Where Vintage Tools Start Their Next Chapter
Live auctions, timed auctions, and everything in between. Rusty gold pulled from barns and estates across America. Restored axes from people who know what they are doing. Collector pieces that do not show up on eBay. Good tools deserve better than a garage sale table or a landfill. This is where they find their new home.
Check Out Our Latest Auction - Ending (5/30)
The Inventory | Rusty Gold and Rare Finds
Every auction is different. That's kind of the point.
We are Whiskey River Art and Trading Co. out of Iron River, WI. Some of what comes through the auction house is ours. Some comes from pickers and collectors across the country who trust us to know what something is worth. All of it gets looked at by someone who actually knows what they are looking at before it goes to auction.
You might find something nobody has seen in forty years. Register before it goes live. The good stuff moves fast.
Rusty Gold
Unrestored vintage axes and tools pulled from barns and estates across America. Original patina, original character, ready for a new owner who knows what they have.
Restored Pieces
Vintage heads brought back to working condition by people who know how to do it right. Cleaned, sharpened, hung, and ready to use.
Collector Pieces and Literature
Rare patterns, embossed heads, reference books, and pieces that belong in a serious collection. Things that do not surface often and do not last long when they do.
The Format | Three Ways to Bid
Live auctions, timed auctions, and everything in between.
We run a few different auction formats depending on what we have and how we want to move it. Here is how each one works so you are not figuring it out when the clock is running.
Timed Auctions
Lots go live for a set period and bidding closes automatically when the timer runs out. Browse at your own pace, set your max bid, and let the system work for you. Good for buyers who want to participate without being glued to a screen.
Live Auctions
Real time bidding with a live auctioneer calling the action. Fast, competitive, and the closest thing to being in the room. You bid live from your computer or phone as the lots move. This is where the serious pieces tend to find their price.
Timed with Live Close
Starts as a timed auction and ends with a live closing bid. You get the browsing time of a timed auction and the competitive close of a live event. The format that keeps everyone honest right up until the hammer falls.
Do This Before Anything Else
Why It's Important To Register To Bid Early
Registration is free and it only takes a few minutes. You will enter a credit card once to verify your account. That is it. Every auction after that autofills your information so you are ready to bid the moment a new lot goes live. No scrambling, no missed lots because you were still setting up your account while somebody else was already bidding.
If there is no auction running right now, register anyway. We typically run one to two auctions at a time and we are actively expanding that number. When a new auction goes live you will get notified. The people who are already registered are the people who get first crack at the good stuff.
One Time Setup
Enter your credit card once to verify your account. After that every auction autofills your information automatically. Register once and you are set for every auction we ever run.
Get Notified First
No auction live right now? Register anyway. When we post a new auction you will get a notification before most people even know it exists. The early registered bidder has a real advantage in this format.
The Easiest Way to Bid | Free iOS and Android App
Bid On The App Or Desktop? We Like The App.
We built the Whiskey River Auction House on a platform designed for mobile bidding. The app is faster, cleaner, and easier to use than the desktop version and it does something the desktop cannot. It sends you notifications. New auction live, lot closing soon, you have been outbid. The app tells you before you miss something you wanted.
It is free. It takes two minutes to download. Search "Whiskey River Trading Co." on the App Store or Google Play and it comes right up.
Whiskey River iOS App
Download on the App Store
Copy: Free for iPhone and iPad. Search "Whiskey River Trading Co." on the App Store or tap below.
Download on App Store
Whiskey River Android App
Download on Google Play
Copy: Free for Android. Search "Whiskey River Trading Co." on Google Play or tap below.
Get it on Google Play
The Audience | Three Kinds of Buyers
A Place For People Who Know What They Want (Or Don't...)
The Whiskey River Auction House attracts a specific kind of buyer. Sometimes that is the same person wearing three different hats.
The Axe Collector
You know the difference between a Collins Legitimus and a Collins embossed. You can spot a Plumb from across a table and tell someone what decade it came from by the stamp. You have been looking for a specific pattern for three years. This is the place to stay registered and stay patient. We source for you specifically and the right piece will come through.
The Tool Enthusiast
You appreciate a well made thing regardless of what it is. Old hand planes, vintage drawknives, a spoke shave that still has its original tote. You are not chasing one specific piece, you are just drawn to tools that were built to last and mostly did. There is always something here worth looking at.
The Curious Bidder
You are not sure exactly what you are looking for but you know it when you see it. A piece with a story. Something strange and beautiful and built by hand a long time ago. We are starting with axes and tools but we are not stopping there. If it is interesting, well made, and worth saving from an undignified end, it has a place in this auction house.
Work With Us | The Whiskey River Picking Network
You find the good stuff. We sell it. We both get paid
We are building a network of pickers across America. People who know how to spot something worth saving at an estate sale, a barn auction, a flea market, a storage unit cleanout. If that is you and you want a reliable place to move what you find at fair prices to buyers who actually appreciate it, we should talk.
We are not looking for one off transactions from strangers with a single rusty hatchet. We want real relationships with people who are out there consistently finding interesting things. A social media presence helps because it tells us you are active and connected in the right communities, but it is not a requirement. What matters is that you are serious, you know what you are looking at, and you want to build something ongoing.
If that sounds like you, reach out. Tell us a little about yourself, what you find, and where you operate.
F.A.Q
How the Whiskey River Auction House works.
Go to bid.whiskeyrivertrading.com and create an account. You will enter a credit card once to verify your identity. After that your information autofills for every auction we run. Registration is free and takes a few minutes.
No. Register once and you are set for every auction we ever run. When a new auction goes live you will get notified automatically as long as you are registered and have notifications enabled.
A timed auction runs for a set period and closes automatically when the timer expires. A live auction has a live auctioneer calling bids in real time. We also run a hybrid format that starts as a timed auction and ends with a live closing bid. All three formats are available through the same platform and the same account.
Yes. Search "Whiskey River Trading Co." on the App Store or Google Play. Both are free. The app is faster and easier to use than the desktop version and it sends you notifications for new auctions, lots closing soon, and outbid alerts. If you are serious about bidding, download the app.
Primarily axes, hatchets, and vintage tools right now. Rusty gold pulled from barns and estates, restored pieces from people who know what they are doing, collector pieces and reference literature for serious buyers. We are expanding into other collectibles and oddities over time. If it is interesting, well made, and worth saving, it has a place here.
We work with a select network of pickers and collectors who bring us pieces on an ongoing basis. We are not accepting one off transactions from new contacts. If you are out there consistently finding interesting things and want a reliable place to move them to buyers who appreciate them, email customerservice@whiskeyrivertrading.com and tell us about yourself.
Good tools deserve better than a garage sale table or the dump.
Register once. Get notified when something good comes through. Bid from your phone. That is the whole thing.