September auction recap
It’s that time of the month where we’d do a quick recap on some of the great results and nice surprises from the last auction in September.
Undoubtedly, there were some surprises in the auction. An interesting ephemera lot, which included a framed picture signed by King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, a Great War Egg collection certificate, and various framed antique photos, saw the hammer fall at £800. While what we believed to be a 1930s Indian Air Force Officers Tunic went to Australia for a hammer price of £700, we have now been informed by the winning bidder that it is actually an Imperial Airways tunic, and the pilot’s wings attached are a rare variety, dating to the early years of the company. Imperial Airways, formed in 1924, eventually became British Airways.
Another standout lot was a Solid Silver Tea Set comprising a teapot with Bakelite handle and lid, milk jug, and sugar bowl. All hallmarked for Birmingham 1908, the set commanded an impressive £550. A rather stunning American Waltham 'Traveller' full hunter pocket watch with a 9ct gold case, enamel dial, and crown wind achieved £550 on the hammer.
We also had a large carved oak fruit bowl with a Squirrel carved in the centre, attributed to Wilf ‘Squirrel man’ Hutchinson, which we are please to say was bought by his son, for a hammer price of £260.
In the realm of ceramics, a Royal Albert Old Country Roses Chintz collection part tea set, made up of 15 pieces, reached an impressive £340 on the hammer. Six cups and five saucers by Crown Staffordshire, pattern code A807, achieved a hammer price of £170.
We had some very interesting vintage advertising and charity collection boxes in this auction, all of which achieved good hammer prices. The rather rare large free-standing vintage N.S.P.C.C. charity box of a boy saw £500. A large antique advertising cardboard cutout for Rowntree’s achieved £165, and the large antique Bronchial Pastilles advertising cardboard cutout saw the hammer fall at £80.
In our recent auction, we showcased an intriguing selection of antique taxidermy items, including an antique sea turtle head mounted on a wooden shield that fetched an impressive £640. Additionally, a stunning pair of vintage buffalo horns measuring 64 inches in length sold for £100.
While the furniture segment was limited this month, the Ercol pieces garnered significant interest and sales. We were particularly astonished when one customer managed to transport an Ercol display sideboard in their Mini hatchback—demonstrating that great pieces can indeed find a way to fit any space!
Overall, this auction provided not only remarkable returns for our vendors but also presented compelling bargains for our buyers.
We are excited to announce our next auction, scheduled for Friday, 1st November. This two-day event will take place at our main building in Messingham and our saleroom located at 19 Trafford Street, Scunthorpe. We warmly invite you to join us for the viewing on Thursday, 31st October.