Kelly McClain grew up in the auction business that his parents began when he was three years old and has spent his adult life working at Hake’s, which he joined right out of high school, working in every department there and holding almost every job. He recently assumed the reins as general manager, so we reached out to hear some of his thoughts on the new role, pop culture memorabilia and the auction industry overall.
Congratulations on being named general manager! What excites you most about this role?
The opportunity of taking 20-plus years of experience and using what I’ve learned to move Hake’s confidently into the future. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my predecessor, Alex Winter. He hired me when I was 18, and in the years to follow, I benefited from his astute guidance as I learned almost every job here at Hake’s. I worked my way up to dealing one-on-one with most of the consignors, which I really enjoyed, and now I’m in charge of day-to-day operations.
You joined Hake’s in 2004. What brought you there?
I literally grew up in the auction business. My family owned an antiques auction company in Yorktown, Penn., called Yorktown Auction. I was born in 1985 and they started up in 1988, so I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t around auctions and antiques. When I graduated high school, I learned about Hake’s through a friend of mine who was working here. The stars must have been in alignment because I needed a job that suited my auction background and they needed someone whose background was right for their needs at the time. Hake’s had just been purchased by a larger company, Steve Geppi’s Diamond International Galleries, so they were looking to expand at the same time I was looking for a job. Good timing for all!
What is your strategic vision for Hake’s in the increasingly competitive pop culture collecting market?
Our goals are to conduct more auctions and handle more items. We are really trying to focus heavily on deeply-rooted, high-end collections from people who want to sell everything as a whole. We are known for representing collections in a thoughtful manner with goal of achieving maximum results for the consignor. We market collections at a respectable pace that doesn’t overwhelm the market and keeps an air of excitement going throughout an auction series. Having more of those types of sales is definitely a goal.
Are you looking to reposition or expand the brand in any way?
The brand itself has been around since 1967, and Ted Hake, the founder, is still a part of the company. He is always available to give advice and be a valued part of conversations. That long, ongoing brand of trust is one that we hold onto pretty closely. We understand that trust is the most important part of any company, and especially so in a consignment-based business. Ted established this brand and then it went to Steve Geppi and Alex Winter, and now to me. As far as expansion or change, we are looking to hire people. It will be announced soon that we are expanding. We have some very impressive collections that are already here, or coming soon, to be offered in future auctions. We can’t announce them just yet, but we know they’re coming, so we’re in expansion mode to prepare for the exciting work that lies ahead.
Do you feel a lot of pressure to honor that legacy?
Absolutely! Putting maximum effort into this job is the only way I would want to do it. There’s always a balance that must be achieved. In all decisions, I have to consider the best interests of both the consignor and the company.
A Star Wars fan, Kelly McClain holds up Ken Barr’s original art for the 1994 Topps Star Wars: Galaxy Series 2 trading card numbered 167 ($15/25,000).
Where do you see the strongest growth opportunities right now — comics, trading cards, movie action figures/toys, video games, memorabilia?
Our growth will be in comic books, original comic art and a category that we’re excited to develop further: trading card games like Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering. Video games are another very strong collecting category. We also want to retain dominance in specialties we’ve already pioneered, like action figures and Star Wars collecting, and we never want to forget our roots. Ted Hake started with political and historical campaign memorabilia, which remains a large and thriving part of our business today.
Are you seeing shifts in buyer demographics or spending patterns, and where is the market headed?
In terms of nostalgia-driven acquisitions, we used to focus on toys from the 1930s to 1950s, and we are definitely seeing a shift of things from the 1960s to the 80s and even into the 90s and 2000s, depending on the category. One of the faster-growing categories, as mentioned previously, is trading card games like Pokémon. Its appeal is similar to what drove the Star Wars collecting phenomenon in that it’s very popular with kids and adults, alike. I see that area continuing to grow.
How much of a role do technology and data analytics play in the business?
We use as much of it as we can. Technology has been a huge part of our business, and over the years as our website kept advancing, it’s been our major source of representing items versus our prior focus on a print catalog. Data analytics are essential for determining where the population is growing, where collectors are located, where collections are coming from and where the buyers are. We have our own robust database of bidders, too, and watching the trends within our own client base is actually an extremely accurate way to gauge market trends.
—Andrea Valluzzo
