Auctioneers Mark (left) and Doug Alman struggle to bring a large, hand-painted Chinese vase to the auction block.
By Susan M. Mueller
Saratogan Doug Alman has a dream job. He travels the world searching for beautiful and unusual objects. And then he sends his treasures off to new owners in auctions held 65 times a year throughout California.
Alman's Santa Clara-based Somerset Auctions, started in 1978, is an outgrowth of his antique business, originally called TGF Mondays because antique dealers closed shop and bought on Mondays.
The dealers arrived eagerly at 9 a.m., drank coffee and ate doughnuts and came in at 10 a.m. when the doors opened. These dealers carried "sold" tags with their names on them to put on the antiques. By 1 p.m., all sales would be complete.
"We were only wholesale then," recalls Alman. "We traveled to Europe and at that time Hungary needed U.S. currency badly and invited us in. One type of antique, called a gentleman's suite, consisted of a credenza, desk, chair and table. The furniture-makers made each set unique, and they were works of art with secret compartments. Often we could not find the compartments, and customers called us later, elated at discovering one."
Alman imports auction items from Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and other countries. International markets produce adventures, new friends and troubles all their own, the auctioneer says.
In Thailand, the people were so friendly and helpful that he was initially suspicious of their motives. But he learned they were just what they seemed. He could make an offer and promise to return. Even if he returned three months later, his purchase was waiting, and the price was the same. This is not true everywhere, he says.
"International business involves customs and government officials," Alman says. "In some other countries, those people are not as trustworthy as we think our people are. Payoffs go on."
The merchandise Somerset Auctions buys is subject to intensive examination relating to air freight.
"The customs officials on either side might be looking for drugs, ivory, jewelry or to see if we declared our loads at a lesser value to avoid paying the correct amount of duty," Alman says, adding, "We have never had a problem. Some searches are conducted by waving a wands or instrument into the container to sense drugs."
On buying trips, Alman and his helpers have to buy faster than they sell to make a go of it. At an auction, items sell every 15 to 20 seconds.
The auction team includes partner Mel LaRousa and members of Alman's family. Alman's wife, Diana, runs the office. Daughter Patty Van De Wark manages the insurance and the freight. Son Mark Alman runs the business portion in Southern California. They have 15 warehouse workers.
"When we take our show on the road, we need most of these people to come along. It is often an overnight trip, sometimes for several days in a row," Alman says.
LaRousa schedules the auction locations. He uses lists that contain helpful information. Experience says that certain demographics are crucial. The residents of the community should have lived in their homes an average of 5.5 years. If they vote Republican and are Caucasian, there will be more sales. If the average age is 36-38, the sales will be strong. There must be a newspaper that targets the area so ads for the auction are effective. Most buyers come from a radius of 20 miles, and most auctions are held in community centers. Auctions go better in towns of about 30,000, Alman notes.
"We load up three bobtail trucks; they're 24 feet long and look like a moving van. The rig requires a special driver's license. Three auctioneers are needed to spell each other. One is selling, and one is clerking by the podium. About 12 warehouse people are needed, and three registration clerks," Alman says.
An average auction brings in over $100,000. " We have a set routine. We take two computers for complete inventory and the list of registrants. Over 50 percent are repeat customers, so we know many by name. We bring our own sound system, carpets and even chair cushions. People stay from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. We serve them lunch, cookies, snacks and beverages."
Strange things happen at auctions. A man and a woman recently were bidding against each other for an item. One auctioneer turned to the other and said he thought he had seen these two together. The bidding was stopped, and the auctioneer asked the bidders if they knew each other. They looked across the room in surprise and said they were married to each other. The bidding was started over.
Auction law is different from contract law. In contract law, the buyer has three days to reconsider. In auction law, the last bid is the sale.
But sometimes there are unpleasant exceptions.
"One customer bid on two antique baby grand pianos. When she was ready to pay, she wanted only one. I reminded her that she had bought them both. She turned and walked out without paying for either one. We did not pursue this in court.
"We try to educate the crowd at the beginning about the whole process," Alman says.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, November 27, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved