I first heard about this place through a co-worker of mine who said she saw vinyl records being auctioned off frequently online. Alaska Auctions is located directly behind Duane's Antique Market on E. 75th Ave and Briarwood St. I have gone to countless garage sales, estate sales, thrift shops, and bookstores for the best deals and steals on vinyl records. I have never participated in a silent auction online. This was something I've only seen on TV and I was tentative based on the negative reviews others have left for this place. After seeing the photos of the records up for auction, I decided to take the jump and signed up online. In order to participate in the auction, you would have to do a $1 deposit on your credit card along with a 15% buyer's premium added to your total if you get the winning bid. I balked at first but since the opening bids on the records were starting at just $10 or more, I decided to go along on their terms. The first silent auction had a large box of records and two unopened bed sheet sets starting at $10.00. Someone had taken the opening bid before I countered at $12.50 a short while later. Not expecting to win this auction because of the low price, I logged off and decided to check back on the closing day. Amazingly enough, when I logged back on, my bid was still the high one with only a few hours left before close. Later on in the day after finishing work, I received an email from them saying I had won the auction at $12.50! The 15% buyer's premium was just a mere $1.88 which came up to a total of $14.38. What an amazing deal! I quickly drove down to the auction house after work and I was delighted to find a large box with lots of records, most of them in good condition. The new unopened bed sheet sets were just the icing on the cake and I decided to donate those to the Anchorage Pioneer Home for Christmas. A second auction came a week later. This time I was notified by email on vinyl records up for auction starting at the same bid of $10. This time I had some competition when someone took the opening bid . I countered with $12.50 but was immediately countered with a $15.00 bid right after I placed mine. I decided to check back on the closing day. When I logged on, the bid was still at $15.00! I thought maybe the person with the higher bid was confident on winning the records with only a few hours left before close. I decided to make the smart play and made a last minute bid at $17.50. The auction was extended by another 30 minutes with my bid and I waited anxiously to see if someone would respond. Shortly after, I received a second email saying that I had won the second auction! Score! I went down to the auction house after work to pick up the records and sure enough, a large stack was waiting for me in their inventory room. This was such a fun experience. I can now add this as part of my vinyl hunting options if another auction comes up in the near future. read more

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*Update* Seems I'm a liar now. Very unprofessional for a business manager to call a customer a liar. There may have been an expensive board. As I told you, all I was looking for were the planks to route for tongue and groove on a cabin, which I buy new from Lowe's for $9/board. And for the lie I apparently said of me spending "thousands"... I have won a total of 106 lots with Alaska Auction Company amongst 18 different auctions within the last year. Before the buyer's premium, my total is $1,524.50. After your buyer's premium and 4% card fee, I have spent over $1800 in the last 12 months with Alaska Auction Co. But anyways, again, a manager of a business is calling a customer a liar. What manager using those words, accusing me of being a liar, and on the google review platform, accusing me of being someone else. Such executive words for a leader and manager to call their clients. ***Original Review Below to the managers response before my update*** Alaska Auction Co was always great to me, the Spanish fella and sword swallowing fella were always so kind, but a very deceptive auction with multiple complaints and a manager that does not know how to talk to employees or customers, called both myself and her own employees "confused" multiple times after posting a very deceptive lot. Lots are not described accurately, and they will blame it on you for not drivin 120 miles just to "preview" the lots. I have never driven to preview any lot because I always assumed I could trust the company and their description. I was completely wrong and learned the hard way. Don't ever assume or it will make an ass of you and me. read more

Alaska Auction Company - The managers response after calling myself and her team all confused and calling me a liar. - Auction Houses Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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2 Dec 21, I purchased 2 Murano Style Clowns for $11.90 + $90.53 for shipping. I received the items 10 Dec 21 the package was damaged and the contents completely unsalvageable. I contacted the company immediately and sent photos with the email. I was told that I would have to file a claim with the Post Office for the damage "due to extra bubble wrap we used, this is a claim you will have to file with USPS." 6 Dec 21, I received a letter from the Post Office asking me to produce the box and damaged items. I took to the box to the Post Office in my city and had a lengthy conversation with the Post Master. He stated that the insurance is a binding contract between the seller and the USPS that my claim would be denied but he would submit and that I produced them for inspection. The claim was denied again and I appealed. It was denied again. I am the buyer who received damaged items and spending my time and energy for item's I paid for and the auction house did nothing. I was told that I could file a report with the USPS and they would investigate why I was advised it's my responsibility to file the claim or I could dispute the credit card transaction. I opted to file a dispute with American Express and produced all the documentation showing the emails, photos and responses from the USPS. I received a refund from AMEX based on the dispute and supporting docs. Yesterday, I was declined on the platform from auction house in California and another in Hudson Fl. I received a nasty email from an auction house in Hudson Fl siting I was permanently barred from bidding at their auction house because of a charge back. I had never bid at either auction house before but have an extensive purchase history with several vendors and am expanding parts of one of my companies. I contacted Hibid today, after speaking with customer support I discovered that auction houses communicate on the platform privately and while most keep their auction information private this house at the very least made my information public. Since the platform can't access the information and it's clear at least two houses know about a credit card transaction dispute it's unclear what information was put out there. I think it's important to inform people that your purchasing information can be shared with others with out your knowledge and it can be weaponized if you decide to dispute a transaction because they used extra bubble wrap. read more

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I love it! Not because I love every item that goes up at auction, but because these people run a business for the 21st Century! In a state that has so many businesses without a website, this auction house has a fully- functional website. They photograph every item for auction, many items have several pictures. You can leave an absentee bid at any time, and you can bid remotely as the auction is happening! (Just make sure you have a fast internet connection, otherwise you'll lose.) If you want to inspect items before bidding, you can view them at the auction house from noon to 6pm, day of the auction. I haven't done the old-school floor and paddle routine, but I did bid online on a beautiful silver plated Reed & Barton pitcher, which looks lovely in my apartment. This one experience may have fed my growing love for estate sales! Way better than paying an arm and a leg at an antiques store. read more

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Alaska auctions has assisted me for many years to sell the extensive collection of memorabilia from my late husband. They have done a wonderful job of making sure that the items are displayed and described on the website. read more

Purchased a few fragile items that needed to be shipped. When I received the items two of them were shattered. The company states that there is insurance via the USPS, which is great to recover your money but does nothing to replace the one of a kind items. Alaska Auctions actually does the packing and did a horrible job with the packing, not to mention the incredibly high shipping costs. Unless you see the items in person and pick them up yourself, I wouldn't recommend Alaska Auction Co. to reliably ship anything of value. read more

I despise this place. I had them do an estate auction a few years ago. They were great at first! Then they screwed up my auctions, & I saw the owners true colors! Christine was so rude to me, some of what they sold in my auction was good, lots of items sold for decent prices, but others, especially my personal artworks, did NOT! They stuck a lot of paintings in large mixed lots that sold for very little. (i.e., 1 painting (worth a $200-300,) was thrown in w/my coffee maker, mixer & some tools. Sold for about $10.) Bidders bought several bronzes I did for maybe 10% of what they were worth. 1 bronze, an original & OOAK, I would valued at $2000 in galleries, went for $45. That killed me. They screwed up so many of my listings before the auction started, I spent hours w/them myself, going through THEIR computer mistakes, telling them which ones to fix (i.e., they put another sellers pieces in my acct, If i did not catch it, they would have given me all of his proceeds.) They also lost a few of my items, 1 was a beautiful tapestry I got in Italy, valued about $400. They lost it. When I asked them about it, they skirted the issue. Then I reported them to BBB because they ignored all of my emails & letters (I was then out of state) & then I heard back from them only to tell me they didn't owe me a dime! The BBB closed the case as unsettled. They were unwilling to even acknowledge they lost my items. The worst part about them is that I hired their "pro's" to pick up my paintings, I didn't want to drop those off myself, they were too important, so I paid them for their pick up service. 2 boys, I'm sure were 16 years old, showed up (late) w/a truck that had a load already inside it, that they didn't know was even there until they opened the back. "Oops!" they said. They made room for my art & I walked through everything w/them, stressing how important it was that they handle these paintings with extreme care! I was assured they would when I made the appt & by these 2 little boys. They didn't! Several pieces were damaged, (which they refused to acknowledge) & a couple pieces were lost (which they refused to acknowledge.) When it was all over, I made some money, but I should have made at least double what I did, maybe triple. (I've also bid in their auctions before & they charge EXUBERANT amounts in shipping & also screw up the bidding process, a lot! They obviously fix some of their auctions as well. I hate this place!) Their lousy way of doing business lost me & them a LOT of time & money! They're awful people. Don't be fooled by their initial friendliness. They've been doing this a long time & you can tell they're set in their ways & don't really care about their customers, anymore. RUDE RUDE RUDE HATEFUL PEOPLE!!!!! read more

Love this place. I've purchased a funky art deco lamp, cowboy boots and vintage books on the cheap. They list all items on their website, as the other reviewer noted, and they ship all over the world (great for me as I recently relocated to Austin). They sell roughly one item per minute, which is pretty incredible! The place is family run, and they are very fair to their buyers and sellers. I've purchased and consigned goods with them for about 20 years! PS--The auctioneers are both characters. The jokes run freely, and they put me in stitches! read more

I was able to bid on several ivory carvings. I only got two that matched my price but that is my fault. Looking forward to more buying opportunities in the future. Sue beats the the prices on 4th Avenue, lol read more

If you're ever in need of something fun to do, head down and attend an auction. Great people, great food, and a wide variety of items that you can usually win for pennies on the dollar, not to mention the jokes flow freely! read more

This is a great auction house. The after auction process is easy and the courteous staff really went all out packaging and sending my won items. The online bidding was smooth and simple. Great Native Art items and quality vintage material. I'll be back. read more

This place is a joke. The owners manipulate, lie, and con customers at every turn. I had heard a lot of negative comments from other customers, but I didn't heed the warnings. Live and learn. Stay away from this place and you'll be happier for it. read more

I have bought a few items at the auctions. These are hard to find items in the lower 48. The prices are great and the quality of the items I bought are very good. They also ship quickly. The live feed internet makes it like you are there! read more

I've been an ongoing customer with this palce for the last 4 years. I've seen it go from a reasonable place to get good deals, to a place that is driven by shills in the crowd that drive prices up. watch the online buyers...shill city...them will spend 10's of thousand driving up prices, and then you see the same items up for sale a couple weeks later. beware, he has the antique store next door...works as a great front to screw the customer! You will hear common statements..."way,way,way under..." "this is museum quality""never seen anything of this quality" Beware! beware! read more

Interesting way to kill time on a Saturday if your plans fall through. I never considered an auction to be something that could be entertaining; and oh how I was wrong. The Auctioneer has a lot of fun with the sale and will stop to tell a story or two about a particular item if it peaks an interest. Preview of the items like another reviewer said is usually the day before, or the day of the sale, so you have a chance to really look at what you bid on. One reason I wasn't keen on auctions was the not-quite-so-upfront method of describing flaws or things that would affect value, like items on E-bay tend to be. Here however you can hold the items in your hand and look them over before bidding. The website is great! I can usually look a few days in advance at the items listed and see if there's something worth-while driving down there for the preview. I was also able to bid online one night when I wasn't able to bid there in person for the auction. Some items seem like they run a little high, but I guess that's all in the taste of the buyer? Know what you're bidding on and how much you're willing to spend and you can usually make a good deal. There is a fee of like %15 which isn't much if you only spend $20 for something, but definitely something to remember if you're interested in some of their higher end stuff. read more

Even though all of the emails say "you can pick it up by Monday" they will automatically ship things without telling you. I went to pick it up and they tried to charge me 6x what I was supposed to pay. They said it was in the terms and conditions, but the only terms that you have to agree to say "Should your bid for a lot prove successful, the auctioneer may contact you to arrange for payment & shipping (if applicable)". I was not contacted, just charged 6x as much. I will be following up with my CC company and BBB. read more

Buyer beware. I've been going for years, and generally feel a bit uneasy about how the auctioneers portray what they're selling. The bottom line is that as a buyer, you have to be absolutely sure of the value of what you are buying. I can't comment on whether they knowingly mislead people or not, but I do know that they frequently overstate the rarity and value of items that they are auctioning. I now find this to be funny when listening to them. How many times have we heard "you don't see this everyday", "c'mon folks, this should be going for $XXX dollars... this is a steal" and "I have never seen one as rare as this". Frankly, don't believe a single thing the auctioneers say without verifying it through research or common sense... and I'm not exaggerating. With that said, in the past I have purchased things where after purchase I've either discovered that they're fake or were significantly damaged and they have refunded me my money. Summary: their job is to get as much money for the sellers, and hence themselves. Don't believe anything you hear... come prepared knowing the exact value of what you will be bidding on. With that said... I would like to be a bit more comforted in knowing they were representing their auction items in a knowledgeable and factual fashion. But... so be it... read more

I have been a regular patron for this establishment for going on six years and have spent tens of thousands over the years, and it used to be a great place for private individual seeking out good buys on a variety of good items and have some fun doing it. In the beginning they seamed like a kind group but with time I've found them to be less than honest. I've seen them provide misleading information on products just to elevate the bidding; when bidding on the internet you see trends where individuals are forcing bids up and or always being the successful bidder, and then find the items up for sell a couple auctions later. They're employee's are gainfully bidding item during the auction and after careful observation you see they are just shills to force prices up. Customer service is at the lowest! when trying to arrange to pick up your items, their hours are arranged to make it impossible to get there in time to pickup or get charged a daily storage fee, or pay to have a employee stick around for an extra 10 minutes. The Internet is a cautious place to bid, as the pictures never accurately depict the items and definitely fails to display the damage or flaws that might sway your interest. One good advantage is that you get to see the names of the Internet shills which is always interesting. All in all...it's like going to the carnival, you know it's all rigged, can't trust any of it, and if you just want to have a little fun and kill an afternoon, it can be a great place to have some fun. read more

I have purchased several very nice pieces of Alaskan art, some beautiful fur coats, and even a pickup from this auction over a course of 2 1/2 years. (2010 to mid 2012) I was working up in Anchorage, but still lived in the lower 48. When my job ended, I left some of my most valued Alaskan ivory carvings and scrimshawed ram's horns at one of the employee's homes. The guy, Matt, had an extra room and needed some extra cash, so I rented one of his rooms to put my treasures in. He is a very trustworthy person (who moved to Alaska to help care for his developmentally challenged nephew.) The owner, Christine, somehow heard about this, and told him he could not do that. As her employee, she ordered him to bring all the items back to the auction house. Out of fear of losing his job, he did so. Christine never even called me on the phone to ask my permission or to even discuss the matter. The guy called me that night to tell me what had happened. I phoned Christine the next day and she said that since Matt was her employee that she could be held liable if any of the items were stolen. She wanted them at the Auction House where they would be safe. I told her that I had them insured, but by her removing them from Matt's house, my policy had been voided. She just ended the conversation very bluntly, stating she could not be liable for them at Matt's. When I returned to Alaska four months later, to drive my pickup home with all of my treasures, the tub holding almost $4400 worth of carvings was missing. Christine's response was that no one had taken an inventory when she had the things moved and that they were not responsible for something that I couldn't prove to them had been there. She refused to admit that she was liable for taking things back to the Auction House that I had paid for and stored elsewhere...WITHOUT MY PERSMISSION. The real shocker was when I told her that she needed to file a claim with their insurance company and she told me that they were NOT insured. After trying to get her and her husband, Duane, to make even a partial restitution with credit towards future auctions, Christine informed me via voicemail that I was no longer allowed to bid at their auctions unless I left a cash deposiit with them as they felt I could "do something to hurt them" in the future. After spending almost $90,000 at their Auction House over 2 1/2 years, I could hardly believe she could accuse me of something so ridiculous after she had just cost me $4400. Needless to say, I have no choice but to sue them. read more