Cila Chua on the art of auction
CILA Chua moves swiftly, as if her energy cannot be contained and she must move from one place to another in rapid succession. This is also how she shares stories: in rapid fire succession with much joy and enthusiasm that would make one forget whatever it was they had with them prior to starting a conversation with her. She is always curious and in an instant, you can tell that she has a particular sixth sense when it comes to details.
This comes in handy at her job as the general manager of Harringtons Lifestyle Auction, created four years ago under HMR, a company that has been in the auction industry for over 35 years.
“Harringtons was born because they wanted to go beyond their comfort zone and offer a different kind of auction to the Philippine market,” she began.
For instance, their auctions are targeted to the mid- level and upper class market which makes up a bigger chunk of the market in the Philippines.
“We want our bidders to enjoy the auction and not feel intimidated. There is always something for all types of bidders at Harringtons, a big budget is not the only basis for great deals at an auction,” she said.
Harringtons chases its roots to Australia where the owner originates from.
“There is an auction house in Australia that specializes in unique pieces and not necessarily antiques, just one- of- a- kind pieces. These would range from furniture, jewelry, artwork, wine, cars, and so on. After seeing this, it inspired us to bring something similar to Manila. We wanted a place where people can come in, have a great time, mingle, and just enjoy,” she further explained.
“What makes us different from other auction houses is that we are the only auction house in the Philippines who would do both direct selling and auction. During the months that we do not have an action, all our items are on display for direct selling for customers,” she added.
Cila personally goes around the different parts of the world in order to purchase the world’s best finds whether it maybe collectibles, unique
furniture, and other lifestyle items.
“I travel to different countries to source out unique pieces for Harringtons. The items do not necessarily have to be antiques but we prefer vintage, meaning, it would be about midcentury old. I love the idea of offering unique pieces to our clients. When they leave the showroom feeling good about their purchase knowing they were able to get a good deal and they are the only person in the Philippines with that item, that’s a feeling that makes them come back for more,” the auctioneer related.
The process is not as intimidating as others assume it to be. In fact, it begins with a display of items at their showroom prior to bidding, so interested bidders can view and inspect all the items before bidding for it. There are also catalogs for added information. They are very well- informed prior to the auction.
When asked what tip she could give to potential bidders, Cila said, “At an auction you can work within your budget. Have a set budget in mind before bidding and do not get carried away with those bidding against you.” for more information find the on facebook
Harringtons Lifestyle Auction and Showroom.