Why shop at auction?

Lately here at Gateway Gallery Auction we have been sitting here racking our brains on why more young people don't shop at auctions. With the rising trend of vintage, upcycling, antiques, and thrift stores auctions would seem to be a natural shopping destination for young people looking to furnish their lives with quality goods on a budget. Although we have been seeing some younger faces how do we reach more? How can auctions capitalize on the vintage movement by young people across the country?

For our part, we have started an aggressive social media campaign to try to engage a younger generation. However, as a twenty- something, I really feel like our generation is missing out on some great finds because we are not really exposed to what an auction has to offer. I will readily admit that until I worked for Gateway Gallery Auction I had no idea how an auction worked or what they had to offer. The closest I have ever come to an auction experience was Ebay (its not the same thing as the real deal ladies and gentlemen, trust me). I am a lover of all things vintage and had I only known auctions were an available outlet, I probably would have gotten into this business a whole lot sooner.

Those who are really into the green movement should also really be behind buying things at auction. Instead of buying furniture at a big box store (which will likely fall apart in a few years and end up in a landfill) you could have a real piece of quality furniture that is built to last for the same price. This means less waste in our landfills. I have already posted about repurposing your auction finds to make them more personal for fit your needs. This is a huge movement these days and I wonder why more people aren't willing to take advantage of it.

Hopefully this new P.R. campaign can help us reach and bring in a new generation of auction enthusiasts, but its more than drumming up an online buzz, its about getting them in the door to experience all that an auction can offer them. We would love to start a dialog on how to reach the younger generations. I think we can all learn from each others experiences. Join our conversation by "liking" us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. You can also e-mail me, I would love to hear any suggestions!