If you're looking to visit an auction house in Australia, the only place in your mind should be…read moreBonhams. It's one of the largest and oldest auction houses that handles fine art and antiques. With their wide range of items from cars to furniture and Aboriginal art, you'll be assured that whatever precious or rare item you're looking to buy will be sold here. Aside from purchasing unique and beautiful items, you can also sell parts of your collection or artwork (if you're an artist). Because they are world-renowned, you'll be sure to reach the global art market through them. With highly trained specialists who value the items and professional service of the highest standards, this auction house is definitely highly recommended.

$350 dollars in the front, do I hear $400? $400 to the lady on the right. $450? $450 in the…read morefront. $450 going once, going twice, SOLD to number 914. Antique auctions are always a thrill. It's like a treasure hunt to find things that are unique and of value for the best possible price. It's true what they say, one man's junk is another man's treasure. Raffan Kelaher & Thomas does at least one auction per week at their warehouse and sometimes another one at a outside location. This isn't like shopping at Domayne or Harvey Norman (not that I have anything against them), but we're talking real Italian Murano glass, Victorian Gentleman's chairs or an Antique George III Mahogany and Inlaid display cabinet. Make sure you get there early to view the items and know what you are bidding on. You may just find that classic antique typewriter (which is what I'm in search of).

They have fabulous female auctioneers very spunky and gorgeous also great quality of goods from…read moreretro two antiques

Closed every Sunday and Mondays so that owner Justine can forage around the local auctions and…read moremarkets to find bits and bobs to fill her wee treasure shop you know you'll be getting the best of the best old stuff. There really are some quality finds in here but it's not all second hand - a lot of it is hand made and recycled like the cutest stud earing made from gorgeous prints. Another 'new' item are the deck of large cards with nursery rhymes and vintage drawings of the characters printed on them. Justine tells me these fly out the door as they are very popular as people love to give them as presents. I'm included in that bunch of gift buyers. I also love the glassware and teacups polished up, the knitted dolls, unique collection of children's books and the mirrored animal wall hanging series - worth a visit just to know what the heaven I'm talking about. In 2010 Retrospections was a finalist in the Specialty Store of the Year award for the Mosman Daily 2010 Business Achiever Awards. Retrospetions is a great shop to buy gifts for those who read magazines like Frankie and Peppermint. This is a real find.. doll.

I was unexpectedly enchanted by Retrospections, a small unasssuming shop on the corner of the…read moreCammeray shops. From the outside it looked liked it would just be collections of old tat with prices stuck on them, but everything in here has been carefully and tastefully chosen. The corner devoted to books is certainly a trip down memory lane as it features all those books I deemed to be magical when I was a youngster. Princesses, castles and classic illustrations were all that was needed to set my heart a-flutter. There are even vinyl audiobook versions of some of these old favourites, something I have never seen before! You'll even find a few more grown-up treats such as dainty cookbooks and a box of Penguin bookcover postcards, I've now mentally bookmarked this place for presents for any gal pal with a bit of a romantic-literary streak's up-and-coming Birthday.

I purchased an expensive ring for a retirement gift. I was told that it was brand-new and excellent…read morecondition. On receiving it I found that the claws were faulty and catch on clothing. I sent it back to them and they said they had fixed it. Postage was at my own cost to send it back. It wasn't fixed at all. They sent it back and then stopped communicating with me. They made a lot of money on commission for the sale of this ring. Really disgusting.

Avoid Pottle Auctions…read more I purchased a diamond tennis necklace from Pottle Auctions' "King Family Estate" sale, which came with a valuation certificate describing the diamonds' colour and clarity. I relied on that valuation in good faith when bidding, as the auction was conducted online and I could not inspect the item in person. After collection, I had the necklace assessed by an independent jeweller, who valued it at just over a quarter of the amount stated in Pottle's valuation. They advised that the diamonds were of substantially poorer clarity than described and were of such low quality that they would normally be used for industrial rather than jewellery purposes. I contacted Julian Pottle immediately to request a refund on the basis of misleading and deceptive conduct. He questioned the qualifications of my jeweller and refused to take responsibility. A second, independent valuation by a highly regarded gemmologist confirmed the diamonds were of very poor quality and inconsistent with the original description in Pottle's valuation. This valuation was less than half of Pottle's and he noted that such low-quality diamonds are not typically sold in Australia. He described the valuation provided by Pottle's as grossly misleading and indicated he was collecting similar evidence from other Pottle clients for the ACCC. Despite further correspondence, Pottle Auctions has refused to take any responsibility or provide compensation. I have since obtained legal advice and am proceeding with formal complaints to the ACCC, NSW Fair Trading, and NCAT. I have also observed very similar "estate" pieces being sold in subsequent Pottle Auctions, raising serious concerns about the authenticity of these listings. Buyers should exercise extreme caution when dealing with Pottle Auctions.

Renovator Auctions is not as good as what you may think - as far as savings compared to paying…read moreretail on stocked items it just depends on what you are buying. If you are looking for a specific colour of paint that they just happen to have up for auction then the savings can be quite good ( about 50%) - I cant see the point in bidding for items unless you can get them for about 50% less than retail and as far as hardware & building materials that are available the savings is nowhere near as good as what people should be aiming for ( I think a lot of people bid without having a real knowledge of actual retail or wholesale pricing) - EG - I can buy dynabolts 12 x 75mm - 25 pieces per box for $28 retail online ( free delivery) - I have never been succesful in my bids for the exact same item at Renovator Auction when sticking to my aim of savings of 50% - I have bid $13 per item ( box 25) which totals $14.95 with the 15% buyers premium and never been succesful - unless you are prepared to bid a price which will take you near retail for these type of items you dont usually win the bidding - In my mind, its not worth the effort to save maybe a dollar or two on items you can purchase for not much more retail taking into account the travel there and back just to pick up the items. ALSO..........I mistakenly put in some erroneous bids one time when bidding on some hardware such as decking screws and won the items with my bids but the total cost with the 15% buyers premium totalled more than the cost of the same items retail ...........WHEN I CORRECTED MY ERROR WITH THE STAFF AND TOLD THEM THAT MY BIDS WERE MEANT FOR SEVERAL UNITS AND MY BID WAS THE TOTAL FOR ALL THE UNITS AND NOT JUST ONE UNIT I WAS TOLD THAT I PROBABLY WOULD NEVER BE SUCCESFUL WITH THAT TYPE OF BID ???!!! - MADE ME WONDER ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE REALLY IS A RESERVE ON THE ITEMS YOU BID FOR?? LIKE EVERYTHING IN LIFE FOLKS ITS A MATTER OF BUYER BEWARE - Cheers & good luck but dont let the emotion of bidding and winning get the better of you.

From the owner: Renovator Auctions is the most respected auction company in Sydney that offers the largest range of…read morequality building materials and home renovation products to the general public. We sell new, factory seconds, and clearance stock through our auction facility in Liverpool. Conducting 2 live voice auctions each week and and also offering 100's of products on our Buy Now Online Store. Building or Renovating? Renovator Auctions is your One Stop Shop for all your building and renovation products.