Abell Auction Company

About Abell Auction Company

Abell Auction Company is one of the most storied auction institutions in the western United States, a four-generation, family-operated firm that has been practicing the American tradition of the public auction in Los Angeles for over a century. Founded by Abraham N. Abell, who immigrated to the United States in 1907 from Kiev, Russia, the company traces its origins to a furniture store that Abell purchased from a relative shortly after arriving in Los Angeles. He transformed that modest storefront into a thriving auction operation called Liberty Auctions, later renamed Abell Auction Company after relocating to the West Adams area.

History

From those humble beginnings, Abell has grown into Southern California's premier marketplace for fine estate furnishings, art and jewelry. The firm's longevity is remarkable, particularly in the fast-changing Los Angeles market: through world wars, the Great Depression, California's postwar boom, and the digital revolution, Abell has adapted and endured, maintaining its family ownership and its core commitment to serving the estate and trust communities of Southern California. Today, the firm is distinguished as the first permanent auction house in Los Angeles dedicated to showcasing fine estate property — a distinction that reflects both its pioneering role and its enduring standards.

Auctions and categories

Abell's current headquarters are located at 2613 Yates Avenue in the Commerce/Los Angeles area, where the firm conducts an extraordinary volume of sales — a record fifty-four auctions per year. The weekly Thursday estate auction is the backbone of the business, offering over one thousand lots per sale that include fine furniture and furnishings, jewelry, silver, paintings and prints, decorative arts, and a wide range of estate property. Quarterly, Abell conducts a separate catalogued auction of higher-end antiques, fine art and decorations, which draws a more specialized collector audience.

The firm's auction offerings span:

• Fine art — American, European, California and contemporary paintings, prints and sculpture
• Fine and estate jewelry — diamonds, colored gemstones, signed designer pieces and luxury watches
• Silver — American, English and Continental sterling, as well as coin silver
• Furniture — from period antiques to twentieth-century design
• Decorative arts — porcelain, glass, bronzes and lamps
• Oriental rugs

The weekly format means that a wide range of price points is represented, making Abell accessible to new collectors as well as seasoned buyers.

Hollywood connections

The firm's Hollywood connections are a distinctive and colorful aspect of its identity. Over the decades, Abell has sold the estates of actors, directors and producers on Hollywood's A-list, as well as the furnishings of the writers, set designers and craftspeople who formed the backbone of the entertainment industry. Notable sales have included Gene Autry's Steinway grand piano, Cecil B. DeMille's Italian Renaissance furniture, and the fine estate furnishings of Barbara Stanwyck, Danny Thomas and Loretta Young. Beyond celebrity estates, Abell handles a steady stream of material from the broader estate and trust community of Southern California, working closely with estate attorneys, trust officers, fiduciaries and families to provide professional liquidation services.

Selling and buying with Abell

For consignors, the process is streamlined by Abell's high volume and long experience. The firm provides complimentary estimates and can arrange pickup for large consignments, with seller commissions negotiated on a per-consignment basis; the firm's weekly auction calendar means that turnaround from consignment to sale is typically much faster than at houses that conduct only a few sales per year. Buyers pay a buyer's premium on top of the hammer price, typically in the 23 to 25 percent range, with complete terms published for each sale. All lots are available for preview at the Los Angeles gallery, and online cataloguing with photography is provided for catalogued sales. Online bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable and the firm's own website, with absentee and telephone bidding accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Abell Auction Company sell?

Abell sells estate furnishings, fine art, jewelry, silver, rugs and decorative arts, with over one thousand lots featured in each weekly Thursday estate auction.

How many auctions does Abell hold each year?

Abell conducts a record fifty-four auctions per year, anchored by the weekly Thursday estate auction plus a quarterly catalogued sale of higher-end antiques and fine art.

What distinguishes Abell Auction Company?

A century of family continuity, deep roots in the Los Angeles estate community, Hollywood heritage including sales for Gene Autry and Barbara Stanwyck, and fifty-four auctions a year set Abell apart.