Stephen Farthing of H&H Auction Rooms looks back at the year so far
“I have noticed an encouraging increase in demand for antiques, partly due to the Vintage trend and people’s interest in more sustainable living, with a focus on recycling and reusing wonderfully crafted furniture and this has helped drive our sales onwards and upwards.
We started off this year with highly successful Boat and Fishing auction which really hit the spot, particularly as customers had missed out over the previous two years. We had a great entry of boats, rods and reels that met with enthusiastic bidding both in person and online. The auction was so strong that another sale of this type was held in March, which again had a tremendous response.
The introduction of Virtual 3D tours has been a fantastic tool that has allowed people unable to travel to the auction rooms to look through all the items listed and zoom in on any that are of particular interest. This has helped to increase the number of potential buyers as people do not need to be physically present to inspect the items or to bid.
Our regular fortnightly auctions have been gathering momentum throughout the year, the walls have been bulging with the volume being entered for sale and the results have surpassed expectations. Prices are reflecting a continuing upward trend and new customers are registering to bid on each sale.
There is a notable rise of interest in Victorian and mid-century furniture. We saw a diminutive Victorian desk reach £500, triple the estimate and a walnut bureau sell for £1,500. Once again proving that out of fashion antique furniture is anything but and people now want to invest in these articles again. Other investment pieces that fly off the table are gentlemen’s’ wristwatches, particularly well-known brands such as Rolex, Omega and Longines being highly desirable. There is also a significant rise in the value of precious metals that has ensured any gold or silver coins sell well above estimate and frequently beyond the bullion price.
A feature of our sales calendar are the Architectural and Garden auctions, popular with all budding gardeners, landscapers, and potterers. Troughs, paving sculptures and especially anything wacky is fought over in the afternoon whenever the sale is scheduled. Sometimes you can see crowds of over 60 people straining to see that special item that might just be perfect for their garden. Highlights from these sales include a life size steel dog selling for £600 and some wooden Gothic window frames reaching £450.
We often have some nice surprises as people often don’t realise the value of the items they own. This was the case when a woman submitted to auction a selection of jewellery, in amongst costume pieces and replica pearls were Victorian brooches and 18 carat gold rings. This caused a great deal of interest in the saleroom, and a very happy customer taking home £5,000 for what she assumed was “rubbish” jewellery.”
For any further information, please contact Stephen at the saleroom on 01228 406320 or email him direct