atlanta auction gallery – vintage deals for next to nothing

If you’ve ever ridden Marta southbound into the West End station, you might have noticed the backside of a huge billboard that faces east towards downtown. The front of the billboard changes regularly, but the rear consistently bears the large and highly recognizable glyph of the ubiquitous grafitti artist, DOSE. For months, that billboard was the signal that I’d reached the end of my daily work commute from Alpharetta. Every day, I’d marvel at the sheer size of the thing and the ballsiness it must have taken to climb that high and labor for hours (probably in the dark) to get the tag just right.

But, billboards and graffiti aren’t the point of this story. Well… not really.

If you were to let your eyes trail all the way down to the base of that huge billboard, you might notice a large warehouse-looking building with an array of vintage signs and large antique fixtures out in front.  None of those signs will give you a clue as to what the building is, or what goes on inside of it, however. For that, you’ll have to show up on the 2nd Friday of the month – the same Friday of the monthly Scott’s Antique show. Before you hit the door, you’ll be greeted by the smell of barbecue coming from the huge grill out front. Make your way inside, and you’ll find a wide-open space filled to the brim with dusty, but well-worn vintage furniture and antique pieces. Huge chiffarobes, marble-top tables, decorative glassware, handcrafted knick knacks and curiosities are literally stacked up to the ceiling. The other people there with you will more than likely be antiques dealers from all over the Southeast who come to the once-a-month auction held here for the free barbecue, the unlimited supply of free beer and wine served in red plastic cups, and the most ridculously cheap deals on vintage and antique furniture I’ve ever seen.

Around 6:30 or 7, the auction begins. The selection changes every month, based on what Mike, the kind-faced middle-aged guy who runs the place, has been able to get his hands on since the last auction. For first-timers, it’s best to sit back and watch the action unfold for a bit. Though a belly full of free barbecue and booze might make you want to jump head first in to the bidding, you’d be better of taking a couple of cues from the pros in the joint. Watching the crowd interact with the barking auctioneers is enough entertainment in itself, but the prices that some of the items go for will have you absolutely amazed; especially if you’ve ever paid for vintage or antique stuff at some of the retail establishments around town. They even take plastic, and give you a couple of days to arrange for transportation if you succesfully bid on one of the larger items up for sale.

In the year or so since I’ve been frequenting the monthly auction, the word seems to be getting out more about the place. This month, Mike’s even having an additional auction – on a Saturday – to give folks another opportunity to score some serious deals. Even if you don’t find anything worth buying, who can argue with free food and drink?

I would point you to some other online resource for all the details, but (fortunately) there’s no website to find them on, no ads in the paper. Just look for the billboard near the West End Marta station, and follow your way to the ‘pot of gold’ underneath.

cheers,

k

NEXT AUCTION: Saturday, April 24 5pm-until
Atlanta Auction Gallery
556 Tift Street
Atlanta, GA 30310

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