Behind the Art of Consigning
From art to antiques and collectibles, let experts sell your treasures.
Robyn Spizman Gerson is a New York Times best-selling author of many books, including “When Words Matter Most.” She is also a communications professional and well-known media personality, having appeared often locally on “Atlanta and Company” and nationally on NBC’s “Today” show. For more information go to www.robynspizman.com.
Going, going, gone. Sold to the highest bidder!
These words are a familiar phrase when it comes to the world of auctions. Perhaps you are downsizing or have a Chagall, Picasso or works of art or antiques that you’re ready to part with and sell? Or you have a collection of jewelry, designer furniture, and valuable heirlooms you wish to monetize.
If you’re ready to reap the rewards of your possessions or cash out a luxury watch or vintage collectible, Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery (www.aandoauctions.com) and Peachtree Battle Estate Sales (www.atlantaestatesales.com) has you covered. Headquartered in Atlanta in the West End design district, Robert Ahlers and his wife, Christy, are a knowledgeable husband-and-wife team and the go-to source for all things consignment, estate sale and auction.
Whether you are consigning fine furniture or a prized artifact, a rare modern master to a contemporary artist, or want to bid and buy at auctions and estate sales, it can be a gold mine for both sellers and buyers. Having the help of a seasoned consignment company with a highly educated staff of experts is key. Once your items are accepted for consignment, they do the work for you, from valuations to photography, marketing to promotion, and oversee the entire sale and more.
According to Robert Ahlers, “The consignment model we use at Ahlers & Ogletree gives sellers multiple avenues for selling their collections. We are prepared to professionally and ethically advise you what to sell, when to sell it, the costs associated with selling, and the potential realized values of your collections when offered on the open market. Our auctions are offered on the international stage, so when we assertively and skillfully promote your items to our global market, we are able to achieve a higher value for you than if you sold your items at a local sale or directly to another collector or antique dealer.”
The other consignment options they offer are their in-home estate sales, which you see promoted all over the city and are run by A&O’s sister company, Peachtree Battle Estate Sales. The estate sale company specializes in high-end sales where they can sell everything from fine art and antiques to cars and jewelry directly from your home. PBES also offers multi-seller estate sales at their Miami Circle gallery. This selling venue was created to assist sellers who would like to have a traditional estate sale but live in a gated community, high rise building, HOA restricted community, or simply don’t have enough volume for an in-home estate sale. Robert and Christy Ahlers look at the whole estate or collection, and then, driven by value and market viability, send items to auction that are higher value, more unique items that need a global market to realize their potential, and then they select items that are appropriate for more of a regionalized estate sale.
Robert Ahlers explained, “When we review a collection or estate and a seller is trying to determine what to keep and what to sell, we have an expert staff and a battery of resources at our disposal to assist in evaluating an object’s potential. Sometimes we sell someone’s entire collection and other times just one important piece. Fine art, particularly Modernism and Impressionism, is trending very favorably in today’s market and we’ve been honored to sell pieces for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fine jewelry and watches are another major category that sells quickly. Often, someone does not know the current value of an object they own and are shocked to hear the value we present the with – those are exciting days for us when we can help a seller find previously unseen value in their collection.”
With exciting auction opportunities monthly, Robert Ahlers described, “Monthly auctions at A&O often comprise more than 750 exceptional lots, and will feature fine art by renowned artists, fine watches and other luxury accessories, exquisite Chinese export porcelain and tableware, 18th and 19th century furniture, hand-woven Persian rugs, Asian arts and decorative accessories. Antique porcelains, jades, and even utilitarian objects from China have seen a strong market in the last 10 years and we see many of these objects being repatriated to Asia. When you consign, your items would be scheduled for a specific auction, such as an Asian Arts sale or a Modern & Contemporary Art auction.”
Regarding some pieces that flew out the auction door, he shared, “We were honored to sell an extremely well-appointed estate here in Atlanta in Buckhead. The family had acquired a portrait of Oonagh Guinness, one daughter of the Irish brewing family, that was painted by an extremely noted Hungarian portraitist. The family purchased the painting in England about 20 years prior for about $20,000, and we were able to sell the painting for $325,000 due to our international following and marketing efforts. We go to great lengths to market our auctions and provide elite service to our buyers and sellers, and we are grateful to our rapidly growing clientele who trust us with their possessions, family estates, and heirlooms. We consider the work we do at A&O and Peachtree Battle Estate Sales an honor and we welcome the opportunity to serve customers here in Atlanta as well as around the world.”
Ahlers & Ogletree gallery is located at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd. NW in Atlanta. www.aandoauctions.com. A & O is accepting consignments and consignees can submit photographs of each item for review or request to have your estate or large collection reviewed in person.
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