Consigning
One chair, one collection, or a whole workshop
We photograph it on our own sweep, measure it with a tape in the frame, write the condition report ourselves, and hold it back for the right sale rather than the next one.
The terms, stated once
No listing fee, no photography fee, no unsold fee.
- Commission 14–16% of hammer, by category
- Photography, turntable and full measurement included
- Condition report written by us and pinned to the photograph
- Free valuation visits across the Portland metro
- Settled in 10–14 business days with a per-lot statement
- If it does not sell, you pay nothing at all
The no-reserve argument
A reserve does not raise what you get. It lowers the spread.
A lot with a reserve has to open near the reserve, or the early bidding is theatre. A lot without one opens genuinely low, and low openings bring in bidders who would never have engaged at the reserve. Those bidders then compete with each other.
- Lots sold on this site7
- Sold without reserve3
- Avg bids, no reserve26
- Avg bids, with reserve19
- Total hammer, no reserve$1,420
Computed live from this demonstration catalogue. The lots are invented; the arithmetic over them is not. The full argument, with the caveats.
The process
From “I have a chair” to “the chair is lot 11”
Send photographs, or ask us to visit
Phone photographs are fine at this stage. If there are more than a handful of pieces, or anything too heavy to move, we come to you — free across the Portland metro, at cost further out.
A written range per object
Including the honest zeroes. You get a plain view on what is worth selling, what is worth keeping and what is not worth cataloguing, with reasons.
Cataloguing and photography
Our sweep, our light, our tape measure. We write the condition report and show it to you before it goes up. If you disagree with a note, we will discuss it — but we will not remove it.
The right sale, then settlement
We hold the object for the sale where it will do best. After it closes you are settled in 10–14 business days with a statement showing hammer, commission and net for every lot.
Questions
What sellers ask first
What does it cost me if my lot does not sell?
Nothing. No listing fee, no photography fee, no unsold fee. We carry the cost of cataloguing a lot that does not sell, which is a strong incentive for us to be honest with you about what something is worth before it goes up.
Should I set a reserve?
Only if there is a specific number below which you would genuinely rather keep the object. A reserve suppresses the opening, and a low opening is what brings in the bidders who then compete. Set a reserve for a real floor, not out of general anxiety.
When do I get paid?
Within 10 to 14 business days of the buyer’s payment clearing, by bank transfer, with a line-by-line statement showing hammer, commission and net for every lot.
Do you take everything?
No, and this is the part most sellers appreciate afterwards. We will tell you plainly which pieces are worth selling, which are worth keeping, and which are honestly worth nothing. Listing something that will not sell wastes your time and our sale.