photos by Marco Ricca

A few years ago, Parul Ghei, the co-founder of Studio Jai, was browsing AuctionNinja when she came across a special collection of books she says stopped her in her tracks. The titles in question? “A stunning set of 21 leather-bound books from The Franklin Library, including the iconic Gone With The Wind,” the designer shares. “There was something quietly captivating about them—maybe the gold-embossed spines, the richness of the leather, or the timeless presence they carried.”

A Writer’s Study Transformed: The AuctionNinja Touch

It did not matter that Ghei wasn’t sure how she would style the books or even what project she would use them in. “I wasn’t actively looking for a set like this, but something told me they were worth going after,” she reflects.

But Ghei wasn’t the only one with her eye on the collection. “As the bids rolled in, I found myself more invested than I expected,” she says. “It was a small thrill—the kind of unexpected discovery that makes auctions so fun.” 

Years later, while designing the writer’s study for the 2024 Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, Ghei was able to give the books the place of honor that they deserved. “These books, with all their old-world charm, brought the soul to what we imagined as a jewel box of a writer’s retreat,” she says of the space that she designed with her sister and co-founder, Kanika Gupta. “They anchored the room with tradition, story, and quiet sophistication—proof that sometimes, the most beautiful design elements come from pieces you didn’t even know you were collecting for a reason.” 

Pro-Tips for Mastering Online Auctions

Now a pro at securing in-demand items available in online estate sales and vintage home decor auctions through AuctionNinja (Ghei has also made several purchases from the site, including a vintage Dansk Mesa dinnerware set that she pieced together over time and considers “a bit of a passion project”), she is chock full of tips on how to master the world of online auctions, which she shares below.

Tip 1: Sign-up for alerts.

Keep your phone handy so that you do not miss any auction updates along the way. 

“AuctionNinja makes it easy by sending text alerts when auctions go live, and whenever I’ve been outbid, so I set those up to stay in the loop without constantly checking,” Ghei says. 

“If it’s an item I’m especially excited about, I’ll keep refreshing the page just to stay ahead. Most of the time, though, I wait for the texts and jump back in when needed. I usually hold off placing my bid until the final minute to keep things quick and competitive—but of course, there’s always another bidder doing the same, so it can turn into a fun little showdown at the end.” 

Tip 2: Search the site using keywords.

There is so much to comb through on AuctionNinja, so searching the site using keywords is essential. 

“I like to start with a few go-to keywords based on the types of pieces I'm looking for—whether it’s ‘Dansk Mesa’ or specific vintage styles—and plug those into the search bar to see what’s available locally,” Ghei says. “It helps me quickly spot auctions that are worth keeping an eye on.”

Tip 3: Follow Ghei’s pro strategy 

Some tips on how to bid on online auctions successfully? Ghei does not place bids as soon as she spots an item she likes. 

“I pin several items I'm interested in but don’t immediately dive into bidding on everything; instead, I watch how the activity unfolds and figure out where my bid will have the most impact,” she says. 

Holding off on bidding toward the end can prove beneficial. “People tend to focus on the bigger-ticket items near the end of an auction and forget about the smaller, less competitive gems,” Ghei explains. “Those are the ones I swoop in on in the final minutes.” 

Written by:

Sarah Lyon

May 13, 2025     Updated 01:05 PM

Sarah Lyon is a Washington, DC, native living in New York City. As a freelancer, she frequently covers pieces pertaining to interior design, travel, and other lifestyle topics. Her pieces have appeared in outlets including Apartment Therapy, Architectural Digest, MyDomaine, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and more. When she isn't writing, Sarah works with designers to help them style spaces for photo shoots (and can't stop rearranging and redecorating her own apartment, either!). She has a penchant for shopping secondhand and loves giving preloved pieces new life. Sarah’s own spaces have appeared on Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, Houzz, and Washingtonian.com. Her Dupont Circle apartment was featured in both the spring 2019 print edition of Small Space Decorating and the January 2019 print edition of Washingtonian Magazine.

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