Buying at Apple Tree

The buyer has access to monthly auctions which encompass a broad range of quality antiques, decorative art, collectibles, fine art, jewelry, specialty items, collections and much more.  Our antique auctions contain over 4,000 lots that sell over two days. The majority of our items are "fresh to the market" with most consignments coming from estates, collections and those who are moving or downsizing.  These consignments are attained on a local, regional and national level.  The items are organized, catalogued and displayed in an attractive manner. Frequent customers can also request permanent bidder numbers and never wait in a registration line. Buyer registration and check out is an easy process with our newly developed auction software system.

At Apple Tree we realize that your time is important.  We have a reputation for selling items at a rapid pace and never out of our cataloged order.  We also provide selling time estimates of when particular items will sell so that you don't have to wait around all day or risk missing an item.  Apple Tree allows buyers to view upcoming lots on scheduled preview days and in most cases up until the time that they are sold. Buyers will also appreciate that most auctions contain items that are sold without "reserves" or a minimum bid.  We never allow a consignor to bid on their own items. To keep you informed on upcoming events, Apple Tree sends out monthly emails to customers that provides a calendar of coming auctions, as well as, easy click links to access catalogs, selling times and other information. Simply sign up on our web site and stay informed. We also sent out monthly illustrated auction brochures to active buyers or those who have paid for a yearly subscription.

We offer a variety of ways for customers to participate in our auctions if they cannot attend.

Absentee Bidding is available at all auctions to buyers. Bids can be left in person or by telephone. Absentee bids are always executed in a fair and competitive manner. 

Live Telephone Bidding is available at all of our cataloged auctions.  A representative from Apple Tree will call you several minutes before your requested lot sells and you can actively participate in the bidding, special terms may apply.

Internet Bidding is a great way to participate in an auction without ever leaving your home. This type of bidding is only available on a portion of our cataloged auctions including monthly antique auctions, deposit box contents auctions and other specialty auctions. Bidders can participate by previewing/bidding online at least one week before the event or bid live interactively while the auction is taking place. Bidding is offered through Artfact.com. 
Apple Tree also offers in-house packing and world wide shipping services.

Selling at Apple Tree

When it comes to consignments, the best advertising we have is by "word of mouth". The majority of our business comes from people telling others about the positive experiences they have had with our company either as a buyer or seller.  We have even sold items for families spanning two to three generations.  We also have long standing relationships with many attorneys, bank trust departments and real estate professionals that we have worked with for over 20 years.  Our goal is for you to have that same level of confidence and trust in our services and to maintain a relationship that will last beyond a single business transaction.   We are pleased to sell one piece or an entire house, estate, business or collection.  Our experienced staff has extensive knowledge in antiques, collectibles, jewelry, real estate and business liquidations.  We take the time to properly identify and research items before they sell.  At Apple Tree, we realize the importance of proper advertising and marketing to insure maximum market exposure to potential buyers.  We spend over $100,000 in advertising each year.  We utilize nationally respected antique and trade publications, newspapers, illustrated auction flyers and the world wide power of the Internet to ensure success.

Apple Tree is known as a full-service organization.  We have the resources, vehicles, manpower and expertise to handle any task. In most cases, we can remove the complete furnishings of a household in one day. Arrangements can also be made for the disposal of unsaleable items.

The Advantage of Selling at Auction

We realize that when it comes to selling your items you have options:  auctions, tag sales or selling to a dealer.  We firmly believe that an auction is the best way to establish a fair market price for your items by offering competitive bidding.  A dealer is obviously buying the item from you with the intention of reselling it and making a profit. Tag sales rely on one person's  "knowledge" to establish a selling price for every item. This often results in under priced items that sell quickly and overpriced items that don't sell at all. This can also leave you with the frustration of having to still deal with those items that did not sell. Tag sales are in no way regulated by any governmental agency. Auctioneers, however, must attend an approved auction school, be state licensed and adhere to a set of laws that regulate many aspects of their business.  We have several consignors at Apple Tree that make a very good living by primarily buying items at tag sales and bringing those purchases to us for auction!  So, our advice is; skip the middle man and consign your items directly to our auction to maximize your return!