Bidder Reviews for MBA Seattle Auction (449)

I have been dealing with MBA Auction for some twenty years and have never been disappointed (except for a few items that got [ bid ] away;). Thet have even made the necessary adjustments to keep operating smoothly during the pandemic. Looking forward to their next auction!

Not only did I find and win a fabulous unique item, but they worked with me to expedite it before my trip.

It was very easy to understand what I was bidding on, and the bidding process online went very smoothly. They contacted me quickly with an invoice, and it was easy to arrange a pickup of my items.

One of the easiest auction houses I have worked with. Professional, Responsive, great follow up and shipping.

Very good auction house. They are very particular about the Objects and Art that they sell. I can depend on the high quality and interesting items. They have also provided additional information about artist and the history of the pieces that I have an interest in.

Have dealt with MBA auctions for years and have been very satisfied with both buying from, and consigning to them.

Highly recommended auction house.

Quick response and great communication.

The woodblock print as received was NOT in the condition illustrated in the liveauctioneers catalog. Between the time the print was photographed and the time it was sent to me, the print was shoved into a thick and rigid plastic sleeve, apparently with the help of a ruler or similar object, which left strong imprints on part of the image and in the process inflicted two small tears half-inch long each on the upper left side. Very disappointing; I would discourage anyone buying prints from MBA Seattle Auction.

We have purchased many wonderful items through MBA over the years and are constantly surprised and impressed by the high quality they can attract. And while the staff generally knows their Chinese and Japanese items pretty well, you should not trust the descriptions blindly. You need to do your own due diligence. Just like anyone, they make mistakes. Unlike many auction houses dealing with Asian antiques though, I feel these mistakes are honest and not meant to deceive. They really do try to be accurate.

VERY OK ALL AROUND

First of all there was trouble getting the items shipped. They seemed to be not very experienced in shipping to out-of-town buyers. The worst part of the experience was the condition of the items when they arrived. The photos were thrown into a big plastic that was stuffed into a box. There was no attempt to place the items carefully so as not to damage them. Others items I purchased were throw into the bag as well. And for this I paid a large shipping bill. Never again.

This was perhaps only the second time I've received a print from an auction house when it was clear that the image on the website did not accurately depict the print for sale. We are disappointed, particularly after all of the time and trouble it took to simply get the thing delivered which was substantial. Today, virtually all images online are taken with either a smart phone or ipad. Unfortunately, someone hit the "enhance" function on this image. Even with a very bright light shining on the print, its not possible to recreate, remotely, the brilliance of color depicted online. We even went to the added expense of re-framing the print, thinking that would help. Another $150 later and it is still dull. It was too much trouble to get it here. We are not about to return it. But an auction house should NEVER enhance an image of a print. Never.

I appreciate these folks. They are helpful and have nice stuff.

I love my purchase and would purchase from again. I wish I had a different option of using UPS-would prefer in-house shipping because UPS made an error with my address and delivered to the wrong house! Thankfully I picked it up.

Have purchased art from MBA Seattle Auction many times. Always a good experience to purchase from these friendly and knowledgeable folks.

If you live around Seattle this MBA is a good source of northwest related auction items.

The staff of the auction house were all very responsive. The pick up and shipping handled by their recommended UPS service was perfect. Great service.

This is a fantastic auction house. The family is wonderful and the curate amazing catalogs. It has the perfect mix of nationally known art and personal service. I miss the live auctions so much but I am glad the online business is going strong.