Find Treasures For Bargain Deals At The Auction
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you like finding bargains, you may want to check out an auction.
While things move fast, they're not as intimidating as you may think, and lots of everyday people show up to bid at many local auctions.
We recently visited Dargate Auction Galleries. It's located in a former church in McKees Rocks.
One of the regulars, a man name Lou, described to us what it's like to get a deal.
"When you do get something that's really nice, it's like.. we call it a little score. You know, it sort a gets your adrenaline up," he said.
At Dargate, they auction off everything from jewelry, to train sets, to religious relics. Most of it comes from estates.
Auctioneer Bill Antonacceo says there are definitely deals to be had.
"Absolutely," he says. "Pennies on the dollar for a lot of things."
He showed us a doll for which he says collector might pay $200, but at the auction, he says it could go for $20.
He also showed us a high-end dining room set that was recently bought by a man who was transferred to Boston. He says it was originally bought for $8,020. It sold at the auction for $875.
The auction moves fast. One hundred items a minute, and at Dargate, they also accept bids from online.
When you arrive, you'll register, you'll be asked some credit card information and you'll be given a number to hold up to actually make a bid.
Antonacceo says, "Some people will just wave. Some will wink, nod."
But be careful, while we were there one man made a bid when he didn't mean to.
At Dargate, some of the most interesting items are on trays in the basement. Everything from train sets to figurines are often sold by the tray, and we saw many of them go for $10 or $5.
Antonacceo recommends that you take advantage of preview days and research items online.
"You have to do your homework," he said. "You have to know what you want and should definitely know what you want to spend before you come."
You should also know that Dargate, like many auctions, charges a buyer's premium. It's 20 percent of whatever you purchase. So if the hammer price on an item is $100, you'll actually pay $120.
Antonacceo tells a story an recent auction where something sold for an astounding amount of money.
It was a Russian tea pot that was valued at $800, but clearly, some bidders realized it was worth more. It wound up going for $18,000, according to Antonacceo.
The day we spent at the auction, Christine Somales of Monongahela walked away happy with the treasures she wound up with. She got some serving platters for $25 that were from a certain store that sold them for around $120 originally.
She also left with a vintage cigar humidor. It was $5, but she says similar ones have sold for $100 or more.
For more information on Dargate: http://dargate.com.
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