Terrible customer service for a first time prospective buyer at this auction house. Luckily, the customer service was bad while i was gathering information about paintings that I was interested in bidding on... else I would have been stuck with the same customer service rep to coordinate my pickup with. I also had a bunch of art to sell that I was thinking of maybe approaching them with but my first line of contact was so bad that I now know for sure, I do not want to work with them. How is it possible that they place someone with no aptitude for customer service in that sort of customer facing role!? Have you seen how the owner Mr K replies to reviews here- unreal ! Take a look at the Glassdoor reviews of employees and the treatment they endured at this place!!?? Do yourself a favor - do NOT work with them. Should have discussed this business as a case study for poor management and customer service in my MBA program a long time ago... STAY AWAY! read more

I've been buying from Kaminski for about 15 years and have had consistently good luck. Typically I leave absentee bids though a couple of times I have bid by phone including on a Steinway piano. They are responsive and good to work with. My only wish is that they would post more photographs of items longer before the auction; often the photos only are posted a day or two before the auction. I also have good luck with the local UPS store handling shipping, including pieces of furniture coming to New York City. read more

I will start my review by saying that I had super high hopes of dealing with this auction house. After their "35" years in business, I assumed I would never have a problem. The first time I ever bid on an item from them the items I picked up had damage that was not mentioned in any of the listing info but I figured I wasn't able to go preview so that's on me. The second time I bid on items there I won three items but when I went to pick them up, one of the items was missing. After speaking to the owner, who, by the way acts, as if he has very little time for you unless you were one of his high-end wealthy clients. Mentioned that oh well, it must not have been taken back from the house "we will look for it and bring it to you at Brimfield". we are dealers and we were set up at Brimfield at the time, Well, a week went by and we didn't hear from them. I had to reach out to them three times before I finally found out. They never had the mirror to begin with because they're so disorganized. They auction off an item they didn't even physically have in their hands and sold it to me, and then lost it. Supposedly, my item was given to the habitat restore. I am on aware of how you can conduct an auction for an item asking your client to bid on something that they're trusting that you have in your possession only to find out you don't have it in your possession. A year it went by after that, and I decided to give them another chance because I figure everyone has a bad week. Well, this time my issue with them was my own fault. I was out of town for a funeral, and I had written them a check for a purchase, which I normally don't do out of an account that I normally don't use. While at the funeral, I got a message from my bank, asking me if the check was fraudulent or not. I don't believe that I answered it in enough time while out of town, I used my debit card at a gas station and then the very next day. All of these debits were coming out of my account and theyanwhile out of town, I used my debit card at a gas station, and then the very next day. All of these debits were coming out of my account. It was unknown to me that this was occurring because I hadn't been looking at my phone to see the notifications. Needless to say it over to my bank account by close to $4000 so my bank did not clear the check. I promptly returned their phone call when they called me and paid it immediately plus a fee. Again that's on me. I have no problem taking care of that. So thinking that I am happy to have reignited my relationship with them. I watch an auction on live auctioneers that they just had listed for two weeks with all the items listed and correctly priced. So the day of The auction I've bid on several items LIVE on LIVE Auctioneers. Now this is supposed tp be live with them controlling the bidding on their end. The bidding was going well i won a few pieces but when it comes to a pair of leather chairs which were priced at $150 for the opening bid the problem started, I was bidding on live auctioneers on them, watched The auction go from $150 up to $300 and then it said fair warning, fair, warning, and then it said lot closed you Won. I was extremely ecstatic because these were to be a gift for my mother. Now im pretty sure YOU WON means you WON and since KAMINskis controls the auction it should be fair and right, I mean I won the other items ok. i get a message from them, saying there was some kind of clerical error and they wanted to cancel my purchase. Um What??. Actually, the message read they wanted to get my "permission" to cancel the item. I immediately wrote back and told them that I do not give them my permission to do so and I won the item fair and square and then they immediately and rudely I might add responded with basically tough shit you're not getting them they've already been paid for and picked up which I find ironic considering they're closed on Saturdays. I think the whole thing seems fishy to me and every time you speak to anyone there they're extremely rude and they speak to you like you don't even matter. I own a business and go out of my way to make sure I don't speak to my customers in a demeaning fashion. Kaminski's treats you like you're some type of a bug or a problem. It's terrible auction practice to sell an item to someone and then tell them that they actually didn't win it when they did. FAIRLY bidding. I've already filed a complaint with live auctioneers, and I intend to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the auctioneers commission. If there is one. Their business practices are unscrupulous at best and I realize now that I'm not alone in my interpretation of what they believe customer service is. I honestly feel that this whole thing was a set up. maybe They had a favorite in the audience who wanted them or the owner of the chairs wanted more who knows, Either way they used their power to veto my bid which is beyond wrong. read more

Kaminski Auctions - Auction Houses Near Me - Beverly, Massachusetts

I've been attending auction houses for over a decade, and there is a reason I continue to return again and again to Kaminski's. Their offerings are always phenomenal, ranging from antiquities, to vintage designer clothing, to show-stopping interior design pieces, and more. Their service is absolutely unmatched from start to finish with the meticulous care they provide. They are very responsive and open with prospective customers regarding questions, concerns, etc. -- Frank and his staff are incredibly knowledgable, helpful, and trustworthy. The pick up process is seamless and efficient. I have never had an issue with any items that I've purchased. I was reluctant to share this review, lest my favorite auction house become known to potential competition (other eager buyers!), but I really feel it's the least I could do for such an incredible establishment. Best auction house in the biz!!!! read more

My experience with Kaminsky Auction was overall, unfortunately, far from great, so I caution you to be very careful in dealing with them. I will try to be brief but it was a long drawn-out frustration. Basically, I gave them almost 50 pieces of (mainly French womens' designer clothes and accessories) to auction for me, on the strength of the low/high estimates their employee gave me whilst viewing them at my home prior to the auction, and with which I was satisfied. The woman in question filled out 7 pages of a list of my stuff and estimates on the back of which was an elaborate contract which she told me I could sign when she came to pick up the clothes for the auction. I foolishly agreed, knowing full well you DO NOT sign any contract without having the time to read and understand all the terms. I feel that I was totally misled by this woman, who estimated the value two and three hundred percent more than I received at the auction for the items that sold, and in fact zero, yes, zero cents for an Hermes Kelly bag box and a sequined evening top once Kaminski had deducted their portion!! Of the 45 plus items I gave them, only 20 sold and in almost all cases I ended up getting $10 for beautiful (many new) items estimated at $200-300$ and more. My complaint is based on 3 misleading facts: 1. I repeatedly asked what their "advertising" expense of $675 was based on - the contract we both signed stated that the consignor would be shown the advertising PRIOR to the auction...I was never shown the advertising and that is clearly a breach of our contract in itself. 2. The $40 "minimum bid per lot" turned out to be to the advantage of Kaminski and not me, as the consignor, and the "lot" referred to each and every item, which I had interpreted as the entire lot since the definition of "lot" is several and not each and every item. 3. I offered to give the employee many write ups and photos of my stuff which I had written, but she preferred to describe the items with bland, uninteresting captions which surely would not be attractive to bidders, and she would not show me her write-ups prior to the auction. 3. By the time Kaminski had deducted advertising, insurance and the $40 per lot, they had to give me a "courtesy" credit because I was the one who owed them for the auction of my stuff. Haha!! I was totally shocked and made it known to the employee who estimated my items. There was much back and forth and I met with Mr. K, the owner, who eventually had an additional check for a couple of hundred dollars sent to me. Would I ever deal with this company again after all the frustration and the very disappointing results of their auction? No...nor should you, unless you are totally satisfied with the misleading information you are getting and if you enjoy being frustrated. Sorry - I had high hopes for my relationship with this company, but it did not turn out that way. I would have preferred to write a glowing review!! read more

I usually don't write reviews. But I have no choice this time. I was about to bid one painting from this auction through the phone. However when I receive the call, the caller simply told me sorry sir, we have passed your lot. I have never experienced something like that. This is probably the worst experience that you can have if you bid frequently during different auctions. It's a loss for the cosigner and terrible for the buyers. Very unprofessional. read more

The paper I signed was yellow with faded words on the back. I did not expect to be taken advantage of by someone I knew. Just remember- he charged me for taking some of the 200 items back because he would not reserve them. He wanted $450, I sold them for $4000. He charged me his percentage. He put many sets of dishes together. His answer says he needs to get a certain amount per sale. that makes snese. But retail people don't buy many sets, they like one set. His extra charges were not made known in advance. He charges so much for your sale, why shouldn't he pay for the photos. As I said before, there were two people there when I picked up m stuff(that I had to pack) that were trying to get their money. read more

Frank has some unusual methods of bringing up the bid. I once bid 25 dollars for an item I was not willing to pay more for. Another person bid 30 but I kept my card down, didn't want it. Frank looked at me and said "35 I have" the other person said "40" and again looked at me. I jut yelled "25 dollars was all I bid" then he sheepishly said "I thought you were bidding" I told him my card was only up one time and he had to have known that. He sold the item for 25 to the other bidder I just left read more

Not a reputable auction house. Beware. I legitimately won a lot recently on LiveAuctioneers. Kaminski contacted me saying "there was computer glitch" and they were going to sell it to someone else unless I paid (an amount which was 5 times my winning bid). I filed a complaint with LiveAuctioneers who provided proof that I had the winning bid. Kaminski won't honor it (and also made up some story about how I called earlier in the day yelling and screaming, etc...) That, of course, wasn't true. You're better off not doing business with them. I'm going to continue pursuing this. I think they shouldn't even be licensed. read more

Avoid! There is no customer service. They rarely answer the phone; do not reply to emails sent through their website and only replied to a direct email after it was sent twice. Their answers are flip at best, grossly rude most of the time. They were planning on auctioning off (again) an item that I had already won and paid for. They also sell locked cabinets without the keys. Their reply to my request for keys: "Sorry, no keys. Unfortunately you'll have to have them made." They charge hundreds of dollars in service fees yet provide little to no customer service to the buyer. read more

Frank Kaminski is on top of his game! He has wonderful auctions and knows the art of auctioning like no other. There is so much that goes on before bringing an auction to life and his team of wonderful employees and experts get the job done in an exemplary way time and time again. I almost always preview the auction before I buy and when I run into Frank and ask him a question or two, he speaks with me as if he doesn't have a care in the world and answers all. He is the epitome of grace under pressure. Frank's comprehensive knowledge is truly impressive. Auction day he renews himself and he is in the moment aware of all that is going on around him. I enjoy listening to him and his cadence is fine-tuned, and one can tell he is a very seasoned auctioneer. He has wonderful communication skills and his confidence and showmanship make watching entertaining and participating and buying exciting. The logistics after an auction is complete is another marvel that's Kaminski's pulls off with aplomb. If there were 6 stars that is what I would rate my experience with Kaminski Auctions. read more

We had never dealt with this auction house until recently when one if their antique auction lots caught our eye. We rolled into their Beverly, MA auction location in advance of the scheduled preview date from out of town while traveling and requested to preview the lot early. After a quick explanation of our odd timing they agreed to give us rock star access to preview the auction lot we were interested in. We were given private hand on access to the auction item to further verify condition and authenticity. They were easy to deal with and friendly and we set up a phone bid prior to leaving. They also recommended a preferred shipper for us to use. (that they have had great luck with in the past) The day of the auction came and they called us promptly a few lots ahead of our actual lot going across the auction block. We were pleased to win the bid on our rare item via our phone bid. Shipment was prompt and we are very pleased to have this very rare item in our collection. read more

I had a wonderful experience with Kaminski Auctions. I purchased two pair of beautiful, silk drapes from the Waldorf Astoria. Their employee Diane could not have been more helpful or responsive during the preview process. Then the auctioneer's wife personally helped me load my gorgeous drapes and a couple of chairs. Would highly recommend them. read more

I "won" online through Liveauchioneers.com on March 12. The item was paid for the same day. I have not received my item. I am out $225 and no one will will respond to my inquiries. That's fraud. read more

Thats the very bad, very unknowledgeable AUCTION HOUSES I HAVE EVeR SEEND IN MY WHOLE LIFE. thaTs very bad service : I bought 5 items from them and all that was fakes and the service I get was : we are not taakin responsibility for this. that was a mistake !!! thats the most horrible things waht I have ever seen in my life!!!!! NO FURTHER BIDDING to KAMINSKi !!! read more

This is separate from my item that I won at auction. This company is openly rude, rarely answers the phone, and while their website explains in detail about pricing and auction etiquette, they are not clear regarding the process after you've won an item. The large public multi-day Waldorf Astoria auction had thousands of items, and their website is still stating you can pick up your winnings at their Beverly, MA location, when in actuality you need to go to Taunton, MA (over an hour difference by car), or have the items shipped to you. I left multiple messages asking where do I go to pick up my item, and could someone go in my place with the invoice. No response. I finally got a bored sounding teenager on the phone telling me "You pick your stuff up at the mall", with no further explanation. I asked if shipping companies knew where to go in order to pick up the items. "It should be self explanatory". I cannot believe such a high level auction is being run by non-professional people, and they aren't directing people where to go; especially if buyers are from out of state and this is during COVID. Will not deal with any of their auctions again. Kid, we get you hate your job, but you can fake it a little better. Especially if clients are buying your items. read more

Beware of this unprofessional, untrustworthy and unreliable auction house. They have extremely poor customer service and have absolutely no interest in providing quality. Be very cautious with any transactions since they seems to lack basic business ethics. read more

The abysmal ratings for this business come as no surprise to me. I caught them trying to auction off an illegal counterfeit replica of a Patek Phillipe Grande Complication Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 3970G in white gold. Of course it's okay to sell imitations that don't use registered trademarks, names, logos, etc., but this obvious fake had "PATEK PHILLIPE GENEVE" emblazoned right across the dial. And even though counterfeit watches are never made of gold (micron plating at best) and the real one retails for over $89,000, some idiot bid $8000 for this cheap knockoff! When I contacted them explaining that just to offer counterfeit merchandise for sale was a crime (as if they didn't know), their response was "please do not contact us again". I reported them to the Beverly police department, as manufacture and distribution of counterfeit merchandise is a severe offense here in Massachusetts. In fact, under Mass General Laws, based on the retail value of the watch of which their counterfeit was a copy, they could be facing up to ten years in state prison, on top of the fines. Prison would be the only fitting end for such unscrupulous people. People who will openly break the law are not to be trusted in any capacity whatsoever. read more

I bid and won lot #932 from the Waldorf Astoria auction last month. The lot was pictured and described as 3 sets of gold silk drapes with matching valances from the Cole porter suite. I contacted UPS (recommended by kaminski) for shipping. I was told it was going to take a while due to the care and time they take in packing the items. I waited patiently for about 3 weeks. When the delivery finally came, it was so disappointing. The three mutilated flimsy boxes contained a few sets of putrid red curtains and a whole mess of horrible gold sheers packed in trash bags. No valances, not silk, and certainly not beautiful. They were clearly tagged as lot #243. I contacted UPS and they said it was not their problem, they delivered what they were told was mine and had no reason to question it (I guess the invoice they required that had a description, lot number, and photo was pointless) and that I needed to contact kaminski. Not good service for the $420 they charged. So, I contacted kiminski and explained everything and sent pictures. I have yet to hear from them. I just want what I purchased. If they make it right, I will recommend them. If not, I'm out about 2K and am stuck with these ugly cheap hotel looking curtains. read more

I spent the day indoors waiting for the lot number of what I was interested in to come up on their web auction site. I was enrolled as a bidder in the auction. The auction proceeded agonizingly slowly. Much more slowly than other auctions I have been bidding in and watching. It was particularly slow when a batch of at least 20 or 30 oriental carved wooden stands for vases and sculptures came through. Finally, those were finished and the usual mix of things commenced. The next thing you know things speeded up so I paid close attention when the item I wanted to bid on came up. I put in the first bid for $300. Next thing an ask bid for $750 comes up but says underneath that I am the high bidder. That makes no sense. Realizing that it was strange nonetheless I bid $800 almost immediately since I planned to go as high as $1,000 anyway. My bid was ignored and the painting was sold for $750. I really do not think that I bid too late. I believe my bid was ignored and furthermore this is a Hudson River School painter internationally known. If I owned that painting I would be upset that it was sold for $750. Something smells fishy....I telephoned to complain about the above and was told they were having problems with the internet. Right. I bet. No more business with Kaminsky for me. Done with them. read more

Again, buyer beware. COMPLETELY a joke of an auction house. Burned twice; NO MORE! A year ago won an item through LiveAuctioneers that they vehemently refused to honor, today, never called me for a telephone bid that they had previously confirmed twice through email. CLOWNS!!!!! read more

This auction house is not honest. It listed many antiques as 19th centuries. But they are knockoffs. I wouldn't trust it with my money.

Bidder beware!!! I purchased an item from Kaminski Auctions and when I authorized a local UPS store to pick up and ship the item Kaminski refused to give them the item??? They insisted I must utilize their "authorized" UPS store nearly 10-miles away! When I called Kaminski to explain that I had notified them via email that the closer UPS store I had contacted was picking up the item and I had authorized Kaminski to release the item to them; the woman I spoke with became very hostile and rude and said there was nothing further to discuss and hung up on me!! I have never been treated so rudely & unprofessionally!!! I was extremely shocked and surprised especially after being a customer in good standing. I immediately contacted Frank Kaminski to complain who said he was in a meeting and would call me back. He called back and said the problem was that I hadn't contacted their "authorized" UPS store. When I suggested they were colluding with their "authorized" UPS store to "restrain free trade" he said he'd look into it and promised to call me back. I NEVER heard back from Kaminski and had to let the "authorized" UPS store ship the item!!! Never will I do business with Kaminski Auctions again!!! I purchased several items from their auction of Oprah's items in CA. I encountered no problems at that time - apparently because there was no "authorized" shipper I was required to ship with. I only hope Ms. Winfrey is aware of Kaminski's extreme unprofessionalism and shady business practices. I have no doubt if she is aware she too will have no dealings with them again. read more

I bought online what was described as a framed linocut print from Kaminski. It included a photo of what appeared to be a print framed in black. When the shipper picked it up, they informed me that it was not framed. It will cost about $200 for me to get it framed. I contacted Kaminski's and they refused to take any responsibility, saying that advertising the print as framed "was a human error." I agree - it was their error and they should be willing to stand by their descriptions. Bidders beware. This is a company that will bait and switch. read more

my son went there the other day to pick up the garden statue and the planters bought on line , they could not of been nicer ,to him he said they loaded the items for him , not to mention the items were way better than the pics, he said that grace took care of him right away , as soon as he got there . its a four hour drive but its worth it !!!!! read more

While the auction item was fine the shipper is a ridiculous scam. They took well over a month before I had to contact them. It took weeks to get the guy "Mike" at swift norwood to even give me a quote. Then he wanted me to email a cc number to him. I was charged over 25$ on what cost 7$ to ship in a flat rate box. The auction house is still recommending this shipper so be aware and schedule your own pick up or just do not do business with them. read more