Friends open up auction house

New auction house Benny's is opening soon - and office manager Mahana Urlich (pictured) is ready to take more goods for display and eventual sale at auction. Photo / John Stone

A chance discussion between four friends has seen another auction house arise out of the vacuum created by the closure of Thomson Bagley Auctions in March this year.

Benny's Auctions is scheduled to open "in the next two of three weeks" according to Sandy Benjamin, a partner in the business along with husband Ian and Ross and Margaret Carter.

"We've been working of the proposal for about the last two months and there's only one more bit of paper to be sent off and stamped and we're ready to go," Ms Benjamin said.

She says the aim will be to have regular Saturday morning auctions as well as auction antiques and collectibles three to four times a year.

Ms Benjamin also operates the antiques and collectibles shop Rainbow Relics on Clyde St.

The new owners have very strong community focus for the auction house and are going to have a community area so not-for-profit organisations can put in items to auctions. There will be no fee for those organisations.

"We want to put something back into the community."

Ms Benjamin says the auction house has also set what she believes to be probably the lowest auction fees in the country.

"Most houses charge 20 per cent plus GST, for both seller and buyer's premium. We have set our rates at 17 per cent, inclusive of GST - which is good for both buyers and sellers. We want to make something good happen here in the city."

- If you have any business news, tips or ideas contact me at biz@north ernadvocate.co.nz or (09) 470 2838.