Wonderful, locally owned & operated business that offers an amazing variety of items with some unbelievably great deals on one-of-a-kind treasures. This auction house carries EVERYTHING, from local Hawaii estates (usually 2 to 4 estates per auction) to art from local collectors & museums. WARNING: THESE AUCTIONS ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. Where else can you find a handwritten letter from King Kamehameha V to John Dominis, original paintings & prints by Jean Charlot, Madge Tennant, antique & contemporary furniture, an 18" Hawaiian koa outrigger canoe, a vintage 1960's Easy Bake Oven in the original box & a set of carpentry tools; all under one roof? They sell housewares from fine china by Lenox & handblown crystal stemware, antique tea cup collections, plus everyday use stoneware & glassware sets. I bought an entire rosewood living room suit - Ming-era style, carved with Chinese prosperity symbols, consisting of a 3 seat couch & two chairs (with custom-fitted cushions), 2 footstools, a large coffee table & 7' long credenza, all carved rosewood with custom cut glass tops on the coffee table & credenza; all in excellent, like-new condition for ONLY SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS ($600) - that's 1/10th the original cost. The matching solid rosewood dining table with 10 chairs sold to someone else for $600. They sell estate jewelry, everything from vintage affordable costume pieces to high-end quality gems & fine jewelry designs, to antiques watches & wall clocks. It's a family run business with a small full-time staff & a large group of family & friends who volunteer to help out during auctions. Wendy McClain, the owner, conducts the auctions herself & is tireless. There are no upset prices, but some people think that means they can offer $20 for something worth $20,000. Be warned - Wendy does not suffer fools lightly. People who repeatedly shout out ridiculously low offers find themselves invited up on stage to find out just how "easy" it is by auctioning one or two items themselves. I discovered McClain's a couple of years ago & now I attend almost every auction (they hold one about every month), partly to keep an eye out for undervalued treasures, partly to socialize with other regulars, who include local celebrities. I've also used their services to trade up - selling some of my older furniture & art when I've seen something that better suits me become available. There is a showing every Friday before the Saturday auction from noon to 6 pm, and fro 8 to 10 am on Saturday, with the auction starting at or shortly after 10 am. The auctions are attended by dealers & private collectors buying for themselves in addition to some very nice, genuinely helpful people, so take any advice or information you get with a grain of salt & take notes to do your own research at home the night before the auction, or bring your smartphone or tablet/iPad & look up comps on site. The staff & volunteers are helpful & friendly, but none of them claim to be experts, so be prepared to do your own research. McClain's used to be located in Gentry Center, but about a year ago they moved to 780 S. Beretania Street, directly across from HPD headquarters. There is no on-site parking, but there are metered stalls along Beretania & the side streets, and the metered stalls in the municipal lots (ewa makai corner of S Beretania & Alapai) are free on Saturdays. It's a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! read more

I bid two auction lots Sunday afternoon and scheduled pickup for Tuesday after 1 PM. The figurine was flawless; only Lot #538 Chinese birdcage had severe undisclosed damage. The online listing contained zero photos or notes of the cage's split, partially missing front door. I trusted the auction's professional listing service, which comes with a mandatory 15% buyer's premium meant to cover full pre-sale condition disclosures. I would never have bid if the major breakage had been shared upfront. Upon pickup, I was shocked to find the cage door broken clean in half. Staff confirmed internal archive photos proved the damage existed long before the auction went live. I stayed calm and polite the entire time, no loud outbursts or scene-making. I respect the owners as acquaintances and understand all businesses face hardships, so I approached the issue reasonably without overreacting. I simply asked why the critical damage was hidden and requested to reject the defective cage--this broken piece holds no value to me, and the omission was entirely their error. Owner Wendy confronted me angrily and rudely. She claimed she did not take listing photos and insisted her staff described the item fully to their knowledge, then blamed me entirely for failing to inspect in person pre-bidding. To make matters worse, she dismissively said the split door was not severe damage and I could simply glue it myself. I was stunned by this careless, unprofessional remark from a business owner. It is baffling why they intentionally concealed obvious structural damage just to sell a faulty cage for a $75 bid plus the 15% premium. This whole situation is ridiculous; it feels they actively misled a long-term loyal customer of 15-20 years who trusted their business, and I ended up falling victim to this lack of transparency. They shift all accountability for their incomplete listings onto buyers while acting entirely blameless and painting me as the problematic party. Their defensive, hostile attitude makes their operation appear unethical and unfair to consumers. Despite collecting a steep buyer's fee, they refuse to take responsibility for their failure to disclose major pre-existing defects and offered zero resolution or remedy. I formally dispute the 15% premium charged for Lot #538 and contest the misrepresented damaged item sale. I question two core standards: 1. Does the mandatory 15% buyer's premium oblige the auction to fully disclose all known major structural damage to listed goods? ​ 2. Is the auction permitted to hide prominent pre-existing flaws to complete sales, passing all risk to buyers with no recourse? Pre-auction in-person viewing is optional, yet no visual or written clues of the broken door appeared online. It is disappointing this local Hawaiian business disregards honest customer practices and exploits trusting long-time patrons. I share this review to warn other collectors and online bidders of their lack of transparency and confrontational customer service. read more

See all

Windy and Debbie are amazing they were so professional and nice helping me get my treasures back to the mainland.

10.22.2/ McClain AUCTION Due to absorbent increases in insurance and taxes in HI, we are leaving the island and selling our home there. We decided to use the auction service because it would be "one and done" but... it was a HUGE mistake. Wendy was non-negotiable on every protocol. THEY determine the starting bid; you are not allowed any input on this. The opening price on everything we submitted was ridiculously, outrageously low. Example: $8000 leather, electric sofa starting bid at 300; sold for 350! Original art paintings by Bennett Bradley sold for less than $300 each; look him up. CONKLIN original Seascape $200 Roy Tsumoto large Koa and silky oak inlay wooden serving tray one of a kind: $150. This is the proof that opening bid amounts so incredibly low diminishes the real value and encourages low-ball bidding. They have a double fee protocol: buyer pays 15% and seller pays 30%. You must protect and deliver everything to them; just the mover-cost was $2000. They take no responsibility for any damages or broken items:" that's why you have homeowners insurance.". After subtracting my costs to prep and deliver items netted less than $1000 from a 3 bedroom, professionally designed and well appointed home. They allow themselves a month and a-half after the sale to pay you. Further, this auction was not promoted or advertised; there were NO email alerts or ANY other marketing or promotional efforts by McClain or Icollectibles that I am aware of. But the most egregious part is the pricing of valuable treasures at pennies on the dollar. My recommendation if you have the time: TRY MARKETPLACE. read more

In forty plus years in the antique and auction business I've never had a worse experience. They were very rude from the beginning and put out very little effort in marketing my items for sale. As a result I lost thousands. So if you are looking for an auction house for your items look elsewhere. Horrible from beginning to end. read more

Top notch, locally owned company that really knows their business and equally important, knows their market. Friendly and accommodating they have an in depth knowledge of their inventory and do everything they can to get the best prices for your collection. On the buy-side, if you happen to be in town, its a benefit (and super fun!) to be able to preview an upcoming auction in person, in advance. A word of advice: the worth of whatever you may be selling depends on how much one is willing to pay for it. Be realistic. Do your own research. Understand that the price you paid for something or the price you think something is worth depends on the market, the bidders, the buyers. McClain has an extensive inventory and that means they offer a wide range of antiquities, art, furniture, jewelry, textiles, porcelain, accessories and unique one of a kind items. There is no junk here. Everything is personally selected by the owners, in good condition and well cared for while in their possession. You will not be lead astray. Check it out. There's nothing to lose and everything to gain. read more

I have had the best experience with McClain's Auctions. My parents passed away and we had no idea of what to do with the items we did not want to keep . I called McClain Auctions and Wendy and Debbie came to my parents house to take a look at what they had. Wendy said that much of what they had would do very well in their December, 2022 auction and she was right! The great thing is that they have a great eye for what to auction, and they will go the extra mile to feature every item beautifully. Wendy and her team of professionals are very knowledgeable and are always available for all at their auction previews. They treat each and every item as if it was their own .They best thing is that they offer something for everyone - antiques, jewelry, vintage anything, furniture, art, and items you never knew existed. We were very happy with our results of that auction! My only regret is that we don't have more things to auction...McClain Auctions sold everything!! read more

This is the best place to find a deal on art, furniture , rare items, the only caution is you will see things you want at great prices and have to exercise some restraint the people are very nice and very honest, they tell you what they know and what they don't know, they are knowledgeable and have a raft of specialists on board with expertise in different areas the pre COVID experience was the big draw tho, the live auction with first timers and every month regulars and collectors who tracked Certain kine items all around the island, all vying for the hard to find , the deal of a lifetime or just that piece that caught your eye. it is much more tame online bidding, but there is still a skill involved and do keep eye on the prize, can get away at last minute ( literally, the last minute) read more

It is always exciting to bid on quality art and antiques at McClains every month. Wendy and her hard working staff are knowledgeable and trustworthy. read more

I had a great experience with McClain's with the Christopher Radko auction. Being able to bid from home on line during this virus time was very safe. The staff was very helpful when I called with all my questions. They had all my items ready when it was my time to pick them up. Thank you Wendy and staff for all your help read more

I needed to sell about a dozen art pieces by well known artists. I decided to give Mcclain's Ultimate Attic a try. I emailed photos of my items to Wendy. She felt they would do well at her upcoming auction. She was right! They were able to sell all but two of my pieces. Happy with the results. Will definitely use them again. Wendy and Debbie were easy to work with and very accommodating. I highly recommend them. read more

I have been going to McClain's for a few years now. Part of the fun of going to an auction there is the unique blend of antiques, jewelry, furniture, and everything in between. Each auction has completely different items from the previous auction. All items are hand selected by the owner/auctioneer. She has an eye for quality! My husband and I both enjoy going and bidding. Sometimes we win and sometimes we don't, but that's all part of the fun! We have scored some great deals here. We have had good experiences both bidding/winning items and consigning items to the auction. Highly recommend! read more

What an incredible adventure I had no idea these kinds of artifacts and treasures were for sale on the island. The staff is awesome and they are all volunteers. I'm looking forward to another on March 1st at Gentry Design Center. read more

Went to my first auction. Unbelievable. McClain's will be having another one in Sept in the Gentry Pacific Center in Sept and then will be relocating due to change in ownership of the Center. Check it out, great finds. read more

Great to have an auction house here in Honolulu but boy their communication skills are zero. Try to send an email or call and there is no response.. its not hard. read more

I recently retired and moved from Honolulu to Sequim in Washington to be close to my family and enjoy the glorious weather there and the cheap cost of housing and living expenses. I used McClain Ultimate Attic to auction off all of my furniture, kitchen equipment and personal belongings that I did not want to ship to Washington. The service and expertise was outstanding. McClain's took care of moving all the items to their auction showroom, then this amazing lady auctioneer with the fabulous voice sold off everything at competitive prices. McClain's also took the time to give personal care to some of the furniture, such as polishing and repair, in order to fetch a better price. This whole experience was a dream compared with selling each item individually on Craig's list and dealing with phone calls and making appointments with prospective buyers bargaining for a lower price. read more