one bowed out at the €900 mark. The last guy bid up to about €50 below my paper bid - and is bowing out at the exact point of my max paper bid. He won't raise his paddle again UNTIL the auctioneer says to the guy, "Paddy, if you go +€50 she is yours".

I was flabbergasted - did not think this was proper order at all. So Paddy goes +€50, then me in the back of the room (who hadn't said a word til now) has to go "+€100!". Yer man backed out then. And the auctioneer went pale (he knew he'd f*cked up).

Honestly, at the time I was just happy with the bargain. But yeah the auctioneer cost me €100 that day. The swine.

 

The Saleroom and Invaluable (among others, I'm sure) list items from a lot of small auction houses, so there's no guarantee that your small auction house is actually flying below the radar of thousands of other people.

 

I’ve bought two watches (one Waltham Colonial 12-size pocket watch, and a private label Omega Pocket watch), and one clock (a Seth Thomas World railroad standard clock). I check the auctions out periodically, but too many ratted out 7-jewel Elgin pocket watches in base metal cases to suit me.