Salvage Alley

I’ve got mixed feelings about Salvage Alley. I’ll list both the good and the bad. GOOD: A few years back the gentleman whom runs Salvage Alley bought a bunch of stuff from my family and me and we made out fairly well with a few hundred dollars. The owner, Bob (I think his name is) is a bit eccentric, but he is knowledgeable. Both he and his business partner Carolyn try to be as fair and decent as possible, which is always appreciated, albeit Carolyn is a bit more tactful and won’t outright say that your stuff is worthless, but also doesn’t get your hopes up and make you think that you can get Faberge egg prices for a moldy old chaise lounge. As was previously mentioned, they’re transitioning from a consignment shop to an auction house, which given the area is a bizarre business strategy in my humble opinion, but if it’s more profitable or something, all the power to them. They sell stuff for a song. My mom went to one of their auctions and said they were literally selling gorgeous Oriental rugs with bids starting at $ 5! That is insane! Sure, it’s great if you’re buying, but if you’re selling, that is a nightmare, and leads me to the bad. BAD: The owner and his business partner Carolyn (sp?) are infuriatingly difficult to contact on either of the numbers listed on their store front. Their business hours are about as reliable as New England weather, and in recent years, they’ve grown ridiculously picky. Also, forget about getting paid in a timely manner. My mom and I were told that after the auction, to wait a few weeks and we can either pick up the check or they’ll mail it to us, but said they prefer mailing it. After no check showing up, and no word from them, my mom finally called this week and we were told to come in next week to pick up the check. WOW! Way to be so cavalier about paying people! However, one nice thing I’ll say to counterbalance that is when she was selling a signed Peter Max print that belonged to my father, she did insist to the buyer that she wouldn’t go any lower than my absolute lowest price, and since the buyer bought the print at exactly my lowest price, she didn’t take any commission from that sale, which was nice of her.
Basically, it’s a great place for buying, as you could probably lavishly furnish a home for $ 2,000 or less, but if you’re selling, approach with caution.

They’re currently transitioning from a «retail» store into an «auction house», but If you find something you like, ask about it. I did just that and got a great deal on two vintage Connecticut license plates. I believe their next auction is 4÷16÷2013