Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Hughes and Liz Hesik Hughes.
Todd grew up in Pasadena learning the estate business from his father, Larry Hughes, an antique dealer who helped establish Pasadena, CA as a hotbed for California plain air painting and studio pottery. From 1997-2001, Todd ran a retail store specializing in unique ephemera, mid-century modern design and contemporary art. In 2001, he opened a fine art gallery in South Pasadena dealing in contemporary art with a focus on Los Angeles artists. Todd was one of the first to sell antiques and collectibles on eBay and had consistently embraced technology as a means to buy and sell antiques. In 2004, Todd founded Hughes Estate Sales with his father and began specializing in helping families to liquidate their estates. In 2007, Hughes Estate Sales opened their first 8,000 sq. ft. Showroom in the Pasadena area and offered a monthly multi-family estate sale. In 2013, Todd’s wife Liz came on board and helped Hughes Estate Sales launch their second 8,000 sq. ft. Showroom in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. With a background in film producing, Liz took on marketing and business development for Hughes. Hughes Estate Sales now runs monthly estate auctions out of the Altadena showroom, offering a live bidding platform to a world-wide market.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Staying ahead of the evolving demand for vintage and antiques has been a challenge. Ten years ago, it was difficult to find low-cost mass-produced furniture that looked like authentic Mid Century Modern design. Today, retailers like Target and Home Goods sell great looking furniture at a very low cost. We have also seen the transition to retail moving online and away from bricks and mortar stores. We have been able to adapt by adding new selling platforms but it’s always a challenge foreseeing changes to the retail environment and staying ahead of them.
Hughes Auctions – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We’re a family owned and operated company and have been an industry leader for 40 years. We buy, sell and auction art, estate jewelry, decorative arts and vehicles. Located in Los Angeles County, we pride ourselves on providing a complete range of auction and estate liquidation services throughout Southern California that result in higher returns for our clients. We specialize in auctioning collections of art, estate jewelry, collectibles, vintage vehicles, and more. Our estate auctions reach a worldwide audience with a competitive bidding format. Hughes is a member of the Antiques & Collectibles National Association (ACNA), an Accredited Estate Liquidator with the American Society of Estate Liquidators (ASEL) and is certified by the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). Hughes provides a high level of service by offering our clients multiple selling platforms for their valuable and entire estates.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In 2015, Todd and Liz worked with a group of ten estate sale professionals from around the United States to form the professional association called the National Estate Sales Association (NESA). The goal of NESA is to raise and maintain the professional standards of the estate sales industry while educating the public to make better informed decisions when engaging the services of an Estate Sales Professional.
Contact Info:
- Address: 711 W Woodbury Rd Unit A
- Website: http://www.hughesestatesales.com/
- Phone: 626-791-9600
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hughesestatesalesinc/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HughesEstateSalesInc
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateSalesCA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hughes-estate-sales-altadena-2
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