History of Manion’s Auction
Where would you go if you wanted to sell pieces out of your
private and highly specialized collection? Garage sales, estate
sales, flea markets and thrift stores are a few of the more
traditional places collectors search for historical artifacts,
but some thirty years ago it became clear that collectors
needed a special place to trade their artifacts with other
like-minded enthusiasts. So, armed with passion for history
and a realistic view and understanding of the collecting community,
Manion’s International Auction House was created. The
company’s mission was simple; to establish a safe, fair
and reliable marketplace where collectors could buy and sell
their historical militaria in a congenial atmosphere.
In the beginning, the company had less than 10 employees that
photographed, described, packed and shipped items for each
30-day auction. The militaria categories included U.S., German,
Japanese and General European. A special black and white catalog
was published for every auction. Bids were accepted by mail,
phone, and later fax. It soon became clear Manion’s
customer’s interests also included sports and political
memorabilia, games, classic Americana, and vintage clothes,
so an “Antiques and Collectibles” section was
added a short time later.
As our membership roll expanded, so did the company. Our next
phase was opening an office in Hamburg, Germany. This office
serves as a liaison and central drop-off site for European
consignors, and promotion throughout the European community.
Keeping up with the times, the company evolved alongside
ever-changing new technologies. Our next major improvement
was going online with www.manions.com. Making the leap into
cyberspace gave the company maximum exposure on the information
super highway and allowed members the opportunity to bid any
time of day and monitor activity on their consignment in real
time. It also enabled members to view newly consigned items
every day, create a Watch List to keep track of more interesting
pieces, check their winning and losing bids, and receive the
most up-to-date information via email.
Being a recognized authority on historical artifacts, members
of our staff have advised many authors and publisher of referenced
books. They have also served as consultants to estate appraisers,
insurance companies, museums and archives.
Among the most significant events in the company’s
history has been the recent transition of ownership to new
President and C.E.O., Jody Tucker. He has instituted many
exciting changes, and more are on the way. Jody has a clear
vision of the company’s future and is committed to finding
ways to better serve our customers. It truly is a new day
for Manion’s Auction. The future is brighter than ever
- and the best is yet to come.
Through all changes our purpose and objectives have remained
the same; to provide a safe, fair and reliable market for
collectors to buy, sell and collect historical collectibles
of every sort. “We do the work and you get the check”
has been our motto for over 30 years, and we will continue
to do our best to make collecting fun, safe and worry free!
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