A mascot is born! In this episode, Joe, Erica, Danny, and Tracy unveil the latest (and furriest) member of the Bodnar’s crew: Gavelton the Bear! 🐻 From party prep and pop culture tangents to smart AI tools changing the way they catalog, it's another hilarious and insightful week at the auction house.

Also in this episode:

AI tools vs. manual photo editing 📸

Why auction descriptions and transparency matter more than ever

What 13,000+ deleted photos tell you about their workload

A sneak peek at the upcoming 800+ piece Wedgwood Jasperware collection

And yes… furries, mascots, and Gavilton’s possible crime-fighting side gig?

Tune in for laughs, lessons, and the unpredictable world of Bodnar’s Auctions.

📩 Email your auction stories or mascot suggestions to: [email protected]

What happens when you hand the mic to the “rookies”? You get the most chaotic, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt episode yet.

Joe, Maureen, Danny, Tracy, and Tom dive into:

How they ended up at Bodnar’s

Why physical therapy is saving Joe’s neck (literally)

Confessions about stuffed animals, hoarding pillows, and Star Trek loyalty

And yes… multiple stories about nude beaches (again, yep—really)

Plus: why vintage books still suck, the psychology of collections, and what it means to auction off someone’s lifetime.

🔥 Topics Covered:

Rookie team perspectives after nearly 2 years on the job

Stimming with stuffed animals and hoarding childhood comforts

Joe’s nudist beach history and running into clients in the buff

Evolving photography, auction platforms, and pricing post-pandemic

Haunted jewelry, hypnotized bidders, and million-dollar movie posters

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Snow globes, yard sales, haunted t-shirts, and a whole lot of banter! In this episode, Joe, Maureen, and Erica break down the massive success of the latest Disney auction—complete with $1,100 snow globes and $100-an-inch figurines.

We dive into the mystery of why people keep ghosting us on t-shirt lots, share our favorite toy memories (yes, the baby dinosaur from Dinosaurs is back), and get weird with tongue ring mishaps and questionable art. Oh—and Christian still doesn’t know who Balki is.

🔥 Topics Covered:

Highlights from the record-breaking Disney auction

Dealing with chargebacks, haunted merch, and the return of life-size Yoda

A look ahead at the next toy sale featuring rare diecast, Star Wars, and vintage Funkos

Hilarious VHS nostalgia and 90s toy talk

Favorite toy memories from R2-D2 to Tony Hawk to tabletop Pac-Man

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What do Google reviews, vintage jewelry, and blown-out sound systems have in common? Apparently, everything.

Joe, Maureen, Danny, and Janet are back with an unfiltered episode about customer feedback manipulation, tech scams, and the upcoming 500+ lot jewelry sale packed with antique, Deco, and costume pieces.

There’s also a lot of reminiscing—from early auction days with 200 jewelry showcases to sound systems that could shake a stadium. Oh, and yes—Joe admits to having FOMO.

🔥 Topics Covered:

How Google reviews are holding businesses hostage

$850 for a sound bar?! Why retail still stings

Upcoming 500+ lot jewelry auction breakdown: Deco, Victorian, Coro, and QVC

Social media influencers discovering the auction world

Flashbacks to speaker wars, DJ auctions, and warehouse vibes

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🎙️ Bodnar’s Bids and Banter Podcast - Episode 15: Live Auctions, Real Estate, and VIP Bidding with Max Spann Jr.

In Episode 15, Joe and Maureen sit down with Max Spann Jr.—real estate auction powerhouse, past president of the NJSSA, and longtime friend of the show—for a candid conversation about the future of auctions.

They reminisce about auctioning million-dollar farms, launching VIP bidder programs, and the chaotic (but fun) days of live events, crowd management, and coffee-fueled marathon sales.

Whether you’re a buyer, seller, or just curious about the auction world, this episode will pull back the curtain on what really goes down behind the mic.

🔥 Topics Covered:

Real estate auctions vs. personal property sales: the inside scoop

How Max and Joe teamed up for massive municipal auctions and private estate deals

What bidders really want—and why hybrid auctions may be the future

Tales from the auction floor: exhaustion, excitement, and emotional sellers

Why trust, transparency, and human connection still matter in the age of AI

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The holidays came early in this festive episode as Joe, Maureen, Danny, and Tom break down their visit to an elite vintage Christmas show. We're talking $22,000 snowmen, bottle brush trees, mirrored ornaments, and a tree-spinning Regina music box that blew their minds.

They also get serious with a cautionary tale about a client who may have been scammed out of four tackle boxes of gold and Native American jewelry—no contract, no receipts, and lots of regret.

From Civil War memorabilia and political buttons to queer history and auction ethics, this episode is packed with emotion, education, and plenty of laughs.

🔥 Topics Covered:

Incredible finds from a top-tier vintage holiday collectible show

What to look for (and avoid) in estate sales & consignment deals

How historic objects help preserve identity and community stories

Civil War drums, LGBTQ+ archives, and a Regina music box for your Christmas tree

Joe’s origin story: from paperboy to auction pro

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Mike Zapcic is back! The comic book guru and Comic Book Men fan favorite joins Joe and Maureen for an hour of pure pop culture auction chaos. From Avengers #151 to a massive multi-day comic sale, this episode dives deep into collecting, nostalgia, and even a moment when Joe and Maureen told each other to go f* themselves**—and why it actually saved the auction.

Mike also shares how he cut up comic ads as a kid, why encyclopedias still matter, and what it was like growing up with six older brothers and a mountain of broken toys.

🔥 Topics Covered:

The upcoming two-part auction with 144+ long boxes of comics

Why Avengers #151 “punched Mike in the face” (in a good way)

Auction pickup horror stories—from squatters to drunks and angry landlords

Eleanor Roosevelt letters, vintage telephones, and pristine matchbox cars

Why hardcover comics are underrated—and also great to drum on 🥁

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In Episode 12, the Bodnar crew goes off the rails in the best way possible—recapping a chaotic team photo shoot, swapping stories of 90s mall culture, and diving deep into the May 22nd Disney + Collectibles Auction featuring Nightmare Before Christmas, Peter Pan, Snow White, and more.

Expect tales of abandoned asylums, creepy estate cleanouts, and the $10,000 Fenton glass piece they accidentally undersold. It’s a wild mix of haunted finds, broken toys, and mall food memories (plus a rant about Ronald Reagan for good measure).

🔥 Topics Covered:

Sears photo day chaos & Danny’s perfect poses

The ghost of the Woodbridge Mall and 7 witch bumps in the road 🌒

What’s in the May 22 Disney + Collectibles Auction: WDCC, Lladro, Armani, Swarovski

Joe’s toy trauma: the fire truck he broke as a kid—and still regrets 🧸

Why people hoard broken collectibles (and what they’re really worth)

Pop culture trends that revive the auction market overnight

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This episode brings the madness! Joe Bodnar and the team share the highs and lows of auction life, including scoring a suitcase of silver coins, surviving a bedpan fight, and dealing with the rollercoaster of post-pandemic antique and art sales.

You’ll hear the real, behind-the-scenes stories of how auctions survive when the market shifts, what happens when customers lose their minds, and the most outrageous dumpster finds we've ever had.

🔥 Topics Covered:

Selling a Blue Comet Lionel train set and rare coins

How a suitcase of pirate silver made it to auction

The time a bedpan became a weapon during an auction fight 🤯

Why art and antiques are a totally different game post-pandemic

Tips on how to avoid losing money on collectibles

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This isn’t your average episode—Kevin Smith, creator of Clerks, Mallrats, and Jay and Silent Bob, joins the crew to talk about fandom, nostalgia, and the crazy world of collecting.

We relive the auction that changed everything—when Kevin unearthed a forgotten binder of comic art and partnered with Bodnar’s for a six-figure auction. He shares his honest reaction, what it was like seeing Joe in action for the first time, and how that moment inspired him to put Joe in a future film!

🔥 Topics Covered:

Kevin’s secret stash: how one dusty binder brought in over $100K

Why “loving what you love” can lead to unexpected success

SMarction: the Kevin Smith auction event at Smodcastle

The art of auctioneering—and why Joe’s voice is movie-worthy

Collecting as passion vs. profit: where does the heart lead?

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