Have you always wished you could attend an auction but felt intimidated to enter the room? Scared you might not fit in or that it was just for the jet-set?
Thanks to Savacool and Sons of San Diego there’s a better, easier and less intimidating way to enjoy an auction: at home and online.
Yes, Savacool has put the “cool” in online auction and estate sales: you can now bid on an eighteenth-century armchair, antique necklace or anything else that attracts your attention from right behind your home or office computer.
“We only sell online through our custom designed auction platform. Users from other auction platforms have complimented us on the ease of use of our auction site. But beware that it is addictive,” Matt Savacool said.
“We specialize in high-end and eclectic and look for interesting sales with some historical value. Recently we sold items from a John Lloyd Wright designed home in Mission Hills, items from one of the sons of William Randolph Hearst and items from the former secretary of the Smithsonian. Our best sales have everything from designer handbags to fine furniture, fine jewelry, collectibles, home decor, and tools.”
Savacool started the unique online estate auction in January 2015 and to date has held more than 100 successful online sales. He said he wanted to take the auction and estate world by storm, and it appears he has.
No stranger to the business he previously owned a 3,000-square-foot brick and mortar packed antique store in south Oceanside occasionally selling on eBay and ran traditional tag estate sales.
“Running a traditional estate sale where every item is priced is equivalent to trying to sell the contents of an antique store in a weekend; you’re setting yourself up for failure. It was determined that online auctions were the most effective way to sell everything quickly for the most money based on feedback from East Coast customers and extensive research,” he said.
So, he split the store and dedicated half to auctions but quickly liquidated the entire the store and focused 100 percent on auctions. The model works well.
“Over the years we’ve established a large local following with little advertising spent, working hard to perfect the model before growing. We’re moving a lot of product and we’re getting recognized so much other local brick and mortar businesses are following our lead and switching to our model. A lot of our customers are repeat customers and we treat them like family,” he said.
Fast Sales
Savacool and Sons helps its clients sell everything within a short window of time for the most money. In some cases, it consigns the items. In others, it buys out the contents of the estate. Either way the items end up in its online auctions. It doesn’t keep anything or sell on eBay; it just passes things along, Savacool said.
Savacool and Sons works with appraisal experts in most fields from rugs to precious stones and everything in between.
“Having lived in this space for almost a decade we have a pretty good feel for values and in cases where we don’t, we use the same tool certified appraisers use, the Internet,” Savacool said.
What ultimately makes Savacool and Sons different than other similar businesses? He has a definitive answer:
“We sell 99 percent of all items we list and never have the problem after a sale of finding a dealer to buy out all of the contents we didn’t sell. We offer shipping and have recently shipped to Moscow, Russia, London, England and Manhattan, NY.”
It’s customers are as diversified as the items up for auction.
“Over the years we have organically established a large local database of buyers who are mainly end buyers, but we do have quite a few dealers. Clients seek us out to sell their belongings’ a lot come from word-of-mouth and referrals. We are known for doing the job right and take pride in our work.
“I tell clients that we are in the entertainment business just as much as we’re in the business of retail. It’s a very connected social experience for our buyers especially during the final hours of a sale when items are closing; that’s when things start to get interesting. It’s a rush of adrenaline we all need from time to time.”
For more information please visit www.savacoolandsons.com.
