Image courtesy of Paul E. Saperstein Co. Inc.
Before he became one of New England’s best-known real estate auctioneers, Paul E. Saperstein started out selling cash registers out of the back of his station wagon.
Searching for growth opportunities, Saperstein branched out into equipment auctions. Then in the mid-1980s, Saperstein detected a looming bubble in the local real estate market and began building his contacts among lawyers and bankers, recalled his son, Michael Saperstein. He’d spend the bulk of the workday visiting them in daily pilgrimages from his offices on lower State Street throughout Boston’s Financial District.
“He saw into the future and opened up the real estate division in the mid-1980s before the crash happened,” said Michael Saperstein, now president of Paul E. Saperstein Co. Inc. “In the mid-1980s, we had 75 auctions a week.”
Paul Saperstein, 94, died March 20 at his Florida home. About two decades ago, he stepped away from the day-to-day operations at the company he founded in 1961, but kept track of auction activity until his death, checking listings on his iPhone and calling the office as recently as last week, Michael Saperstein said.
“He always wanted to stay connected. The business was like another child for him,” he said.
In the early days of the company, Paul Saperstein branched out to auctions of business assets, ranging from supermarket and restaurant equipment to research submarines and aircraft.
“We never got pigeonholed into one type of industry or another,” Michael Saperstein said.
Michael Saperstein joined the company full-time in 1981 and now oversees the equipment and personal property auctions side of the business. His daughter, Samantha, joined the company after college and runs the real estate auction business.
Paul E. Saperstein Co. operated out of offices at 126 and 148 State St. in Boston before acquiring a property in Holbrook in 1994.
Over the years, Paul Saperstein offered his expertise as an auctioneer to charities on a pro bono basis, never declining a request, his son said.
“The people is what he enjoyed: the lawyers, the bankers, clients, customers, and that’s where the wealth was,” he said.
Born in Roxbury, Paul Saperstein lived in Mattapan, Randolph and downtown Boston before retiring full-time to Florida.
The son of the late Samuel and Ida Saperstein, he was predeceased by his brother, Stanley Saperstein, and his sister-in-law, Ceil Saperstein; sister-in-law Shirley Lyons and her husband Lester Lyons. He was the husband of Arlene Saperstein, father of Linda Ryan and Michael Saperstein, grandfather to Aaron Mann, Danielle Mann, Samantha Saperstein and Jessica Saperstein, and great-grandfather to Lucas Costanza, Mason Vasconcelos and Miles Vasconcelos.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. today at Temple Sinai in Sharon, followed by burial at Sharon Memorial and a celebration of life at the Cape Club of Sharon (25 Tiot St.). Shiva will be held at 85 University Ave., Westwood on Thursday from 1-8 p.m. and Friday from 2-6 p.m.
Donations may be made in his honor to the Children’s Craniofacial Association.
Editor’s Note: Paul E. Saperstein Co. Inc. is a current and long-term advertiser in Banker & Tradesman. The Warren Group has made a donation to the Children’s Craniofacial Association in his memory.
