AUCTIONS WILL STILL BE HELD THE SECOND THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!
THIS FACILITY IS 3 TIMES THE SIZE OF OUR PREVIOUS LOCATION!
OVER 9000 SQUARE FEET! OVER 600 PARKING SPACES!
LOADING DOCK AND EASIER LOADING FACILITY! BETTER LIGHTING!
UNDER 10 MILES FROM OUR PREVIOUS LOCATION!
OUT OF STATE? NO PROBLEM! OVER 7 MAJOR HOTELS WITH-IN A 1/2 MILE!
SAME GREAT MERCHANDISE, BETTER LOCATION!
There's an upside to the standing room only crowds that have characterized Bodnar's Auctions monthly sales the past eight years. The SRO crowds mean the buyers are coming and consignors are getting a good run for the money, but the downside weighs heavy on the loyal crowds that are drawn to Central New Jersey's biggest regularly scheduled auction.
For those who get there too late, it means not finding a seat. That's not all. It also meant lots of jostling around when the auction staff starts to work the perimeter of the room, which is usually lined with furniture.
People shift around in their chairs; the SRO crowd shuffles its feet, and wind up stepping on one another's toes, all the while blocking the next guy's view of the proceedings. Bidders intent on buying can do without those kinds of interruptions and distractions. And, with a minimum of floor space, it's often difficult to get a good look at what's being sold; box lots are piled on top of one another, furniture is shoved together, glassware and pottery are jammed together on tabletops, with piles of textiles, linens, and stacks of paper ephemera growing way too high. Bodnar has known for a long time that he had to make a move. That's just what he has done. Beginning with the April 10 sale, Bodnar's Auctions will now be held at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Somerset, N.J., about 10 miles west of his former site at the picturesque Elks Lodge on the Lake in East Brunswick.
Next month's sale will be a general merchandise sale, featuring oak, mahogany, and walnut furniture form Victorian era to the 1950’s; vintage porcelain and glassware, prints, paintings, rugs, jewelry and collectibles. The May sale will feature a single-owner collection of over 1,000 vintage toys, including pressed steel and cast iron, Hubley, Buddy L, Schuco, Sun Rubber and Tootsie, Dinky and Corgis.
Bodnar's ``basso profundo'' sing-song auctioneer's patter will seem even larger inside the high-ceiling Ukrainian center, with three times as much room as the cramped space in the former facility. Bodnar promises everyone will have a seat, and the elevated stage means everyone will get a better look at each item as it is being sold.
The Ukrainian Cultural Center, easily reached off Exit 10 of Interstate 287 via Easton Avenue and Davidson Avenue, is an expansive facility, with a well-lighted paved parking lot that can easily handle 600 cars, plus trucks and trailers. Out-of-town buyers can stay the night, with several major hotels clustered around the interchange. Bodnar plans to run two auctions simultaneously, splitting furniture and glassware as well as major collections, which will cut down on the customary marathon sessions at the former auction hall, when the last item was gaveled down way past midnight.
Joseph Bodnar and longtime auctioneer / manager Patricia Wospil will be joined by veteran auctioneer Alfred Finocchiaro of Hightstown, a familiar voice to the regulars on the New Jersey auction circuit. Bodnar says the addition of a third caller will add to the excitement, with the mixture of cadence and calls from the three voices helping to keep buyers' attentions riveted on the action.
There's more. For bidders with an appetite, the new location offers a full kitchen, and food and beverages will be available later then before; food service at the previous location shut down long before the sale concluded, a constant source of complaints from customers, Bodnar said.
Bidders can also leave their cushions at home. The new facility offers padded seats. Perhaps the biggest benefit to buyers will be realized late into the night, when the last item is hammered down and it's time to pack up and load. The Ukrainian center has a loading dock bay which will permit buyers to back up their trucks, saving the long walk necessary at the former location, where there was no loading facility. The move will add to Bodnar's expenses and overhead, but he's eager and excited about the impending changes. With more room to work, a bigger hall, more parking, and a more central location, Bodnar expects the crowds to grow even larger.
