Auction Process
Acquisitions
Pick Up Services: We offer a complimentary pick up service for large or valuable collections. At the time of pickup our staff will evaluate the firearms and list the items on the auction agreement. Each firearm will be listed with the manufacturer, model, serial number (if applicable), caliber, & estimate. A receipt will be provided to the consignor that details the items consigned to our auction.
Shipping: We are happy to assist you with shipping instructions. In most states firearms can be shipped directly to our facility. This can be done with a copy of our FFL and some simple shipping instructions. However, some states require that you utilize a FFL dealer to conduct the transfer. Contact us if you have any questions. If a consignor has multiple items to be shipped a crate can be forwarded to make the process easy.
Gun Show Pick Up Service: Our company represents items for upcoming auctions at major gun shows throughout the United States. To coordinate a meeting at an upcoming show contact our office 207-453-2114 or info@poulinauctions.com.
Middle Tennessee Civil War Show
December 1 - December 3SAR West Gun Show
December 1 - December 3Las Vegas Antique Arms Show
January 26, 2024 - January 27, 2024Forks of the Delaware Historical Arms Society Allentown Show
February 9, 2024 - February 11, 2024Ohio Valley Military Society Show of Shows
February 21, 2024 - February 25, 2024
Auction Preparations
Descriptions: We begin work on your collection almost immediately. Once the collection has been entered into our inventory database our consultants begin researching and describing the items in a detailed & thorough manner. When the descriptions have been completed they are emailed to consignors for review prior to the printing of the catalog. Our descriptions are fully guaranteed to be accurate against major discrepancies. This is very unique in the firearms auction industry. This guarantee protects the buyers from any major discrepancy and rewards the consignors, because bidders are more confident in their bids. A confident bidder is typically a more aggressive bidder.
Photography: Once our consultants have reviewed the items and selected any additional photos for the presentation of the items our in house professional photography team begins photographing the collection. Many additional photos are provided on our website and in our printed catalogs to aid potential bidders that are participating from away. A typical 2500 lot auction will feature over 10,000 photos that depict important features and information that assist bidders. During the auction our photography team provides complimentary additional photo requests from bidders to provide maximum information to interested participants.
Catalog Design: Our graphics department constructs our catalogs in house under direction from our firearms specialists. These lavish full color publications feature additional photos and extravagant multi page spreads for important items. Presentation is vital in the firearms auction industry. Presenting the entirety of your collection in a full color printed presentation adds a significant amount of additional exposure and bidder competition.
Marketing: Our comprehensive marketing approach includes our high quality printed catalog, multipage pre-auction brochure, telemarketing campaigns, pre-auction publication advertisements, regional and national collector and antique publications, social media marketing and newsletters, live events & shows circuits, live internet bidding, easily navigable website, featured item press releases, e-marketing campaigns & more.
Customer Service: Our staff of trained auction personnel is available for inquiries, photo requests, & shipping instructions from clients. Prior to the auction our staff contacts thousands of past participants to inform them of items that may be of interest in the upcoming auction. Our firearms consultants are available to answer technical questions and provide information on additional lots that may be of interest to bidders.
Preview: Our preview is open to the public multiple days before each auction. The items included in the auction are displayed in an easily navigable, neat, and presentable manner with assistants available to locate specific items quickly for bidders. During auction days preview is available throughout the auction for any unsold lots. This allows bidders to readjust their strategies if they were unsuccessful on other lots.
Auction: The auction is tremendously fun to attend. The fast paced atmosphere and excitement holds bidders attention and interest throughout the day. Items are displayed on large flat screen TV’s for the bidders to follow along during the auction and the auctioneers calls are projected throughout the auction facility for clients to follow along while in the preview area. In addition to in house participation our auctions are also featured on multiple internet bidding platforms. Our trained internet console operators receive bids in real time from across the globe. During the auction our staff is available to accept additional absentee & phone bids for upcoming lots. Our auction assistants help clients who are picking their items up in person. We offer complimentary catering during the auction to clients with our family’s world famous seafood chowder and other goodies.
Post Auction: Consignors receive a report shortly after the auction with a complete detailing of the hammer prices from the auction. During that time frame our collections department is invoicing clients and collecting payments from successful bidders. Once the payments have been received the invoices are sent to our legal department to be sure that all international, federal, and state firearm laws are followed. When the invoice has been cleared the items are sent to our in-house shipping department with specific instructions pertaining to client requested shipping methods.
Guarantee: Our unique auction description guarantee fully guarantees against any major discrepancies or unnoted alterations for 30 business days after the auction. The confidence that this instills in bidders results in a greater net result for our consignors.
Payment: At the time of payment a full consignment report is provided that details the items offered and results of the sale. Items remain in our facility until the payments have been received in full. Payment is made by check or wire transfer.