Clars Auction Gallery

Clueless about client services, not to be trusted for sellers or buyers.

As a novice buyer, I recently bought a framed newspaper page reported to be from the 1700s. When I got it home, after some internet research, I realized it was a fake. I contacted the auction house by email and was able to return it the following day for a full refund.
The more I learn of auctions and treasure hunting the more I understand how often unscrupulous individuals sell fakes to unsuspecting buyers. Sellers who bring items to the auction house may not even realize their family heirlooms are fakes!
Thank you Clars for your integrity!

Clars Auctioneers of Oakland isn’t for wine lovers. I purchased $ 1500 of vintage wine — the auction didn’t specify condition but a bidder assumes the wine storage history is checked by a reputable auctioneer. When I opened the bottles they gave off an odor one usually finds in a waste dump. Ok. So I bought a bum case. Went back to Clars to ask about what they knew. Was given the bum’s rush by a VP operations. Had to call the CEO, Redge Martin. He offered me a $ 250 credit only if and when I buy at auction again from them. Call it a lost cause. No more bidding or consigning with these guys. If you want a great wine auctioneer, try Auctionata. The most impressive I have used.

BEWARE… COMPLETE THIEVERY !!!
Do I have a story for you. Last year, my family home flooded in lower Hillsborough, as I was the only child of my family estate, I finally decided that it was time to downsize and sell the home, given the disaster that I had just gone through. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of what was the GREATEST DISASTER IN MY LIFE. I was directed to Clars Auction Gallery by my attorney calling a few contacts that recommended them as honest. HONEST THEY ARE EMPHATICALLY NOT. The contents of the estate was VALUED WELL OVER One Million Dollars and what I got in return was slightly over One Hundred Thousand Dollars. The story goes like this… a man dressed like a undertaker named DERIC comes out to the property. He is the main guy that makes you feel like he cares and understands your situation. He will walk around the home telling you that you have beautiful possessions, that will bring you BIG money in return. My family’s home was filled with magnificent 17^th & 18^th Century French and English antiques, Then what happens is that this same gentleman Deric goes around putting stickers on all of the belongings with a price range of thousands of dollars for this and that. Post it’s galore!!! The contents of my family’s home just happened to be combined with the MELLON /​SCAIFE family auction, so I was ASSURED that the belongings would be seen worldwide with many objects falling into a BIDDING WAR So I naively fell for the act and went ahead and SIGNED the paperwork of many pages. The items were then picked up and that is when started to SMELL A RAT !!! These magnificent belongings were just taken away like the Salvation Army would have, if you made a donation. Priceless items were thrown together in empty boxes… BACCARAT, LALIQUE, ROYAL CROWN DERBY to name a few just thrown in boxes without so much as a single piece of wrapping paper. The case pieces were just THROWN in to a moving truck. They were not even blanket wrapped. The trucks were loaded with all my treasures laying stacked on top of each other, IN A HEAP not strapped in like any other mover., and AWAY THEY WENT… Well, Now the RIDE TO HELL BEGINS!!! All of those little stickers that I mentioned, with all of those thousands of dollars… You see WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW… When I signed that paperwork that I mentioned… I signed away ALL OF MY RIGHTS OF OWNERSHIP of the belongings. Now what you thought the piece was worth and what you were told VERBALLY THE PIECE WAS WORTH, WILL DRAMATICALLY CHANGE AND NOT IN YOUR FAVOR. They will tell you «Oh No!!! We could not possibly get that price for this and that… YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN… and all of those little post it’s have MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED. AS WILL MANY OF YOUR BELONGINGS… What Happened to this and that… ??? «WHAT» they will say… «YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN» AND then there is… THE DAMAGE OF THE GOODS. Magnificent treasures BROKEN TO BITS, HOLES PUNCHED IN CASE GOODS, CROWNS OF ARMOIRES JUST TORN OFF, ANTIQUES SCRATCHED BEYOND REPAIR, LEGS MISSING, MARBLE TOPS BROKEN, SHELVES SLICED IN TWO… The list goes on and on… There is NOTHING YOU CAN DO… !!! So the auction took place and when I started to hear and see that all of these lifetime treasures were GOING FOR CENTS ON THE DOLLAR, I started to try to pull things from the auction BUT IT WAS TOO LATE !!! I lost a piece from the DE YOUNG MUSEUM Valued at $ 30,000.00 Auctioned for $ 5,000.00. THEY WILL NOT LET YOU RAISE THE RESERVES. I CRYED FOR MONTHS… THEY STOLE ALL OF MY FAMILY POSSESSIONS FOR $ 100,000.00 AND THEY WERE WORTH WELL OVER 1 MILLION. Now CLARS has the DE GUIGNE FAMILY goods AND ON GOES THE STORY AGAIN… THEY ARE LIARS AND CHEATS. THEY WILL BATE AND SWITCH THE DEAL AND THEY MAKE OUT LIKE MODERN DAY BANDITS… !!! BEWARE I only wish that I had the WARNING that I have just posted.

My experience has been that absentee bids placed with Clars directly seem to be maximized or nearly maximized. If you are placing an absentee bid, I recommend you place it with liveauctioneers because they will not disclose your maximum bid to Clars. There is a 3% excess premium for bidding through liveauctioneers but it was worth it for me.

I won an auction (two large framed items in a single lot) few days ago at Clars Auction Gallery (November 2015 auction.)
Yesterday when I went to pick up my lot (which was in a LOCKED DISPLAY CASE) I was told that my lot was missing!!! They refunded my payment and said Goodbye!!!
Here are my questions to Clars:
1– Only you have the keys to open that LOCKED DISPLAY CASE, so do you agree that this an insider job?
2– Did that insider!!! sell my lot to somebody else because you were offered more money than my winning bid?
3– There were not many items in that LOCKED DISPLAY CASE. Why did not you even try to contact to the other lot winners from that LOCKED DISPLAY CASE in case they were given these large items by mistake!!! (which is practically impossible)???
I waited for hours to win that lot and won it and my winning was no good because of your shady? business practices. If you are unable to secure the items in your LOCKED DISPLAY CASES why are you using LOCKED DISPLAY CASES!!!
I appreciate if you answer the above questions. Thank you.

Clars has always done right by me.
Yes they are not the same as Christie’s or Bonhams but they can be a life saver when you are trying to auction off less than museum quality art, furniture and the like.
They pick up items gratis, if it is a big enough lot. They do a pretty good job of inventorying your items. Communication is pretty good.
Probably their weakest point is appraisal… but I have been surprised to the upside on somethings.
They actually sold an Elsworth Kelly of mine for more than Christie’s had previously appraised it for.
Payment is prompt.
Jennifer is a great person to deal with.

I had a great experience with the Clars Team. DERIC TORRES is world class. The entire staff is knowledgeable. From the beginning, my items were well marketed and sold for more than I expected. I wouldn’t sell my collectables through any other auction house. Clars is simply the best. The auction itself was a fun, festive occasion… great place to bring a date…

This is a review of todays auction of more of the linens from the Mellon estate. There were similar lots today that sold for $ 650, 1200, and 1100. My sheets were listed as queen size, what I received were all king size (forgot to mention that). My bid was absentee for $ 3000, my winning bid was 2750. As I mentioned, I think there is some manipulation of bids going on at this house, but of course, that is very difficult to prove. The absolute refusal to send me my missing linens and their shabby treatment of a repeat customer leads me to believe that they are less than honest. I had also reccomended them to friends and family, have to correct that mistake!

Misleading when the take pieces to sell. You have to know this auction and how they operate if you want to sell anything there, can be very difficult. The checkers are appraisers especially the Asian department (Julie?) are impatient and border line rude in conducting business. But ok for finding Amercian works of art. Enough said

Learn the Ropes
Seller Beware
I brought a painting to Clars, for an appraisal, I was considering selling it.
When I showed-​up for the appointment on time. The appraiser looked at the signature on the painting.
I then noticed the appraiser was on the
website looking for auction records by the artist of my painting.
Okay, I thought I was dealing with professionals, but auction records on
??
It was obvious to me that this appraiser knew very little about Fine Art.
I was clear, I am dealing with an empowered neophyte.
If this is the process Clars uses to determine a valuation for Fine Art, I suppose that would make everyone a fine art expert /​appraiser.
I know Askart, has erroneous auction record information on its site. Why do I say that?
Just Google Auction Fraud and you will get information on criminal activity.
Being realized at auction Worldwide.
Therefore, the auction records are corrupted. Clars, is no different. Clars, is a seller of High End Art and uses Fine Art appraisers who lean on sites like
, to determine the secondary market value of the material they sell.
That makes sense. Hiring an expert to examine Fine Art would affect the bottom line profit margin. BTW, for a consignment that sells for 100.00. The commission is 39% not 40%. Let’s not forget the buyers commission, that would be 19% of the hammer price.
They have no Experts in House. I would expect this auction house is an easy target for fraud.
One last comment. Clars, will tell you absentee bids are the best way to go. And I quote «Tell us your maximum bid (70% of all successful absentee bids, sell for less than the maximum bid authorized by the buyer)»
I seriously doubt that. 68% would be more believable.
The Lone Stranger

Lots of very nice and helpful people work here. Kim always gets back to me fast with valuation opinions ans is great to work with.

Positive experience from beginning to end. The man who did my diamond ring appraisal was polite, professional, and encouraging. I set what I believed to be a reasonable «reserve» price. Wow, it went for $ 2,000 above my reserve price which pleased me. They had a lot of jewelry up for bid so I had no idea if my beautiful ring would meet the reserve, but the appraiser encouraged me to go with my instincts — and I’m now very glad I did. Thank you, Clars, for your help and encouragement. Would definitely use Clars again if needed.

Recently bid on two items and purchased one item. The staff was polite and professional when I called for a condition report, when I arranged to bid by phone and when I was called on the day of the auction to bid by phone.
7÷7÷14 Update: I’ve now purchased three items at auction from Clars. Their diverse monthly offerings include a number of items of high quality. Whenever I’ve contacted Clars to ask for a condition report or a provenance or to arrange to bid by phone or to pay for an item and have it picked up, the staff with whom I’ve dealt over the phone and email have all been consistently prompt, polite and professional.

For anyone interested in quality fine art at wholesale value, Clars is an auction house to be watching.
I was recently the underbidder on an important ceramic sculpture and although I was not the successful bidder, I was impressed that such a quality piece of art was being offered in California.
I’ve also observed that the fine art department has increasingly improved as of late.

I have had an interesting mix of thoughts on Clars
For buyers: you can get some great deals, many items go for good prices and this works well for dealers. You can get some real gems, so if you are a decorator or a real knowledgeable antiquer, you are good to go.
For Sellers:
I have taken items up for appraisal and have done better appraisals on my own. A couple of times I had to tell them the artist. They woudl go to artfact and that is it. I recently took up a couple of prints which were priced too high on the first time, they relisted the next month for a lower price and they sold. The whole transaction went very well and I was very pleased.
Certain items I would take to clars and other items i would take to other auction houses, you have to review and see where your items fit in best.

As a seller of lower value items, I continue to be as impressed and grateful to the staff at Clars Auction Gallery as I was as a seller of a Jean Jansem fine art painting in September. All four of the individuals I have dealt with here, Jenny, Anna, Deric and Cristina, have been gracious with their time and expertise. Everyone certainly tried their best for me and I could see how happy they are, for their clients, when they help people with make a good sale. They also obviously have to spend a great deal of their time explaining over & over why objects that people thought were valuable, are not, which takes more patience than I would have. Anna, for example, kindly looked up the value of a number of paintings in my house even though most were pretty much worthless, when really she had come to see the Jansem.
I brought a number of boxes of silver, glass, and china to the gallery on different days, and Cristina and Deric went thru it all, piece by piece, helping me understand the origin, age, possible family history, value, and best venues to sell the pieces I was not keeping. Only less than ten items, of the sterling silver, were worth auctioning, which were split into two groups for sale. The items didn’t bring as much as I had hoped, which is a reflection of the times, not of Clars. These were items that needed exposure on the Internet to sell and a professional Ebay or Ebay-​like seller in my area would have taken a higher percentage of the sale. Plus, it certainly would not have been worth the expense for me to setup and manage an Internet biz account to sell them, which would have had to include consulting with my tax accountant.
My minor silver items were catalogued at Clars just as meticulously as if they were worth a great deal, with every detail carefully noted and photographed that might catch the interest of buyers who had an eye out for such particulars. And not just the design and maker of the items either, but also such details as the name of the derby-​winning horse on a coaster, or a business’ name on a piece and the convention it was associated with, or how the inside of a bowl was hand-​hammered.
I also sold an oil on paper by Jean Jansem at the same auction, and it was treated with just as much enthusiasm and care by Jenny as his oil on canvas that I had sold before. It actually got even more exposure because I had given it to her with more leeway, time-​wise, to market it. I am greatly relieved that I did not sell this painting directly to anyone myself and I did have an offer from the painter’s son, who runs a gallery in France, to do so, based on photographs. The painting appeared to be done in oil on canvas because it was varnished and lined with canvas on the back. I would have sold it as such and I shutter to think of the ensuring problems, as there is quite a difference in value.
I am at a point in my life where I am downsizing, but if I were not, I would attend their auctions, either in person or online. Certainly a much nicer experience than the three pro-​run estates sales I have gone to, with lines winding out the door and no time to research the true value of items. At the last estate sale I went to, the photo album of the presumably deceased couple that had lived in the home was literally being kicked out of the way around the floor by the uncaring shoppers, until I picked it up and gave it to the equally uncaring attendant. In contrast, Clars auctions are a lot of fun and really interesting.

Devastating experience. Like many others, we were lead to believe our antiques were of high quality and value. We were dubious regarding the expertise of the clerk who assisted us. Our grave error: we allowed them auction our things. Two items sold for zip, the third bombed.
The seemingly inept woman who ‘helped’ us — called to inform us. Went to pick up our items (delivered in new, pristine boxes, labeled, organized in perfect oder.) Clars lost our boxes, packing materials and were extremely hostile and rude. I agree with myriad unhappy ex-​clients.
Extremely unprofessional.
Never again. My first one star review.

Took in a large collection of WWII, 50’s and 60’s newspapers on 3/24/13…they we supposed to be in the sale of June 15−16^th. I could not find them listed for sale so I decided to call today (5−11−). I was informed when I called to find out how I could see the listing that after further review they had decided not to auction them. I supposed there wasn’t enough value there to make it worth their while. I guess what ticks me off is that they had not bothered to call me to inform me of this. I assumed that the person assisting us when we took the newspapers in would have had some expertise regarding the value of the newspapers. A COMPLETE WAIST OF TIME!

Ditto to the one and two star reviews. We were given a $ 100 valuation for a Sapphire and Diamond necklace on a white gold chain. Total rubbish.
My cat can provide a more honest and fair valuation.
This is exactly what we brought in size, cut and setting wise on a Thursday appraisal: