John Moran Auctioneers, Inc

What John Moran Auctioneers, Inc does

John Moran Auctioneers, Inc is a family-owned full-service auction house founded in 1969 and headquartered in Monrovia, California, approximately 30 minutes outside downtown Los Angeles. The firm conducts live and timed online auctions across more than fifteen specialty categories including California & American Fine Art, Art of the American West, Native American Art, Jewelry & Watches, Modern & Contemporary Art, Asian Art & Design, Latin American Art, 19th/20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, Turn of the Century Design, Modern Design, Traditional Collector, Continental Fine Art, Silver & Objet De Vertu, Luxury & Couture, Automobiles, and Prints & Multiples. Beyond auction sales, the firm offers USPAP-compliant appraisal services for estate, trust, insurance, donation, equitable distribution, and bankruptcy purposes, plus a dedicated Trusts & Estates division serving fiduciary clients in all 50 states.

The business operates a consignment-driven sales model: sellers engage specialists for free auction valuations, sign consignment agreements, and items are marketed, photographed, catalogued, and offered through live events held at the Monrovia salesroom as well as through the company's proprietary Moran Mobile bidding application (iOS/Android), third-party marketplaces (Live Auctioneers, Invaluable), telephone bidding, and absentee bidding. Revenue is generated primarily through seller's commissions negotiated at consignment and a buyer's premium of 27% on direct-channel bids (32% on third-party marketplace bids) of the hammer price, supplemented by ancillary fees for photography, cataloguing, insurance, and transportation, and hourly fees for formal appraisal reports beginning at $300 per hour with a three-hour minimum.

The company employs approximately 39 people and is led by second-generation family member Jeff Moran (President) alongside John H. Moran (Co-founder), with a senior specialist bench drawn from Bonhams, Butterfield & Butterfield, and Andrew Jones Auctions. Cumulative sales have exceeded $500 million in luxury objects and art since founding, including multiple standing world auction records. Distribution, marketing, and event operations span social media, an email newsletter, community valuation days, charity partnerships, and an artist engagement series; the firm maintains an active calendar of consignment opportunities across its specialty categories.

Name

John Moran Auctioneers, Inc

Legal name

John Moran Auctioneers, Inc

Website

https://johnmoran.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

John Moran Auctioneers is a family-owned, full-service regional auction house founded in 1969 in Monrovia, California, conducting live and online sales across 15+ specialty categories including California & American fine art, Native American art, jewelry, and decorative arts for collectors, estates, fiduciaries, and institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auction Services

NAICS

Jewelry Retailers (458310), Art Dealers (45992), Art Dealers (459920)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Estate Jewelry & Collection Liquidation Services (CRAKAKAJ), Bankruptcy, Probate & Estate Property Auctions (BPAJAEAG)

Keywords

• Fine art auctions
• Estate appraisals
• Jewelry auctions
• Decorative arts auctions
• Online auction bidding

Headquarters

HQ city

Monrovia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Auction Commissions (Seller's Commission): John Moran Auctioneers charges a commission (percentage of hammer price) on every lot sold. Seller's commission is negotiated at the time of consignment and outlined in the consignment proposal and property receipt. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Buyer's Premium: A percentage charged to buyers on top of the hammer price. The Buyer's Premium is 27% of the first $1,000,000 for bidding in person, by phone, absentee, or online through the company's website. For bidding through Live Auctioneers or Invaluable, the Buyer's Premium is 32% of the first $1,000,000.
3. Ancillary Fees and Services: Additional fees include photography and cataloguing, insurance, and transportation-related expenses, each negotiated on a case-by-case basis in the consignment proposal.
4. Formal Appraisal Services: Charged on an hourly basis for formal written appraisal reports (estate, insurance, donation, equitable distribution, bankruptcy, etc.). Formal appraisal reports begin at $300 per hour with a three-hour minimum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

John Moran Auctioneers is an auction house that sells fine art, jewelry, decorative arts, and antiques through live and online auctions conducted at its Monrovia, California facility. The firm also provides estate appraisal services and consignment-based auction sales for individual collectors and professional fiduciaries managing estates and trusts.

Product overview

John Moran Auctioneers is a full-service auction house offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialized auction categories and professional services. The core offering consists of over 15 distinct auction categories including California & American Fine Art, Art of the American West, Jewelry & Watches, Modern & Contemporary Art, Asian Art & Design, Native American Art, 19th/20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, Turn of the Century Design, Traditional Collector, Silver & Objet De Vertu, Luxury & Couture, Automobiles, Prints & Multiples, and more. The company operates both live and timed online auctions through their proprietary Moran Mobile platform and partnerships with major online marketplaces. Beyond auction sales, they provide USPAP-compliant appraisal services and comprehensive Trusts & Estates services for legal, financial, and fiduciary professionals. Additional services include charity auctions, lecture series, valuation days, and open consignment days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fine Art Auctions
• Jewelry Auctions
• Decorative Arts Auctions
• Estate Appraisal Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $500 million worth of luxury objects and art sold since founding in 1969
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerJohn Moran Auctioneers conducts the annual LAAA Benefit Auction, celebrating the association's mission to champion artists and creative opportunity in Los Angeles. The partnership supports LAAA's artist programs while positioning Moran as a supporter of the local art community.
• Box & ShipminorOthersTrusted shipping partner located at 1010 S Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena, CA 91105. Operating hours Monday-Friday 9am-7pm PST, Saturday 9am-5pm. Contact: Eric Muramatsu.
• Cadogan TateminorOthersFine art shipping partner at 5233 Alcoa Ave, Vernon, CA 90058. Specializes in handling fine art, furniture, and decorative arts.
• Crozier Fine ArtsminorOthersFine art shipping partner at 2010 East 15th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90021. Contact: Regina Paris.
• Gander & WhiteminorOthersFine art shipping partner at 5201 District Blvd, Los Angeles area. Contact: George Lacovara.
• ThePackengersminorOthersShipping partner at 12020 Woodruff Ave, Downey, CA 90241. Contact: 516-912-5745.
• Withey & CompanyminorOthersAntique and art shipping specialist at 1444 West El Segundo Blvd, Gardena, CA 90249. Contact: Gavin Withey.
• Post Pack & ShipminorOthersShipping partner at 115 W California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105-3005.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heritage Auctions: Dallas-based, US-leading auction house across collectibles, fine art, jewelry, and luxury categories with strong online bidding platform. Comparable as an established US-headquartered auctioneer offering overlapping categories at much larger scale.
• Doyle New York: New York-based auction house offering fine art, jewelry, and decorative arts across multiple departments. Comparable multi-category structure and similar emphasis on estate-driven consignments.
• Skinner Auctioneers: Massachusetts-based regional auction house with established departments in European furniture, fine art, and jewelry. Comparable mid-tier US auctioneer with multi-category structure and similar reliance on online bidding marketplaces.
• Sotheby's: Global mega-house auctioneer covering fine art, jewelry, watches, and luxury across all price tiers and geographies. Indirect competitor for trophy consignments and high-end jewelry/watches, but vastly larger scale and brand.
• Bonhams: Global auction house with strong US presence including a Los Angeles office. Overlaps in nearly every specialty category John Moran covers (Native American, Decorative Arts, Fine Art, Jewelry) but operates at much larger scale; key feeder of senior talent into John Moran's specialist team.

Direct peers

• Freeman's: Philadelphia-headquartered regional auction house covering fine art, decorative arts, and jewelry across multiple categories. Comparable as a long-established (since 1805) mid-tier US auctioneer competing against both boutiques and global houses.
• Andrew Jones Auctions: Southern California-based regional auction house holding frequent estate and fine art sales with overlapping specialties (Decorative Arts, Fine Art, Jewelry). Highly comparable given same LA geography, similar boutique scale, and direct talent flow between the two firms (e.g., Jennifer Kurtz previously served as VP at Andrew Jones before joining John Moran).
• Hindman: Chicago-based multi-category auction house (formerly Leslie Hindman Auctioneers) with strong regional US presence and significant fine art, jewelry, and decorative arts departments. Comparable as a mid-tier US auction house competing against the global mega-houses.
• Cowan's Auctions: Cincinnati-based auction house conducting sales across fine art, Native American art, jewelry, and decorative arts. Comparable mid-sized regional auction house with similar multi-category structure and online bidding platform integration.
• Witherell's: California-based auction house specializing in fine art, Native American art, and estate property, headquartered in Sacramento. Direct competitor in regional California estate sales with overlapping specialty categories including Native American and American fine art.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JohnMoranInc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/JohnMoranAuctions?feature=watch
• Facebookfacebook.com/johnmoranauctioneers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-moran-auctioneers-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/johnmoranauctioneers/?hl=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/johnmoraninc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about John Moran Auctioneers, Inc