Auctions & Consignments — Jacksonville, FL
When Selling Outright Isn’t the Right Fit
Not everything sells best across my counter. Some pieces — a rare coin with strong collector demand, a fine art or estate piece, a specialty collection — are worth more at auction than I could honestly offer to buy outright. When that’s the case, I’ll tell you, and I can help you get it there through the auction house relationships I’ve built over fifty years in this business.
When Auction Makes Sense
High-demand rare coins or key dates with strong collector interest.
Fine art, sculpture, and museum-quality antiques.
Large, cohesive collections that are worth more sold together than broken apart.
Items where competitive bidding is likely to beat a direct offer — I’ll tell you honestly when this is the case, even if it means I don’t buy it myself.
How Consignment Works
1. Bring me the piece or collection — or I’ll walk your estate and pull out the pieces that are genuine auction candidates.
2. I evaluate it honestly and tell you straight whether auction is really the better move, or whether you’re better off selling directly.
3. I connect you with the right auction house through my established relationships — the one that actually fits the item, not just whichever one’s convenient.
4. You receive your share of the final sale price once the auction closes.
Auction Formats — Online vs. Live vs. Hybrid
Online auctions reach a large, global buyer pool and tend to favor niche or specialty collector items, since bidders rely heavily on photos and video rather than handling the piece in person.
Live auctions draw a smaller, more local pool of bidders who can inspect items by hand — bidding tends to move faster and more emotionally in the room.
Hybrid auctions run both formats at once for the broadest possible reach. I’ll walk you through which format actually fits your item — it’s rarely one-size-fits-all.
What It Costs
General and online coin & collectible auctions typically run 10–40% of the gross sale, depending on volume and value.
On-site estate and full household liquidations typically run 35–50%.
Real estate auctions typically run 5–10% of the final bid, plus marketing and admin fees.
A buyer’s premium of 10–20% is added on top of the winning bid — this comes out of the buyer’s pocket, not the seller’s proceeds.
Marketing and cataloging flat fees run $150–$2,000+ for large or special collections. I’ll walk you through exactly what applies to your situation before anything is consigned — no surprises after the fact.
Better Together With an Estate
Auction and consignment often come up as part of a larger estate — a few standout pieces head to auction, while I can make an offer on most remaining items and/or work directly with you and provide you with a full clean-out. See our Estate Services page for how that works together.
FAQ
Do I have to sell everything at auction?
No. Often it’s just the standout pieces — everything else I can buy directly, or help you liquidate another way.
How long does it take?
It depends on the auction house and the item, but the process from consignment to sale is often weeks to a few months.
Do you charge just to look?
No — evaluating whether something’s a fit for auction is part of a free walkthrough, the same as any other appraisal.