Alexander’s Antiques & Auctions

I started going to Alexander’s years ago. I have found some wonderful furniture here for a good deal. The best stuff goes first but the best deals are late into the night and early morning. People leave and that is the time to pounce.
You must be careful and preview before you buy. I have made a few mistakes buying things without previewing them. You can only preview on Thursdays.
I was intimidated with I first started going because I knew nothing about auctions. The staff are wonderful to work with and are always happy to assist the newbies like myself.
If you are just bored one night go and see all the action. It is quite a show to see them move all this furniture at a fast pace. Get a card because you might just find something you can’t live without.

I cannot say enough good things about this auction, but if I had to describe in one word it would be PROFESSIONAL. From the moment we walked in (it was our first time), all of our questions were answered in the friendliest of manners. They were helpful and inviting, so we did not feel intimidated to ask additional questions. The selection here is very good (over 1,000 items auctioned off each Thursday). And the auction is run very efficiently. There was never a lull in between items. Nearly every item is lifted up for the crowd to see at the time of auction. It was impressive, as some of those pieces were very heavy. The checkout process was seamless and FAST, and the young men that loaded our items were extremely courteous. I bought a large amount of china and everything was nicely wrapped and carried to our car. For the big items, they loaded them and gave us tips for how to best unload. Again, cannot say enough good things about Alexander’s. It was our first trip, but certainly will not be our last!

I needed new furniture for my house. I thought vintage, used, and antique furniture would be the green way to go. I’ve found some great bargains at Alexander’s. I’m spoiled now. I can’t imagine buying anything from a traditional furniture storage again.

Alexander’s is a great place to furnish your home. Each Thursday evening at 6:30pm they have an auction with a preview starting at 9am. While they always seem to have the same standard items, they get unique things each week. Think about it… cheap furniture from Ikea or Target cost more than older, study pieces from Alexander’s.
Tips:
Check the website:
On Saturday night they list photos on their website, with additional photos on Wednesday. This is a great way to make a list of things you might be interested in buying.
Preview and measure not just once, but twice:
Go to the preview and take a tape measure to check the size and condition of the items you want to buy. I have learned this lesson the hard way and ended up with broken/​scratched items. Everything is being sold as is, so please check the items before bidding.
Drink coffee:
If you stay super late (meaning 3−5am) you can get awesome deals! I have bought a 19^th century ladder back chair for $ 1!
Think outside of the box:
Just because something is an awful color or scratched, don’t count it out. Paint and a little TLC can make a bargain into a stylish steal. Be creative.
Set a price limit:
Be sure to decide your final price BEFORE bidding starts. It is soooo easy to get wrapped up in the moment and keep bidding. This has happend to me and I was left thinking «what just happened? I spent way too much on this!» Set a limit and stick to it.
Remember the buyer’s fee and sales tax:
These two items total 20% of the bid price. So, if you buy something for $ 500, it adds an extra $ 100! It adds up fast, so please keep this in mind.
Final tip:
HAVE FUN! It is just fun to watch the auction and people. It is always a good idea to check it out before going to bid on something. This way you learn the lay of the land.
Cheers

I purchased an item here at auction last week and it turned out to be a fake. I had it appraised two days after I received it by an appraisal company and was told that I grossly overpaid for what the painting was worth and that it was a reproduction. I was told by the staff member that it was an original and in mint condition of which neither applied. I live in Maryland so I bid over the phone based on this description. I will not be purchasing anything else from Alexander’s since their assessments cannot be trusted. A real disappointing and costly experience that I won’t repeat.

If you love watching «Cash in the Attic» on BBC, you should definitely go to an auction here at least once, just for the experience. It’s really fun to watch the professional dealers with their poker faces trying to «score» a bargain.
As Michelle pointed out, this is high end merchandise in excellent condition so stuff here is not cheap. If you’re planning to bid, bring a credit card with a zero balance in case you get carried away in the heat of the moment.
My boyfriend always comes home with something, not necessarily anything he needs, but he can’t resist winning the bid.

Don’t be fooled– this is an auction house. Just an upscale one dealing with almost exclusively antiques. I wager that there are a few reproductions in there too… though of course those end up getting less bidding action.
Alexanders has a giant warehouse on Midlothian Turnpike, and they do a weekly auction on Thursday nights. Their website is very comprehensive, so check it out on Wednesday to see what they will be auctioning the following evening. Even though they deal in antiques this isn’t Christies, so no need to dress up. Just show up and be prepared to be wowed by some of the gorgeous antiques up for auction.
The clientele seems to skew older, and it looks like there are a fair amount of dealers there… so if you are furnishing a new house or buying on behalf of a client, consider this place a goldmine.
Most of the items at Alexanders are in pristine, or almost-​perfect condition, and it all looks like it came out of a giant mansion on Monument Ave. Some of the bounty to be found includes gorgeous leather chairs, ornate sideboards, gilted mirrors, oriental rugs complete bedroom sets, marble topped tables, and crystal chandeliers.
I’ll warn you now that this place is not cheap. Expect to pay $ 300-​$ 500 for those leather chairs I mentioned, and a handsome sideboard will run you at least $ 900 if it’s in perfect condition. Of course, those chairs could go for over $ 1K on Ebay or in a store in DC, so considering that, I’d still think it’s a good deal.