Seller Story: Louisville, KY
“The Floyd Street Stock Exchange is a monthly live auction experience in downtown Louisville. We import products from workshops and salvage yards in 15 different countries: primitive objects from Hungary like wood bowls, pine furniture, harvest tables and glass; French colonial antiques from Egypt. We go to India for the craftsmanship: bone inlay is very big for us right now. We source a lot of minerals and fossils from Madagascar.
You could say I’ve been “importing” since I was 7 years old. My dad was a buying and selling kind of guy and we spent a lot of time at flea markets. One of his business trips took us to Mexico, and while we were waiting in the car to cross the border, he suggested that I use my allowance money to buy Chiclet gum. So I went over to one kid, bought the entire box, and took it home and sold it on the playground in Michigan.
At peak, I’m traveling 200 days a year. I love the problem solving aspect of what I do: getting an export from point A to point B and making it work. You also meet people and see things that you never would if you were traveling as a tourist. You’re going with a mission that takes you to all the nooks and crannies of places; it’s work that lets you interact on a different level with a country. And of course, I like the product and the workmanship. I like to create something special.” -Jason
Antique Architectural Salvage Large Doors with Bars
Carved Wood Mermaid Figure
Collection of Wooden Bowls
Wooden Windmill Sculpture
Rustic Pine Arm Chair with Woven Seat and Ottoman
Industrial Style Wood and Cast Iron Coffee Table
Mounted Roe Deer Skull and Antlers Taxidermy
Large Antique Architectural Salvage Wrought Iron Gate Panels
Cast Iron Outdoor Statue of Ancient Greek Woman
Collection of Tumbled Septarian
Pair of Circular Mahogany Serving Trays with Gold Tone Wrapped Edge
Repurposed Massey Ferguson Tractor Frame and Glass Table
Dragon's Egg Septarian Geode
Antique Scale in Wood and Glass Display Case
Weathered Cast Iron Bull Statuette
Pair of Mediterranean Olive Colander Buckets
Painted Bent Iron Rhino Chest
Primitive Bee Skep
Polished Petrified Wood Slices
Round Coffee Table with Camel Bone Inlay
Carved Bird Sculpture out of Petrified Wood
Arched Antique Architectural Salvage Wrought Iron Lunette
Primitive Teak Stools
Weathered Cast Iron Horse Head Statue
Greenhouse Teak and Cast Iron Bins
Antique Solid Wood Cart Wheel on Metal Stand
A Pair of Four Point Antlers
Architectural Salvage Mirror
Antique Wooden Barrels
What’s your favorite piece in the sale?
The large antique architectural salvage doors with bars, which are from Egypt. During both World Wars, a lot of French people lived in the northern part of the country and developed architecture in that style. I also love the green wood and camel bone inlay chest. It’s made in Rajasthan, India and is the product of 7-10 days of labor. The craftsman are highly trained and have been working on their skill for their entire lives.
What do you look for in a piece?
It doesn’t matter if it’s new or old, I want it to have a soul. I want it to be heirloom quality: something that a person will have in their collection for 20 years.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE GOING TO THEIR FIRST AUCTION?
Nothing feels better than raising your hand for the first time. Once you get over that hump, you realize it’s a great way to shop and interact with the seller. Buying at an auction is something you have to try once in your life.
Are you a collector yourself?
I like to build a collection and sell it. Right now I collect wooden deer head sculptures. I buy them from China, India, Indonesia and The Black Forest in Germany.
Your collecting philosophy?
It doesn’t have to match! And don’t try to be too trendy. Buy what speaks to you, and if it doesn’t fit a look or style, it doesn’t matter.
