March Auction Review with Tim Weeks
I write this as we move into the spring bank holiday weekend, reflecting on the first quarter of the year, wondering how we got here so fast! From an auction perspective this has been one of our most exciting starts to the year. We’ve had filming days with our friends from Dickinson’s Real Deal, a record-breaking jewellery and coin auction, and a handful of extraordinary lots across departments which have given us a real boost through the winter months. As we move into some longer evenings and sunnier days, we’re already starting to see some departments coming into their own, namely the gardenalia which has had a nice spring in its step recently! This past Saturday included a selection of enormous and nicely weathered stone planters, with the largest examples selling for £992 and £930 respectively - perfect timing for a spot of bank holiday gardening!
Whilst we had some lovely results outside of the auction room, we were having a lot of fun inside the auction room as we welcomed my colleagues from BBC Bargain Hunt back to Wessex. Always a joy to have, Christina Trevanion and the gang brought their usual buzz and some incredible lots to make it even better! It’s always nice to see great lots in the auction regardless of where they came from, and this time every single lot from my the Bargain Hunt teams exceeded the starting estimate under the hammer - which always makes for a happy auctioneer!
Included in the auction was a set of 1920s silver and enameled cocktail sticks with cockerel finials. What I love about these is how evocative they are of the Art Deco era. They are indicative of a time when entertaining was starting to become a little less formal, leaving room for bar culture. By the 1920s cherries and olives were becoming a fashionable addition to any drinks party and these were the perfect accessories. Each cockerel has been hand enameled in bright colours, useful if you are trying to remember which drink is yours! The hammer ultimately came down at £186 including premium. This is a classic example of the an item that someone may think is worthless, but once offered to the worldwide auction market, delivers a solid result for the seller.
A George III silver caddy spoon made by John Thropp and hallmarked for 1807 was another lovely lot in the Bargain Hunt auction. Formed as a hand, this novelty spoon would have been used to measure tea from a locked tea caddy, as it was an expensive commodity back in the early 19th Century. The hand as a measure is a playful expression of ‘a handful’ and reflects the naturalistic trends of the period. This example went on to make a premium inclusive £210 once the gavel fell.
As I mentioned earlier, March saw a record-breaking silver, jewellery and coin auction at Wessex Auction Rooms. Spanning over 1100 lots over two days this was a collection of some really cracking items that were a real pleasure to handle. Watches continue to be a real star of the show with big brand names continuing to attract interest. We had a nice selection of Rolex’s including a 1980 GMT Master with ‘Pepsi’ dial. This has become one of the most recognizable and collectable Rolex designs with its origins in pilots’ watches. Developed with Pan American airways to solve the problem of multiple time zones, the bi-coloured rotating bezel allowed pilots to read both local, and GMT time at a glance. The striking design soon became popular, and the iconic red and blue bezel is still produced by Rolex today in their current GMT II models with a waiting list of several years to get your hands on one. Our 1980s example made £9300 on the day.
Another rather special item was an 18th Century mourning ring, featuring blue and black enamel work, rose cut diamonds and original hairwork panel. Whilst there was some slight damage to the enamel on the band, our jewellery specialist Hannah White explained to me that the head itself was in great condition considering its nearly 250-year tenure. Enamel is easy to damage and notoriously difficult to repair so it’s always a real treat to find one in good condition. After a battle between online, telephone and room bidders, our example made £2356 (including premium) against a £400-600 estimate – a great result for our seller.
April will see us hold three days of specialist toy auctions, two days of vinyl records & memorabilia and two days of antiques, furniture and collectables.
Wessex Auction Rooms is always open Mon-Fri with no appointment needed to bring items for assessment, but along with my team of experts, I will also be holding a two day valuation event in Fishponds on April 24th & 25th from 10am to 3pm for anyone to come along and meet myself and the team to have items valued for auction. We are holding the event at BDC Studio which is directly behind the Van Dyck pub on Fishponds Rd – so please come and being your treasures!
Wessex Auction Rooms are always consigning for forthcoming auctions and welcome entries Mon-Fri 9-5 at our auction rooms just off J17 of the M4 (Chippenham) with no appointment necessary, or on an appointment basis at our central Bath office, or at your home.Contact the team on 01249 720888 or email enquiries@wessexauctionrooms.co.uk