today on pick up, the entire auction's items had not been put in area ready for pickup. Waited 5 minutes, then told 5 more minutes then it was 10 minutes then more. I'm a 68 year old woman in 85 degree direct sun with neuropathy. I felt very very faint. As they spent time moving furniture to get to boxes up very high and then opening each one, I asked if I could just look real quick so my few items could get pulled. was told no. then instead of apologizing to the growing line , we were told it was hard on them too No mea culpa "sorry we messed up" but instead they're victim too. He said I didn't know what they're going through and I said you don't know what we have gone through either that morning. He said you're just impatient. Yes I was and about to faint on their floor after being told it was 5 minutes 15 minutes ago. I didn't yell or curse How much easier would it have been to say "Sorry everyone, we messed up and have to organize everything, it's going to be at least 20-30 minutes, please come back later or tomorrow, again our utmost apologies" Anyhoos banned me from their website and another one too, long time customer of 10 years spending significant amount of money that helps in retirement. I was at one of first auction ninjas sales 10 years ago where I drove down to Scarsdale and found they had given my lot to another customer. Things happen Next time just say you're sorry Grant Paranese (the managing partner) it's not about you and your day. (kudos to the ladies trying to help those that didn't need Christmas) Women who speak up shouldn't be an affront to your ego and punished, sometimes we're just tired, hot, about to faint, would like a chair and would like you to think of the customer read more

The gallery has many stunning items which can be easily accessed from the QR codes and or numbers on the tags. Displays are well done and excellent. The place is huge and requires a two trip minimum. Customer service excellent and informative. read more

See all

Pleasant employees, but buyers should be very skeptical about the authenticity of the artwork they sell. I purchased two pieces for over $1000, only to find that they are counterfeit. It's very disappointing, since I have been buying from them for a few years now and have to assume that every piece of art that I purchased is basically worthless. And when I contacted them, they ghosted me. read more

Disreputable auction house in Bridgeport, Connecticut. I bid on two lots that were at $5 for about an hour and a half prior to my placing bids. Each time I bid, I was "outbid." The prices got to be ridiculous for the lots. It was evident that the auction house was bidding against me. In addition, they charge a 20% buyer's premium, which is very high. As Disreputable people. Do not recommend bidding for items on their site. It would be a waste of money. Much better to support a reputable auction house that treats its customers in a professional manner. read more

I am in shock. I was repeatedly yelled at by Grant Pararese, the owner of Black Rock Galleries/Auctions. (Also owner of Clearing House Estates & the website Auctionninja.com) I was excited to pick up a TEAK piece of furniture I won through Black Rock Auctions, but when loading it into our trailer noticed it was not teak, but 100% particle board (painted to look like teak.) I called the head office to explain my situation & tell them I do not want the piece & want to be refunded... as it's not teak wood. (I was very kind) He proceeds to tell me that is how MCM furniture was made. I tell him no, I have real teak wood pieces at home & it should have said on the listing "made of particle board". I told him I would have never bid on something made of particle board made to look like teak. As he continues to yell at me... I said: "I don't want to be admonished for explaining the piece of furniture is not teak wood." His last words he yelled before hanging up were: "Do not ever bid on our auctions again." I just can't believe it. He answered the phone already angry. I put him on speaker phone for a short time... so I wasn't the only one who heard him. I told the workers I'm so sorry you have to work for him. If he treats his customers like he just did to me, I can only imagine how terrible he must treat his employees. I DESERVE an APOLOGY from GRANT PARARESE, owner of Black Rock Auctions. Shame on you. I have been refunded, but he has locked me out of their bidding platform, as they also own auctionninja.com as well. I have been buying items from Black Rock & Clearing House for years as it's a fun hobby. I posted my experience on Facebook & funny enough, I had a few people at tennis tell their negative experience. It did not have to go sideways. Even the homeowner smiled when I said I didn't want a particle board piece. She knodded her head & knew it was false advertising. He was probably upset the manager had already left & he had to deal with a customer. Customer Service Failure. read more

See all

My first, only and last experience, bad!! Their description is not well written. I had to forfeit my bid. Will never do this again.

Fun place to spend a couple of hours. They occupy two floors of a warehouse size building conveniently located off 95. You are free to roam around and browse and a few staff are around for questions or assistance. They have lots of big pieces, furniture, as well as china, collectibles, artwork, decorative household items and other assorted treasures. I docked one star because they are closed on Sundays. Call me crazy, but don't most people who go antiquing, do so on Sundays?? read more

See all

I have been buying from them for a while. I have lived everything I have purchased and it was always packed up great when I pick it up in Waltham. great quality goods. read more

Never had any issues never disappointed. Staff very friendly. Highly recommended black rock items always exactly as stated . Fun place to buy .. read more

Two reason for 1 star. 1. I had a question after picking up the item so I sent email but the never answer. Some of the auction manager never answer my questions. 2. I have won the bid for vintage textile. They smell just horrible. The whole family felt sick. I washed some of them but the odor was too strong and I ended up throw them in the garbage. What a waste of money. read more

I rarely leave a bad review they are far and in between. Black Rock Galleries deserves less than a 0. I have purchased before from them and I was content ,that was years ago. However this time was a totally different story. I purchased a dining room table from them online during an auction the top looked like glass had a couple of miner scratches. There was this small piece of painters tape on it when i picked it up. I pulled off the tape and wouldn't you know , the entire table started to peel . They put a fresh coat of polyurethane on it. The polyurethane never set and I am stuck with a table that looks terrible. When I asked if they can come get it and get a refund,I was told the guy with the muscles said it was fine at pick up. NO REFUND. read more

Likely ghost bidders. That's all i can say. They have items that sell at auction and them a month later the EXACT same items are for sale again. Are we to believe people pay outlandish prices and don't bother to pick them up after paying? Fishy company. Lots of fake artwork. Ah well mostly crap anyhow read more

Their description of merchandise can be very inaccurate and they cannot be trusted to stand behind what they sell. If you buy online only and don't view the item beforehand, DON'T count on their description to be accurate. They are either incompetent or dishonest. Either way, not a company I would do business with again. read more

Was very happy with them and now am incredibly disappointed. Used them for my mother's estate. They sold additional items back in December and still have not received payment. Even after numerous emails and texts. Told check should have been mailed out by now but still no check. Also they were going to sell additional pieces of furniture for me, they said they would be at my house to photograph and now they have gone ghost. read more

Have had many interactions with BRG. All positive. They seem to be growing fast, so there are probably growing pains. Extensive amount of honest merchandise available on all levels and unique offerings. They are my go-to place if I need something for my home or office. Also I've found their auction to be unique and often you can get very reasonable prices. read more

Always works for me when I purchase items from across the country n need them packed n delivered!

I needed to sell a lot of my furniture quickly and Black Rock Galleries handled the job with ease. From the initial evaluation to pick up day they were responsive, friendly and accommodating. All their staff are super friendly, nice and respectful. Sale went better than anticipated and I await my proceeds. Pick up day was seamless and they guys were professional and nice. I highly recommend using their service. read more

Bidder and buyer beware! They run online auctions. The item was up for about 8 days with no reserve. I was the high bidder with one day left. I then checked on the item and it was removed from sale. With no explanation. No email communicating. No nothing. I felt like I was winning the auction and the rug was pulled out right from under me. Imagine....the item is up for 8 days, and close to the end, it is removed. This just didn't pass the smell test. So wrong. Calling to inquire was a nightmare. First person (Maria) answered the phone & kept putting me on hold. She was especially unhelpful. She knew exactly how to upset a customer even more. And she was unaware as to who was in charge of online auctions, so I was unable to talk to a manager or even get a name. She was the wrong person to be working in customers. Ten minutes later my user and password would not work. I phoned in, again, and spoke to different person (Jessica), and again I could not get to a manager. Later in the day, i phoned in again to speak to the owner who was not in the building. Ten minutes later the owner called me. He had no knowledge of why item was removed from sale. He said the original owner (his client) of the item asked for it to removed and the BR staff obliged. I explained that the item owner had over 8 days to remove the item and it appears the did so near the very end of the auction. My suspicion is that, IF an item is going at too low of a price, then they remove it. The owner said this is in step with some "national law". What this firm did is slimey, sneaky, and just unfair. And there is nothing in the "terms" of the auction website that they can do this. Buyer and bidder beware. My experience is that this company's methods are dishonest and pretty low. Now, I can't travel to Bridgeport, but what are the chances that the item ends on on the floor with a real pricetag on it? Think about it... My experience is that this company, and it's employees with bad customer savvy-ness, and poor business practices are as slimey as it gets. And... they couldn't care less to be called out on the horrible practices. They should not be in an auction environment. They make it difficult for other auction sites. All I can say is bidders and buyers beware! PS:. I respect that the owner did get in touch with me. And while he listened, he offered very little explanation of these events. read more

Purchased an item via a Black Rock auction in April (4/1/21) fro a shipping only auction - paid an extra $13.40 for Priority Shipping. I was sent a tracking number and when the package haven't shown up by May I ran the tracking number through the Post Office and was informed that the package was marked "Delivered" on 4/11/21 - only it was "delivered" to Trenton, NJ. I do not now live in Trenton, nor have I ever lived ANYWHERE in New Jersey. Black Rock is dragging it's feet on refunding my money claiming the package merely arrived in Trenton on it's way to me - that's BS as the Post Office would have said "arrived in Trenton, in transit to ***, NY". I'm not a happy camper as I am out close to $200. read more

Something is amiss here....I have noticed that items at auction in a 'One-Owner' estate sales in one state show up months later at another 'One-Owner' estate sale in another state. Next, I have also seen images of a furniture item I was following at auction changed to hide wood damage. Last, an item I bought at auction was not as it was represented in photos. When I asked to return the item, they said I could, however..... the woman I spoke with not only didn't seem to care about the reason for the return - that the item was not as it was represented - but also was also VERY rude. Terrible customer service. The word indignant comes to mind. So why would customers pay an 18% markup for items which may be misrepresented and then be treated rudely? Never again. read more

I regularly buy art and furniture from auctions all along the East Coast. Every item I have purchased from Black Rock Galleries has had damage that was not included in the photos. They store paintings in old laundry carts. They stack and move furniture in ways that lead to damage. I want potential bidders to understand that damage to items is not acceptable in the auction world and that there are legal repercussions that should be pursued. I think BRG gets away with their poor service because the buyers are mostly not familiar with the auction business and feel they are getting a deal compared to retail. To them I suggest to look to major auction houses in Connecticut. The prices are comparable and the service is far better. There are still gentleman in this world, just not in the owner of Black Rock Galleries. read more

Terrible experience. Will never use again. As of this writing, they are illegally withholding the money they owe me, per the contract, and my possessions that they erroneously omitted from my auction. After exhausting my options, myself, time, and their no-show appointments to give me my possessions and money, I now have no other recourse but to get my lawyer involved. Very very sad and bad. read more

Despite all their growing pains, ie new locations, I have found their staff to be courteous, professional and helpful. We have bought many items from them, and not been disappointed. They seem to get many interesting listings, and the good thing is that everything starts at $1 and there is no reserve. read more

Walking in the main doors and abruptly hearing "And where are you going?" Is prob not the way to greet anyone. Was a total turn off and last time my shadow will grace that doorway. I decided it was time to leave so never even checked out the actual gallery. read more

I am very pleased with the services at Black Rock Galleries. They really helped me out in a big way recently and think they are a fair group of people in a wonderful facility. The online auction process is excellent with a ton of great items! Thanks again Black Rock! read more

There is some great merchandise here, but the lack of good customer service can make it an unpleasant experience. Twice I had a problem with pickup of online auction winnings. The first time they couldn't find my item, and another time they sent me home with the wrong item. Mistakes happen, but an apology? Nope. The overall feeling here is that of a cold, aloof staff unconcerned with customer happiness. One more comment about pricing...another reviewer pointed out that the prices are often higher then that you would find on eBay. This is very true. Educate yourself prior to making the purchase. read more

We just completed an online auction with BlackRock Galleries and could not have been happier. From the initial evaluation to the day of pick up, BlackRock handled everything for us and it was a seamless and profitable way to liquidate our furnishings. They were professional from start to finish and our outcome was even better than we anticipated. I cannot recommend them more highly read more

This whole auction thing is a scam. I was even told by some of the auction employees that they have their own people that outbid bidders so the item does not go for a cheap deal until they reach their goal and if their own bid wins they call the last previous bidder and offer the item to them!!!!!!!!!! Amazing scam!!!! read more

Was promised that several items items would be placed at auction. None were. They were all put out on consignment floor. Many consigned items were sold but we were not paid until months later when we called to ask the status. They sold other items at prices far below agreed/contract price and then got angry when asked why. Consignors have too many choices to use this auction house. read more

I bought a pair of boots that said they were leather, when my friend got them home found out they were rubber. I called 4 times and left messages..the 5th time I talked to someone. They promised a call back, but never did. The boots were not expensive, but still would think they would at least talk to me. I will not buy anymore thru their site. read more

I will give them a star because I can't give zero stars and because they do have nice things. However, the owner's customer service and business ethic is extremely off-base. Every encounter we had with the owners felt like they were trying to blame us for the entire situation; it took two weeks post-auction to receive our items and 3 weeks post-auction to determine that they were not going to refund us any of the money we were out for transportation costs. In short, never again. read more

Ok so you can find some interesting pieces at BRG but often they're priced higher than the same pieces on Ebay so be careful and bid wisely with the 18% fees but the place is fun to explore. My biggest gripe is someone needs to tell the gal who works the desk and takes the cash to lose the attitude and the snob demeanor. This isn't Sotheby's in New York or Palm Beach it's Bridgeport so lighten up! read more

The problem with this place straight out is not the items they carry but the customer service. Picking up items from an auction and you would think I was bothering them. I assume it was an owner I asked with some specific questions - but her attitude was so snotty you would think there was a line of people breathing down her neck waiting for assistance. Her side kick wasn't much better. Too bad you don't realize what a bad impression you make. As far as their prices-do some research first. I need to add to this review from a later visit-to pick up items from another auction at the home of the owner. The location wasn't close-about 100 miles. There's a really short window of availability to do this as specified by them. When I got there I entered as a buyer was having a shouting match with an employee after a problem with her pickup. Employee was so dismissive, making fun of her accent. I thought this is going to be good. At my turn I was told they didn't have my purchase, couldn't find it. Really? This place seems so totally out of it. People there couldn't care less that this was a big inconvenience. I also noticed antique leather bound books that were purchased with the name of another buyer taped on the front that most likely would rip the leather taking it off. So now I need to call the gallery to get a refund and call my credit card to dispute the charge. I should have learned my lesson the first time. I wouldn't trust them at all to pack and manage a house move from the nonsense I saw in this home. read more

We found Robin and Rick to be enthusiastic and very helpful in determining the value of our piece. They were available in person, followed up, did research, and communicated; the perfect choice to represent this item of sentimental value to our family. read more

They need to get rid of the young lady with black hair and glasses. She gets very flustered and cannot handle this job when you need good customer service. She said to call before I come, which I did and Kim said the items are here. Snotty Lady replied "Not really"! Someone will smack the snotty attitude out of her! read more

This antique mall/auction house always interesting furniture, furnishings, paintings. I collect mid-century modern, and there's usually something to bring home. Great location/easy freeway access. read more

I purchased a beautiful vintage teak credenza that I'm using to hold craft supplies in my office, such a great find! The shop and auction house looks different every time I visit. It was so much fun to explore the gallery, I'll definitely be back! read more

I came here with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday. We LOVED this place. It is an ENORMOUS warehouse full of furniture, art, and smaller items. There seems to be something for all tastes here. The prices on some items seemed very reasonable, while others seemed high. Overall i'd say you'll get a pretty good deal here - they were willing to negotiate a little (not a lot) on the items we purchased. TONS of antique chairs, tables, dressers, buffets, etc. A lot of old store frontage and signage - very cool collection. The 4 stars is primarily for the shear size and variety of the collection. If nothing else, it was really fun to walk around and look at everything. This will likely become a regular visit when my family comes for holidays. read more

They solved the problem with my contact information and waived their commission for the first couple of months. I am now happy with them. They do have an incredible collection of antiques and cool stuff in an enormous building. read more

Anyone needing to clear their home of years of accumulated furniture and household items should absolutely consider using the services of Black Rock Galleries and their outstanding online auction process. In the short period of one day, their highly professional team photographed hundreds of items in our home from large furniture to small pieces of jewelry and presented every piece clearly in high resolution on their auction website. Two weeks later the auction was completed and every item was picked on a Saturday up by many satisfied buyers. Each item was inventoried and there was 100% control of the sales and pick-up and advance payment process at all times. We could NEVER have sold all of the varied items in two weeks let alone six months nor could we have realized the total sale value provided by the BRG auction. We realized about 40% more in total net dollar value than we would have by handling the sale on our own. It was without a doubt the most efficient process available to empty an entire house that was being sold in under a month. The owners of BRG took personal pride in being onsite and managing the sale from start to finish. The entire staff including the hard working moving team was exceptional in every way. We would give Black Rock Galleries more than five stars if available for their entire operation and recommend them without reservation. If you, like us, do not wish to have multiple tag sales over weeks or months to sell things you no longer use or need and don't want the hassle of shipping items to multiple buyers, Black Rock Galleries can make the entire process painless, efficient, swift and economically beneficial. Sincere thanks to Rick, Christie, Grant and your whole team! read more