Brown Tool Auction History
Brown Tool Auctions began in March of 1986 as Bates & Brown, Inc. Brown Tool Auctions
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 Tool Auctions 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 Tool Auctions 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 Tool Auctions in the spring of 1997. Clarence Blanchard became the new president and Mickey Holmes continued to serve as Auction Coordinator.
Under Clarence’s leadership the company 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 Tool Auctions 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 the Antique Tool Sale the day before the auction.
These antique tool sales have grown in size over the years and today is 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.
Now owned by Fine Tool Journal LLC, Brown Tool Auctions will continue to give you the very best!
Our Privacy Policy describes how we handle your personal information.
Upon Registering, you accept the Privacy Policy and consent to our collection, storage, use and disclosure of your personal information as described herein.
You can browse our website without revealing your personal information.
Once you register and give us your personal information, you are no longer anonymous.
If you choose to provide us with your personal information, you consent to the transfer and storage of your information on our servers.
We don't sell or rent your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes without your express consent.
We collect your personal information so that you may use the website safely and efficiently.
You agree that we may use your personal information to provide the services and customer support your request, resolve disputes, collect fees, perform troubleshooting, compare information for accuracy, and verify it with third parties.
Your information is stored on our servers.
We use encryption and passwords to protect your personal information against unauthorized access.
However, security measures cannot always prevent third parties from illegally intercepting data and private communications.
We work very hard to protect your privacy, but for the aforementioned reasons, we do not promise or guarantee that your personal information or private communications will always remain private.
We may amend this Privacy Policy at any time by posting the amended version on the website.
All amendments take effect immediately upon posting to the website.
If you provide us with personal information, we may retain and use that information for several purposes. For example, we may use your personal information in order to process and fulfill any transactions or services that you request, such as delivering any products and services that you purchase on this site (including any customary follow-up or confirmation communications regarding such transactions), contacting you in connection with a contest that you have entered, e-mailing our online newsletter or online magazines to you if you are a subscriber or responding to your questions and comments.
We may also use personal information to ensure compliance with our policies and applicable law.
In addition, we may send you periodic communications by e-mail or regular mail if you do not opt out of receiving them. For example, we may provide you with special offers or information on our products or services.
Jim Gehring is the president of Fine Tool Journal LLC, the corporation that owns Brown Tool Auctions.
For the last 20 years or so, both the Fine Tool Journal and Brown Auction Services were owned by Antique and Collectible Tools Inc., which was owned by Clarence Blanchard of Pownal, Maine. In 2012, ACT sold the Fine Tool Journal to Jim Gehring, but kept Brown's for a bit. In the spring of 2014, Clarence sold Brown Auction Services to Jim as well, and now both Fine Tool Journal and Brown Auction Services are under one ownership once again. We continue to work closely with Clarence and owe him many thanks for all his assistance.
Brown Tool Auctions and The Fine Tool Journal once again under common ownership and management, Fine Tool Journal, LLC, represent the best way to sell your antique tools, from a few items to an entire collection.
Ever since its founding in 1986, Brown Tool Auctions has been the premier auction service for antique tools, consistently realizing the highest prices for the best tools, including the world record set for a single tool at auction of $114,400. We hold three auctions every year at established times and locations that are regularly attended by the most knowledgeable and discriminating tool buyers. Each Brown auction is widely recognized as a major event in the tool collecting world. Our marketing includes a completely redesigned website with improved online bidding and extensive mailings as well as ads in major publications.
Our relationship with The Fine Tool Journal, which holds four absentee auctions every year, gives us the capacity to handle entire collections efficiently.
If you have antique tools to sell, give me a call. We will be happy to inspect your tools with no cost or obligation to you, and if you decide to consign them we will arrange the pickup or shipping, and will market them so that you realize the maximum value. Give me a call and let's talk tools.
Q: Where do the tools in the auctions come from?
A: The tools in all of our auctions are consigned from people in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. We have auctioned off some astounding collections.
Q: What is Fine Tool Journal, LLC?
A: Fine Tool Journal, LLC is the corporation that owns Brown Tool Auctions. Jim Gehring serves as the President of this corporation.
Q: If I am looking for a certain tool could you possibly have it?
A: Yes, at any given time we often are in possession of more than 10,000 tools. We will check our inventory for you. Just call us at 1-800-248-8114
Q: How do I consign a tool for auction?
A: We are always interested in tools for consignment.
The Fine Tool Journal Absentee Auction and The Annual International Antique Tool Auction in Camp Hill, PA, both often have room. If you have tools you are thinking of selling, give us a call -– we will work out the details to meet your needs. Distance is not a problem as we travel coast to coast several times a year. We also buy many quality tools. We will travel to look at a collection, or one of the many nationwide events may bring us into your area. Our knowledge and wide circulation mean we can pay top money, so do not sell without talking to us. No obligation and all contacts held in strictest confidence.Consignments for the Annual International Antique Tool Auction must be received by the end of June for the Fall Auction, and by the end of December for the Spring Auction.
Q: What are the current world records of tool sales?
A: The Brown Tool Auction holds many world record prices. First, Brown Auctions are the largest tool auctions in the world. The total sale amount plus the average price per a tool is higher at a Brown Auction then any other sale. The world record price for a tool at auction is the Sandusky Three-arm plow plane that sold for $114,400; Browns sold this plane in 2005. Other records include a Chelsea pencil sharpener for $17,000, rosewood Sandusky center-wheel plow for $22,000 along with many other great tools that are current records in their tool type.