The Auction King of Sandy Springs Paul Brown of Gallery 63 Interview on Page 12

yourhometownpros.com magazine The Auction King of Sandy Springs Paul Brown of Gallery 63 Interview on page 12 Atlanta Edition JulyPhoto courtesy / August of Discovery 2012Channel™ featured pro Q &A How did you get started in the auction business? I got started in the auction business-really the old fashioned way, from my family. My grandmother had a small antique store with my mom and dad in Sandy Springs, just about 2 miles from here. I literally grew up in an antique store, going to auctions, flea markets, estate sales and playing in the basement of the antique store. I got to learn about all kinds of cool The Gallery 63 Crew stuff - a completely nontraditional Delfino Ramos, Cindy Shook, Jon Hammond and Paul Brown education. Why things are, how they are put together, why historical significance What would you consider the strangest What’s the difference between is important. I worked for my families’ item auctioned? appraisal value and auction value? business until about 2005 and spun off in One day, a woman came in with satchel It’s worth what someone will pay for it! my own business of Gallery 63. full of teeth- baby, dog- all kinds of teeth, The person that writes the appraisal is several hundred to one thousand teeth. I never the person who writes the check. What drove you to start your own couldn’t believe it! And it brought $200 business? for the bag. You just never know what some people will buy. How do you authenticate your items? After working for my family for all that Authentication is very subjective, tricky time I was ready to get out on my own. That’s one of the things that’s so amazing and time consuming. I bought Gallery 63 from my family, about what I get to do. If you study the and started to spread my wings. Just as history of objects you study people too. For the show, there are only 3 items in All photos courtesy of Discovery Channel™ I started it I got an unsolicited offer on What people collect is what they’re 22 minutes and people are brought in for the location we were in. It was a great passionate about. It’s a continuum. The authentication. It’s important to know offer, so I took it and found the church same person that buys an item is often the that an expert’s authentication is really an location that we are in today. My life has same type as the seller. People are just opinion- experts often disagree. From Auction House to been very serendipitous. drawn to items. For day-to-day operations it’s not physically possible to authenticate, archive and research every piece. What has been the highest dollar item What is the coolest thing you’ve seen Network TV Sensation at auction? at auction? I grew up in the antiques business, so I have a good eye to see if it warrants Aticle by Vibeke Booterbaugh That item isn’t the most unusual, but we Some people that owned an antebellum further investigation. sold a diamond tennis bracelet for just house in Texas found a box underneath Thursday nights on the Discovery Channel viewers across the country tune in for the treasure hunt of the under $100,000. It was amazing, 1 ½ the treads of a staircase. In that box they We present an amazing opportunity to found a stack of confederate bonds and week. But owner Paul Brown lives the thrill of the chase for the next amazing item daily at the noteworthy carats all the way around, VS; G color. buy things at a possibility of being way bills, plus a letter from General Lee to under value! auction house Gallery 63 located right in beautiful Sandy Springs. Very beautiful – red carpet worty. We also sold the Back to the Future car for General Grant. It was one of 3 copies Paul took a bit of time out of his revolving door schedule for an interview with YHP Magazine’s Lysbeth around $75,000. known to exist, and we had Shelby Foot who had a civil war series on What is one of the oldest items you’ve Hamlin. Between running the day to day operations of an auction house that inventories over 1,000 pieces I’m not driven by dollar value. The PBS authenticate it. The letter sold for auctioned? per week, shooting Auction Kings for the Discovery Channel and enjoying time with his wife and three coolest stuff I think has stories and $65,000 and was later donated to Auburn We’ve had fossils, and we even sold a historical significance- items that have children it’s a wonder that he has time to accomplish so many things. But accomplish them he does and University. T-Rex tooth for $5,000! with a style that’s all his own. stories behind every piece. 2 YourHometownPros.com ■ To Advertise call: 678-974-3290 The Atlanta Area Issue ■ July/August 2012 3 How do people know they’re getting a What auction items do you get that are What else should Atlanta know about great deal at an auction? specific to Atlanta? you and Gallery 63? Items are worth what the buyer is Coca-Cola memorabilia is a big one. I love Atlanta - but technically we are willing to pay. If you like what you’ve To study Coca-Cola is to study America - located in Sandy Springs. The show is bought, then there’s your great deal. it’s an iconic American company. We also real, what you see is how we are. I’ve have Civil War memorabilia - knives, known Cindy for 20 years and Delfino What are the biggest misconceptions guns, flags and uniforms. really, really can fix anything! people have of the auction business Come see us - we have auctions all the from watching Auction Kings? time and we have a great time. Our How has the show changed Gallery 63? People may think that everything is super auctions are informal and fun! I get letters from prisoners and the phone super expensive, but it’s not. There’s rings a lot (he laughs). Some days it feels something for everybody here. like my head is on a swivel, but it’s all What are some of your favorite People also think they can send us good! charities? anything and we’ll sell it. We send back We get a lot of really great inventory and The Children’s Wish Foundation of an average of 10 packages per week. have amazing advertising with the show! Atlanta based in Sandy Springs. Linda People are surprised that we are really And people recognize me now and are Stein is a personal friend who founded it here working - its what we do; how we always really nice. and she gives her life to provide wishes to pay the bills. Gallery 63 is an actual sick kids-It warms my heart. business. Also Children’s healthcare of Atlanta. What does a day off for Paul Brown look like? Are antiques are a good investment? I like running, biking, and trail running. I think you buy them because you like Or to sit by the pool with a book. I collect them; it’s your hobby and passion. time with my loved ones - I have 3 kids They’re not liquid and some pieces are and love it when house is crazy and tough to sell. I believe if it makes you loud with family. I have a really active happy, enjoy the rush you get when you lifestyle. find it. The fun part is getting it. In today’s I ran the Peachtree and my wife is training market, I believe antique furniture is a for the ironman. I really try and stay poor investment due to changing tastes- active - can’t stay still very long. the things our parents wanted, children don’t want today. Those changing tastes hurt the economy. But collectibles are hot right now - collectibles with a story. Go here and Email Discovery Channel and tell them how much you like Auction Kings: http://corporate.discovery.com/contact/viewer-relations Did you know that Paul... • grew up in Sandy Springs and used to skateboard in the parking lot of what’s now Gallery 63? • bought the land for Gallery 63 from a church? • considered leaving the auction business and attending EMT school? • is an avid runner and cyclist? • loves it when his house is full of people that surround him with laughter and love? • inventories over 1000 pieces per week at Gallery 63? 4 YourHometownPros.com ■ To Advertise call: 678-974-3290.

Load more