A Business of Compassion: Palm Beach Modern Auction House

How do you turn grief into relief?

Auction houses receive most of their work from the four Ds: Death, divorce, debt, and downsizing.

Palm Beach Modern Auction House CEOs  Rico Baca and Wade Terwillinger specialize in understanding the trauma created for the seller by taking away and selling objects lovingly collected over a lifetime. They specialize in compassion during a time of grief.

It is no wonder that this boutique auction house has experienced incremental growth in a market where major auction houses are experiencing a decline.

Palm Beach Modern Auctions have another secret weapon. Their staff. More about that in a moment.

Rico Baca and his husband Wade Terwillinger have been together for 28 years. Wade, inherently creative, a former consummate collector of Arts and Crafts Pottery, Modern Furniture, and Rattan, owned an environmental engineering company. Rico spent his early years in the hair industry. Dissatisfied with their careers, they used Wade’s collection to open a gallery in West Palm Beach, only to realize that the best material was going to auction. In 2003, they opened Palm Beach Modern Auctions on Bunker Road in West Palm Beach.

Enter their staff. Rico and Wade spend on their staff. They practice profit sharing. As Rico says, “From head to heart.” The staff is loyal to Rico and Wade, to the goals of the auction house, and to their customers.

Another secret weapon. Rico and Wade do not “nickel and dime” their consignors. When you consign a work to them and there is an agreed upon fee, there are no further charges. Nothing is charged for insurance, catalog, advertising, photography, or storage. Of course the objects must pass strict inspection for condition and provenance (the history of ownership). They call it all.

The work for sale can be viewed on line, in person in the showroom, or in the catalog produced prior to the auction.

As much as they specialize in compassion for the seller, they also focus on the passion of the buyer. The auctions are a fun event. If you are fortunate enough to attend the auction in person, which I highly recommend, lunch, cooked by Wade, is elegantly  presented along side cocktails, candy and souvenirs throughout the beautiful new building on Dixie Highway. Tables with floral arrangements create palpable excitement in the room.

But never fear. They advertise widely on all international auction platforms and print media.

All consignments and sales are done by Rico. All roads in the auction house lead to Rico. Wade takes care of the back of the house and creates the presentations in the viewing rooms.

Their lives and business have evolved from head to heart.

Bravo Rico and Wade, a compassionate and passionate duo.

We wish you continued success.

Editors note: I have never believed that the artist creates for you or for me. The artist creates for posterity. We are only caretakers for a short time.  Lucky that we have auction houses to help us share the work we have acquired.