Antique dealer and appraiser Reyne Hirsch is the new owner of the Dallas Auction Gallery and plans to attract a new generation already infatuated with vintage shopping to the world of collecting fine art and antiques.
Hirsch, who was an on-air appraiser for 13 seasons of PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, is also a co-owner of the Patrick Jones Gallery in the Design District and has been in the art and antique business for more than two decades.
She’s adding street art and more contemporary art to a mix with luxury fashion goods, 20th-century and mid-century furniture.
At an auction last weekend, Hirsch said, she was “blending new world with old” by including Supreme streetwear and original Air Jordan 1 sneakers.
“Many younger generation collectors have never been to a live auction. People want to bid online from the comfort of their home,” Hirsch said. The business started moving online years ago with eBay and the largest auction houses such as Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.
But with a large showroom, Hirsch said she has the space for preview events. The auction house occupies 22,000 square feet at 2223 Monitor St. Hirsch purchased the auction house from owners Katy Alexander and Gabriel Echeverry for an undisclosed price. She is the third owner of the Dallas Auction Gallery, which was founded in 2002 by Scott and Kathi Shuford.
Younger generations are buying in galleries and stores that specialize in luxury goods and antiques, but “we’re trying to educate them how to buy at auction,” she said.
Hirsch leads a team of five at the Dallas Auction Gallery with expertise in a wide range of goods from fine art, Asian antiques, 20th century design and jewelry.
“There was a time when every seat in an auction house was taken, and people were standing in the back,” she said. “These days, you’re lucky if 10 people are on the floor.”
Her goal is to build on the reputation of the auction house, Hirsch said, and make it a destination not only in the Southwest but nationwide for collectors and dealers.
Dallas Auction Gallery has a mailing list of more than 100,000. Sale events can draw 3,000 to 5,000 bidders, depending on the category.
Hirsch said she believes furniture will continue to be an important category because older goods are made from solid wood. Young shoppers graduating from their Ikea phase and more interested in sustainability issues are seeking out lasting furniture pieces, she said.
Estate sales in Highland Park and Preston Hollow hosted by Dallas-based Janelle Stone Estate Services have attracted lines out the door and those treasure hunters are younger.
The younger generation is well-schooled in shopping for vintage apparel and luxury goods, especially handbags and shoes, from local independent shops such as Dallas’ Dolly Python and big online players, The RealReal and Fashionphile. Neiman Marcus recognized the trend in 2019 with an investment in Fashionphile and now operates Fashionphile selling studios in most of its Neiman Marcus stores.
TV career
Hirsch left Antiques Roadshow in 2011 and appeared on the single season of CNBC’s Treasure Detectives.
Another show that she believed had a lot of promise ended during the pandemic. It was called Ridiculous Ranches and featured not only luxury properties but also the homes’ contents. It was on an equestrian channel called RIDE TV.
Hirsch has operated galleries in Austin and Houston but settled on Dallas, she said, because “I think the Dallas market for fine art is stronger.”
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