By ERIC C. RODENBERG
AntiqueWeek Associate Editor

MATTHEWS, N.C. — The world’s first Internet auction company – SoldUSA, the holder of several auction records in militaria and sporting collectibles – has been sold to former employees Joyce and David Reichle.

SoldUSA was the brain child of Ronnie Roberts, who had previously operated Dixie Sporting Collectibles. Roberts changed the name to SoldUSA in 1990, after astutely seeing the opportunities that abounded on the Internet. This was five years before eBay was founded.

“Those were the days when you could go from the beginning of the Internet to the end of the net,” Chris Roberts, who bought out his father’s interest in SoldUSA in 2002. “It took about three hours. When you got to the end of the Internet, there was a big yellow smiley face and a statement saying, ‘The End.’ Today, I don’t suppose a person could go through the whole Internet in 300 years. But, we were the first auction company, and it just blossomed.”

Under Roberts’ ownership, the site soon listed more than 30,000 registered bidders from throughout the world.

Right up into 2010 Roberts was, as the saying goes, “knocking them dead;” but the trouble was SoldUSA was doing the same to its owner. Earlier this year, the 36-year-old Roberts had a heart attack. Physicians attributed the event to the stress working 90-110 hour weeks to maintain what had evolved into one of the most comprehensive collectibles auction companies in the world.

“It (the heart attack) really made me wake up,” Roberts says. “The doctors said, basically, get rid of the company or it will get rid of you.”

Shortly after recovery, Roberts said he walked into his office and said to his employees, “here it is, I’ll take so much for it and it’s yours.”

Robert’s father, Ronnie, was solidly behind his son’s decision. He suffered a series of strokes before selling to his son in 2002.
 Chris has now moved to Sneads Ferry on the coast of North Carolina where he and his father own three boats, where they plan to participate in tournament and sport fishing, and duck hunting. Chris also opened SoldUSA Pawn, Loan and Jewelry.

“It’s a lot more relaxing now,” he says. “I’m right next to the beach. I can walk on the beach, go fishing or whatever. I do a lot more fishing now. It’s much simpler; an easier way of living. I’d love to live into my 80s now, if life is like this.”

Roberts also still collects, sells a few items of the Internet (no more than 15 at a time), and acts as a consultant and appraiser, along with his father, for auction companies and other sellers.

“Once you’re in this business, it’s hard to get completely out of it,” he says. “That’s one thing I’m going to have to watch (getting pulled too deeply back into the business).”

Since its inception, SoldUSA has concentrated primarily on militaria, firearms, and hunting and fishing memorabilia.

The company has certainly made a worldwide name for itself in the sales of antique and vintage shotgun shell boxes. Some of those boxes have sold in excess of $10,000, setting new world records.
A Winchester die-cut advertising piece sold for $15,000.

“It was the most fun I had in my life,” Roberts says. “Setting some of those world records was really a blast. It was – and still – is a great business. I have no regrets.”

The Reichles have quickly taken the reins of SoldUSA, in an online auction featuring more than 2,000 lots of primarily World War I and II memorabilia, in addition to several pieces from the Civil War, that ends on Nov. 20.

David, as vice president of the company, has an interest in antiques and collectibles – largely militaria, vintage toys, and hunting and fishing items – that dates back 40 years. His wife, Joyce, will act as president of the company.

“I’m excited about taking the business to a whole new level, and very soon,” David Reichle said.

He listed design changes to the website as a priority, “to make bidding and viewing items even easier than it is now,” he said. “That, and continuing our tremendous success at attracting top-quality, fresh-to-the-market consignments. That is key too.”