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Auction Houses & Services
Services & Specialties
Auction and appraisal services
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FR Review:
A staple in Larchmont, NY since 1999, Clarke Auction House has maintained its reputation as a mid-range house with pleasant surprises. The company runs a sale once a month where everything comes down the line: art, furniture, jewelry, silver, and a variety of household furnishings. Clarke doesn’t hold or specialize, but tend to get high-quality American mid-century art and mid-century furniture. The business does sixteen in-house auctions per year and about five on-site auctions. On Wednesdays, they do appraisals and there are five licensed appraisers in the building. As an added bonus, they deliver to Manhattan for free.
Owner Ronan Clarke, has design in his blood – his father was an architect who designed Shannon Airport. Clarke came to America in 1987 and started working for the Public Administrator of Queens. His job was to board up houses and auction off the contents. Clarke found that he had a knack for appraisal and in 1994 opened the Grand Street Flea Market, where he got to know a lot of the antique dealers working on Bruckner Boulevard. He briefly had an antique store on that famous stretch before relocating to Larchmont in 1997. We hear Ronan has a great eye. (He recently told us the story of how he acquired a Tiffany chandelier in the Bronx after it had slipped through the fingers of a slower agent at Sotheby’s who refused to pay cash. The chandelier sold at Clarke for a quarter of a million dollars.)
Clarke caters 60% to the trade. The business has ten fulltime employees, but they expand for auctions and previews. Paintings typically sell in the $500.00-$1,000.00 range, but Clarke has broken records for Daniel LaRue and Isaac Whitten. The buyer’s premium is 17.5%, which is lower than high-end auction houses in the city, but generally average for the trade. The seller’s commission is 15% and includes a live-format listing on the website and six to twelve professional photos. Clarke is a catchall auction house subject to the whims of the market so there are no guarantees, but if you’re looking for a bargain or just a quirky find, there’s a lot of potential in this Westchester establishment.
Representative Client Comments:
“I’ve purchased thousands of dollars worth of antiques and fine art through Clarke’s.” “I’ve never been unhappy with anything I’ve purchased there.” “In terms of price, it really runs the gamut. I’ve seen records get set there for particular artists, and I’ve also seen people get really great deals.” “A mid-range auction house.” “The seller’s commission rate is very fair.” “I’ve even had them auction things for me.”
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