Blue Ash company turns estate sale finds into a global treasure hunt
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Everything But The House has turned the traditional estate sale into an online treasure hunt, and Cincinnati shoppers have a home-field advantage.
Why it matters: The Blue Ash-based company auctions everything from Rookwood Pottery and vintage jewelry to fine art, designer fashion, furniture and rare cars to bidders across the country and around the world.
- The company says the region is particularly fertile ground for secondhand discoveries, with its historic wealth and generations of collectors.
How it works: EBTH sources items from estates and consignors, then sorts, catalogs and photographs them before putting them online for sale.
- Bidding starts at $1, according to EBTH, though the marketplace also includes Buy Now items.
- Cincinnati-area shoppers can opt for local pickup on eligible items to avoid shipping costs that can add up quickly for furniture, art and other bulky finds.
The intrigue: One of the company's most memorable discoveries was "Landscape by the Sea," an original painting by French master Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.
The wildest find: A few years ago, EBTH sold a limited-edition Banquette Ginkgo bronze bench by Claude Lalanne for more than $400,000, setting a platform record at the time.
- The owner didn't know its value, and the bench had sat in their garden covered with bags of potting soil.
What they're seeing: EBTH says baby boomers downsizing around Cincinnati are bringing antiques, coin and stamp collections, libraries and other longtime possessions to market.
- Meanwhile, the company says younger buyers are showing strong interest in vintage designer fashion and fine jewelry, driven in part by sustainability and the appeal of one-of-a-kind archival pieces.
What's next: The company's Cincinnati dream find? An undocumented work by Cincinnati-connected painter Robert S. Duncanson or a significant, previously unseen piece of early Rookwood history.