Poulin Auctions

What Poulin Auctions does

Poulin Auctions (legal entity Poulin Antiques & Auctions Inc.) is a privately held, family-owned auction house headquartered in Fairfield, Maine, operating since the 1960s through the Julia family lineage and currently led by Nick Poulin. The firm runs two specialized divisions — Firearms & Militaria (antique, modern, military, sporting firearms, Class III weapons, edged weapons, and accessories) and Fine Art & Antiques (folk art, early furniture, Victorian, Chinese items, decoys, Tiffany lamps and glassware, jewelry, rare toys, advertising items). It conducts premier multi-day live auctions at its climate-controlled Fairfield facility and supports phone, absentee, and online bidding through its proprietary PoulinLIVE platform (powered through the iCollector engine) and five third-party platforms (Proxibid, AuctionZip, Invaluable, LiveAuctioneers, iCollector).

The business model is a transaction-fee auction marketplace. Revenue is generated primarily through buyer's premiums ranging from 17.5% (in-house, cash/wire) to 26% (third-party platform, credit card), with a 3.5% discount for non-card payments across all channels. Seller-side commissions are negotiable and advertised as 0% or better on high-value items and collection consignments, with ancillary revenue from printed catalog sales ($40-$75), shipping/handling, $25/month storage fees on items held beyond 30 days, and 1.5% monthly late-payment interest. Distribution combines in-person events, six online bidding channels, and active trade-show participation (MVACA, Colt Collectors Association, regional gun shows), with marketing across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, and segmented email lists.

Poulin generates approximately $24 million in annual auction sales, ranking as the second largest specialty firearms auction house globally based on annual volume. In 2024, the company restructured into two divisions and recruited James D. Julia — a world-renowned antiques auctioneer whose prior firm was a market leader — as advisor, consultant, and auctioneer to accelerate the antiques and fine art business.

Name

Poulin Auctions

Legal name

Poulin Antiques & Auctions Inc.

Website

https://poulinauctions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Poulin Auctions is a family-owned Maine-based auction house operating specialized Firearms & Militaria and Fine Art & Antiques divisions, serving global collectors and dealers through premier live events, its proprietary PoulinLIVE online bidding platform, and five third-party marketplaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auction Services

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Art Dealers (459920), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)

akta.pro primary industry

Historical & Military Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vintage & Antique Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAE), Sports Collectibles Marketplace & Auction Platforms (CRAMAOAI), Pre-owned/Vintage Jewelry & Watch Retail (Resale) (CRAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Firearms auction services
• Antiques auction services
• Online bidding platform
• Consignment auction services
• Militaria auctions

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Buyer's Premium: Percentage-based fee charged to successful bidders on top of hammer price. Rates vary by bidding method: 17.5-22% for in-house, 18.5-23% for PoulinLIVE, 21.5-26% for third-party platforms. Discount available for cash/check/wire payments.
2. Seller's Commission: Commission charged to consignors for selling items. Company advertises 0% or better seller's commission on expensive items and valuable collections. Commission structure is competitive and negotiable based on consignment specifics.
3. Catalog Sales: Sale of printed auction catalogs: $40 for any combination of two sessions, $75 for full set of all four sessions, including sales tax and shipping for continental U.S.
4. Shipping and Handling: Charges for packing, shipping, handling, and insurance for auction items. Additional fees for ASAP orders, hard cases, Hazmat items.
5. Storage Fees: $25 per month per item storage fee for items left longer than 30 days from auction date.
6. Late Payment Fees: Interest charged on balances not paid within 18 business days at rate of 1.5% monthly (18% APR). $25 fee for returned checks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Poulin Auctions is a family-owned auction house that sells firearms, militaria, edged weapons, Class III weapons, fine art, antiques, jewelry, decorative arts, folk art and collectibles through live, absentee, phone and online bidding at its Fairfield, Maine facility and via its proprietary PoulinLIVE platform and five third-party bidding platforms. The company accepts consignments from sellers and charges competitive buyer's premiums and seller's commissions, generating approximately $24 million in annual sales.

Product overview

Poulin Auctions is a family-run auction house operating two specialized divisions: Firearms & Militaria and Fine Art & Antiques. The company offers a unified auction platform supporting in-person gallery bidding, phone bidding, and absentee bidding, augmented by its proprietary PoulinLIVE internet bidding platform (powered by iCollector) as well as integrations with third-party bidding platforms including Proxibid, LiveAuctioneers, AuctionZip, and Invaluable. Consignment services round out the offering, enabling sellers to list items across both divisions with competitive commission structures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Firearms & Militaria Division: Specializes in firearms, militaria, edged weapons, shooting accessories, accoutrements and ammunition auctions, including antique, modern, military, sporting firearms, and Class III weapons.
• Fine Art & Antiques Division
• PoulinLIVE

Products and services

• Firearms & Militaria Auctions Premier firearms auction services specializing in antique, modern, military, and sporting firearms, including edged weapons, shooting accessories, accoutrements, ammunition, and Class III weapons (machine guns, silencers, destructive devices, short barreled rifles/shotguns, and any other weapons). Sold to individual collectors, dealers (FFL/SOT) and international buyers through in-person, phone, absentee and online bidding.
• Fine Art & Antiques Auctions Premier auction services for fine art, antiques, folk art, early furniture, Victorian items, Chinese collectibles, decoys, historical items, jewelry, Tiffany lamps and glassware, rare toys, advertising items, coin-operated machines, and petroleum advertising. Sold to collectors and dealers through in-person, phone, absentee and online bidding.
• PoulinLIVE Online Bidding Platform Proprietary internet bidding platform powered through the iCollector engine, enabling live and absentee online bidding across all auction sessions with no restricted items. Used by global buyers to participate remotely in Poulin auctions.
• Consignment Services Service for sellers to consign quality items across both Firearms & Militaria and Fine Art & Antiques divisions. Features competitive commission structure including 0% seller's commission on expensive items and valuable collections, plus global marketing and bidder participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Second largest specialty firearms auction house in the world
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• James D. JuliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned antiques dealer James D. Julia joined as advisor, consultant, and auctioneer to expand Poulin's antiques and fine art division. Julia previously grew his own auction business (bought from Arthur Julia in the 1970s) into a world-renowned company before selling in 2017. Now working with Nick Poulin to build Poulin's into one of the premier auction houses in North America, focusing on Folk Art, early furniture, Victorian items, Chinese items, decoys, Tiffany lamps and glassware, rare toys, advertising items, coin-op machines, and petroleum advertising.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rock Island Auction Company: The #1 specialty firearms auction house in the world by annual sales. Directly comparable to Poulin as the leading competitor in the same firearms/militaria auction category, with similar consignment model, buyer premium structure and online bidding infrastructure.
• Cowan's Auctions: Mid-size U.S. auction house with strong firearms, militaria and American antiques departments. Directly comparable to Poulin's specialty auction model, consignment-based structure and online bidding platforms.
• James D. Julia Auctioneers: Maine-based auction house historically renowned for firearms, antiques and lamps, founded by the same Julia family whose expertise Poulin now leverages. Closely comparable in category mix, geographic origin and consignment base, and the source of the partnership that now drives Poulin's antiques expansion.
• Skinner Auctioneers: New England-based auction house covering European furniture, fine art, jewelry and firearms. Comparable consignment-based model, regional identity and category overlap with Poulin's antiques division.
• Amoskeag Auction Company: New Hampshire-based auction house specializing in rare firearms and militaria. Directly comparable niche focus, consignment model and live/online auction format to Poulin's firearms division.
• Copley Fine Art Auctions: Specialty auction house focused on sporting art, decoys and antique firearms. Overlaps with Poulin's firearms and decorative arts categories and shares the high-end collectibles auction model.

Broad incumbents

• Bonhams: Global full-service auction house with established firearms and antique departments. Overlaps with Poulin in militaria, sporting firearms and fine art categories but serves a global luxury buyer base across many more verticals.
• Heritage Auctions: The largest collectibles auction house in the U.S., covering firearms, coins, comics, art and antiquities. Comparable to Poulin in firearms and fine art/antique categories, but operates at significantly greater scale across multiple collectibles verticals.
• Sotheby's: Global premier auction house with firearms and decorative arts departments. Comparable only at the high-end of Poulin's antiques and fine art auctions, but operates at vastly greater scale and global reach.

Others

• LiveAuctioneers: Online auction aggregator and bidding platform that hosts Poulin's third-party channel. Functions as both distribution infrastructure for Poulin auctions and as a competitive marketplace where alternative auction houses reach overlapping bidder pools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PoulinAuctions
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-TgAk8KVKjTCFBCrzweU6g
• Facebookfacebook.com/PoulinAuctions
• Instagraminstagram.com/poulinauctions
• Pinterestpinterest.com/poulinauctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/poulin-auctions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Poulin Auctions