Sir Alfred Munnings Br. 1879–1959 The Huntsman, A Bad Scent Gouache and watercolor courtesy of Barridoff.
Browse: Local Shopping
Opening Bid
Discover New England’s Antiques Auction Houses


 Early 20th century lithograph on paper. Advertising sign for Peach Baseball gloves, courtesy of John McInnis Auctioneers.

Circa 1890, E. Howard & Co., Boston, No. 1 Banjo , eight day wall clock in a fruitwood case courtesy of R. O. Schmitt Fine Arts. 


Early Circular Nantucket Basket with Swing Handle and an Old Nut-Brown Patina.


British Huntley & Palmer Tin Book-Form Biscuit Box. 


“THE LANDING OF THE FATHERS AT PLYMOUTH ROCK, DEC. 22, 1620,” Medium-Blue Staffordshire Jug, Enoch Wood & Sons, circa 1825-35.
courtesy of Northeast Auction House.



Country items from a local attic, and an early 20th century cast-iron fisherman doorstop from an estate in Hampton Beach, N.H. Boyd Auctions.


Horse racing painting entitled Pesage 1956 by Camille Hillaire, courtesy of Bennett Auctions.
 

New England is a great region for antiques, but the auction houses are sometimes overlooked, even by serious collectors. Here’s a list of our favorites.  Grab a paddle. There’s a lot going on the block this fall.

MAINE

Barridoff, South Portland
With Picassos topping $100 million, it’s easy to give up on the painting market. Barridoff, a South Portland auction house specializing in the fine arts, organizes a summer sale that mixes big-ticket items with portraits and landscapes going for less than $10,000. Barridoff’s accepts consignments from all over, but many come from the region’s private collections. Even if you can’t afford to bid, stop by the pre-sale exhibition to see what is hanging in fashionable Maine homes. 207 772-5011; www.barridoff.com

Boyd Auctions, Eliot 
How much did you spend at the mall last year? Can you remember what you bought? At Boyd Auctions, where you can bid on everything—from silver serving spoons and 1950s dishes to Wedgwood Jasperware and Victorian armoires—you’ll always remember what you bought. Even better, save your money and buy one nice thing. Last spring, a yellow-painted dressing table sold for $3,400. That’s the sort of thing that won’t end up in the Goodwill bag. 800 525-5796; www.boydauctions.com

Cyr Auction Company, Gray
Do you get a mini-wrench every time you buy a bookcase? Do your children think new furniture is Legos for grownups? With antiques there’s no assembly required. At the Cyr Auction Company, you can bid on old-fashioned desks, nightstands, rugs, and chairs. Another advantage to buying antiques: they’re keepers. You won’t want to trade in your dining table once you own a 19th-century mahogany model. 207 657-5253; www.cyrauction.com

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Bennett Auctions, Portsmouth
On the television show “Cash in the Attic” participants let antique experts weed through their attics in hope that they’ll discover something valuable. Stephen Bennett does the same for estates, identifying auction items with a well-developed eye for hidden value: He recently sold a vase for $9,600 that the executor had designated for the trash pile. As a result, his auction items are as varied as the attics they once resided in, which makes for some fun discoveries. A recent estate sale featured everything from 1,000-year-old Chinese jade to 1950s modern furniture, and everything you can imagine in between.
603 431-5585; www.bennettauctions.com

Cobbs, Peterborough
With all the frippery and gewgaws that go on the block, it’s easy to think of a country auction as the perfect girlfriends’ getaway. At Cobbs Auctioneers, you can forget the girly stuff. Guns, fishing rods, decoys, and knives are sold at their sporting auctions. And for those who would rather read about it, there are angler’s manuals and savanna memoirs. The fall event is a must for the big game hunter in your life. 603 924-6361; www.thecobbs.com

Knotty Pine, Swanzey
What are you doing next Thursday? If you like antiques, you’ll head to Swanzey, where Knotty Pine Auction Service will probably be holding a sale. Forty to fifty times a year, they draw a crowd with their diverse auctions of American furniture, Victorian bric-a-brac, and Civil War memorabilia. 800 352-5251; www.knottypineantiques.com

Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth
The big one. Northeast Auctions is a regional institution with a world-wide reputation. It was founded in 1987 by dealer-turned-auctioneer Ron Bourgeault, and its niche is top-of-the-line sales of 18th- and 19th-century art and antiques.  Still, there are plenty of bargains mixed in with the record-breakers. Bidders picked up Victorian tins and Staffordshire jugs, at one recent auction, at prices starting in the low hundreds. 603 433-8400; www.northeastauctions.com

Regal Auction Services, Franklin
For many years, Regal Auction Services sold the sort of antiques you expect to find in a New England salesroom. Then they went modern. The Franklin auction house organizes four sales a year of Danish Modern furniture, with each sale counting, on average, 1,000 pieces.  Most are imported from the source. “We go to Denmark and handpick the furniture,” says auctioneer Paul Morrisette.

So who’s the market for all these teak tables and sideboards?  “Hip young people want Danish Modern furniture,” he says.  Baby boomers, nostalgic for the furnishings of their childhood, are another market. But as he points out, most bidders are dealers. “We see many of our pieces end up on eBay or in famous design stores in New York and Boston.” But if you buy directly from Regal, the prices are a lot lower. 603-934-5410; www.regalauctionservices.com

R. O. Schmitt Fine Arts, Windham
Forty years ago, Bob Schmitt was living in Michigan and working at the Ford Motor Company. A colleague’s invitation to go antiquing lead to his first purchase: a German clock, for which he paid $20. “That was the start of it all,” he recalls. By the 1980s, Schmitt was selling clocks full-time in New Hampshire. He organizes two auctions a year, where you can pick up old-time favorites, including cuckoo and grandfather clocks, not to mention pretty mantel clocks, in all shapes and sizes. 603 432-2237; www.roschmittfinearts.com

NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS

John McInnis Auctioneers, Amesbury
The wedding registry lists lots of china, silver, and crystal. Let’s face it: the newlyweds are going for the big cull. If there’s a wedding coming up, check out the next estate auction. At John McInnis in Amesbury, the pickings are rich for bridal gifts. Coffee services, punch bowls, candlesticks, and vases go on the block several times a year. Best of all, the price for the vintage version is, in many cases, less than what you’d pay in a department store. 978 388-0400; www.mcinnisauctions.com

Tradewinds Antiques & Auctions, Manchester by the Sea
Many years ago, walking down the street was a social experience. Instead of shuffling along, plugged into a half-dozen wireless gizmos, you were expected to greet your fellow strollers. Canes and walking sticks are part of that bygone era. These jaunty accessories are the specialty of Henry Taron, who is the owner of Trade Winds Antiques & Auctions. 

Tradewinds made the news a couple years ago by auctioning a walking stick for $45,920. Many, however, are affordable. One, with a silver and amethyst handle, recently sold for $1,430, while a cane with an enamel eagle-head handle was knocked down to $770. 978 526-4085; www.tradewindsantiques.com