I have been a successful bidder in several of Alderfer's auctions over the last few years. The staff is extremely kind and helpful. Everything from lot viewing to shipping has been handled with a great attitude. Their website could use some additional tweaking to make it highly effective, but it's still very useful. I can tell from my multiple interactions with them, that they are honest in their representations and they DON'T try to unrealistically "hype" things to make them seem better than they actually are (something that some other auction companies do). I look forward to bidding in many more of Alderfer's future auctions and will do so with great confidence in this group of fine people. Some of the especially helpful people are Pam, Cathy, Jill and a few others who's names escape me at the moment. read more

Alderfer Auction - 1882 Trade dollar in Proof 66 star - Real Estate Near Me - Hatfield, Pennsylvania

Auction house - I bought an item. Manager very helpful - thanks. Working with me on the delay of the transport. read more

Alderfer Auction - The car I bought - Real Estate Near Me - Hatfield, Pennsylvania

I wanted to sell some designer furniture and wall decor. I contacted Alderfer and sent pictures of my items. They sent an expert to look at my items. He chose 16 items for the auction. These were items selling on other sites for hundreds to thousands of dollars. On auction day only 6 of the items were up for sale! They sold at very low prices ,$100.00 - $300.00 ! After Alderfer deducted their commissions and expenses they sent me a bill! I did protest and they ended up sending me a small check. It took over a month to get my 10 items back. They wanted me to have an estate sale to sell these and other items. I wouldn't trust them to sell anything for me ! I feel this was a total scam. This is a warning to anyone wishing to sell items. read more

Poor description of items and very unhelpful staffs. I heard this place is closing down and it doesn't surpise me

Ranae, I am not confused at all, stop with unsubstantiated discrediting me for calling you out on dishonest item description. People need to know and see how you operate at Alderfer. So, piled up and further dishonesty on Alderfer's part. You need to own this. This latest review is in response to the string of lies in the response left by you in my first review. NO, I was not able to see the chair before I paid. I was directed to pay at your inside window and was told to pick it up afterward in the back on my way out. The description was not accurate. And NO, the description DID NOT address the warped twisted structural back of the chair, something that I even inquired about prior to bidding, and was assured by email that there was nothing wrong or unusual or off about the chair, and specifically what I was asking about; they said nothing was crooked. Shocking how easy it is for this auction to lie about things even after multiple opportunities to come clean on the actual condition and to also make it right for the customer, further evidence on how dishonest and conniving this auction house is. Warning to potential bidders, only bid if you can actually go to the auction house prior to bidding and physically see it first hand yourself. If bidding online, DO NOT DEPEND ON THEIR DESCRIPTIONS, PERIOD. The fact is that you cannot depend on their lot descriptions, this is further evidenced by their disclaimer in their fine print which confirms them being removed from the responsibility of accurate descriptions; preemptive legal wording to cover their mistakes or their purposeful omissions of item faults or damage. So it even says so in their own documents. Obviously, blanket excuse from providing accurate descriptions which is embedded in the legal document of the conditions of the sale. Stay away unless you can see it yourself, do not believe their personnel for accuracy. read more

I've been going here for years. I can always count on them to have wonderful items. Great stuff. Great staff. Great auction.

Having used Alderfer's for several auction categories, I can confirm from experience that the assigned auction reps are motivated to help consignors achieve the best possible auction results. This goal is reached through making Alderfer's auction process (to begin with completing the consignment agreement) easy to follow, with help, as well, for transportation of goods to be auctioned, where feasible. Compared to other auction houses that are often specialized in a few related item categories (like stamps and coins), Alderfer's offers greater breadth in the types of items accepted, from real estate to antiques, and from arts of all types to jewels, vintage toys and antiquarian books. Still another advantage is Alderfer's reach in extending its services to potential buyers and consignors overseas, which makes for a more dynamic bidding process, depending on the nature of the item offered. In summary, despite fluctuating market conditions, I believe that Alderfer's has done the best job possible in attracting interested buyers who, as a group, help the firm receive competitive bids from prospective buyers looking to receive fair market values in exchange for their collectibles or other goods offered. Highly recommended. read more

Poor job avoid at all costs. Bad listings and no reserves. I'm still waiting on a check 6 weeks after my stuff "Sold" Very bad attitudes by staff. I'm done with this place. read more

Every aspect of my experience with this company was 5 star. From my initial meeting all the way through pick-up day. Everyone I had contact with was kind, attentive and made us feel comfortable. The first team that cataloged and tagged everything was friendly and professional. They assured us we could sell anything and they were right!!! The crew that came on pickup day was equally friendly and professional. Great experience!! Definitely use this company if you need to downsize. You won't be disappointed. read more

Contacted Alderfer to sell a few items. They gave mostly excessively low estimates (verified as low when we went to another auction house), won't offer a reserve, higher Seller's premium than other auction houses. Went with another seller and would never use Alderfer under their terms. read more

We bought a couple of large (and expensive) items of furniture at one oef Alderfer's regular auctions. Our U-Haul turned out to be perhaps the most broken down vehicle on the lot (no tie-down hooks, a non-existent suspension, a rather recalcitrant ignition) so we were already on edge by the time we showed up, towards the end of our pick-up window. The provided (and expensive) tie-down straps from U-Haul turned out to be laughably short, completely incapable of securing our furniture. However, Dan, Alderfer's head of logistics stepped in to save (and make) our day. Incredibly kind and courteous, despite it being late on a Friday, he shuttled us to the nearest Lowes for new straps, provided additional cardboard for shipping, and double-checked our packing job. Our day went from being a near disaster to a great success. The furniture arrived safely, and looks stunning in our home. Oh, and Dan was very polite when he pointed out we could've saved both time and money by using Alderfer's in-house shipping service. Lesson learned. I'm leaving it to Dan (and Alderfer) next time. read more

Allyson Babcock of Alderfer's Auction in Lansdale, PA did an excellent job handing both my mother-in-law's estate and insurance appraisals. I would recommend Allyson highly for anyone in need of this service. She is professional, thorough, and very knowledgeable about these matters. Thank you Allyson! read more

Went to my second auction here on Thursday, and it's quite the experience. This was a book/ephemera auction and I was interested in a few books. Of course, I got there late and missed most of the lots I was interested in bidding on. But I decided to stay and get a feel for what a non-online auction feels like. It was a gorgeous spring day and I was inside with the motliest crew of book geeks I've ever seen. Sorry folks, but for Pete's sake, get some sun! I had to keep going outside to feel alive. With the smell of old books, a gillion dust mites puttering about, and people bidding on ancient books, I felt like I was in some dusty, dank corner of Sotheby's. I'm partially annoyed, because the signed William Saroyan first edition, I AM ARAM, sold for $200. I didn't go past $190, and someone else got it. I'll tell ya, there are plenty of "Good Old Folks" up there in the Hatfield area that must have some $$ because they spent alot for those old books. As it turned out, they were mostly great deals since these books go for a lot more online. So, what's my review? Amidst all the kvetching and disappointment for not getting what I came for, I did get some good lots and had a great time. The people were all super friendly and they all had a great love for books and making some hay later on down the line. I really recommend checking out an auction here some Thursday. Find one that has stuff you might be interested in and make a day of it. Just hope it's rainy so you don't feel like such a vampire. read more

This place is a hive of activity on auction days. It's very no-attitude, people are friendly, they answer questions in person and promptly by email. They do a little bit of everything, real estate, office equipment, estate sales, coins and stamps, and cars, all periods. It's really kind of a catch all, so it's best to know what you're looking for as you sift through table upon table of ceramics or antique glassware on preview days. They also offer some online only auctions. The buyer's premium is 10% and they discount for cash or check payments. Credit cards are accepted. You can sign up on their web site for notifications of upcoming auctions. read more

Alderfer Auction - I made 2 auction purchases from them on June 14 2017. 53 days later the items have not shipped. I Paid for the items right away and no mention was made of any issues or additional fees.I have written them 5 times and finally got a response 2 days ago and only after threatening to leave bad feedback. The response mentioned someones name in connection with an attempt to inform me that I needed to pay separately for shipping. The policy of breaking up the amount due as well as not to have that amount ready at the same time as the main payment indicates a clumsy attempt at doing business, Some may also interpret it as a Bait and switch operation. I deal with many auction houses and have only experienced 2 that handle it so poorly. The few others that I have worked with have a service that picks up the items to be shipped, packages them and contacts the purchaser to let them know the total owed for shipping. It is a extra time delay, but at least you know progress is being made. I will not be using this auction house again. There are many auction houses out there who care and also no how to do it right. read more

I recently took many fine items from fine china & crystal (Lenox) place settings for 12, Waterford pieces, silver, art work, Boehm, Cybis, antique dolls and many, many other nice items. I knew their estimated worth and thought I would get fair value. I was shocked at the small check I got and extremely upset that it wasn't even a reasonable amount. Alderfer was recommended to me and I will never use them again or recommend them. Do your homework ~ I feel thoroughly ripped off. I could have done 50 times better on Market Place on Face Book. I feel sick. read more

My experience with Alderfer Auction was absolutely WONDERFUL from start to finish. Everyone was very helpful, payment was easy, & the best part was that they shipped my item. No need to find a suitable third-party shipper. Alderfer Auction is also EXCEPTIONAL at packing! I was very impressed with everything they did & definitely look forward to attending more of their auctions. read more

Absolutely dissatisfied with this entire organization. I was in contact with the women in the real estate department and was left by the wayside while they served their own needs first. I asked for help regarding a specific property, I followed all their requests, called exactly when they said to, etc. Then, when I call again after the agent got back from "being out of town" she said there was already an offer in on the home! When I called to talk to someone further they said it was because they were going through a "time of transition". Only use this company if you want questionable, shady behavior from an unethical group of people. read more

I have been collecting antique clocks for close to 50 years and nothing like what I will describe has ever happened before. On August 23, 2018 they had a collection of high end clocks for sale. There were three I was interested in so I left a bid for the one I wanted the most (in case the telephone lines were down)and telephone bids for the other 2. I asked for a confirmation email that the bid would be executed on my behalf and the phone calls would be made on the other 2. I DID receive the email. The earlier the bids are submitted, if there is a tie, the earliest bid takes precedence. consequently my bids were submitted August 8 more than 2 weeks before the auction. Not only was my written bid(that was confirmed) not executed but I never received phone calls for the other 2 bids. What more could I have done?? The clock I wanted the most I likely would have won based on my left bid. I placed 2 calls to speak to the owner who ultimately called back. Nothing in life is perfect but when you go to the extent I did to assure that my bids would be placed nothing like this should have happened. Very, very sloppy work on the part of the woman whom I spoke to. I will never bid with this auction house again and if you are seriously interested in an item DON'T leave a bid but go to the auction or have someone who is present bid on your behalf. read more

Do not put your precious items with this auction house!! The absolute worst place !!!!! We dealt with Tim We had a military collection that we trusted them with. They came to our house to pick up all the items We had a list of estimated worth of the items. We sent them. They never acknowledged it ! They gave out collectibles away for nothing on the first auction , before the second auction of our items we asked to pick them up and they told us no we have to pay 25 per cent of the price they were listed for. They ended up auctioning our items in lot One of our flags was never listed never to be found and got no money for it. We had a cap that had an emblem on it the took the emblem off and auctioned the cap and the emblem no where to be found and when we asked them they said it was fake and wondered where they came from. Never saw the emblem again My husband is from Europe most of the items came from there When we asked about it this they said they have someone that is an expert in the field. But did not want to give us the name of this Licensed expert We contacted Hannes Coombes from the American Auction Association to file a complaint and there is not one person a member of this Association It took her months to get back to us with the same story each time. A very DISHONEST auction house. They never looked out for us as their clients BEWARE Still working on what we can do! read more

The transition and downsizing component of Alderfers is exceptional. The team comes into your home, wastes no time in packing your possessions so efficiently, and makes a move less stressful. Then the boxes arrive at your new location and the team unpacks and puts everything away. everything!! I highly recommend this company. They work as a team and are so pleasant and completely trust worthy. The other components are also exceptional. Trudy, who helps you plan and organize your downsizing home plan has insight into your needs and implements an efficient design so you can see how your furniture will work in a new location. I highly recommend her service . The auction house team that implements the estate sale of your possessions is terrific. They work non stop, categorizing, organizing and photographing your items so they are professionally represented in the on line auction. The entire Alderfers auction house staff is top shelf. I highly highly recommend them!!!!! read more

Overall a great experience. I purchased a refrigerator through there mobile bidding app which was a simple and fun process. Picking up the refrigerator was a seamless process. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I will definitely be making more purchases through Alderfer. read more

I have been buying from Alderfer via their online auctions for the last year. They have been incredible to deal with! I trust that when they describe an item that any flaw will be accurately represented. I bid with complete confidence. When I am picking up the staff always go out of their way to help me find my things and to stage them for loading. Alderfer is awesome! read more

I have both bought and sold at Alderfer's. You pay to have your items sold and the buyer pays a premium also. I have heard that in England they are trying to do away with this. It is unnecessary for both parties to pay a premium. The auction house is clean and comfortable. Most of the people who work there are professional and helpful. I have bought some beautiful pieces. There is one auctioneer named Vernon who is rude and disrespectful. I was recently at an auction in which he had missed me trying to bid on two items. When I bid on another item I waved my number so he would see me and he publicly embarrassed me and was condescending. I have called and voiced my complaint. I will not attend another auction that he is running. read more

Love this auction house! Such a very friendly staff...please is very nice...they have great items in their weekly Thursday sales!

Nancy Lomske VandenBerg · about a minute ago A $5,000 exciting purchase turned into a frustrating, aggrevating experience--because of how Alderfer handled it. I called Alderfer to let them know my item was damaged (and not listed as so in the auction). I was told "It probably happened on the floor" and was directed to report it to the shipper, UPS. I sent photos that showed the damage had occurred before the auction photos were taken, and had to make MANY phone calls and emails to finally get "repair damage"--but nothing to compensate for the depreciation of a damaged antique--which was not worth then, what I had bid! Fraudulent to try to get UPS to cover damage that occurred at the auction! VERY UPSETTING purchase. Even emailed CEO--and seemed not to care what the customer's experience was. I have been buying from auctions for about 35 years so have experience and appropriate expectations. Very unpleasant experience with Alderfer. read more

Had lost my job and needed to sell my valuable collectibles. I saw Alderfer received good prices on their online auctions. I asked several times what items would go into which online auctions. They replied the items would be reviewed and placed into the best place to get the most value. They ended up dumping EVERYTHING into a general auction. I am so sick at the prices received. Enlarged photo of JFK conferring with RFK went for $1. Turn of the century Order of the Red Men ceremonial wear was sold as Indian costumes and brought $25. I agreed to a 25% commission and 35% for items below $50. I never imagined that my items would sell less than $50. I had potential buyers for one my listed artist items. I asked when the online auction would be so I could let them know. It never had an online auction and it sold for $20. If your valuable item is not getting the online exposure, do not allow auction houses to dump your items. From what I see, the auction houses only spend time to list the items when they have already bought out the estate and are making 100% of the sales price. You have heard of buyer beware. In this case, seller beware. read more

I am a Buyer from Arizona who bought an item on an online-only auction....so that's the basis of this review. I found it to be very disappointing! I paid for the item IMMEDIATELY, and got in touch with them to offer payment for shipping, or would make arrangements with a local shipper, whichever they wanted. No response, no response. Finally got a response from a Manager, who said they would be happy to ship it for me (it was a small item)....and I gave them credit card info, which they ran immediately for shipping. Then nothing, nothing. I contacted them after a reasonable time (3 weeks) and was told they were 'sorry', they would get it packed that week.....now it's been another 3 weeks and no contact, no package. I would NEVER buy from them again, given this experience. It's too bad, as I'm a long-time auction Buyer and I would have been happy to keep buying otherwise. If they can't perform in providing the items, they should hook up with a good shipper who would be happy to make the money, I would think! read more

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!! I will never do another online auction with them again. I also paid immediately and never got info on how to get my stuff. I emailed them and it took three days to get a response and they didn't even address the questions I had written in my email. It seemed like it was an inconvenience for them to ship my item???? Yet they charge a hefty 20% fee in addition to the bid!!!! They also charge a storage fee!!!!!! So they telll me it will be two weeks to ship it!!!!!! Its over two weeks and still no word on when I will get my stuff! Very pissed off! BIDDER BEWARE!!!!!! read more

I have bought at Alderfer's both in person and using Artfact. They are straightforward, do not "run" bids, and are most pleasant during the pick-up process. read more

Working with Alderfer is pretty easy and the staff is very friendly. Mom had been working with them for years and now that I have my own stuff to sort, Alderfer Auction was the first and only place I called. read more