Carl W Stinson Inc

Mr. Stinson did respond to an initial inquiry, In lieu of a site visit, he proposed photos of all items would be sufficient for an appraisal. I subsequently called him multiple times for follow-up pricing. While he verbally offered a market estimation for three of the 13 items, he said he would research several more thoroughly. I heard nothing further after several phone calls and he did not supply a written report per our mutual understanding. However, since he said he has in the past provided appraisal services for multiple congregations and does not charge for these, I understand his time constraints.

Doug (Carl's son, who is now in charge of the business) and I spoke on the phone. I sent pictures of the pieces, and we spoke about him seeing the silver in person. Although I have emailed a few times since our last communication, I haven't heard from him since. I realize how busy he is, but it would be helpful for me to know if he will be able to follow through on the appraisal or not. It is frustrating not to hear back.

I left two messages and one email and did not receive any responses.

Referral to another appraiser was very satisfactory. I had my items appraised in an hour, for a set price, and received all required documents for estate settlement.

Doug was very prompt in his response to my inquiries. I was disappointed that he did not want to purchases the pieces of furniture (they are high quality but not styles that are currently in demand). He did provide me with another company to contact about consigning the furniture. I have not yet followed up on that recommendation.

Doug was very knowledgeable and helpful. He took the time to answer all my questions.

I emailed Douglas with the details of the pieces and photographs. I did this relatively late at night (11 PM). At 3:00 AM he replied to me! He gave me details about the pieces, approximate auction value, and also a website where I can sign up and see what similar pieces had sold for. I was amazed at the prompt reply, but also the detail he happily gave regarding the pieces. You can tell he very much enjoys his work. I will definitely use him again should I come across interesting items I've inherited from various family members.

Amazing responsiveness. Fund of knowledge outstanding. Very nice and extremely professional.

I spoke with Doug who has been in the antique and auction buisness since he was a child. Since it is a family busi - ness. He gave me a free estimate on my dishware. I believe he is one of the best in the business of of antiques. He is very knowledgable and I would recommend him highly,

We had owned our house for about 20 years and had even more years of accumulated items from parents, children and ourselves in our attic along. We had everything from bags of ice melting salt and cans of paint to a car to antique furniture to Italian ceramics, old prints, air conditioners, fans, and jewelry. On downsizing, we left almost all our furniture and old appliances to be sold along with the ceramics, silverware, tea sets, garden stuff, etc. etc. Doug and Ellen took care of it all selling everything from the salt to the car to the jewelry, furniture, and ceramics. They did it all from clearing out the attic and arraying items to be sold to bringing in cases to display jewelry and much more. The house was set up for the sale during four very long days of work by them. At the time we had moved to CA and trusted them with everything. They kept us up to date on progress. They photographed the house and the items to sell and advertised in a number of places. The estimate is that perhaps 1000 people came to the sale. They had a crew of 8 (I think) working the house, and they only allowed 25 people in at a time. They made sure that our narrow street was never blocked, that the inside of our house was protected from any damage, and that accurate accounts of the sales were kept. We received several receipt books showing how much was received for each item. Our neighbors were impressed with how orderly everything was and how well run the sale was. After the sale, they had an outfit come in and give a package price for those things that remained but were worth money. Usable items after that were donated to a charity, and finally any remaining "junk" was carted away and the house was swept clean. Our realtor said she had never seen a house in such immaculate condition on her walkthrough with the buyers of our house. All this went on while we were far away. We had total confidence in them. They do take 40%, but they are worth every penny because the greatest obstacle to our downsizing and moving was figuring out how to get rid of so many years of accumulated stuff. They know how to price items and how to sell them. Doug and Ellen made it easy for us, and they brought in more money than their original estimate. Doug and Ellen are responsive, responsible, cheerful, very experienced, honest, and totally competent.

I called Doug to set up an auction, but I wasn't sure if parting with so many family items would make that much money for my aunt's care. Doug called me right back and asked for pictures of some of the better items and we talked for a few minutes about the other furniture in the house and my 92 year old aunt. It was a difficult decision to place her in a nursing facility after enjoying so many hours with her in her house.. Doug understood how difficult it was for the family to part with some of the items that held so many memories, yet knew we needed money to support her. I expect he was as charmed as we are by her Yankee spirit. She lived alone all her life, had a great sense of humor, heated with wood up until the end of this winter, took no medicines and still had all her teeth! All this and a valued member of the family. Doug called back after receiving the first batch of pictures and from the picture alone could tell me precisely what the bureau was, when it was made, it's value in the 80's vx. on today's market, and roughly where it was made also. He told me about many of the details that helped him value it. It was like being on Antiques Roadshow! He did the same for three other pieces. I learned so much about these pieces that were part of my family lore. Doug advised us against an auction (because it wouldn't really bring very much money for my aunt) and he had a great suggestion for us. Hold a sealed bid auction among the many nieces and nephews who valued my aunt and keep these few good pieces in the family. We were so relieved. We got to keep the pieces and involve the family in helping her. Doug himself was really fun to talk with. He really understood the market and how people value different antiques at different times. He told me fascinating stories about being an auctioneer from when he was little and was learning the trade from his dad to some of the best finds he had. His stories revealed a love for his job, deep knowledge of antiques of all kinds, but more importantly understanding of people. I would call on Doug for help with an auction anytime.

The work went very well. He was very informative. We had no complaints. I would tell a friend that we had a good experience, and that he is trust worthy.

I gave away an old hallway desk on Craigslist. Later, a Craigslist responder suggested the battered piece of furniture was worth a considerable amount of money. Dismayed, I sent Mr. Stinson a photo of the piee of furniture and he provided a detailed explanation of the likely origin of the piece and the possible value---not very much. I was relieved, but mostly very impressed with how quickly he responded and with detail. Quality responsive service!

very informative and helpful information and some purchases, so I was pleased with the encounter

I was very pleased with Carl. He was extremely knowledgable about the varied items in the house. He could look at an item and give its approximate date of production and manufacturer. He also provided suggestions for what to do with the items. It was like having "Antiques Roadshow" come to the house. I told him that my daughter would like to be part of the discussion and would be coming in from out of town. He made a second trip to the house as part of his services for my daughters benefit and did not charge for the trip. I was very impressed by his encyclopedic knowledge and his professionalism. I recommend him strongly and without reservation. He's a great resource. Barry Werner

Douglas Stinson was the ONLY auctioneer who responded to my email inquiring if their auction house handled the selling of vintage china sets. He responded very quickly, and although he wasn't able to take the china set to auction off, he provided information about donating it to a worthwhile organization (which I had mentioned in my email). Ultimately, I decided this was the best way for me to handle the china set. I was very impressed with Doug's professionalism and his timely response to my email. If I have any items that can be auctioned off, I will certainly contact Doug again to handle them.

We are very happy with the way things went with Douglas Stinson. You really couldn't ask for a more competent, down-to-earth, friendly, and helpful appraiser/auctioneer. Everything that has already been written on angie's list is so true. We are so glad we found him. He told us so much about the items we have held onto, and didn't charge for it. He just purchased several items at a very reasonable price. We made a nice profit!

very helpful, timely and professional

Mr. Stinson spent a rather lengthy amount of time (25 minutes or so?) conversing with me about the china set. He stated that that was not his particular area of expertise but was very willing to give me the information that he had and help steer me in the right direction. I really had no idea how to go about this, and he outlined for me in detail where to begin and what steps I might take to determine the potential value of the set. My family has never used the china and we felt that it would be better put to use by someone, rather than sitting in boxes in the garage. I was prepared to spend money to have the set appraised, but based on the information Mr. Stinson gave to me I decided it was not worthwhile going this formal route. I did look into several websites that he mentioned. I was very appreciative of his willingness to impart information and give me detailed recommendations even after it became apparent that I would not be a paying customer. Many times I've found this to not be the case.

If every interaction in the world were as wonderful as the one that Doug Stinson just provided, we would all be living in heaven. The bottom line is that I have a much clearer idea of how to proceed in regard to selling various possessions, thanks to this generous and knowledgeable professional appraiser and auctioneer. Doug is clearly wildly busy, yet he called me back the same day I contacted him to let me know that he would be happy to look at photos of up to 20 objects I wanted to sell on eBay or via consignment. Not only that, but he assured me he would offer his opinions free of charge, while encouraging me to do further research on my own, once he gave me an idea of the general provenance and worth of the items. A couple of weeks later, I emailed Doug around 20 photos of 15 or so objects, and he then called me about them as soon as I sent my phone number. He was a fount of information about these items, providing me with key words and online resources that would allow me to do further research. Meanwhile, though to him, a professional auctioneer, they were not worth much, I was happy, as a retiree, to learn that they might add up to approximately $2000 in sales, if I could find buyers willing to pay me what they were worth. Doug also referred me to another auctioneer who lives closer to me and whom, he thought, might be willing to come to see, and value, some other objects that I had not included in the photos I sent to Doug. As someone clueless about the worth of these items, and yet eager to turn them into cash, I am very grateful for Doug's kindness, generosity, and knowledge. Not only that, but it was a delight to hear how much he loves what he does, and how he loves working with his 80-year-old dad. How sweet is that?! I am smiling as I write this review, because life is so good when people are nice to each other. Not that it was a saccharine experience! Fortunately, Doug was quite forthright in his opinions, telling me, for example, that the sterling silver sugar & creamer set were only worth the price of melted silver. I appreciated his honesty, as it will help me to be realistic, as I proceed.

It went very smoothly. He is very knowledgeable, very professional, and very responsive.

Carl Stinson knows his business! Even though the furniture I had was not of the quality needed for his auctions, he knew exactly who made it, where it was made and was generous with his time in telling me about the company and its history. It is obvious that he loves his work and has a lifetime of knowledge that he is quite willing to share whether it benefits him financially or not. I talked with him on several occasions, and he either called or was available at the times we had agreed on. I can only imagine the care he would take with items that he auctions! He was honest about the value of my furniture and kind in his delivery of the bad news. If I had anything he could use I would not hesitate to have him handle its sale.

Doug recommended another company that might better suit us. We spoke for quite some time and it is obvious that he knows what he is talking about! Doug is as pleasant as can be!

Sent pictures of items and he gave prices.

Doug was excellent from my initial contact with him and throughout the process of selling family furniture to him. He came to the house to look at the furniture, which was made by one of my family members and had been in the family for more than 50 years. He was just as interested learning about furniture's personal history as he was in examining its construction. I was also duly impressed with Doug's knowledge of the local and regional history of furniture makers and their owners. Doug was honest throughout the process, and I received a fair price for the furniture. He also was kind enough to negotiate some repair work to the furniture I was keeping as part of his offer for the furniture that I sold to him. Doug is honest, enthusiastic about his work, kind, and is a pleasure to do buisiness with. I give him my highest recommendation.