There’s a reason why Black Friday circular advertisements and other special catalog ads inundate your mailboxes and email inboxes each fall. The United States holiday shopping season is a trillion dollar industry. Yes, Americans spend that much on gifts and other goods each November and December. In 2019, holiday retail sales came in around $1.01 trillion, while e-commerce sales reached $137.6 billion.
The popularity is two-fold: Gift-giving is synonymous with the holidays and consumers love deals. But, you don’t always have to wait in line during the wee hours of the morning or repeatedly refresh an online page to land a bargain. Auctions offer an alternative way to cross items off your holiday shopping list and save money in the process. We’ll highlight the many types of gifts you can find at various types of auctions this holiday season.
You may not see any benefit of bidding on items from a commercial restaurant auction, but think again. Yes, some items may not apply, such as a 60-quart stand mixer to make dough or desserts, but you can find smaller items quite regularly at restaurant liquidations.
This is a great way to score restaurant-quality cookware, including pots and pans, and other items at an affordable price. If you’re fortunate, sometimes these products are lightly used or even brand new. You may even find a secondary refrigerator or freezer for your garage.
Many of these items are ideal for a college student or someone who is moving into their own space for the first time. Filling up kitchen cabinets with things such as mixing bowls, plates, silverware, knives, and muffin tins may not seem like much, but it adds up. Save money where you can.
While many of our auctions are for real estate or oil and gas, you can also find deals on everyday home items for your kitchen, bedroom, or home office. This even applies to auctions for machine shops or businesses who specialize in a specific trade. Why? They are businesses, after all, and commonly have tables, chairs, or desks from their office spaces.
Beyond that, you can find anything from workout equipment to lawn mowers at various auctions. In the past, we’ve held auctions for patio furniture companies that featured tables, chairs, outdoor fireplaces, and grills to bid on.
You can also find home equipment and decor at estate sales. A recent estate auction had a few dozen Herman Miller office chairs, which can retail for thousands of dollars. Estate auctions usually have unique finds to add to your collection. Occasionally, you can get your hands on chandeliers, lamps, mirrors, vases, or pottery sets.
For the next few months, get used to seeing car commercials with fake snow falling on Christmas Day in the background. Vehicles are another popular item on wish lists, and you can find steep discounts at auto auctions if you know what to look for.
Much like home and office equipment, you can secure vehicles at several types of auctions. Some estate auctions may include cars or SUVs, while business liquidations often have trucks. Read more about how car auctions work so you know what to look for. It’s important to inspect the car to ensure it’s in good condition.
Use an auction to buy a secondary car or truck for yourself or use it as a gift for your children or grandchildren. Don’t forget collectible and vintage cars, either. We recently auctioned off a 2008 Ford Shelby Cobra and a 1981 Corvette Stingray.
Ask anyone in the television industry and they’ll tell you the Super Bowl and Black Friday are the two biggest events for TV sales. Most of these specials are lesser versions of their counterparts, hence the cheaper price. In other words, manufacturers take TV sets and strip them of the bells and whistles for a more affordable price.
Instead, try scoping out a TV at an auction. You’ll mainly find them at estate auctions from a previous homeowner or a business liquidation auction. Some businesses, especially restaurants, may have dozens of big-screen TVs available to bid on. These items are great for a bedroom or secondary room.
Much like most places in the South and in this region, wildlife and fishing are a way of life for many. This is especially true in the fall when deer and duck hunting join college football as the most popular weekend activities to enjoy.
You’ll see many Black Friday deals for shiny new firearms and rounds of ammunition, but you may be surprised you can find quality guns at auctions for a fraction of the cost.
For example, we recently held an expansive estate auction with 94 firearms to bid on, ranging from small handguns to shotguns and rifles. There were even antique guns to bid on such as a 1917 Smith & Wesson revolver used in World War I and a Colt Army special revolver from 1908.
Jewelry at an auction? Yes, you can find many high-end items to give to a family member or friend. Again, estate auctions may be your best bet to find larger quantities of jewelry and other accessories. Rings, watches, earrings, and necklaces are common at these auctions.
Every couple years, we help the Oklahoma State Treasurer auction off unclaimed property. The last one came in 2019 and featured 625 safety deposit boxes full of diamond rings, gold, perfume bottles, and everything in between.
Contact us today, or call directly at (405) 751-6179, if you have general questions or specific inquiries about what is available at our upcoming auctions. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to speed with the latest trends in the auction industry.
