Complaint Review: Crumpton Auction/Dixon's Furniture

   I've attended the auction at Crumpton/Dixon's Furniture for more than 30 years now and have witnessed a lot of changes. A few years back the officers of this 3 generation family auction, handed down the reins to Dylan Dixon. Dylan doesn't seem to care about anybody but himself, as it would appear depending upon who you talk to on any given Wednesday while at the auction. Recently while talking to a very good friend who I've know for a number of years, told a story of him being screwed this past week by no other than Dylan Dixon himself.

It seems that he decided to take a few pieces of furniture in to be sold which were Mid Century Modern, a new craze that many have been buying of late. Originally he placed the items into the area deemed to have Mid Century Modern items for sale, which was how they should have been sold. When the items were placed in this section, they were placed at the end of another bidders items, so it constituted a new lot, my friend's lot. There was several feet more of space for more items from other sellers to place their items in as well.

Of the 4 items that were placed there, three were moved the next day. On Weds., morning my friend walked into the auction hall to find that 3 of his Mid Century Modern chairs were not where he had left them the day before, but instead moved to the other end of the auction hall, several hundred feet away from the Mid Century Modern area. Now this may not sound like a big deal, however, if all your Mid Century Modern dealer/buyers are waiting at the other end of the building for those items, why would they ever think to look anywhere else for these chairs. When my friend asked Dylan why he moved the chairs, he explained they were by nobody famous, as if because he didn't know who made them then they weren't worth anything.

He went on to explain that he didn't like them and that's why they were moved. My guess, another dealer, who sells repeatly there told Dylan he didn't have enough room to put all his stuff and Dylan moved the chairs to accomadate this other dealer, who by the way showed up after my friend had already placed his items, sort of pn a first come first served type of deal. My friend explained to Dylan, it didn't matter if he(Dylan) didn't like the furniture, it was the buyers who would find that the chairs were worth bidding on. As it was, the chairs never had any chance of bringing any good money. My friend also told me how Dylan just laugh in his face. The chairs by the way were by someone famous, indeed, "Heywood Wakefield" obviously a company Mr. Dixon knows little about.

  This auction never used to be this way when the first two generations were running this place. It has sunk so low to the point of first and foremost, loss of respect for the continuing support of buyers and sellers who keep coming back (although smaller in numbers each week)week after week. My friend told me, he'll never bring anything back in there under his account anymore. It will take a little dishonesty using another seller to get his items sold the way they need to be sold if games like this continue. Even the employees will tell you when Dylan isn't around they disagree with his actions and policies, but will also tell you," They don't know whyhe does what he does, but he's the boss.