My partner and I have been to a lot of estate sales, it's a hobby. In the last couple years of shopping the one Gary Germer sale we went to has stuck out as the only unpleasant experience we've had with estate sales so far. We found them sterile and unwelcoming and arguably racist.

We're regulars with Alta, Last Call, Rusty Trunk and any others that pop up. Those folks are always friendly, patient, flexible, welcoming, even when things get crazy first thing in the morning. We went to the Riverwood sale run by Germer in Dunthorpe on day two. We found that the woman at the door and another sales associate were polite albeit somewhat sterile and reticent in interactions. We did our shopping and at checkout the man at the register (he was referred to as the business owner) was short with us about payment methods. He reluctantly split the payment between cash and card and then when we hesitated because we found that we had less cash than we thought, he used what I would call a sharp snarky tone to tell us that he had already entered the transaction, presumably implying that he wasn't going to change it. The impatience and inflexibility felt uncomfortable because it seemed unnecessary. There was no one behind us in line, they were not busy or understaffed so there was no immediately apparent reason to be acting that way. I've also worked retail and any useful modern POS system has a split payment function that is simple and easy.

After paying we realized there was a garage we hadn't seen so we went back downstairs to look. There was nothing appealing and we saw other folks walking out the garage door so we decided to leave out that door too. There was a man, presumably a sales associate, who immediately stopped us and demanded to know if we'd already paid. We said yes and kept going. He stopped us again insisting in a very sharp impatient tone that we had to leave out the front door. There were no signs that publicly stated that requirement and all the other (white people) walking out the door left undisturbed. We are really conscious of these sorts of interactions because we are an inter-racial queer couple. I'm black and my partner is brown. Again, we've been to a lot of estate sales. If they have anti-theft measures or any special policies there is clear signage or clear communication to everyone entering. Even if there had been clear signage, there was no reason to be rude.

At that point we just wanted to leave without a fuss so we went back upstairs to exit out the front door. As we were walking out, another sales associate stopped us to ask us again if we had already paid and no one else was being stopped. At that point we felt acutely aware that we were being singled out and we left feeling pretty put out. Needless to say we will not be going to any more Gary Germer sales.

Gary provides such a valuable service to the community. My father passed away and left a bronze statue as part of his estate. I was not sure how to proceed and Gary was kind enough to review the little information I had provided and share his expertise to help me make an informed decision. I will not hesitate to seek his services again.

I had a Picasso print that was purchased at an estate sale years ago and I do not know anything about art. I searched online and could not find anyone that would or could give me more info about it without attempting to get me to subscribe, sign up or pay for an appraisal. I came across Gary Germer and Associates website by chance and they politely informed me that this print was of no significant value, the same day that I uploaded it with their free spot check option on the website. I really appreciated the fact that they took the time without making me sign up, subscribe, pay or anything at all. Now Im showing my appreciation by taking the time to write this review in return. Thanks for your help!

I had the pleasure of working with Gary Germer & Associates for an appraisal and was thoroughly impressed with the level of professionalism and expertise.

I received a prompt and courteous response. Despite the limitations of communicating via email, the team was able to provide a thorough assessment of the artwork in question, taking into account various factors such as artist attribution, provenance, condition, and market trends.

Not only was the appraisal evaluation quick and accurate, but it was presented in a clear and comprehensive manner, making it easy for me to understand the value. The level of expertise demonstrated instilled confidence in their assessment, and I have no doubt that their appraisal will be invaluable as I navigate the world of collecting.

We have consulted Gary several times regarding whether our items had value or a local market. He is prompt with his responses, knowledgeable about his field and honest about the options available to sell our items. What a gem!

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