The Stephenson House is preparing for another online antique and collectible auction this year. An in-site auction was originally held for more than 15 years every October, but with COVID-19, the Stephenson House moved to an online only auction.

Visitors in the Madison County area and nationwide can now participate in the auction by visiting https://legacysells4u.hibid.com/catalog/302990/stephenson-house-auction.

The auction began March 9 and will end Oct. 6. Those who are bidding outside of the area can have their items shipped to them (no free shipping). Locals can pick up their items on Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at Gem Storage, 447 S. Buchanan Street behind Market Basket.   

Presently, organizers are seeking donations of a variety of antiques and collectibles to offer for sale. Since the auction is online, the site will not be able to accept most furniture items. Similarly, to past auctions, donors can decide whether they want to donate all of their items’ value to the Stephenson House and earn a tax deduction or donate 50 percent of their items’ sale price and deduct the remaining percentage.  The organizers seek a variety of small or medium-sized antiques and collectibles, but there are certain items that sell better than others. Some bestselling items include pocket and hunting knives, old photo albums, oil paintings (not prints), comic books, Christmas items (pre-1960), etc. Other best-selling items include cast iron, pressed steel or tin children’s toys (e.g., cars, trucks, airplanes, and wind-up toys) and Indigenous items like arrowheads, axes and craft items (e.g., ceramics and southwestern jewelry) for example are also great. Advertising items such as wood boxes with stamped advertising, metal signs, yardsticks, and so on, post cards and old valentines, and military memorabilia from the Civil War, WWI and WWII, older coins (e.g., wheat pennies, gold and silver coins, and some types of old paper money), all forms of beer advertising such as lighted beer signs, and art/ceramic pottery by makers like Rookwood, Roseville, Hull, Van Briggle and Weller to name a few are continuous top sellers. Finally, swords and old flintlock or percussion weapons and BB guns are acceptable, but the site cannot auction guns without a FOID card.  There are many items that people can consider to be antiques, collectibles, etc. If you have items that you want to donate, but you are not sure if they will be accepted, then please call the Stephenson House at (618) 692-1818 and someone will help you as soon as possible. We are accepting items now and cannot accept any more items 30 days before Oct. 6. The donations may be sent to the house during our hours listed on our website at https://stephensonhouse.org/. To arrange a pickup date, please contact the Stephenson House and someone will assist you.