Bargain auctions new trend in Istanbul’s Balat neighborhood

Bargain auctions new trend in Istanbul’s Balat neighborhood

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Secondhand objects, from used furniture to toys, go for knockdown prices at auctions in Istanbul’s trendy neighborhood Balat, a historic neighbourhood on the shores of the Golden Horn estuary. Click through for the AFP story...
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Balat is famous with its hipster cafes and historic churches. Istanbul doesn't have a tradition of jumble sales, although there are secondhand shops.
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But, about five years ago, low-price auction houses began to spring up in Balat, giving residents another way to rid themselves of unwanted goods.
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Auction houses now regularly pack in the crowds, and for many, it is their first time.
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Auctioneer Ali Tuna invites those who hesitate at the door to come in and take a seat. Cracking jokes to put people at ease, Tuna banters with the audience like a standup comedian.
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Wearing a black fedora style hat and a clip-on mic, he skillfully describes every item to the crowd, walking it around to give people a closer look, be it a simple pen, dagger or silver mirror.
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"I must keep the ambiance dynamic," said Tuna. "I cannot let the energy die down." To some, "the guy with the hat" is half the reason for coming back.
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"You meet different people, some are coming to satisfy their appetite for antiques and some merely for five-penny items," said Tuna.
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"It's really fun here," said Hülya Şahin, a middle-aged woman. "I join the auctions as a social activity." Then there is the excitement of bidding, and getting a good deal.
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"Ten lira, 10, but I am looking for 15, now 20, now 35, 40 and 50," Tuna chanted with increased tempo, holding up a blue Ford model car.
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"It was very competitive," remarked Nil Su, a university student, who paid 50 lira to get the model for her younger brother.
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Ercan Altan, who has transformed his coffee house in Balat into an auction house, said that not all starting prices were as low as $2.
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"There are some products you cannot start the bid from $2, like this gramophone," he said. "We start, let's say with 1,500 lira ($280) and sell it to the closest bid."
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Arda Gürler, who runs an online auction website for old documents and engravings, said the Balat auction houses were not for serious collectors - but acknowledged that wasn't the point.
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"It is like a spontaneous theatre over there. When you stay five minutes, you enjoy the ambiance." (Photos: Ozan Köse / AFP)
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