Gray's Auctioneers: Not Your Father’s Auction House

If you think auction houses are only for snooty art collectors with deep pockets, you need to pay a visit to Gray’s Auctioneers. Owners Deba Gray and Serena Harragin and their team (pictured here) have injected the traditional auction house with a green, conscientious ethos that is focused on helping sellers get the best price for their goods and giving buyers great deals while providing an alternative to the “buy new” mantra of the contemporary marketplace.

A native Clevelander, Gray grew up in Lakewood and Rocky River and started her career answering phones at Wolf’s Gallery in Cleveland. She worked her way up through the ranks, all the while increasing her broad knowledge of fine arts, antiques, and collectibles. Gray is modest about her knowledge and accomplishments, but Harragin will proudly tell you that when Gray earned her auctioneer’s license, she was the youngest female auctioneer in Ohio. The two met in Key West, Florida, where Gray owned an antique store. The two moved to Chicago, where Gray worked with Leslie Hindman Auctioneers as an auctioneer and Director of Marketplace Sales. When Hindman was purchased by Sotheby’s, Gray was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Property.

After leaving Sotheby’s, Gray worked in the New York film industry, as did Harragin. They lived in Manhattan and bought a weekend house in the country in upstate New York, which Gray liked because it “reminded me of Ohio.” The two soon grew tired of feeling cramped and of dealing with the high cost of living in New York.

Gray still had her auctioneer’s license, and the two decided to open their own auction house. They left Manhattan and bought a property in Fort Lauderdale. A month later, it was hit by a hurricane, which sent a tree through the roof. After thinking further about an area that was affordable, meteorologically stable, and had a high quality of life, they chose Cleveland.

The comparatively lower cost of doing business in Cleveland gives Gray’s a competitive advantage, allowing the company to handle a much broader range of items while offering the same level of professionalism and service as big-name auction houses. The largest auction houses won’t even look at items that will fetch less than $1,000. Gray says, “We can afford to sell something for $20. They can’t do that in Chicago or New York. People are learning this.”

Indeed, clients in Sotheby’s backyard have learned the advantages of working with Gray’s. The firm recently signed a consignment agreement for the contents of an Upper West Side Manhattan apartment. A New York auction house first appraised the estate and, out of 350 items, offered to sell 15—all of which would be priced above $1,000. “What’s the family going to do with the other 300 plus items?” Harragin asks. “That doesn’t help people. We can take the entire estate, and we’ll sell it.”

Gray’s offers free verbal appraisals and free pickup. But Gray clarifies their business by saying: “We don’t buy estates; we help you sell your estate.” There are generally three ways through which items come to auction: death, debt, or divorce. Estate liquidators or dealers will often offer to buy the entire contents of a house or apartment, however, such deals almost always benefit the buyer, not the seller. It’s in the interest of an auction house to appraise each item and sell it at the best price possible, while it’s in the interest of a liquidator or dealer to purchase items as cheaply as possible in order to sell them later for a larger profit.

Gray and Harragin recall a dealer who went to an auction and bought two end tables for $50 each and sold them at an antique shop for $550. In another instance, Gray tells the story of a recent client who had among her possessions what she called two “crappy” paintings. Those crappy paintings turned out to be by California artists Orrin Augustine White and Arthur Grover Rider and are worth approximately $3,000-4,000 and $10,000-15,000, respectively. A dealer or liquidiator might have bought the contents of the house for a lump sum.

Working with an auction house such as Gray’s gives the client the best chance at earning what the paintings are actually worth on the open market.

If the big auction houses bank on intimidation as a way of adding to their mystique, Gray’s banks on service, honesty, and an open accessibility that benefits both sellers and buyers. Harragin adds that Gray’s reputation as an auctioneer and as the consummate generalist has followed her here, as the firm already has clients from around the country and several countries.

Remote buyers can participate in the monthly auctions online, allowing Gray’s to be an equal competitor with the larger auction houses. The firm already has 18,000 visits a month from people browsing online. Gray and Harragin note that buyers are slowly moving from eBay to reputable auction houses because of the service and protection afforded by doing business with an established firm, rather than an individual.

Gray and Harragin term their approach to the auction business as “conscientious capitalism.” “Auctions are like buying wholesale,” Gray says. “You get fair market prices and great deals.” Harragin adds, “If you go to Crate & Barrel or Pier I, you’re told how much you have to pay. If you come to us, you tell us how much you want to pay.”

Buying at auction is also an easy, inexpensive way to buy green. Harragin states, “In the age of global warming, we have to be cognizant of our individual footprint. If I can buy something that is used, I will. I don’t want to use up more energy buying something new that is instantly replaceable. Further, it’s about preserving our heritage as Americans, about valuing the craftsmanship of yesteryear, because so much now is made by machines.” She adds with a mischievous grin, “Plus, it’s an awful lot of fun to set your own price.”

Gray’s next auction is the spring art and antiques sale on Saturday, March 1 at 1PM at their showroom at 10717 Detroit Avenue. There are a full three days of preview for the auction, February 27-29 from noon - 7PM. While you’re there, you can view oil paintings by Scott Miller, which are on display in the showroom’s lobby cum gallery. Auctions are fun (and not just because you get to hold one of those little paddles), but Gray does note that buyers should definitely examine items before bidding. Caveat emptor does apply, and browsing and examining is encouraged. “Visitors are welcome to touch everything but the staff,” she quips.
For more information, visit: http://www.graysauctioneers.com.
Interview and Photo by Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Petrone theinkcasinoATadelphia.net
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