Bodnar’s Auction Returns to the Jersey Shore to Conduct Their First Live Auction in Over a Year!

Bodnar’s Auction had its first annual Jersey shore auction in 2019 and had a fantastic response from the community! Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, they had to shut down their live auction events and run sales online-only, canceling their 2020 event. In the late spring of 2021, the City of Cape May decided to reopen their Convention Hall, and the team at Bodnar’s Auction was off and running to get this first live sale in over 17 months ready.

With the ocean as a backdrop behind the auctioneer, 300 antiques and collectibles will cross the block on Saturday, September 11, 2021, at 11:00 am. Joe Bodnar, president of Bodnar’s Auction, said, “We will be practicing social distancing, and all will adhere to all guidelines to run a safe event for all who attend.” Masks will be required for all unvaccinated buyers. The seating will spread out over the 20,000 square foot facility to allow a safe distance for happy bidders to feel safe when bidding. Hand sanitizer will be everywhere! “We are changing our whole format to make the buyers’ experience a positive one,” says Bodnar.

In the past, bidders would crowd around tables fighting for the chance to see the item being sold, but the new format will be a sit-down sale to accommodate social distancing. Bodnar’s will not deliver the items to the winning bidder until after payment has been made to keep personal contact down to a minimum. Even after all the safety precautions, if you still feel concerned about attending in person, they have another option for you! You can bid remotely on your smartphone right on the beach or anywhere in the world. The auction will be broadcast live on several platforms, including LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Auction Zip, and on Bodnar’s own platform.

This sale will feature several local estates packed with antiques and collectibles. One of the featured collections is an art collection that took a lifetime to accumulate and belonged to a fantastically interesting woman in Manhattan. It has been appraised for over $200,000.00! Many of the artists in this collection could be found in galleries on both the east and west coasts. This collection of art features artists like Vigen Sogomonyan, Carlos Torres, Sylviane Canini, Philip Bueller, Alfred Rogoway, Orlando Agudelo-Botero, Kerry Warner, and Earl Hamilton, to name a few. What’s nice about this collection is that Bodnar’s has all the paperwork for each painting; most have the original bill of sales. “It is very rare that a collection of this extent comes up for auction with no reserves. All will sell to the highest bidder,” replied Bodnar. “Now is the time to invest in art. Everything in this collection is of great quality!”. Besides the art, they will also be selling a great collection of Jay Strongwater figurines, frames, and more. For anyone who collects Jay Strongwater, they know that this collection was thousands of dollars originally, and all have their original paperwork and boxes. Also up for bidding at the sale are four rare recast Erte bronzes that will be offered from a Metuchen, NJ, estate. They all have proper marking and were limited production runs. Besides the Erte bronzes, there is a collection of fantastic bronze statues in the sale. Fine jewelry will also be offered as well as decorative art. Hand-carved screens, lighting, quilts, ship models, Cape May books, figurines, sterling silver, Waterford, Lladro, clocks, and a nice Disney collection will be offered!

Bodnar’s always tries to incorporate some type of charity event with its auctions. This sale will feature several gift baskets benefiting the Cape May volunteer fire department in honor of 9/11. They will be selling a gift basket with local items from Cape May and several with vintage fireman collectibles, Christopher Radko 9/11 special ornaments, and more! “The fact that 9/11 was the sale date and it’s the 20th anniversary, I felt it was fitting to have the charity part of the auction go to the local volunteer fire department.” Besides the gift baskets, there will be other ways to donate that day in person.

The auction will take place on Saturday, September 11, 2021, at 11:00 am at the Cape May Convention Center, 714 Beach Ave, Cape May, NJ 08204. You can preview the items in person on Friday, September 10, from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm, and on Saturday, doors will open at 9:30 am. If you can’t make it to the live auction, you can bid online on several platforms, including LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, AuctionZip, and on the platform on Bodnar’s website. Bodnar’s Auction offers in-house shipping on most of the lots in the sale and can ship anywhere in the world. For more details, reach out to us today.