New Hutter Auction Galleries fills niche left in Manhattan auction scene by Tepper closing

 

Last spring I was standing on 27th street with my nose pressed against the glass of the abandoned Tepper Galleries. A reader of this blog had tipped me off to their closing. I could have scooped the New York Times article! But all around, businesses were being hit hard by the recession, and Tepper's disappearance just seemed too sad.

But I'm happy to report that Adam Hutter, former principal auctioneer at Tepper, has started his own enterprise, Hutter Auction Galleries. His auctions are being are held monthly, on Saturdays, at the Cirker Fine Art Storage at 444 West 55th Street.

I was able to stop by for the January sale, the gallery's fourth. Unfortunately I arrived late, just in time to hear the very last of 370 lots being called. But I liked the atmosphere–casual and comfortable. A woman wandered around trying to figure out how to pay. Somebody plinked the keys of a piano they'd won. There was fine art, decorative arts, china, lamps, glass, furniture, and interesting miscellaneous. This is exactly what this town needs–a place where shoppers can can find some relief from Pottery Barn, where collectors can scoop up an estate find, and where dealers can find cool stock.

Hutter says that the business is growing at a steady pace, each auction better than the last. Some of the bigger auction houses are sending him business, and word of mouth is picking up. The January was his busiest auction yet.

The next sale is scheduled for Saturday, February 19th, at 11:00 AM. Previews run Thursday and Friday, but if you can't get over during the week, you can preview on Saturday, too, starting at 9:30. And, of course, you can friend Hutter on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.