J&J Auctioneers in Albuquerque are expanding with new office and auction facilities, aiming to accommodate their growing customer base. The family-owned company, operating since 1996, focuses on low fees and personalized service, with plans for continued growth in 2025 and beyond.
J&J Auctioneers photo
Joe and Jennie Boulware of J&J Auctioneers
J&J Auctioneers in Albuquerque will continue its growth and expansion in New Mexico with the construction this year of new office and auction facilities at its yard just off Interstate 25 on the south side of the city.
The company has operated out of three temporary structures since moving to the site in 2022.
"This is the next step in our company's growth," said Joe Boulware, president of J&J Auctioneers. "Our auctions have grown continually over the last decade or so, and our customers will appreciate the new space. Our most recent auction featured almost 2,400 lots."
J&J is operated by Boulware and his wife, Jennie. They got their start in 1996, shortly after graduating from New Mexico State University where they met.
"When we started, we did on-site auctions, meaning we sold equipment at the customer's location. In 1999, we started doing consignment auctions in places like Springer, Española and Santa Fe, New Mexico," Jennie Boulware said.
In 2016, the company moved its operation to a five-acre site in Albuquerque, where they held one auction per year. They quickly outgrew that site and, a few years later, bought the 23 acres that host their six annual auctions.
The growth has not been accidental, as fees on both the buyer and seller sides are kept purposely low according to Joe Boulware.
"We've kept our fee structure as low as possible for both the buyer and the seller. We do a lot of marketing, especially lot-specific marketing, and event marketing. We'll look at a major consignment and ask, ‘Who is going to buy this,' and we target those potential buyers," he said.
Brittany Chavez, customer service manager, said the local feel of J&J is important to their customers and contributes to steady growth.
"We are very well known around New Mexico," she said. "We pretty much know every customer by name and face when they walk through the door. While we've grown to be fairly large, we're not corporate. When you call, you get a person on the other end of the line."
Humble Beginnings
After high school and before enrolling in college, Joe Boulware attended auctioneering school.
"After graduating from NMSU, some guys asked me to sell some stuff. So, we did the auction and made no money. But it started to take off from there," he said.
"We started small and learned as we went while always trying to do what's right for our customers," Jennie Boulware said. "With the bigger companies, they can tend to get lost. We go out of our way to not let that happen."
"Now," Jennie Boulware said, "we're here. We're local. You can inspect the equipment. We encourage it. Come and see the equipment: Lay your hands on it. We have retained a more traditional auction feel."
J&J offers a variety of options for buyers and sellers — timed auctions, live on-site auctions and live internet auctions. In all, the company schedules three live auctions and three online auctions per year, while filling in time between these events with off-site sales for specific customers.
J&J's website offers live bidding, and buyers are encouraged to use that option.
"We really want them to bid on our site. Our platform activity surpasses any of the third-party platforms we've used," Joe Boulware said.
The Boulwares' 30 years of experience in the auction world have included some interesting sales along the way.
In 2005, they sold the contents of the shuttered Pittsburg and Midway coal mine in northern New Mexico. An exotic game ranch and surplus from Ted Turner's 550,000-acre Vermejo Ranch are among their more notable sales.
Today, the expanding motion picture industry in and around Albuquerque has proven to be good for business, as heavy equipment has been among the props bought at auction by film companies.
As for the new year, Joe Boulware has a bullish outlook.
"It will be steady. Interest rates have come down a little," he said. "We're very optimistic. The oil field market looks good in 2025 and beyond."
About J&J Auctioneers
J&J Auctioneers is a full-service auction company serving New Mexico and southern Colorado since 1996. They conduct live and online auctions of real estate, commercial assets, construction, industrial and agricultural equipment, and other assets. They have permanent locations in Roy and Albuquerque, N.M.
(All photos courtesy of J&J Auctioneers.)
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