New Brunswick, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/22/2020 -- On January 4th, 2020, Bodnar's Auction Sales, the estate sale and rare coin auction house in NJ, kicked off the New Year with a bang! The buzz was all around their first sale of the year for months prior, and the day of the sale, all the excitement came to a peak!
It all began in the fall when Joseph Bodnar received a phone call from a man who needed his help with his Aunt's home in Metuchen, NJ. She had passed away and he was looking for help with the contents of her home. He knew he had George Nakashima furniture, and he had an idea of what it was worth. What he needed, however, was an outlet to sell it. Bodnar's Auction Sales was the perfect fit. After that, all the estates he would go to look at all seemed to highlight and fit right in around this fantastic Nakashima furniture. If you ask Joe himself, he will tell you this is how it happens every month. The items will all seem to come together and fit like a puzzle to create one fantastic auction.
Bodnar's Auction Sales has been in operation for over 25 years. They run auctions one to two times a month, and they really draw in the crowds. What helps draw in those crowds is the fact that they run unreserved sales. People know when they come in, the items they are bidding on are really there to sell, and that truly helped draw the crowds in for this. That is not the only factor that brought the over 500 registered bidders to this sale. Bodnar's Auction decided not to offer online bidding for this sale. When asked, Joseph Bodnar said "This is the kind of beautiful furniture you need to see in person to bid on. It loses something when you view it from a computer screen". He is one of the last true in-house auctioneers left in the tristate area. Most have moved to online-only auctions and in his opinion, you lose the excitement and the true nature of what an auction is when you are only selling to people on the other side of an electronic device. This does not mean, however, that the bidding was only in-house. There were callers from all over the world participating in this auction. He had over 45 people call who all wanted to be on the phone for various items throughout the sale, as well as over 400 absentee bids.
The night before the sale, Bodnar's Auction Sales opened their doors for their VIB preview, and it was packed! Everyone wanted an early look at all the mid-century modern furniture, artwork, jewelry and more that was to be offered the next day. Early the next morning, the flood gates opened the moment they opened their doors at 9 am! Within minutes, it was standing room only throughout most of the auction hall. At 11 am, the auction was off and running and no one could believe the prices that were being hollered from the auctioneers stand. The box lot section that normally sees $5-$50 bids were consistently bringing over $100 a box!
The jewelry sale was no different. Being offered that day were some fantastic Erte pieces that brought fantastic prices. An Erte sterling and 14K gold mother of pearl bangle brought $1,120, a pair of Erte Sterling and 14K gold earrings realized $800, a modern emerald and 14K gold ring brought a fantastic $2,070 and a beautiful vintage Tiffany &Co. mesh coin purse was hammered down at $1,495.
Once the main sale was underway, the prices kept soaring! The artwork was flying off the shelves at high prices. A pair of Frank English landscapes brought $1,380, and the multiple James Rizzi 3-D pop art pieces that were offered brought $800 consistently. A musical Faberge egg was fought over to the price of $1,150.
Finishing off the day was the highlight of the auction. All the George Nakashima furniture came from one estate and was purchased directly from Nakashima in the 1950s. Not only did she take perfect care of all the furniture, but she also had all the original receipts from him! There was not a scratch to be found anywhere! First up was the George Nakashima dining table with dovetail joints over the two large slats and the 6 Nakashima grass seated wishbone chairs. The bidding started quickly with an in-house bidder opening the bidding at $15,000. The bidding was hot all the way to $25,300, which was taken away by an in-house bidder! Next in line was a pair of beautiful upholstered lounge chairs that realized $12,650 for the pair, again by another in-house bidder! Last up was the fantastic round coffee table that brought $5,150, and a pair of end tables that were sold for $4,250 and a wall hanging sideboard that was fought over all the way to $12,600, finally purchased by a phone bidder.
Bodnar's Auction Sales has found in the past few years that the first sale of the year is the best sale of the year, and this year, they were prepared! The entire sale was completely filled with fantastic, high-end items that all sold for top prices!
Bodnar's Auction Sales runs one to two times a month, every month. They are the premier https://www.bodnarsauction.com/home-liquidation/ at 97 Sunfield Ave, Edison, NJ. More information go to https://www.bodnarsauction.com/ or call toll free at 866-349-7378 Our next auction is February 8, & 20, 2020.
About Bodnar's Auction
Established in 1994, Bodnar's Auction is the premier auction company of Central New Jersey. With a proven history of operating large-scale auctions at the New Jersey Convention & Expo Center in Edison, Bodnar's Auction is the leading authority in New Jersey's auction community, offering over 20 years of industry experience. Their team of seasoned auction professionals are second-to-none and help to ensure the best experience and the best results for both the bidders and the estate owners. Learn more about Bodnar's Auction at https://www.bodnarsauction.com. To contact them, call 1-866-349-7378.