About Bluegrass Auction

Kentucky estate services, presented with care.

For 26 years, Bluegrass Auction, Appraisal & Realty, LLC has helped families, fiduciaries, individuals, and institutions manage estate, living estate, and downsizing needs through one coordinated team.

Our History

From one auctioneer to a full-service estate management team.

Bluegrass Auction began at our original New Circle Road location with a single auctioneer representing personal property in the Lexington area. Today, we operate from a 37,000-square-foot, owner-occupied gallery staffed by 10 full-time professionals including principal auctioneers, Realtor, and qualified personal property appraisers who serve the complete range of estate and living estate personal property, real estate, and valuation needs.

Under the leadership of Charles McKee, principal auctioneer and appraiser for more than a decade, the company has grown into a comprehensive, full-service firm which can serve an estate or living estate comprehensively by bringing to bear our experience and proven multi-channel marketing platform for presentation of personal property and real estate.

Our service area has expanded along with that capability. In addition to serving the Bluegrass region, we now work extensively across Louisville and throughout Kentucky, presenting our sales to both national and international buyers.

Our capabilities are most valuable when an estate has more than one need. Personal property, real estate, specialized collections, vehicles, jewelry, fine art, antiques, coins, firearms and appraisal valuations each require specialized skills our firm has developed over our 26 years in business. We bring those pieces into one practical full-service process so families and fiduciaries have less burden of coordinating and overseeing their estate or living estate process.

Because real estate is fully integrated into our services, clients can address both real estate and contents with the same team. That coordinated approach gives sellers a cleaner and lower stress path from evaluation to marketing, sale, and settlement, and is designed to reduce duplication, protect value, and maximize the seller’s overall net proceeds.

The Numbers

26 Years of service
37,000 Sq. ft. owner-occupied gallery
250,000+ Items sold
10 Full-time professionals
$45M+ Personal property sales
$30M+ Real estate sales

Clients Large and Small

Who we serve

Families, fiduciaries, individuals, and estates across Kentucky.

As a full-service provider for estates, living estates, and downsizing clients, our clientele is intentionally diverse. We have the expertise and marketing reach to represent prominent Kentucky families, historic estates, and premier collections, but we are equally honored to serve smaller estates and everyday transitions.

Why clients choose us

A trusted agent through a complex process.

Large or small, our clients have the same essential need: a professional team they can trust to advise them and help them move through the estate, living estate, or downsize process. Many clients value being able to work with one firm for the full range of their personal property and real estate needs.

Our Team

Chuck McKee

Principal Auctioneer & Appraiser, MBA
Chuck McKee

Mr. McKee is the owner, Senior Principal Auctioneer and Appraiser for Bluegrass Auction, Appraisal & Realty, LLC. Having worked with Bluegrass Auction since its inception, he became sole owner and senior auctioneer in 2014. In that time he has overseen a series of expansions of both the auction and appraisal services of the business, and has added real estate listing and auction services to create the leading full service estate and downsizing firm in the state of Kentucky.

Chuck has 28 years of experience in the auction industry, and over 35 years experience in real estate and real estate valuation. He has worked under contract with auctioneers across the country selling everything from personal property to farm equipment to classic vehicles and industrial equipment. He grew up in the family real estate appraisal business before becoming an auctioneer and developing his knowledge of personal property. He is recognized as a qualified appraiser of personal property for the US Treasury and an expert in personal property valuation by Kentucky courts.

Chuck received his BA and MBA from the Olin School at Washington University in St. Louis and is a graduate of Sayre School in Lexington.

Tandy McKee

Principal Auctioneer & Appraiser, Realtor
Tandy McKee

Mrs. McKee has more than a decade of experience as both an auctioneer and Realtor. She joined Bluegrass Auction in 2012 where she apprenticed and subsequently obtained her principal auctioneer's license. As a Realtor she has consistently closed more than $1 million in annual sales, and has extensive experience in the representation of estate properties. She is an experienced appraiser of personal property with particular expertise in Asian and European decorative arts as well as numerous American collector specialties including antique stoneware, elegant glass and others.

Tandy is a proud veteran of the US Marine Corps with 8 years of active duty and having served in the Persian Gulf in Desert Shield and Desert Storm as well as numerous other duty stations. Her education both during and after her service focused on business management and marketing. Beyond her professional designations as a principal auctioneer and Realtor she is also a certified Military Relocation Professional (MRP) and a certified Professional Ringman (PRI).

Kristen Sykes

Director of Fine Art & Photography
Kristen Sykes

Kristen Sykes serves as Director of Fine Art and Photography at Bluegrass Auction, Appraisal & Realty, where she specializes in the research, interpretation, and visual presentation of fine art and important estate collections. Drawing upon her background as a fine art photographer, educator, and historian, she brings a thoughtful and scholarly approach to uncovering the stories embedded within objects.

Since joining Bluegrass Auction in 2018, Kristen has combined expertise in photography, connoisseurship, and collection management to connect collectors with exceptional works of art and material culture. In addition to her extensive knowledge of fine art, Kristen has developed additional expertise in case goods, jewelry and other areas.

Kristen earned her MFA from Indiana University and her BFA, with a minor in History, from the University of Kentucky. She has held faculty positions at the University of Kentucky, Bellarmine University, and Eastern Kentucky University, instructing in art history and photography.

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