When researching this week’s “interesting auction finds and Success Stories” I came across some Nike Shoes. While I’ve been able to get a pretty good deal on shoes at Amazon and Ebay, I’ve yet to find Nike Air Max Sq Uptempo Zm Mens Basketball shoes for less than about $100. In fact these Size 9.5 shoes usually go for around $150.00.  Current bid at Sac Valley Auction is $16!

Of course one of the drawbacks of finding shoes at an auction is the lack of choices to choose from. Other than a lack of different sizes this particular auction seems to be an exception.

​For example this lot has two pairs the Air Max White/white no 386240 and the White /Silver No 698902 both with the original boxes. Both are stated to be “very lightly worn” giving the idea that they may have been just tried on in the store or brought back without really being used. Either way could put your kid in some Nike Air Max shoes at a great price.

There’s also lot 110 Some Michael Jordan Westbrook shoes. Which are going for $200 at store.nike.com and are currently auctioning for $5.00 Michael Jordan Westbrook.

Once again these are lightly worn but with the original box. 

So, as an auctioneer why would you want to auction shoes? Looking at these prices it would appear the profit margin is pretty low! While this is a great deal for the buyer what’s in it for you?

Good questions. Successful auctions need bidders .....

One undeniable advantage of shopping on the online auction sites of estates sale companies is being able to look for buys on your favorite design styles without leaving the comfort of your home. This is certainly true when you are searching out retro design furniture.  A perfect example is this Midcentury modern reclining chair by designer Milo Baughman and manufactured by Thayer Coggins as seen on this Northern California Auction.

​This recliner was manufactured at the height of the Midcentury Modern Design era which is loosely defined as between 1933 and 1965 and is limited by many as between 1947 to 1957, the middle of the 20th century.  

​Milo Baughman was brought in by manufacturer Thayer Coggin in the mid 1950s and is regarded as a highly influential designer of Midcentury modern furniture. 

Auctions are a great place to find rare and one of a kind music instruments. I stumbled across a great find at one of our member actions. A rare 1762 Jacobus Stainer Violin. My wife would love to get her hands on this one! Stainer Violins were one of the most sought after in Europe until the late 1800s.

Unique Features of Jacobus Stainer Violins

• highly skilled craftsmanship, particularly displayed in cut scrolls and occasionally carved heads of lions, angels, or women
• pronounced higher arching of the belly than the back
• Broad lower back
• varnish ranging in color from amber to orange-red, comparable in brilliance to Cremonese varnish​

There is some pretty interesting stuff in this world. Run of the mill doodads from the past and items that were once upon a time top of the line technology. The trick is finding them. You would be surprised at what you can find at Estate Sale Auctions.

While most of the items are pretty ordinary, tools, paintings, future and stuff like that, Estate Sale Auctions are one of the best places to find interesting, one of kind and rare items. We thought you might like to see some of the more interesting items that some of our Xpert Auction Software clients have recently sold on their online auctions. Today we are going to show you five antique items found in Sacramento online auctions.

1. El Chico Cuban Rum

These two hard to find bottles of 90 proof Cuban Rum were found near Knights Landing. 

This rare Cuban Rum produced by Ramon del Collado of Havana was made sometime after the prohibition, but before the embargo placed on Cuba in the early 60’s. 

The bottles of El Chico were found with some age and wear, as well as partial corks, but still intact. That’s right this 90 proof hard to find Cuban Rum is complete and ready to drink

2. Antique Keystone 8mm Movie Projector

Break out the old movies!

Next, we have an Antique Keystone 8mm Movie Projector model r-8. It was also found near Knights landing. This generation of old time movie project saw its hay day in the early 40’s. 

It was found functional, but with repairs to be made. A little work and it is ready to be used to see some good old black and whites.