East Cobb Resident is Auction King By Bliss Foster Many Americans are turning on their TVs every Thursday to watch East Cobb resident Paul Brown run his Gallery 63 auction business as the star in the reality series, Auction Kings, on The Discovery Channel. The EAST COBBER magazine caught up with this popular reality star to talk about how he came to be an Auction King. East Cobber Paul Brown grew up never wanting to be in the antiques business. In fact, he was pretty sure he’d be the youngest
In 1989, after earning a degree in literature from Georgia State University, Paul started working at Red Baron’s Antiques, his dad’s auction house. Immediately drawn to the academic component of the antiques business, Paul immersed himself in the catalogs of the famous New York auction houses, learning the parlance of the trade, before bringing Red Baron’s auction catalogs up to their standards. After a year or two, he took over all advertising, promotional, research and catalog duties at the company, riding a wave of successes throughout the 1990s and 2000s. But around 2005, a bored Paul grew interested in a new challenge and decided to take over Gallery 63, in Sandy Springs. Today, Gallery 63 is known for bizarre, high-end items — such as a snooker table custom-made for the Rolling Stones — and Paul has made a name for himself as the go-to guy for bidders looking for those one-of-a-kind pieces that can only be found inside his doors. He explained how antiques have fed his passion for a good story since he finished school: “It’s all just stuff. When we’re gone, it’s all gonna burn up. It’s the stories that make this stuff great.” When asked what made people so drawn to programs like Auction Kings, Paul explained that “stuff shows” are a great way of reaching people. Spanning every demographic, these shows explore the quirky things that everyone loves. Auction Kings uses this idea and includes the excitement of an auction. “There’s nothing quite like an auction. Auctions are like people – no two are alike. Strategy and egos come into play when two or more bidders hunker down and compete for the same prize. It’s all very exciting,” says Paul. Now the stories he’s become so invested in can be shown to thousands of viewers. Since their recent season earned Auction Kings its best ratings yet, the story doesn’t show signs of stopping any time soon.
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So, what’s next for Paul Brown and Gallery 63? As a nationally-recognized TV star, Paul is a hot commodity. In addition to hiring more staff at Gallery 63, he travels the United States to fulfill speaking engagements and home show gigs. Paul has lived in East Cobb for twenty-three years. He is married to Linda, and has three children: Elijah, Lilly and Josephine. “I love it here, you don’t have to lock your doors! I do, but I don’t have to,” says Paul. You can watch Paul Brown on The Discovery Channel’s reality series Auction Kings every Thursday at 9:30pm. Or you can attend their next auction at Gallery 63 on Sunday, October 14 at 11am. There is another one scheduled on Thursday, October 18. Gallery 63 is located at 4577 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. It is usually open from 9am-4pm Monday through Friday. It’s also open for auction preview the week prior to an announced auction from 9am6pm on Monday-Saturday. For more information, call 404252-2555 or visit their website at www.gallery63.net.
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