Reviews

My mother passed away in December, 2021, and had a reverse mortgage on her property. I was under a deadline to empty her home and put it up for sale. A home organizer recommended Blue Box Auction Gallery (BB) as a way to showcase the collections in the home - dolls, costume jewelry, vinyl records, a c. 1960s stereo, and many other vintage items. Included was my mother’s pristine, 81 piece set of Style House Duchess china purchased in the late 60s. As the auctions occurred, there didn’t seem to be much effort to obtain fair market value for many of the items. Most bids were low (starting at ** and a majority of the items sold for that), but I knew I didn’t have the time, knowledge, or the social media expertise to do this myself. I was confident that BB staff was knowledgeable enough to set higher starting bids on more desirable items. When I saw the list that noted my mother’s china sold for **, I was certain it was a bookkeeping error. I contacte* ** and discovered that the china had sold for* *.  I spoke to Jim ****** who I believe is the owner. I questioned him about the winning $* bid on the china, and he said that was acceptable because it was what the “market” was willing to pay. I pointed out that 81 pieces of china purchased at the ****** ***** would cost $**** Needless to say, he wasn’t happy with me. And I felt very foolish for expecting BB to set a higher minimum for the china. I researched what the “market” is paying for replacing all 81 pieces – according to Replacements, Inc., ****, and ***** ****. I could have set a minimum bidding price for the china, but I never anticipated the need to do so, expecting BB to set a reasonable minimum. I know I’m not the only one who has had to make quick decisions and empty a home after the death of a loved one. I will say that BB provided adequate records, and employees were able to answer most questions. However, anyone who uses ** should be aware of the risks and avoid my mistake.

We're sorry you were not happy with the current market value results of your mother's china sold at auction. When people are emotionally connected to items it make the actual market value more difficult to accept (even when they sell with outstanding results). We have no control over the market results but our sales and marketing efforts are consistent to show the items to a substantial audience and proven successful for desirable items. This particular pattern is not desirable and we tried to sell at 2 previous auctions, unsuccessfully, with a higher starting price. Additionally, you neglected to mention the items we sold well above your expectations and above normal market value and how delighted you were with those results. When our team met with you it was made clear that some of the items in the estate are not selling well at auction and the trends are not there for them. Your full consignment, including the items that were not selling well in the market, was accepted (nearly 6 months ago) as a courtesy to help the estate. Please note, retail websites keep inventory for months or years to sell that one-off replacement piece at a very inflated price. Our primary goal is to delight our consignors and work hard to achieve the best results the market will allow.