Below are many of the amenities that James D. Julia Auctioneers offer our clients. Many of these are unique to our firm alone. There is absolutely no other company in the world right now that offers all of what we offer below: 1. Reputation. We have been involved in the auction business for over 40+ years and during that time have established and maintained an impeccable reputation for honesty and fair dealing with both buyers and sellers. The greater the comfort level of the buyer, the greater the auction participation and thus, of course, more money for you, the consignor. 2. Our Catalogs. Our catalogs are the finest in the industry. Here are just a few of the unique reasons why:
A. Guarantee: At James D. Julia’s we provide a guarantee on our description. In an auction world which is dominated by “caveat emptor”, Julia’s is almost unique. Nearly all other auction houses begin the conditions of their sales “as is where is”. In the auction world today 60-70% or more of all goods are purchased by absentee bidders. Our guarantee, nearly unique in the industry, ensures and encourages absentee bidders to participate in a far more aggressive manner than they would in a situation wherein the goods are not guaranteed, thus of course more money for you, the consignor. B. Descriptions: Our descriptions are fully detailed, honest and accurate. Most are prepared by some of the finest specialists in the industry. Most of our catalogers are recognized throughout North America and across the world for their special knowledge in the niche that they catalog. Indeed, if we did not have this level of expertise, we would not be able to provide the guarantee above. Our reputation and that of the various catalogers who write the descriptions, further help to encourage and maximize bidding participation, thus more money for you, the consignor. C. Quality Photographs: As stated above, a large majority of all the clients today are absentee bidders. Therefore, it is our intention here at Julia’s to essentially place the goods in our client’s hand via our catalog. Presentation is our utmost goal. Large, lavish, professional digital photographs coupled in some cases with multiple close-up images of importantdetails literally place the object in the absentee bidder’s hands. This, replete with the detailed description, combined with our guarantee, makes absentee bidding easy, safe and convenient and thus maximize participation, thus more money for you, the consignor. D. More Photos Per Page Than Any Competitor: At Julia’s most of our catalog divisions utilize more page space per lot than any other competitor in the industry. The greater the amount of page space used to present your goods ensures maximum presentation and thus maximum participation, thus more money for you, the consignor. 3. Advertising and Marketing. The most comprehensive and aggressive advertising and marketing plan in the business. We utilize: A. Most of the major collector publications in North America and some abroad. B. Most of the major antique publications in North America. C. Major regional general publications. D. Membership lists and newsletters when permissible for various collector organizations. E. Many thousands of lavish full color brochures mailed free of charge to clients all over North America and throughout the world. The same brochures are also provided at various shows. F. Press Releases: We have a PR department responsible for pre-sale and post-sale press releases that are released to most of the major print media in North America and some abroad. G. Internet: We have a well developed and established website continually being updated to maximize traffic. Our entire auction catalog, replete with thumbnail blow-up pictures is available well prior to the auction, together with historical catalogs and prices realized from past auctions. Our entire site will soon be a major interactive research site available to our clients. H. Shows: We participate in various antique shows throughout the country, the purpose of which is solely to promote our clients’ goods. We are not dealers, we are auctioneers only and thus all of our efforts are on behalf of our clients. The above is some of what we do to maximize your goods, exposure and subsequent participation thus more for you, the consignor. 4. Carry Over Auction Advertising: In addition to our Firearms Division, we have a rare Glass & Lamp Division and as a National Auction House, we are the largest seller of rare glass and lamps in North America. We also have a division specializing in rare Toys & Dolls; one of the top four or five such divisions in North America and we have a specialty division dealing in Fine Arts and a general line of high-end Antiques which markets millions of dollars worth of goods throughout the year. Some of the affluent client base we have developed in each of these divisions cross over and participate in other auctions such as the Firearms Auction. A few years ago a client, from one of our other divisions bid for the first time ever in his life at our Gun Auction and was the under bidder on a $684,000 firearm. The client was not a gun collector, simply an affluent collector intrigued by an ad which he saw in one of our other division catalogs and since has spent over $1,000,000 at our Firearms Auctions. This happens on a regular basis, thus the more participation we draw, the more for you, the consignor. 5. Live Internet Bidding: Whether we like it or not, the internet is here to stay and is and will continue to be an extremely important part of business and commerce in the future. We recognized and embraced this concept long ago by posting all our auctions on the internet for live time internet bidding. All our auction catalogs are now hosted by Artfact . Artfact is the largest and most significant antique research site currently on the internet. By hosting our catalog on the Artfact site we are exposing our company and our clients’ goods to virtually millions of proven affluent collectors and antique enthusiasts who come to this site for research. In addition, all our antique auction catalogs are hosted on Artfact Live . This means that any item is available on Artfact Live for over a week in advance of the auction and thus exposing our clients’ goods to proven buyers all over the world who participate on Artfact Live. In addition to pre-auction bidding they can also register to bid live on the internet the day of the auction and thus bid competitively just as a telephone bidder or any other absentee bidder might participate. This means more participation on your items, which translates to more competition and thus a greater return for you, the consignor. 6. Telemarketing Division: We have a full time telemarketing division here at our company whose purpose is solely to personally contact potential clients prior to the auction and encourage them to participate. We keep records of every single individual who calls into our office requesting information on items of significance. This historical compilation is maintained and with each upcoming auction featuring items of interest to that particular client a note is made to the Telemarketing Division which will call these individuals and alert them to the objects of their interest in our upcoming sale. In addition, our Telemarketing Division contacts all clients who are sent complimentary catalogs and frequently contact clients who purchase catalogs to ensure that they have received the catalog and to see if they can be of any further assistance. In addition to all of this, the telemarketers have computers available to them with historical data regarding these various clients and their past bid participation so that the telemarketer can be familiar with the client and focus the conversation in the areas in which the client has proven interest. This is a highly sophisticated marketing device that has been extremely successful for our company for years. The more aggressive our marketing, the more participation, thus more for you, the consignor. 7. Finest & Most Comfortable Auction Facility in the Industry: Our new state of the art auction facility we feel is the finest in the industry today. Well lit, airy, comfortable with a pleasant atmosphere are just some of the features. Unlike some competing auction houses which take their auction on the road, we have the capability for extensive preview. Our antiques are set up well in advance. Because a client’s goods come to our auction facility and stay here, there is less handling and less potential for any damage to take place. The day of the preview, our items are arranged in chronological order with valuable pieces under glass and a number of our staff available to watch over the preview process. Presentation, convenience and safety are all key focuses of preview set-ups. During the preview and the day of auction, there is delicious food and drink available free of charge to all participants. A hot, homemade sandwich and soup buffet is provided by chefs Ron & Albertine Franck. During the actual auction, each lot is displayed larger than life on various over-sized TV monitors during the auction thus minimizing the handling of our clients’ valuable items, but yet giving tremendous presentation at the point of sale. A comfortable and agreeable surrounding allows our buyer to focus on buying, thus more for you, the consignor. 8. We Are Auctioneers Only, Not Dealer/Auctioneers. Thus our full time and effort is focused on your consignments and their success. All auction houses, (INCLUDING Julia’s) legitimately, almost always own and sell a few things that are company-owned property in their own auctions. It may be an occasional purchase or some items acquired by default, but this is a natural occurrence at any auction firm. However, some auctioneers have two conflicting professions, one as a full-time auctioneer and one as a full-time dealer. It is also important to know that while high-profile auction houses normally will obtain an average rate of return on a collection, more than what the client could normally get in any other way, it does not mean that everything goes for the ultimate price; there are always bargains at an auction. Some dealer/auctioneers will attend both antique shows and other competitors’ auctions for the purpose of buying a large number of items for company stock. In doing so, they compete and sometimes alienate the very buyers that would be customers at their own auctions. They then take these many hundreds of items and incorporate them into their own auctions with a lavish presentation and a safe reserve. The end result is that ultimately some of these things sell and those that don’t simply go back into their warehouse where they’ll be offered again someday with a safe reserve. The problem is that when a dealer/auctioneer offers up 2,500 items and anywhere from 200-1,000 of them are their very own items, they serve as a significant competitor to their own consignors. There is a significant potential conflict of interest. Who gets a larger picture? Who gets a greater description? Which items are potential buyers more apt to be directed to? The end result is that the very auctioneer himself serves as a major competitor to the people that have entrusted their items to him to sell. Our policy at Julia’s is not to do this; there is nothing illegal with this process, but we consider it an extreme conflict of interest. One of the primary reasons that people consign to an auction house is a matter of trust; trust that the auctioneer will do his best to maximize the return for the client’s goods. In a situation in which a dealer/auctioneer consigns large numbers of similar things to his own auction, there is always the potential of conflict of interest for the auctioneer to work harder on their offerings than the clients’. I want to repeat that we do not mean or imply that any other dealer/auctioneer is doing something illegal if they follow this practice, we just consider the possibility an extreme conflict of interest and we do not subscribe to it. One dealer/auctioneer actually keeps a book of comparison items exhibiting items he has purchased from various competing auctioneers and then resold. Because some of these things brought more than what he paid for them at the competing auction houses, he attempts to position himself as getting more money for goods than any other auctioneer, however he conveniently avoids revealing the many objects he attempted to resell did not attain or even come close to the same price that he purchased them for at competing auction houses. The only thing that is proven by this presentation is in fact that the very person that you are considering consigning your valuable goods to will be a competitor to you in selling his own similar things. The fact that they sell some of their items for more money than was attained at a previous auction is proof of nothing other than the fact that at every auction, there are always some bargains (including his auctions). All high-profile auctioneers from time to time receive consignments from collectors or dealers who have purchased goods at other auctions. In some cases some of these items bring more than what they previously did. That’s only a natural occurance. A couple of years ago our firm sold a Walker pistol for $430,000; it had been sold by a competing auction firm 2 years earlier for $180,000. I would like to believe that I am doing 2-1/2 times better than my competitor who sold it for $180,000 but the results were, in part, due to a number of circumstances and timing. From time to time these things happen at auction. In addition to the possible conflict of interest at a dealer-auctioneer company, there is also another loss to the consignor who chooses a dealer/auctioneer and this relates to the possible dealer/auctioneer disparagement that exists from potential buyers. Any dealer/auctioneer that competes in buying with the very buyers upon whom they rely on for participation and buying at their auction, risks potentially offending that collector/dealer to the extent that the collector/dealer refuses to participate in their auction. This could result in a potential loss to the consignor. (A number of such buyers have complained to us over the years that they will not attend or participate in a dealer/auctioneer auction.) Thus, not only does the potential for a conflict of interest exist, but also the potential of less participation from some buyers due to the auctioneer/dealer practices. We specifically do not do this as we feel this is in direct conflict with our consignors whom we work for. 9. Terms: At James D. Julia’s we don’t have one flat commission rate which fits all. Our commission structure is based on what you consign to us. The better the quality of goods, the higher the value, the lower our commission rate. It can even get as low as 0%! There is no one offering better terms for quality items currently in the industry today and of course the best way to determine this is to compare us. Our contracts are simple, straight forward and there are no “hidden charges”. Simply, the lowest total cost in the industry for quality consignments, thus more for you, the consignor. 10. The Best Auction House For The Best Returns: An essential fact in the auction world today is that no one auctioneer gets the greatest money for the most expensive things and also the greatest money for the inexpensive things. A high profile auction house such as James D. Julia will excel with expensive and valuable items; however, since the primary clientele is focused on that quality level, we do not perform as well on the low end, less expensive items. On the other hand, a smaller auction house or local auction house, which attracts a large segment of the middle market buyers will generally outperform a high profile auction house, such as James D. Julia or any other high profile auctioneer. Despite the fact that no auction house does best with both the high end and the low end, most auction houses will take your entire consignment. They will charge you a high enough commission to compensate them for selling the entire lot and unfortunately not obtain the best returns for everything for you. At Julia’s we take a different approach. In keeping with our honest upfront reputation we simply tell you these facts and present you with various options. You select the option which you are most satisfied with and we, in turn, provide the service as requested. As a high profile auction house, focusing on high quality goods, we will admit that we do best on the most expensive things and at the same time charge the least commission. We will also admit, that like other high profile auction houses, we do not get the best return on the less expensive items and if we handle them, must adjust our commission accordingly to compensate us adequately. We will always offer to handle the entire collection and quote you a rate based on the values, should you wish to only deal with one auction house. However, if your goal is to maximize your return, we’ll also give you a second option. We will point out those items that we will excel with and do best with, and we will also quote you an extremely competitive commission rate on those items. We will also introduce you to the Poulin Auction Company which tends to excel with the middle market items and because their overhead is far less than our overhead, will charge you far less commission. Thus, allowing you to maximize on both the low end as well as the high end items. We are giving you only honest, sound advice and you make the final decision. In terms of utilizing the right auction house for the right goods atJulia’s we have a unique situation. There is another auction house literally 50 yards from Julia’s. The Poulin Auction Company, owned by James Julia’s sister and husband, has been conducting auctions for many years. Because their overhead costs are considerably less than a high profile auction firm such as James D. Julia’s, they can charge less for the less expensive things while at the same time their marketing and their draw is focused on the mid-range buyer. Thus, they attract a large clientele of mid-range buyers, tend to get very strong results for those types of things while at the same time charging a low commission rate. James D. Julia Auctioneers on the other hand, tends to draw a strong following for their upper-end merchandise and thus gets strong returns for the more expensive things, while at the same time charging the very lowest commission for the more valuable things. In addition, the two companies, with their close proximity, conduct their auctions on simultaneous days. Poulin Auction Company’s sales are held immediately preceding the Julia Auction Company sales and thus not only do they draw their middle market buyers for their offering, but they also benefit from the large contingent of high profile, affluent buyers drawn in for the high-end James D. Julia auctions thus, they enjoy the participation of both their midrange buyers that they normally draw from their marketing, but also benefit from the high end buyers that travel from all over North America and throughout the world to attend a Julia auction. This unique situation is a win-win for everyone involved. For the consignor, it allows them an opportunity, if they wish, to place their goods with the auction house that will A) likely get them the greatest return for their goods, B) charge them the least commission and C) thus result in the greatest return for them. Even though this is the best possible arrangement for a potential consignor, clients do not have to avail themselves of this. If the client prefers, James D. Julia’s will take their entire consignment whether its average goods, middle market goods or advance quality goods, however, Julia’s honestly presents in each case how the client will fare best and the client can make their decision whether to utilize only Julia’s or whether to utilize the combination of the Julia auction house and the Poulin auction house. 11. Everything Represented In Color: Everything offered in our catalogs is presented with color illustrations. Some auctioneers will represent only some of the things in color, some in black and white with many goods only listed, no illustration at all. One auction house actually provides a listing of 1,000 to 2,000 items which sometimes they sell in a silent auction during the day when the live auction is going on. An incredible sensory overload. Some auctioneers use color illustrations for some items and no illustrations at all for lesser valued items. Some auctioneers will present some of the goods in a special upscale auction and keep a large number of the average items to offer in a lesser auction at another time, again with only some illustrations. If you consign your goods to Julia’s you can expect them to be illustrated and illustrated in color. 12. Owner Auctioneer Combination: James D. Julia Auctioneers is one of the few upscale auction houses in North America wherein the actual owner itself performs the majority of the auctioneering. Most auction houses utilize mercenaries who are paid professional auctioneers who come in for a couple of days, chant the auction and then leave. They get paid a fee for their services, but at Julia’s the actual owner of the company and key full time employees conduct the auction. Unlike a mercenary, James D. Julia has interacted personally with many of the consignors and therefore is cognizant of idiosyncrasies regarding their items. The interjection of certain information or the emphasis on important aspects of a particular item or just that extra effort in the auctioning process sometimes can mean 10-20% difference in a $50,000 item. Because the owner is doing the auction, because the owner prospers as the consignor prospers, the owner-auctioneer is the ultimate form of auctioneer and in turn strives his utmost to maximize your return. Thus more for you, the consignor. 13. Convenience: Our company philosophy is to attempt to work very hard at maintaining a personable and professional relationship with all clients, both buyers and sellers. It is our intention here to make your interaction with us as convenient as possible. If you have questions, we will try to accurately provide you with appropriate answers. If you have special needs, we will do everything we can to satisfy those needs within reason. 14. Pick Up On Large Collections: We can arrange for delivery of your goods to our state of the art auction facility in a safe, problem-free, convenient manner. 15. Easy to get to: There are three major airports serving our auction facility; one being an International Airport. We are located just one mile off Interstate 95, close to a number of good motels and dining facilities. 16. The Julia Staff: One of the finest auction teams in North America. This professional and personable team is dedicated to serving and satisfying our customers. Our full time staff consists primarily of long term Julia employees, skilled and trained in the handling of rare and valuable items. 17. Call us to learn how we can maximize your return: We would be delighted to talk to you in more detail about how James D. Julia’s and/or James D. Julia – the Poulin Auction Company can best serve your needs and maximize your return. Call us today for a free confidential non-obligatory discussion whether you have one item or an entire collection.