About Us - Bodnar's Auction | bodnarsauction.com

With five auctioneers and various antiques, jewelry and collectibles specialists as well as a full support staff, we can accommodate any size estate or individual needs. So whether you’re buying or selling, there’s always an expert to advise and help you.

Bodnar’s Auction personnel are some of the most knowledgeable in their respective fields with the combined experience of over 200 years in the antiques and collectibles industry. More than just auction staff, our main employees are life-long collectors with an extensive understanding of the antiques and collectibles markets. It’s not just a job for our experts, it’s a main focus of their personal lives, allowing them to see things from different perspectives, all leading to a profitable sale for our consignors while offering outstanding deals to the collector and dealer.

Our Staff

Joseph Bodnar Owner, Head Auctioneer

At age 17, Joe Bodnar worked at a local auction carrying furniture on and off a truck. 23 years later he runs Central New Jersey’s largest auction.

Joe began auctioneering at 18 for small auction houses and three years later, in 1994, conducted his first sale as Bodnar’s Auction in Bound Brook, NJ.

From there Bodnar’s Auction moved to East Brunswick, then to Somerset, having outgrown its original location and finally to The New Jersey Convention & Expo Center in Edison, NJ as even more space was needed.

Bodnar’s currently conducts four sales simultaneously at each auction, every month, all within the NJ Convention & Expo Center.

Bodnar’s was one of the first auction houses to conduct live auctions on eBay in 2004 and in 2012 was featured on the Travel Channel’s TV show The Toy Hunter as well as numerous times on AMC’s hit show, Comic Book Men with Kevin Smith.

Selling over 5000 items every auction gives Joe the experience to know what items are selling for in today’s market. And his experience is more than just hands-on. He has also taken appraisal courses at NYU as well as many continuing education classes though the NJSSA and NAA in the auction industry.

Joe has been on the board of directors of the New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers many years and has been a member for over 20. He was voted President of the NJSSA for 2010-2011 and is a member of the National Auctioneers Association, New York Auctioneers Association, The Train Collectors Association and holds an apprentices Auctioneers License in PA.

Maureen Bodnar General Manager/ COO

Met Joseph Bodnar in 1999 at the Metlar-Bodine House/Museum when he was running a charity auction to benefit the Museum.

Worked from 2001-2006 at Rutgers NJ Museum of Agriculture as the event coordinator scheduling the Museum’s events as well as Rutgers events, and worked hands on with the collection at the Museum cataloging items, and working on exhibits.

Came to Bodnar’s Auctions in 2012.

Handles all day to day operations at the auction including meeting with new clients at house calls, inventorying and cataloging auction items, and handling all contracts.

Runs the office from handling all accounting, filing, mailings all the way to auditing each sale.

Assists in the set up at the auction by setting up all computer systems, security systems and assists in coordinating estate items.

Runs the office during the auction including handling all new registrants, and consigners, and helping people with check out.

Is a member of the New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers.

Janet Wojcik Auction Manager

Janet is the first person you talk to when you call us and is always available to customers on set-up and sale days.

In 2006, Joe hired Janet to expand the auction’s jewelry sale, taking it from 50 lots of jewelry to a full-featured sale in its own room that now sells men’s and women’s apparel along with jewelry, selling over 1,000 lots every month.

Her background includes decades of buying and selling antiques through local and international auctions.

Janet has over 30 years of experience in the antiques field, having collected various time-periods of furniture, jewelry, porcelain and objects of virtue to name a few.

She has experience selling women’s apparel, clothing and jewelry through various retail outlets and was employed to purchase, merchandize and sell high-end European children’s clothing and accessories at a specialty boutique in both Short Hills and Metuchen, NJ.

Janet also worked at Metuchen Antiques, specializing in decorative antiques and jewelry as well as merchandizing and selling her own antiques and jewelry at various antique co-ops.

From 1996 through 2006 Janet ran numerous estate sales throughout NJ.

Is a member of the New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers.

Dana Balsamo Auctioneer/Textile & Cataloging Expert

Dana Balsamo confesses that the first Live Auction she attended was at Bodnar’s Auction, in 2001, at the Elk’s Club. She has over 20 years experience in antique textiles, is a Certified Quilt Appraiser through the American Quilter’s Society, and is USPAP Compliant.

She has operated her own antique textile business since 2000, online, and vending at antique shows and quilt shows. In 2019, when both her daughters, also familiar to Bodnar’s Auction, left to go to college, Dana decided to pursue a career to become an Auctioneer. She attended the Reading Area Community College Auctioneer Program and earned her PA Auctioneer License in May of 2019 (#AU006175).

Since earning her license, she has regularly assisted several Pennsylvania and New Jersey Auctioneers, and has conducted her own online antique textile auctions since June of 2020. She is a member of the NJ State Society of Auctioneers, the PA Auctioneers Association, The National Auctioneers Association, the Professional Association of Appraisers – Quilted Textiles, and serves on the Board of the American Quilt Study Group.

She is very enthusiastic to share her passion for the auction industry, and to be a part of Bodnar’s Auction.

Darren D' Amato Comic Book & Toy Specialist

Darren came to Bodnar’s Auctions in 2014.

He has been a life-long collector of comic books, comic related memorabilia and pop-culture related memorabilia.

Darren runs his own comic book store in the Collingswood Market.

His knowledge of comics and toys made Darren the perfect choice as our head caller in the toy sale. He and Tommy together make a superhero style dynamic duo.

Darren’s work on the radio at Brookdale Public Radio as well as being an English professor at Brookdale Community College gives him an edge while on the microphone at Bodnar’s.

Kevin Scott Jones Auctioneer

Was introduced to auctions as a young man by his father.

Came out of Missouri Auction School in 2007 and landed his first job auctioneering for Bodnar’s Auction the same year.

His work on the radio at Brookdale Public Radio gives him the edge with his auctioneering style.

He has a vast knowledge of many areas such as military and collectibles, as well as the auction business.

Has worked closely with Joe on many charity events such as the Metlar-Bodine House auction.

Tom 'Superman' Graves Auctioneer

Tommy came to Bodnar’s Auctions in 2007 and after being bitten by a radioactive auctioneer, discovered he had the ability to sell toys and comics.

He worked closely with Joe doing estate pick-ups and worked his way up to auctioneer after learning the craft from Joe in 2009.

Has been a life-long collector and has a vast knowledge of comics, superheroes, and pop-culture memorabilia.

Is a member of the New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers.

Tommy is the 2014 NJSSA bid calling champion.

Erica Brotschol Disney & Collectible Expert

George Kummer Auctioneer

George came to Bodnar’s Auctions in 2011 when we were expanding.

He has 35+ years experience in the auction business.

He graduated the Harrisburg Area Community College with an Auctioneering Certificate.

He is a licensed auctioneer in Pennsylvania.

George works with many PA auction houses, as well as runs his own auctions including cars, new merchandise and surplus food auctions.

George has an ease about him that makes him indispensable at Bodnar’s.

Our Staff

Do you want to sell your property?

Kim F.

Michal F.

Art F.

Carry G.

Frank D.

Debbie B

Samuel P.

Armand P.

Anthony D.

Michael L.