Laura Doyle is the man behind the largest women-owned auction house in the US

Doyle’s auction business began in the late 1960s with his first sale in Montauk, but the company’s roots date back to 1952, when founder William Doyle opened an antique shop on the Upper East Side. Currently, DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers has over 100 employees and operates in New York (New York, Long Island), Connecticut, DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, Chicago and Beverly Hills, offering regional coverage in areas underserved by larger auction houses. It is now the largest women- and family-owned auction house in the United States – two superlatives secured by Laura Doyle, who took the helm after her mother Kathleen Doyle succeeded as president following the death of her husband William in the 1990s.

Laura, the youngest daughter of the Doyle family, brings over twenty years of experience to the position, having grown up in the industry, starting in customer service and then leading the jewelry department. When the Observer met her at DOYLE on the Upper East Side in late September, the galleries were bustling with anticipation of upcoming sales. “I finished my first year at Courtauld and started working there a week after graduating,” she said, recalling her initial career path. “When I came back, I worked on our website and built Hayloft Auctions, the brand we have in the Bronx, and then I started running our regional offices and gradually took on more and more of a leadership role.”

On the day of the Observer’s visit, Laura was organizing a jewelry auction ahead of the main Important Jewelry sale scheduled for October 30. Highlights of the upcoming auction include a 21.37-ct Asscher-cut platinum and diamond ring, estimated at $350,000-550,000, and an additional platinum and diamond ring, one with a 9-ct. step-cut emerald, 83 ct. a stone and two trillion-cut diamonds with a total weight of 2.35 ct., whose value is estimated at $125,000-175,000.

“It never ends,” Laura Doyle said. “We are always in motion… constantly turning over, moving, changing. The logistics here are extremely complicated.” Doyle is preparing to host the Old Masters/Silver/Continental Furniture & Decorator Arts auction on October 16, which will feature a special segment from the collection of Eldo Netto, a respected figure in the New York decorating community. Also on sale is the prized Old Master painting by Eugène Delacroix, Portrait of Charles-Etienne-Raymond Victor de Verninac (1803-1834) from the estate of Stephen Mazoh, estimated at $300,000-$500,000.

Since becoming first vice president and now general manager, Laura has played a key role in expanding Doyle’s regional presence and opening galleries in various locations to cultivate more personal, multi-generational connections with clients – a strategy that has ensured continued growth over the past several years. “We want to work with many generations… Now our clients’ children are born,” she noted. Laura emphasizes how important it is for every gallery to look inviting, to counter the often intimidating atmosphere of auction houses. “My parents will visit us in Charleston, but then they’ll say, ‘I visited my daughter in Boston and we went to your gallery there.’ We see a lot of intersections between different locations.” To deepen these connections, Doyle is hosting more events, including art exhibitions featuring local artists, to activate its spaces and attract new visitors. The goal is to build a distinct community in each location.

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DOYLE’s personalized approach is a key factor in the company’s long-term success. That, and a strategy to offer a wide range of categories that focus not solely on high-end masterpieces – items that are increasingly difficult to obtain – but works of art and collectibles at a wide range of price points, making auctions accessible to more buyers. “I think our buyers don’t feel intimidated… the key is to create those relationships and convince people that they are building their collections with us, especially when it comes to jewelry and art,” Laura explained, adding that the auction house has worked hard to design a more a tailored, collector-friendly experience.

When it comes to attracting new collectors, especially younger generations, DOYLE has invested in refining its storytelling and refining the brand’s visual identity. The challenge was to find timeless visuals that could effectively convey the company’s broad scope and history. They found the solution in the work of French designers, who created a series of custom-made illustrations depicting key moments in Doyle’s history, from the first store sign on 81st Street to a significant early purchase by Laura’s father. This elegant, nostalgic packaging enhances the luxurious customer experience, echoing the refined aesthetics of brands such as Gucci and Hermès. “It feels so authentic and so different to us,” Laura said.

While DOYLE is one of the longest-running family-owned businesses in the art world, its continued success is based on innovation. “At the core of our business is the spirit of entrepreneurship,” she explained. “Even though we are a company with traditions, we are always innovating.” In 2016, Laura spearheaded the launch of DOYLE’s Hayloft Auctions, an online-only, Bronx-based digital startup that aimed to attract first-time auction participants. Thanks to this, DOYLE was able to use the potential of online auctions before its competitors and prosper during the pandemic.

Still, personal relationships are the cornerstone of DOYLE’s long-term strategy. “What’s interesting is that when we think about brand and experience in the context of other locations, we have to consider… what elements people hold on to, especially if they don’t know us or the auction industry,” Laura said. As customer needs evolve over time, DOYLE strives to be constantly present at every stage of collecting.

Although it holds large category-specific sales twice a year, Doyle maintains a consistent schedule of smaller auctions throughout the year to ensure they are always available to customers looking to buy or sell, whether in person or online. According to Laura, flexibility is the key: “We need to know how online informs them in person. How can our sales reach different galleries? How do we tell stories locally, nationally and internationally? Our team is constantly growing and we learn from everything we do. We just do it really fast.”

DOYLE recently hosted several significant single-owner sales that attracted buyers fascinated by the owner’s story. According to Laura, the auction of songwriter and composer Stephen Sondheim’s collection was less about the objects and more about engaging people through memory and nostalgia: “So many people came to the hall and they were new auction buyers. They were very enthusiastic because they were music fans.” Exceeding all expectations, sales achieved white glove status in June and totaled over $1.5 million. The most important events included Sondheim’s Golden Records for West Side Storywith the soundtrack price for the 1961 film adaptation reaching an impressive $44,800 and the original 1957 Broadway cast recording reaching $28,800. A few signed manuscripts and even simple stationery inspired vigorous bidding. As Laura noted, “People are looking for experiences. A big part of our ethos now is that the auction is fun; should be fun.” Expect similar enthusiasm at the upcoming Stage & Screen Sale of the Jerry Herman Collection on November 11.

The upcoming auction of Impressionist and Modernist/Post-War and Contemporary paintings, scheduled for November 20, features extraordinary works with fascinating stories. Among them is The Devil and Doodazzle Dakins by Ernie Barnes (est. $300,000-$500,000), an artist who has experienced a remarkable market resurgence over the past two years. This passage connects Barnes to a fascinating story Playboylawsuits and Space Jam. His current auction record was set in 2022 when Sugar Cottagefamous from the Marvin Gaye show I want you The album sold at Christie’s for $15.3 million. Two of Christo’s works will also be on sale: Umbrellas (1985), estimated at $150,000–250,000, and The wrapped Reichstag (1983), estimated at $80,000-$120,000, both from the collection of the daughter of Albert Maysles, the renowned director known for Gray Gardens.

When asked about the state of the auction market and whether it will cool down, Laura emphasized the importance of maintaining strong relationships and having a diverse, multi-generational customer base across a wide range of categories, which helps stabilize DOYLE’s position. “We were fortunate to have some great collections that attracted enthusiastic collectors that were not available on the market,” she said. “Our sweet spot is for five-, six- or seven-figure items and collections… We’re in a place where people at higher levels feel comfortable, but we’re also approachable.” She went on to explain that this series allows Doyle to appeal to both high-end collectors and those who are new to the market. “We’re in this happy area where we can go from a single-digit customer to a triple-digit customer and figure out how we’re going to grow with them.”