Welcome to our Antique Tool Auctions:

Our company, Antique and Collectible Tools, has been selling antique tools since 1983. We offer two very different auctions with online bidding.

BROWN AUCTION SERVICES holds two major auctions each year, one in April and one in October.
> > Get details on current Brown Auction > > See the complete Brown Auction Rules for details

These International Antique Tool Auctions are of the traditional sit-down type and are held in the Harrisburg, PA area.
The online bidding process allows a bidder to competively bid from afar.
Bids are taken over the Internet, by phone and mail until the end of the day before the auction.
A bidder can call in (207) 688-4962 to find out the current high bid on the lots he has bid on up to 5:00PM on the day before the event.

Brown Auction Services began in March of 1986 as Bates & Brown, Inc.

The founding partners, Bud Brown and Alan Bates stated that the purpose of the company was to provide services to antique tool collectors, old tool users, dealers, museums and other institutions interested in antique hand tools and related artifacts.
These services include advising individuals, estates, and institutions whom may wish to dispose of partial or complete collections in the most efficient and profitable manner.
This could involve arranging a special auction sale, a private placement, pre-priced catalog sale or tag sale. They also would appraise antique tool collections for insurance, estate and other purposes.
The original purpose set down over 15 years ago has served well and remains the primary service offered by Brown Auction Services today.

By the end of 1988 Bates & Brown, Inc. had held six major antique tool auctions and were well established as the leading antique tool auctioneers of fine hand tools in the US. During 1989 the company was reorganized as the Brown Auction Services with Bud Brown at the helm. With the reorganization the auction site moved to Pennsylvania where it remains today.

In 1994, Bud Brown retired and the company president became Mickey Holmes.
Under Mickey's leadership the International Antique Tool Auctions set new records and continued to break their own antique tool records year after year. With the sale of the Tidey prototype double beveling plane in 1996 a new all time record for a antique woodworking tool at auction was set at $27,500.
Unfortunately for health reasons Mickey decided to sell the company.
Antique & Collectible Tools, Inc. of Pownal, Maine purchased Brown Auction Services in the spring of 1997. Clarence Blanchard became the new president and Mickey Holmes continued to serve as Auction Coordinator.

Under Clarence Blanchard’s leadership the company has continued to grow. The auction program was expanded to two antique tool auctions per year making room for a collector whose collection merited its own sale.
The trend of setting new world record antique tool prices continued and the current all time world record was set in 1995 when Brown Auction Service sold the Sandusky Tool Co. 1876 ebony and ivory center-wheel plow plane for $114,400.

Brown Auction Services has now conducted over thirty-four International Antique Tool Auctions. Over the years Brown's has had the privilege of offering the finest antique hand tools available from the most prominent collections. With these great tools, world price records will continue to be set year after year. Today, the International Antique Tool Auction holds many world record antique tool prices and is the leader in the antique tool auction business.

Starting in 1987, the International Antique Tool Auction has hosted an Antique Tool Sale the day before the auction.
These antique tool sales have grown in size over the years and today they are the largest non-club tool show in the country.
The 2007 Antique Tool Sale had nearly 100 tables with dealers from around the world participating.

| back to top |

FTJ ABSENTEE AUCTION

Our second auction is part of the Fine Tool Journal magazine (available by one-time purchase or by subscription).
This sale started in 1983 as a regular feature of the Fine Tool Journal.
Antique tools of all trades are offered from rare collectible tools to good old user tools.
Bidding is online, by phone (207) 688-4962 or mail (see bottom of page for mailing address) Most bidders place a follow up phone call to confirm that the bids were received and to check current high bids.

Give one of our auctions a try! It is fun and we will always execute your online bids competively.

If you are not sure how it works gives us a call we will gladly explain.

All auction items come with a 7-day return policy. Just make sure you like the tool before you start cleaning and honing!

See the complete FTJ Auction Rules for all the details.
| back to top |

Current Brown Auction Information > >
Current FTJ Absentee Auction Items > >