Consign

How to Consign

We welcome consignments from all over the Southeast, with our primary focus in the Charleston and surrounding areas. If you would like to consign to auction please take a few moments to read below for a few tips and question to consider:

Tips & Preliminary Steps

Read over our “What does well at Auction” page.
Gather consignment items and contact us via email or phone.
We may ask for photographs of items, so please have the ability to take and send pictures.
Once we respond, if your items will fit in our auction, we will set an appointment at our office or at your home to present our portfolio, sign a contract, inventory & collect your items.
The most important tip when consigning is to PLEASE be prepared to part with your items. Once an item sells at auction it is final. We do not guarantee results on items, and want our consignors to be happy- we would rather not take an item than have an unhappy consignor.

Questions to ask yourself

These are a few questions we always ask consignors and strive to be open and honest in our answers.

1. Am I ready to let go of this item?

This is the most important question to ask. We want all of our consignors to be happy with their auction results; if a consignor has emotional attachment to an item- no matter how high the result, it may not be enough. Sentimental value can be just as important as intrinsic value, if the sentimental value exceeds the intrinsic value, we ask consignors to keep the item.

2. What am I expecting to get for my items?

Another important question to ask. If you are expecting full retail value for your item from your most recent insurance appraisal- you will not get it at auction. This is a hard truth, but something we must, honestly, tell consignors. Historically, we have exceeded the expectations of our consignors, and have many references to attest to this fact. We work on commission, so the more we make for you, the better every does. The retail replacement value is the amount of cash in hand you would need to fully replace an item in a gallery, without negotiating price- many times insurance appraisals include a percentage to account for inflation for the next 5-7 years. Please take this into consideration when consigning.

3. What is my timeframe on needing to get rid of these items/get compensated for them?

Most of the time we can inventory & remove items from a home almost immediately (some exceptions may arise); however, these items may not go into auction for a few months. If you are looking for an immediate payout, an auction might not be your best route. If you have time- we promise we will work VERY hard to make sure your patience is rewarded with the highest results.

4. Is auction the best way to sell my item/items?

This depends on your item. The items that we specialize in, we realize much higher results than a local live auction. Our auctions have the reach of several million registered bidders, as opposed to who may show up any given Sunday. If you have a house full of items, we may recommend our in home estate sale services.

Call or email the CEA Team to schedule an appointment.

Ann Direct: 843.817.6552

Mark Direct: 843.696.3335