I am in shock. I was…read morerepeatedly 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.

The nicest people in the auction business! Delt with several of their personnel over the past years…read moreand always received First Class Service.

Very professional and helpful! He wasn't able to help me as my issue is out of state, but he took…read morethe time to point me in the right direction.

I actually came across Joseph Anania via google after being frustrated finding a residential…read moreappraiser that can provide a good turnaround time. Great Service, great communicator and expressed his thoughts and ideas clearly and respectfully! I would definitely recommend.

Had an amazing experience at this jewelry buying office! We have sold thousands of dollars of gold,…read moreplatinum and designer jewelry to them. if you want a place with friendly service, expertise in the business, and price transparency- Look no further than Connecticut Jewelry Brokers in Fairfield, Connecticut. Their team of knowledgeable professionals is dedicated to making the selling process both easy and enjoyable. You can trust that you'll receive a fair price for your old jewelry. The team takes the time to explain the value of each piece, and you'll never feel like you're being lowballed. Plus, their deep understanding of the market for fine jewelry ensures that you'll receive top dollar for your items. With their friendly service, price transparency, and expertise in the business, Connecticut Jewelry Brokers is the perfect choice for anyone looking to sell their old jewelry.

I was in need of selling some gold so I googled gold buyers in my area. CT Jewelry Brokers came up…read more I called and Joshua gave me an appt that was very quick and convenient. When I arrived and met him, I learned that he was the proud owner! I was so impressed by his knowledge of jewelry but more so by his absolute honesty. In all my years dealing with jewelers, I've never met one so professional, kind, patient and upstandingness. Thank you, Joshua, you've got a customer for life!

I am to go to the Southport BRG w clothing and jewelry soon but, have been a patron of Black Rock…read moreGalleries for many years. Their customer attention is superb.

This man is everything bad about selling jewelry. He'll tell you the 2 standard comments to get you…read moreto deflate your ideas on what something is worth. These are the prime examples of bad faith in bargaining: 1. "Well the ring is a style that only a few people would want-I can't buy something like this -I'd have a hard time selling it. I have to I melt it down. I can pay you for the metal. " 2. After that statement, then these types say , I'm sorry, that's the best I can do ". He told me this when I had a ring with 9 (0.2 carat) good quality diamonds in the setting. And NO mention of the worth of the diamonds. 2. WALK OUT. Go get some other prices! When I did, he wanted me to "come back!". Don't trust him! These weren't accent stones- you don't remember, I remember clearly our interaction. This was a custom piece that was heavy gold and a large cluster of diamonds measuring 7/8 in. By 3/4 inches . It was not a cookie cutter mass produced ring. I stand by my statement.

I brought a diamond ring to NYC Jewelers of Westport for cleaning…read more Morris, the gentleman who assisted me, was friendly and knowledgeable. The ring was returned looking like new. I will definitely shop there if I decide to purchase jewelry in the future.

I began a series of messages with Robert to do a last minute appraisal while visiting my daughter…read morein New York. While we decided to not do any appraisal at this time , I will say he rates five stars for response time, thoroughness of explanation of services and for courtesy. I would have enjoyed working with him.

I needed pearls appraised. I spoke to the representative and they explained the whole process in…read moregreat detail. I learned a lot about how porting it is to certify every piece of jewelry you own. The value of their services was reasonable. Cost and insuring your valuables are priceless.

today on pick up, the entire auction's items had not been put in area ready for pickup. Waited 5…read moreminutes, 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

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

I would never recommend this business to anyone. I hired the…read moreowner, Matt Sachs, to liquidate my mom's house after she developed Alzheimer's and had to move out of her home urgently, which she lived in for about 20 years. She had accumulated a good amount of quality pieces/antiques, furniture, rugs, etc. Matt was very personable, trustworthy, I really liked him and felt good about the contract in the beginning. Things were good for months, but eventually, when I started to ask for updates and accounting paperwork, he vanished. I tried to give him some grace, knowing his job is demanding and he's also a Dad, but he kept putting me off telling me he had to "speak to some people" about pieces to see where they ended up. One time he admittedly told me that my account was "closed out accidentally," but would re-open it and follow-up. The entire business deal got very sketchy toward the end, and to this day, I never heard from him again and I never got a final accounting for my mom's belongings. On top of the stress of becoming my mother's caretaker and conservator, and dealing with her illness and loss of independence, I had to carry the stress of chasing this guy down for what was owed to my Mom. I even went to a lawyer, and we sent out response requests with a strong fist, but Matt was radio silent, as expected. We also found out this was not the first time he had litigation against him (not a shock.) I could have pursued this further and placed a lien on his house, but I decided not to go ahead with this. Maybe I'm too nice... Maybe I just wanted the stress to go away, and didn't want to lose more money in the process. Either way you look at it, I'm not sure how someone like this sleeps at night. Very upsetting. The real estate agent who recommended him to me was mortified and will never recommend him again. Whatever his reason was, the very least he could've done was be honest. He could've told me he lost items. I'm an understanding person, but he went about this very unprofessionally and I still think about this all the time. Most people can never act like this in their place of work and get away with it. Since I didn't push ahead with a lawsuit, I feel the very least I can do is warn other people so they don't end up in the same place. I'm also not the first one, and unfortunately, I am sure I won't be the last.

Do not hire Matt Sachs. Much like the other review I am finding here, he started out OK,…read moredisappeared for a couple of weeks in the middle of cleaning out the house, came back and did a good job on the clean-out, but then disappeared, having taken a house full of property he was to have sent to auction and pay me a percentage of the proceeds. He just disappeared into the ether, refused to answer calls or email messages. Ultimately, he is dishonest. Do not trust his references, I called the professionals he listed and they were mortified to learn that he uses their names as references.

this store is a diamond in the rough, a true paradise for any kind of person looking for furniture,…read morevintage collector and regular home items alike. The prices are unusually low for the age and quality. I drop in every few weeks to see what Bill's been working on.

From the owner: Antique and vintage American made furniture,art,pottery,lighting. Cottage furniture - authentic…read morevintage and painted by hand! American made gifts and home decor items.