The Wardlow Newsletter: Autumn 2026
It’s a gloomy day outside the Wardlow Auctions office, with some pops of color against the gray sky… rustling leaves in bright orange and red hues, plus the bustling Westport Road traffic that will seemingly only get worse as Christmas nears.
This time of year is always a strange combination of a mad dash to finish work and a slowing down in the auction business itself. At this point, all of our auctions that are going to happen before Christmas are scheduled and underway. Some are getting their final editing touches, while others still have teams digging through basements and preparing to start photography in the coming weeks.
Normally, the calls start to fall off around this time of year. We expect fewer inquiries because folks who are thinking about downsizing or moving generally put those plans on the back burner until after the new year. Oddly enough, though, the phones are still ringing, and we’re still looking at six to ten houses a week. The slowdown we always prepare for around the holidays may not actually be coming this year.
So what’s coming up exactly?
We’ve published the final phase of the amazing Dr. Roger H. Herzig Estate. This has been a rare collection of antique advertising and historical artifacts, with some truly remarkable finds along the way. Auction manager Dan really tackled this one, with Allison and Olivia as his right hands uncovering treasures throughout this massive home.
We have a lovely Crestwood auction coming up in just a few days as well. When I got out of the car to view this property for the first time, I swear my blood pressure dropped. It’s just such a peaceful spot, with really lovely things inside. Sammy managed to work on this one plus another auction simultaneously, along with Molly and Hannah.
The final phase of “Collected in Clifton” is also coming! This has been a massive project taken on by auction manager Mary, with the help of about 75% of the Wardlow staff at some point along the way. For the customers who’ve been shopping this one since phase three, you saw how absolutely packed this home was. The amount of work that went into sorting, organizing, and cataloging everything was really impressive, and the team has done a wonderful job.
Sports fans are going to be incredibly impressed by our upcoming autograph collection. This seller is parting with a lifetime of sports memorabilia, much of it personally signed for him over the decades rather than simply purchased. There’s a lot of time, effort, and legwork behind this collection, and it shows.
Also in our gallery is a lifetime music collection. This couple moved out of the country, and it was time to part with roughly 50 instruments, amps, electronics, and a HUGE record collection full of rarities and old favorites.
Finally, we have a smattering of beautiful estate and downsizing auctions stretching between Hwy 42 and Brownsboro Road. Auction manager Sarah has been tucked away there learning all about Boehm figurines.
It’s hard to believe we’re going to get through all of this in just the next six weeks!
And looking beyond Christmas, we already have a growing waitlist of clients hoping for January auctions. Many of them are executors handling estates, and our hearts go out to those who are navigating the legal responsibilities of settling an estate while also grieving the loss of someone they love, especially during the holidays.
We’re glad we can take at least some of that burden off their shoulders. That’s really where we feel called to do this work. Helping people who have a lot on their plates, often during some of the hardest times in their lives, and taking away some of the mental and physical load that comes with it. Auctions are what we do, but helping people through these transitions is why we do it.
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas, if we don’t manage to write another one of these before then!
- Stacie Hewitt and Caitlin Wardlow, co-owners and each other's biggest distractions at work
