WINDSOR, Connecticut — Standing on the podium of Nadeau’s Auction Gallery is a steady voice coming from an unlikely source.
The auction house has been in operation for more than three decades in Windsor and within the last year, a fourth generation has taken the most prominent role in the business.
Gavin Nadeau is just 12 years old. But don’t let his age fool you. For the past year, he’s been taking to the block and leading auctions with a sense of experience beyond his years.
“Gavin has been practicing for years and he’s really good,” his mother Heather Nadeau told FOX61 News. “He plays soccer, goes fishing, and then sells thousands of dollars in art and antiques.”
The 7th grader at Irwin R. Robbins Middle School in Farmington said his “pepe” – his grandfather Ed Nadeau – is who he emulates when he stands at the podium.
“I just listen to him, and I do what he does,” Gavin Nadeau said. “He’s a good auctioneer.”
The boy’s grandfather said he always tried to get his grandchildren involved in the family business.
“He’s the one who wanted to go up,” Ed Nadeau said, adding that his other grandchildren take phone bids and monitor computer screens as well.
At 12 years old, his grandfather says Gavin is likely the youngest auctioneer in the country selling fine art and antiques.
“I’ve never heard of a 12-year-old in the business selling things at auction," he said.
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In the past few months, the almost-teenager has sold lot items for tens of thousands of dollars and he said he hopes to stay in the auction game.
“It’s fun and I like doing this, I’d like to keep doing it when I’m older too,” Gavin Nadeau said.
His mother added: “I’m very proud of him, he’s come a long way and he’s only 12 so it’s amazing to watch.”
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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