About Us

We are a full service auction service.
From luxury goods to small collectibles, entire estates to clean outs, automobiles and more, we sell your items through our online auction service for top prices to buyers in ohio, the U.S. and internationally.

Bidding on our auctions begin 2 weeks week prior to the actual live online bidding where we control and monitor the process working in real-time to get the highest value for your items.

We sort, organize, photograph and catalog your items and estate. No job is too big or too small. We transform crammed estates into empty, clean homes ready for an open house and resale. We often find value that would otherwise have been overlooked.

Plain City Auction is located in Plain City, Ohio just a short drive from Dublin, Ohio; Hilliard, Ohio; Amity Pike, Ohio; New Rome, Ohio; Unionville Center, Ohio; Marysville, Ohio; and West Jefferson, Ohio.

Buying and Selling:
– Typically items are sold on consignment, but some items may be purchased outright.
– Quantities as low as one item and as high as an entire household may be sold through the auction.
– Usually the sale of the items is handled in the auction house, but auctions can take place in alternate locations if desired.

Changing with the times…
Plain City Auction has experienced significant changes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With restrictions on gatherings and social distancing measures in place, traditional in-person auctions had become more challenging to organize and conduct. As a result, we have turned to online platforms, primarily AuctionZip, to adapt to the new reality.

One of the most significant changes in the auction business has been the surge in online bidding. With many people unable or unwilling to attend auctions in person, online bidding has become the preferred method for many buyers. Auction houses have had to quickly adapt to this shift by investing in their online capabilities, improving their websites, and creating new bidding processes to make online auctions more accessible and user-friendly.

Another change has been the need to adapt auction previews to a virtual format. In the past, potential buyers would attend a preview event in person to inspect the items up for auction. Now, auction houses have turned to virtual previews, using high-quality images and videos to showcase the items and provide buyers with the information they need to make informed decisions. As we are your “hands and eyes”, we take 1000s of photographs in a typical auction in an attempt to tell the story.

Plain City Auction did not just make the switch to online bidding to reach a larger global audience. We actually discovered a better way of doing business along the journey.

Meet The Owner,
John Coffey

Plain City Auction was founded in 1959 and currently owned by John Coffey. It remains an owner-operated auction house in the heart of Plain City, Ohio, just northwest of Columbus.

Owner John Coffey developed a passion for antiques at a very young age. John’s earliest memories involve chasing jewelry at garage sales. In the late 70’s many garage sales had grandma’s jewelry box and John had acquired the skill to recognize gold and diamonds on site. He quickly learned the economics of buying and selling and at 8 years old he was hooked.

Thru the 80’s, you could find John at the public library memorizing depression glass patterns and makers. John grew up going to auctions and although his favorite was a Roger Wilson farm auction, he could also be found asleep on the bleachers at Plain City Auction – the very business he would eventually own one day.

After high school, John went to The Ohio State University earning a B.S. in Welding Engineering and went to work for John Deere but he never stopped being a picker. (there is a segue sentence missing here that describes something about how you then came to buy the business)

John’s passion for his work continues today and he is always looking forward to helping customers get the most value for their items, down-size, settle estates and get onto the business of living their lives.