I never understand when businesses don't want customers or money. I was referred to Auctions by the Bay from my estate attorney. My mom passed away and we were looking to have the furniture picked up to be be sold. We have a time schedule we are trying to keep so I was very prompt in calling them. I left them two messages on a Friday and then two on the Monday to follow back up which all included the fact that I was on a tight time schedule. I was given a person's name and the message were left for her in her voicemail. When I didn't hear back from them, I went on google and called another company who returned my call promptly Tuesday morning and scheduled a meeting for that week. I finally got a voicemail back from Auctions by the Bay and it didn't even reference anything that I left in the messages - it was basically a call me back message. I assume that people who want to sell things probably aren't leisurely about it yet this company is leisurely about returning their calls. read more

A while ago I would have given 4-5 stars but after our most recent transaction I would drop it to zero if I could... so I'm giving them 1 star now. My family sold a number of higher end Asian items with Harry and things went basically well. The first time one of my items sold (for a LOT more than any of us thought it would!!) the buyer never paid so it had to be offered a second time, it did really well that time and we got paid. My mother then had Nick come to the house to look at everything, after Harry had already earmarked a number of things for estate auction that he didn't want for the Asian specialty auction. My brother took multiple truckloads of furniture and housewares to the warehouse and was told multiple times that we would be notified what items were chosen for the estate sale and which ones would go to the Annex sale. The Annex sale is the bargain basement where things can sell for as little as a dollar. We made it clear we may not want items sold in the Annex sale and to inform us before any sale where our items would be placed. We received notification by mail AFTER the annex sale that the bulk of our items had been sold in the annex sale for very little. We were shocked and heart broken. Some of these items we would NOT have sold but would have kept in the family if they weren't going to bring in some nice money for my mother. I guess if you are a buyer this is the place to find amazing bargains, but if you are a seller be sure to be a VERY squeaky wheel before any auction to make sure your items aren't selling where you don't want them sold. In response to the Michaan's comment- the letter Michaan's sent was dated 2/19 but the envelope was postmarked 3/2 and the annex sale was on 3/3 and 3/4. Shame on them. My family still has items to be sold because they had not been sold yet and retrieving them in the midst of moving my elderly mother was too great a burden. I will say that Rhonda in Jewelry and Kim in Asian Specialty have both been very kind and attentive and a credit to a company that on other levels shows little care for their sellers. read more

Auction wannabes! A serious lack of research and knowledge regarding fine art. I have more knowledge than their experts...and I majored in Economics! They treat the art like cardboard boxes...many getting damaged in the process. I'll NEVER use them again. read more

For people who go to their free appraisal on Wednesday, if you think you have a valuable item, go and get a second opinion elsewhere. It is your money and you are warned !!! read more

Highest ratings for Michaan's Auction House. Closing down Playland-Not-at-the-Beach after nearly 10 years creating it and then 10 years enjoying running the museum of fun / family fun center was a traumatic experience. The people from Michaan's (especially Danny Elizalde and Scott Baldwin) handled all aspects of the auction in a way that was always professional and understanding of the painful process of letting go of all of Playland's assets and nearly 20 years of our lives. They outlined in our initial meeting what Michaan's would do and then followed through as promised--and they promised a lot. From itemizing sale items, creating the auction catalogue, and marketing the event everything went smoothly until public response indicated that the planned on-site auction would be overwhelmed by the number of buyers and the auction location needed to be changed at almost the last minute. The large auction public with its active bidding stretched out the planned 5-hour event to an over 8-1/2 hour marathon. But the auctioneers never tired and it was a success for all. The following week the removal of purchased items also went smoothly, and again Michaan's did it all. They were a pleasure to work with. Thank you, Michaan's Auction House. read more

I can only speak for myself but I have had several excellent experiences with Michaan's. I have placed over 50 lots for sale in their Asian auctions and have met with great success. The staff is knowledgeable and attentive to my needs. My commission rate is excellent and the sell rate for my things is over 90 percent. The catalogs they produce show off my items in an accurate and flattering light. I have attended everyone one of their Asian auctions for the past two years and their turnout and results speak for themselves. I have had experiences with other auction houses and can say Michaan's has treated me fabulously and my payouts have been fantastic. read more

Michaan's epitomizes what's great about an auction house. They are: 1) Knowledgeable and passionate; from Rhonda in Jewelry, to Harry in Asian art and Alan with his incredible insight to all things Tiffany, they don't miss a beat from a staff perspective. 2) Integrity; as a buyer, they do their VERY best to shoot it straight, putting their reputation in front of chasing the almighty buck. I only wish other auction houses in the East Bay subscribed to the same theory. There's trust with the staff at Michaans and that starts at the top with Alan Michaan and permeates the entire staff from top to bottom. Arnette rocks! 3) Friendly and helpful. Running a company myself, I've become fairly astute in assessing charter of employee's and there isn't a weak link in the bunch. 4) Fantastic merchandise! I think because they treat people like they'd like to be treated (The Golden Rule people) and for the reasons mentioned above, they attract the best consigners. The Bay Area has a history of wealth and good taste, so it makes sense that there are so many amazing finds that happen at their auctions. Anybody can go out and buy something new; Michaan's literally has treasures from the past. 5) Great prices (most times) If I could give them 10 stars I would. read more

I bought a beautiful art deco dining room set for a good price, so I am happy!

I have had two bad experiences, and will never, ever, buy from them again. First, a lot described as "sterling silver" contained many silver plate items. I had to fight to get a refund. Then, they auctioned a dime collection, and the pictures made it appear all coins were there, when, in fact, all the valuable ones had been removed. The description did not say any had been removed. Again, the customer is always wrong, and I had a long hassle to get my money back. read more

Great place to buy, terrible place to sell. Many of the items I consigned to Michaan's were purchased at Harvey Clar. The purchase price at Harvey Clar's was at least five hundred percent higher than the selling price at Michaan's. The seller's premium is also exorbitant. They are so huge that the market just can't absorb everything they have to sell, resulting in very, very low prices. You would do much better donating to charity and taking the tax write off. Live and learn... read more

It's cool that every Wednesday Michaan's does free appraisals for the public. There are so many collector areas covered: Asian items, decorations, furniture, stamps, coins, jewelry, art, etc., etc! Nice to have the option of an additional resource of this kind on this side of the Bay. You also don't have to leave your stuff which is nice - in and out convenience. read more

Very professional, I was really impressed with the facility and the staff.

We contacted Michaan's when we were considering selling a piece of jade which had been in the family for many years. We met with one of their appraisers and were very impressed with his depth of knowledge. He explained the auction process and strategies for optimizing the selling price. He was upfront about all associated costs and we did not feel pressured to make an immediate commitment. Since consigning the piece, communications with Michaan's has been prompt and professional. read more

They pulled a bait and switch on me as a seller. I had a diamond and platinum ring. The appraiser was enthusiastic about it, talked about how diamonds had been doing really well in their sales, and talked about a big price. Then I got a phone call days later, after I had signed all documents and turned the ring over to them. The supervisor didn't like the ring so much, the diamonds weren't as nice as the woman who roped me in had thought. She encouraged me to set a low reserve on it to encourage bidding. At the auction, the ring sold at the very bottom reserve price, at the very high commission level (percent commission goes down as price goes up). I had an offer from a jewelry store for a higher price. I am out hundreds of dollars, I feel manipulated, and they haven't even sent checks out yet. They say it takes them 6 weeks (30 business days) to write the checks. Honestly! They are just holding everyone's money for a month and a half to make their own interest on it. read more

Let me start by saying that I've never attended one of Micchan's auctions on auction day. I stumbled upon them leaving the Alameda Point monthly antique fair, and it happened to be a preview day for an auction happening later, during the week. I knew I couldn't attend, or make the 150 mile round trip to pick up anything I may have won, so inquired about absentee bidding. I was told items won could be shipped, but the shipping cost would be "a bit higher". "A bit higher was Ok with me, since I was only going to bid on costume jewelry. I BEG you....if you cannot attend, or pick up your items yourself, resist the temptation!!! What a flippin' nightmare! I won a set of jewelry that weighs under 6 ounces. It had to be shipped 75 miles. They had the out and out nerve to charge me $25. I expected to pay a bit more, but 500% of actual shipping is just plain crazy. My bad for not getting an exact quote when I left my bids, but to me, "a bit higher" would have only been 10 bucks with 100% markup for "handling". The nightmare continues as it took them well over a week after the auction ended to send it, and we were due to leave on vacation, so no one would be home to sign for it. I had to call UPS and have it shipped to a friend's address (another $6) I still haven't opened the box as I have totally lost interest in the set I purchased. My $110 winning bid ended up costing me well over $150, with their 20% buyer's premium, and outrageous, and slooooooooooow shipping read more

A loved one died and his belongings ended up going to Michaan's. My loved one's daughter tried to purchase a dining set and sideboard (which Michaan's split up into two different lots). She got only the sideboard. Then they lost the shelves within the sideboard and shipped it to her on the east coast before she could stop them. I wanted just one lamp of his. It had been in my house when we lived together for 16 years. Michaan's placed three of his lamps and only two of the shades in one lot. The shade to the only lamp I wanted ended up in a separate lot... so ridiculous! I only managed to win the bid on the shade, which is useless without the lamp and it's not a shade that will fit on any old lamp. The man who bought the three lamps (and only two shades)...some dealer in Nevada I guess) wasn't willing to sell me the lamp body so now I have a shade (for $60) with no lamp body. It was a beautiful lamp.. I can only imagine what kind of an ugly shade the dealer who got the lamp put on it. Michaan's tried (I was told) to get the lamp body owner to sell it back to me. He's either heartless or Michaan's never tried.. dunno. Michaan's stopped communicating with me and I'm selling the shade at a yard sale. I would have at least felt better if they made an attempt to get back to me. What I do know is that the lamp shade never should have been sold in a separate lot from the lamp body and they never should have lost the shelves within the custom-made sideboard. Very disappointing. read more