2021 Antique Radio Auction

The Iowa Antique Radio Club and Historical Society (IARCHS) is sponsoring an antique radio and related items auction Saturday, August 28th at 10:00 a.m. in the Activity Building at the Central Iowa Fairgrounds in Marshalltown, Iowa. The address is 1308 East Olive Street. IARCHS auctions in past years have been successful, and good sale prices have been realized on items with higher collector value. This year’s auction will be conducted by Fred Van Metre and staff of Van Metre Auction Co. a premier Auction Company located in Marshalltown, IA.

      • Check-In:        Thursday, August 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 27th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
      • Seller Fees:      15% commission on each item consigned.
      • Bidding:   The minimum opening bid is $5.00. Items that do not bring an opening bid of $5.00 will be grouped together from the same consignor or deemed a “NO SALE”.
      • Buyer Fees:     10% of item sale price. This will be discounted to 7% if paying by cash or good check.

Lower value items from the same consignor may be grouped together into a single lot to facilitate bids. All auction items must be removed from Marshall County Fairgrounds following the sale. There are no facilities to store radios for later pick up. This includes any NO SALE items!

Sellers interested in consigning items to sale should contact Craig Huseboe – Auction Coordinator, Email: radioauction@radio-collector.com.  It is desired that a listing of items along with individual pictures be provided so that we can place pictures of collectable items on the club website. A picture is worth a thousand words! The posting on the website helps generate interest which translates into a higher sale price for the seller. The earlier this information is posted on the club’s website the better as many people view the website. Unfortunately, we cannot post any pictures at the last minute so keep this in mind.

FAQ

Q: I have a couple radios and a few parts that I want to sell. Is it worth my time?

A: It really depends on what you have. Contact Craig Huseboe and we can try to help you. Generally, from what we have seen in the past, large console radios, record players, and televisions don’t sell very well unless they are a more collectible type. This is particularly true of units in poor condition. Some of these items in past years only brought $1.00, or had to be combined to sell for a couple of dollars. With the $5 opening bid, these may be no-sale items. Again, it depends on what the item is. NOTE: If you just have a few low dollar items and really just want to just get rid of them, consider a club donation.

Q: What’s with the 10% buyer’s premium?

A: The 7% buyer’s premium charged goes directly to IARCHS to offset our costs of the auction. The club sends out postcards and may advertise in various publications to help promote the auction, building rent and any other misc. expenditures. IARCHS is a non-profit club. The other 3% is for buyers that pay with a credit card. If paying by cash or good check the buyer’s premium is only 7%

Q: Can a reserve be placed on an item?

A: Yes, this year we are allowing a consignor to place a reserve bid on THREE items ONLY. For example: If you set a $300.00 reserve on an item and the item only reaches a $200.00 bid the auctioneer will ask if the consignor wants to remove the reserve and sell the item at $200.00 if not it will be deemed a NO SALE.

Q: When will I get paid for my items that were sold?

A: Van Metre Auction Co. will mail you a check for your proceeds – usually within 2 weeks of the sale. A detailed listing will accompany the check.

Q: Why can’t I drop off my items before the check-in dates?

A: We don’t have any storage capability for auction items. Van Metre Auction Co. does not have any storage capability for this auction. Marshall County Fairground’s activity building is only rented for the days listed. Therefore, that’s the only time we can store the items there. The building is locked after hours.

Q: I can’t get there on Thursday or Friday. Can I check-in on Saturday?

A: No – except for extremely unusual circumstances and prior arrangement. We provided Saturday morning check-in in the past, but this has proven to cause problems as we are very busy with last minute details and double-checking auction item tags. We have decided to eliminate that option in hopes that the auction will proceed more smoothly.

PLEASE NOTE: Iowa Antique Radio Club and Historical Society reserves the right to limit the number of consignments from any individual consignor.

Additional Questions: Contact Craig Huseboe, Email: radioauction@radio-collector.com

Websites:

IARCHS: https://www.radio-collector.com

Van Metre Auction Co: https://www.vanmetre.net