Priceless dreams go up for bid
Bankrupt Alfred Angelo Bridal auctions off inventory
The Alfred Angelo Bridal auction on Saturday drew liquidators and small business owners looking to buy a bargain — but there were no successful bulk bids for the 6,000 wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses at the bankrupt company’s Deerfield Beach warehouse.
There was an initial bid of $125,000 for the lot, but that was too low for the auctioneer and trustee for Alfred Angelo to accept. So auctioneer Stan Crooks and his staff, and trustee Margaret Smith settled in to spend the next six hours auctioning the remaining contents of the warehouse.
The auction continues at 692 S. Military Trail, Deerfield Beach until the items are gone.
Crooks said he expects the auction to generate between $250,000 and $500,000 toward the company’s debt.
Delray Beach-based Alfred Angelo Bridal closed its stores worldwide in mid-July, filing for Chapter 11 liquidation. While some brides were connected with their dresses, the trustee has said she can no longer deliver any dresses to customers who had pending orders.
Flowing white dresses, tiaras, veils, jewelry, bridesmaid dresses, fabrics and sewing equipment in the warehouse are among the last vestiges in South Florida of the storied bridal gown maker. But drawing the most early interest at auction was the 2008 Ford cargo van with 53,000 miles and a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox with 103,000 miles.
Soon after the event began, auction regulars Scott and Pam Price of Loxahatchee won the Alfred Angelo van for $5,300.
“We did our job for the day. Now we can go play,” Scott Price said, adding that he expects the van will fetch about $8,000 when they sell it on the wholesale market.
By the start at 9 a.m., there were 21 bidders who paid at least $1,000 to get into the auction, a deposit that allowed them to bid up to $10,000, according to Auction America staff. Other bids were coming in via the