O'Gallerie, Portland OR

In the last 5 years I have participated in many of O'Gallerie Day sales. They have always been courteous and helpful. They are one of my main sources for my reselling business. Thank You O'Gallerie

Buyer beware! We were a high bidder on an auction item. Placed the bid hours before the auction online. We remained high bidder all day and throughout the bidding for the item, however we didn't win the item! Called Ogallerie and was told by Peter that the auctioneer has the option to pick which high bidder he wants, which makes no sense since the bid should have have allowed us to bid at at the next increment. The least they could have done was to say they would look into it and get back to us since we have proof of being the high bidder. We have bought from Ogallerie for years, but no more!

This company O'Gallerie is quite bad! I was charged too much for a couple of transactions, where I bought and sold through them. Best to stay away from them.

Fabulous audition house. Interior g offering, from South Sea Pearls to Persian rugs to original art work.
Auctioneer keeps the pace with charm and humor and the staff is helpful and knowledgeable.

I do NOT recommend anyone buying anything there. They are dealing dishonestly (if, technically, within the law).

I bought an item at auction that had a "critical" defect (i.e. The item we bought was defective enough to be rendered completely unusable). It wasn't just cosmetic or even a major defect (but still usable) - the item I bought was listed and implied as a functioning item when - in fact - it just wasn't. I only knew this when I received the item AFTER PAYING SHIPPING MYSELF.

I disputed the purchase and shipping with O'Gallerie to no avail. They kept on saying that all items sold "as is" (as if this is a magical excuse for anything). I turned to my credit card and disputed the charges there. I eventually got my money back. However, I just got a collections note from Capital Credit via O'Gallerie for the charges. (Where is the customer protection if the merchant can still charge the customer? That aside.) I plan on continuing to contest these charges.

I would not recommend buying anything from O'Gallerie.

As a company, O’Gallerie would seem to occupy a favorable business niche. In principle, it should be a valuable platform for matching both buyers and sellers of estate property, art, jewelry, furniture, firearms, antiques and unusual items of all types and kinds. After all, most major metropolitan areas feature one or more premier auction houses of just this sort.

However, I cannot recommend O’Gallerie. I reach this conclusion based on multiple personal observations, which I will detail below. Not wishing to be seen as promoting any alternative auction house or platform in particular, the reader should be aware that there are superior venues available in Seattle, the SF Bay Area, and even locally here in Portland.

Over the course of about 18-months, I consigned several various estate items with O’Gallerie. Primarily, I met with the owner, Tom O’Grady. Tom is a rather unpleasant man, but I’ll comment more on that below. During those months and multiple transactions, O’Gallerie managed to lose one entire consigned lot of property (Day Auction item... No explanation was ever given, nor any apology offered, or any compensation proffered) ; significantly damage an antique I left with them; and once they even mailed me an account statement belonging to another customer! All of this speaks to sloppy or slipshod business practices and management. Other reviewers have written about their similar experiences.

That said, I’ve met and interacted with several other O’Gallerie employees (aside from Tom O.), and most of them seem like decent, pleasant, and knowledgeable people. That is the only reason I’m giving this review 2-stars instead of 1-star.

Tom, himself, by personality and demeanor, is terribly unsuited to a sales or marketing role. In short, he really should not be involved in customer service in any way. He was always cold and impolite with me; but I can accept that. What really made me cringe was a specific incident where I personally observed him bringing an elderly woman to tears on the sidewalk outside his main storefront. From what I could gather (and what I overheard) she was recently widowed, and was bringing a few items of furniture down to the O’Gallerie for Tom to inspect. Without further unsavory details, one phrase that I clearly heard Tom literally shout aloud to her was “Why are you wasting my time?.. I’M TRYING TO RUN A BUSINESS HERE! ”

And while I cannot speak to the quality or nature of the furniture that was at issue there, this doesn’t seem like any decent way to treat a fellow human being - especially someone so obviously going through a period of personal grief.

I understand that the O’Gallerie business itself was founded by Tom’s father, who by most accounts was a fair and honest businessman by reputation. In contrast, Tom seems to be in charge of the O’Gallerie only for the sole reason that he inherited the role. In any case, he certainly doesn’t deserve to be running a business like this based on personal merit, education, or his management capabilities. Thus, while I’m sorry that I cannot recommend this company under current management, if Tom were no longer involved with it, my opinion could change. There are obviously some good employees here; they just have a poor leader.

Oh yes, and this place is quite dirty too, bordering on the filthy, in fact. For instance, the carpet in the lobby must date from the Reagan Administration years, and I doubt that it has encountered more than a cursory floor cleaning since.

This place moves a lot of items (quite efficiently) and random mistakes are understandable but their contract has no clear provision for careless handling or internal theft. Your stuff apparently enters a vague abyss once you hand it over. Beware of giving them a number of small items, as some might go missing with a strange attitude that they don't need to explain why. You'll get a line like: "It was combined with the other items in a day auction. " (Day auctions aren't listed on their site and aren't easy to witness.) "So where is our check for it? " No real answer is given, which is lying by omission. They know that if the auction value is almost like dumping the item (a topic addressed in other reviews) people are inclined to avoid the legal maze of recovery. But that's no way to get repeat customers. Maybe they don't need them much.

I bought and sold through O'Gallerie years ago when the father ran the business. The years that I both bought and sold there I dealt with Dale (the father) and Peter who were the real merit of the company. In conversations with Dale somewhere around 2006 I explained that having had Tom come to my home was completely disappointing. Dale assured me he would handle things even though he had been trying to retire. He held on in hopes that his son Tom would stop being a problem and did so for the entire year after we spoke about Tom. At that time I have to say Dale and Peter were exceptional.
Tom O'Grady was not. Every thing you see in the reviews about him are true. He lies, manipulates, misrepresents and then tells the consignor or buyer that it is entirely their fault that he cheats them.
I learned how to do business in Manhattan with world class names and the heart of all of this is to know your field thoroughly and remain honest. Dale had that but his son Tom is the opposite.
I have appraised on both the East coast and the West coast and never ever have I had someone outright lie to me about the pieces I represented, until Tom.
I brought two invaluable items to him this past year and he immediately dismissed one as a fake even though it came from the private collection of Warren Earle Cox the most respected art collector in America in the 20th century. The other he tried to tell me was practically worthless at possibly 100 to 150 dollars. This is for something I know would sell at a mid level auction gallery like O'Gallerie value of 5,000 to 7,000 dollars. He told me he could buy my item online for a fraction of the 100-150 dollars.
I suggest people do what he says he does. Buy the 5,000 item he says he can get online for under 100 dollars and avoid him entirely.
It is not only a shame that he is dragging his entire family down with him but honestly I dont know how he still has a license to do business.
Whats worse is the level of shame he brings to the O'Grady name.
In my opinion this business should have been run by Patrick who is honest to a fault and knows his way around every aspect of the business. Tom should only ever be allowed be the showman at the actual auctions.
He should never be allowed to represent the company he is Portland's answer to Trump, all bluster and lies while providing people with an uneasy feeling that the things most promoted are most likely the actual fakes.i know I will never buy from them again and would only risk selling there if Tom was replaced.

In reading the negative reviews, I have to say I’m very surprised. My experience with O’Gallerie have been nothing but positive. They make it easy to bid online or by phone, easy to preview items before bidding, and the live auction is a fun experience. The catalogs of items up for auction are sent to my email in a timely manner and are organized in a fashion that makes it easy to find items that are of interest me. I haven’t purchased fine art, nor would I do so unless it was from a reputable gallery who had a personal relationship with the artist and with a certificate of authenticity. As a fine art collector, this is best practice. That said, the items I have purchased have been well described and high-quality. (Note. I’ve never sold anything via O’Gallerie.)

I used them 4-5 times over the past few years and have always had good results. I usually dealt with Tom O' Grady. He provided me with an estimated auction value and a schedule of commission rates before I consigned so there are no surprises.
About a year ago I consigned a Rosewood Dining Table and 6 matching solid rosewood chairs; all in showroom condition. He gave me an estimate but ended up selling the entire set for $687 less a $200 commission for a net of $487- way below hs estimate!
I realize that used furniture goes for a steep discount but this was a $2500 table and the chairs were $2600 in showroom condition. I even included a custom made wood shipping crate that cost me $350-$375 to have built.
I was aghast when I heard about the auction results. IF TOM HAD NO BIDS THAT NIGHT, HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE GIVEN AWAY MY TABLE AND CHAIRS! I will never forgive them or forget this dreadful experience.
If you absolutely feel you want to deal with O'Gallerie, insist on a reserve at a minimum. They went immediately from first to worst in my book.

I agree with the previous dissatisfied customer. The owner is a Liar and cheat, totally dishonest.
They lost 10 boxes with fur coats, Faberge eggs and other very expensive item from my wife's Grandparents home.
They also seem to be in cahoots with the company they use to pickup the items.
At first one of the auction house workers remembered getting the boxes but said they lost them.
Then the owner said that they never got them.
I don't wish evil upon anyone, but I know that they will get their just deserts.
You would be better off to hold your own Estate Sale. Less stress and Anxiety.
If they are not liars and cheats... Then they are the most disorganized business that should NOT be in business.
Oh! And they are Rude taboot!

Thomas O'Grady is a thief and a liar. O'Galleris stole my deceased parent's Waterford Crystal collection along with a truck load of antique furniture. He's criminal and not to be trusted. Takes advantage of grieving families. Consider yourself warned.

Update UPDATE UPDATE. One of my valuble painting they told me was a fake I just had authenticated by the daughter of the artist. It being worth nearly 20,000 they told me the wanted to sell it in there day auction for less than 100.00. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO SCAM PEOPLE!

Don't bother with this auction group. I bid on a piece of jewelry. My bid was for $600.00 and I was told I was the highest bidder. Only one other bidder had a bid for $200.00. During the live bidding, the bids slowly went up.when someone in house bid $600.00, it was taken as the winning bid (My bid at $600.00 happened way before the same bid in house). I questioned, but was told that this happens all the time. I had also been told I would be notified if someone outbid me. I was not notified because they accepted the same offer that was placed a long time after mine was.

******BEWARE DONT THROW YOUR FINE ART*******
*****ITEMS AWAY BY GIVING IT TO THESE********** ********************PEOPLE! ************************
I have been in fine art auction houses all over the world! I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS! I Have been a picker and fine art collector and dealer of fine art painting for almost 30 yrs. I recently took in over 60 listed artists painting to be auctioned by them. They lost some of my painting then found them, they GROSSLY underestimated the value of all my painting. My painting didnt even sell for their.underestimated values! They told me painting had forged signatures when they have been authenticated by multiple apraisers, they gave me appraisals on painting that had other auction values of 10s of thousand for 200 dollars.that sold in their auction for 80 dollars. The auctioneer running the auction slammed his hammer and closed multiple items while there were still bids, either in the room or online.of which happened to me twice. The Auctioneer actually said that one of my paintings artist largest collection came from Elmer's pancake house.now who would want to own a painting that's in a pancake house.oddly enough this painting happened to be the least valuable of my collection, and sold for the most of anything I brought in, even after the auctioneer said that Elmer's pancake had the largest collection of his painting. All said and done they told me they were gonna pay me 4400 for all 60 painting, after they took their 30+%. Paintings that I paid as much as 3000 for a single painting. I DONT KNOW HOW THEY STAY IN BUSSINESS!

Charged more than double the ordinary shipping rates for similar items without consulting me or getting approval.i won't be doing business with them again.