Quinn's Auctions

I was pleased to see a profile in the Washington Post's Business section this morning on Quinn's Auction Gallery of Falls Church, VA.  Most of the auction news and headlines come from the major houses, but in many metropolitan areas there are typically the smaller regional auction house that caters to a growing clientele and buying public.  And, as is happening more often, they are getting to share the lime light of the major international auction houses.

Quinn's Auction Galleries is a local auction house run by Paul Quinn and his two sons David and Matt.  The article is a very positive profile on the family run auction house.  It notes the strong growth the regional house has seen over the past few years, as well as some of the more noteworthy sales including  an Imperial Chinese enamel on brass snuff bottle selling for $143,750 and a Roy Lichtenstein painting selling for $128,700,00 as well as an 1827 map of Virginia which was purchased for $10 in a box of maps at an estate sale and sold by the Quinns for $23,400.00.

Matt and David Quinn are now both appearing on the Antiques Road Show and have worked hard over the years with their father to make the Quinns Auction Galleries and success.


The Washington Post reports

I visited Quinn on a steaming hot day last week at his gallery, tucked away near a car repair shop in a low-industrial corner of Falls Church.

Quinn does pretty well, and his life does not seem dull or normal.

At 67, he limps around on a bum knee through an auction house full of wing chairs, old jewelry, coins and stamps, toys, dolls, family china and even duck decoys.
I asked Quinn and his sons, David, 39, and Matt, 36, to explain the business to see whether they are “The Millionaire Next Door.”

The auction house charges sellers 30 percent on average on the sale of each item. So a $100 desk brings $70 to the seller and $30 to Quinn. That’s not the end of it, however. The buyer pays Quinn a 15 percent fee on top of the sale price. So the $100 desk might bring in $45.

Quinn figures he will earn gross revenue of about $1,800,000 on $4 million from 64 auctions this year. That’s a lot of hum-diddle-diddles.

After expenses, including 17 full- and part-time employees, rent, utilities, travel, advertising and administrative costs, Quinn’s business should turn a 20 percent profit this year. That’s close to $400,000.

When I was there last week, Matt was headed — on Quinn Galleries’ dime — to Tulsa to participate in the filming of “Antiques Roadshow,” the hugely popular PBS television program. Son David, who is president at the auction house, has appeared on the show.

To read the full article, click HERE.