The local auction market is hotter than ever this summer. With some people sorting through decades of belongings while others bid furiously from their iPads, unprecedented time at home is leading to unprecedented levels of art, jewelry and collectibles changing hands. The most popular items include 19th century Impressionist paintings, mid-century modern furniture, fine jewelry and luxury watches from brands like Cartier, Bulgari, Rolex and Tiffany & Co. Debrah Dunner, a Potomac-based rep for the auction house Freeman’s, has been selling everything from diamonds and Tiffany lamps to Andy Warhol screenprints and Picasso ceramics. In the D.C. area, she says buyers have been especially interested in furniture by Pennsylvania artisan George Nakashima and abstract expressionist works by D.C. painter Sam Gilliam. (Idylls 1, the unstretched canvas shown here, sold for $370,000.) “A lot of people around here have bought directly from Gilliam or know him personally,” Dunner says. “His auction prices have gone through the roof.” Dunner offers free auction estimates via virtual appointments, with easy no-contact pickup of your goods. Email ddunner@freemansauction.com or call (301) 738-0347.
