Smiths Auction Rooms are keen to follow up on the buzz and excitement from their record breaking New Year sale. They are looking for good quality entries of antiques and collectables for their forthcoming sale on February 13-14. The auction includes a wide range of entries including silver, gold and jewellery which are selling extremely well at the moment.
Other more traditional sectors such as ceramics, paintings and furniture also reached exceptional prices in the January sale as this is a very buoyant time of year for the antiques market. The collectables section is of course continuing to thrive, as the rise of internet bidding now means that collectors from around the world can easily find their items of choice - however niche they might be!
Smiths Auctions have worked hard to attract a large number of regular online bidders by striving to always provide an excellent buying experience. They also usually find that they attract a sizeable number of new customers over the Christmas period when there are fewer sales around and stock is scarce. The January sale included over fourteen hundred lots and attracted over sixteen hundred internet buyers who registered for the sale. During this last week Smiths postage team have sent out over two hundred parcels both nationally and internationally. The look on the new trainee postman’s face when he called to collect and saw a ‘wall of parcels’ was a picture!
Attracting a large number of enthusiastic buyers means that vendors can be sure that their items are achieving the best possible prices. For example two rare 1937 sovereigns in the last auction made £2,600 and £2,700 when they usually reach a maximum of £2,000. Even taking into account the recent rise in gold prices this is an impressive result.
Smiths February sale also includes a special section for Medals and Militaria which is a very popular area of the market. Medals in particular are performing strongly but there is also a keen market for all items of Militaria including swords and bayonets, uniforms, badges and even items of ephemera items such as logbooks and photograph albums.
A pair of WWI medals from the Gloucester Regiment are bound to prove popular since they come with a comprehensive biography of the soldier who lived in Cinderford. Medals which come with additional items such as a photograph in uniform, Service Records and dog tags can be worth more.
Many people do not realise that medals often come with the name, number, rank and regiment engraved around the rim and that this can be looked up in the National Archives. Most medal collectors love to research this information and find out further details about the soldier. For example if they performed any special acts of bravery which might have been noted in dispatches.
A wide range of interesting collectables were found at a property in Cinderford including a Chinese small bronze wild boar estimated at £80/£120 and a novelty brass cigarette lighter in the form of a padlock. This latter item appears to be quite a rarity and although estimated at £40/£60 could do better on the day.
A very attractive oil of The SpeechHouse by the popular local artist George Willis Pryce should also attract buyers from the Forest of Dean and is estimated at £100/£150. Other unusual items include a commemorative coin set from the fall of the Berlin wall which comprises a West German and East German coin boxed together with a graffiti fragment of the wall.
Smiths are inviting entries by appointment. Please telephone 01531 821776 or visit www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk