I won’t bid at Jackson’s International Auctioneers in Cedar Falls, Iowa

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


I won’t bid at Jackson’s International Auctioneers in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Here’s a little bit of the story.

Many years ago I tried to do business with Jackson’s and had one little incident after another. It was so long ago, I can’t even recall any specifics. What I said to myself was that I won’t do business with them any longer. And I kept to that promise until this week.

I wanted to buy this killer Tiffany Favrile vase at Jackson's

I wanted to buy this killer Tiffany Favrile vase at Jackson’s

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I received a catalog for their World Treasures sale on November 29-30, 2016. I was impressed with many of the Tiffany Studios offerings, so I decided to give them another shot. On Monday of this week, I sent for condition reports on a number of lots to be sold on Wednesday, November 30th. Once I send an email, I assume the auction house is interested in my bids, so I forgot about it until I received an email this morning at 9:33 AM — 27 minutes before the sale was to begin. By the time I looked at the email, all of the items I was interested in were finished. There was no urgency whatsoever in the email. Just a “here are the condition reports you requested” attitude. How foolish or inept. Every extra bidder at an auction raises the prices and I’m a strong bidder. Even if I don’t buy an item, there is a good chance I will underbid it, raising the price for both the seller and the auction house.

So no more Jackson’s for me. Don’t waste your catalogs. I’ve had it with them.

UPDATE: Now I’m really ill. I just looked up the results and the items I was going to bid on sold so cheaply, I probably lost out on profit of $50,000+. For instance the vase pictured above sold for $15,000. I could have sold it for at least $35,000. Another vase sold for $2,000 that I could have sold for $7,500. A lamp sold for $22,000 that I could have sold for $45,000. Argh! I’m so angry and they’re so foolish. If I were the consignor, I would be pretty upset.


I’ve been listing on my website many of the new items I’ve recently purchased and I’ll be listing more in the near future. Please check my site as often as you can.

No more shows in 2016. Our next show will probably be the NYC Big Flea, the weekend of January 21, at the Lexington Avenue Armory. If not, we’ll be in Miami for the Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show, February 3 – 5, 2017. This is the airport show, which will be new and improved, with many additional exhibitors. The changes are happening because the Miami Beach Antiques Show will no longer be in Miami Beach, instead moving to a new location in southwest Miami. It will all make for an interesting winter season.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I will update it as often as time permits. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.