About

Over 45 Years of Experience in Auctions, Fine Art, Decorative Art, Estates, Antiques & Collectibles 

Martin Willis, owner of Seaboard Auctions, Estate & Appraisal Service is an auctioneer, as well as a generalist appraiser who has been assisting people through appraising antiques & fine art for over 36 years, and in the antiques, auction and fine art trade for over 50 years.  In addition to running Seaboard Auctions, Estate & Appraisal Services, working throughout New England, Martin is the lead generalist appraiser for The Appraiser’s Registry of New England, which serves New England as well.

As a second-generation auctioneer & appraiser, he has been involved in handling tens of thousands of antiques, collectibles and fine art pieces. He was the Auctioneer of major collections and estates such as the 1989 Josiah Bartlett Auction, signer of The Declaration of Independence, (see video below), the exclusive appraiser for TV mogul Merv Griffin’s entire estate including all of his California properties and the estate appraiser for talk show host Tom Snyder. of Belvedere, CA among many other major estates, institutions and corporate collections.

Martin Willis is actively seeking auction consignments, as well as appraising fine art,  estates, antiques and collectibles for insurance & fair market value throughout New England.

Past board member of The American Decorative Arts Forum, Northern California. Listed as a lifetime member in the National Register, Library of Congress in Who is Who in America, charter member of the Board of Director’s National Antiques Council, past board member of the National Auctioneers Association, past Vice President and Board Member of the New Hampshire Auctioneers Association.

Lecturer on antiques and auctions for dozens of clubs and institutions, writer for What’s It Worth column, Sunday San Francisco Chronicle, contributor to America’s longest-running antiques and collectibles reference, Warman’s Antiques & Collectibles 2014, Lamp & Glass Section,  contributor for; Antique Trader and WorthPoint as well as a blog writer.

Martin Willis of Seaboard Estate & Appraisal Service is available for lectures on auctions & collecting antiques, contact him for further information.

Benefit Auctioneer for the following: The Pixar Animation, Totoro Forest Project; Stanford University’s Annual SPILF Auction (several years); Blackhawk Auto Museum, Berkeley Opera; NHSPCA Annual Auction (over 20 years); American Red Cross, New Hampshire, 1980s Portsmouth, NH YWCA Art Auctions and dozens of Non-Profit Organizations.

Martin Willis of Seaboard Auctions, Estate & Appraisal Service has worked closely with people going through many varying states of transition and provided assistance through a network of trusted companies and individuals who have provided effective service from soup to nuts. This includes auction houses, and his own estate sale services.

Seaboard Auctions, Estate & Appraisal Service is named after Seaboard Auction Gallery which Martin’s father, Morgan Willis built and owned in the 1970s-80s. Martin purchased the auction company and ran it for several years before accepting an opportunity in a California in the auction and appraisal business.

Martin has a vast knowledge of fine art, sculpture, American & European antique furniture, mid-century modern and Danish modern furniture, American & European decorative arts, American art glass, American & European silver, primitives, country pieces, documents and a variety of collectibles.

Our professional estate sale staff consists of Martin Willis’ son, Evan Willis, and several talented people with longtime experience in the antiques and auction business.

Specialist associates include:  Jewelry, Coins & Stamps, Asian, Ancient Antiquities, Native American, African & Ethnographic, Militaria, Civil War, Sports Collectibles, Hollywood Entertainment, Rare Books, Autographs, Ephemera & Documents.