With the integration of live auctioneering, co-owners Rick Grassi and Felina Gennusa are providing a new buying experience in the Tomball community.

Grassi and Gennusa opened The Texas Auction House on Aug. 15 after years of working as freelance auctioneers. When the demand for off-site auctions and liquidations became more frequent, they said they decided to open their own facility to host live and online auctions.

“We’ve been to many auction houses, and we really like the concept of them,” Gennusa said. “It’s fun; it’s entertaining, and it gives the opportunity for people to come out, have a good time and get a good deal on various items.”

Grassi, who also serves as a Tomball Police Department captain, is a licensed auctioneer who works with Gennusa to sell items acquired from estate sales and business liquidations as well as items brought in on consignment.

When items are sold on consignment, the auction house operates on a 70/30 scale, which means the seller receives 70 percent of the selling price, and the facility keeps the remaining 30 percent.

For individuals looking for a convenient way to sell unwanted items, Grassi said the auction house is a great option for connecting sellers with buyers.

“It’s a lot easier than using sites like Craigslist when people don’t want an unknown person coming to their homes for safety reasons, and it’s better than eBay because you don’t have to ship the item,” Grassi said. “We do offer pickup and delivery, so it just creates a safer environment but also a more fun environment.”

The Texas Auction House accepts most items ranging from antiques and collectibles to appliances and motorcycles, provided they are in working condition.

“We don’t accept anything that’s broken, severely worn or poor-quality,” Gennusa said. “It’s important to us that the buyer trusts us, so it’s important that we have good communication with the consignors.”

Even with the work of starting a new business, Gennusa said it is hard not to have a good time during the bimonthly live auctions.

“We joke around a lot and we play a lot, and even during the auctions, Rick will joke all the time from behind the microphone,” Gennusa said.

Grassi said the support he and Gennusa have received from the Tomball community and seeing new faces in the crowd every month has helped keep their business fun.

“It’s not just straight business—it can get boring if you do that,” he said. “We get our job done; we do it well, but we have a good time while we’re doing it.”

The Texas Auction House
27210 Business 249, Tomball
www.thetexasauctionhouse.com