Hughes Estate Sales Turns 40 | Help us Celebrate!

By Hughes Auctions January 19, 2018

Way back in 1978, Larry Hughes was on the scene in Old Town Pasadena helping it grow into THE Southern Californian hub for antiques and art. As a dealer, Larry specialized in vintage California Pottery and 20th century art and collectibles, however was also busy pioneering the antique mall concept when he opened Holly Street Bazaar in 1980. In its heyday, it housed 50 dealers and was regularly featured in travel magazines and collector's guides from as far away as Japan. Larry then opened his first eponymous antique store in Pasadena's Playhouse District, where he built a loyal following of estate sale customers all over Los Angeles who appreciated his eclectic mix of American, European and Asian antiques, collectibles and fine art.

Todd Hughes grew up learning the antique and estate sale business from his father Larry. In addition to an extensive knowledge of fine art and antiques, Todd has a special interest in unique ephemera, mid-century modern design and contemporary art. From 1997-2000, he ran a retail store specializing in these items on Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena. And in 2001 he opened a fine art gallery in South Pasadena dealing in contemporary art with a focus on Los Angeles artists. Having worked directly with his father for over 20 years, Todd’s professionalism, expertise and enthusiasm for the family business carries on to this day.

Those are our roots. The future of Hughes Estate Sales is in the incredible team we've gathered to run our auctions, showroom sales, estate sales, and online sales. For that reason, we will be featuring our team in a special 40th Anniversary Campaign throughout 2018. Each ad will feature a brief bio about our staff and background about the artwork, antique, or collectible they are pictured with. We'll be rolling out our entire staff over the next couple months, so keep posted!