This is definitely not an occupation that you typically hear about. Cynthia S. is a certified auctioneer, obtaining her auctioneering certificate from Mason City, Iowa in the late 90’s, she has been in the jewelry industry for the past 17 years. She has been planning and executing auctions at Gallery International since 2012, which started off as a freelancing opportunity. Her work has taken her from coast-to-coast in Canada from Cornerbrook, Newfoundland to Kelowna, BC, running up to 30 auctions a year.

There are a number of articles outlining the “death of retail” and a lot of it is due to the emergence of e-commerce. Why would somebody buy something in a store at the mall, fighting through herds of people and horrible parking lot traffic, when they could order it online? The answer is that you need to create a worthwhile experience that get people to make that effort. And that is precisely what Kathy and her team at Gallery International have been doing.

For Cynthia, It’s about quality, not quantity. She wants to be able to attract the right kind of people to her events to create the right kind of ambiance. Gallery International is an Ontario-based company that specializes in high-end luxury pieces that include collectable Swiss-made watches, investment pieces made of diamond, rubies, sapphire and more. The focus is on luxury brands like Rolex, Cartier, Patek Phillipe, Audemars Piguet and more. Furthermore, because there is specialized knowledge about the pieces available at the auctions, Cynthia has very experienced consultants on-hand to answer questions. All pieces also come with a certificate of authenticity. But at the end of the day - you can’t survive in this business without having a good reputation. Customers keep coming back because they are happy with their previous purchases. Obviously, there is a certain type of clientele that can afford the unique pieces offered and appreciate the opportunity to take their retail experience beyond just window-shopping.

An auction is a great place for people looking for a special investment piece to pass down to future generations in their family. Some examples of pieces sold in the past include a rare Ceylon blue sapphire, an exquisite Burmese ruby or a beautiful Colombian emerald.

If you want to check out the auction experience for yourself, the next event is coming up on Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 9th). Details are below.