Apr 21, 2023
After decades in the business, new developments continue to amaze me. Following the emergence of NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens) as a traded digital collectable, we now have the rise of Artificial Intelligence. That hit the headlines recently when German artist Boris Eldagsen turned down the Sony world photography award after admitting that his entry had been generated using AI. Meanwhile love letters, poems, songs, greetings cards messages and other missives can now all be created using AI instead of having to engage one’s own brain. To top it all, AI generated artwork is also selling at auction.
It’s not often that I dwell on the philosophical, but I do wonder whether anything created by a computer programme, without the input of the spark of life and spiritual inspiration, can be classified as art. I’m not expecting an answer to that one in the next five minutes – after all, the human race has been creating art for at least tens of thousands of years and no one has yet been able to pin down a catch-all precise definition of what art actually is, and in many ways I hope they never do, because that would break art’s magic spell.
This calls to mind the late great Kenneth Clark, whose ground-breaking TV series Civilisation put the cultural cap on the 1960s.
In his introduction to the first episode, entitled The Skin of our Teeth, Clark famously opined: “What is civilisation? I don’t know; I can’t define it in abstract terms, but I think I can recognise it when I see it.” Of all the emblems of civilisation across the world, what did he decide to use as his backdrop to illustrate this point? Notre Dame in Paris, now rising from the ashes after is catastrophic fire in 2019.
It’s reassuring to know that great treasures of the past, the results of creative genius, still mean so much… and that traditional art and antiques can still get the heart racing at auction.
Mar 28, 2023
You would have thought after all these years of antiques TV shows that just about everybody would be at ease with auctions, but we still get a few shy ones coming through the doors in Fernhurst. They’re clearly interested in the whole process, or they wouldn’t be there. If you’re one of them, have no fear, we don’t bite, and I’d be amazed if you couldn’t find anything to spark your interest.
My advice to anyone who hasn’t yet got to grips with auctions but would like to find out more is to come to a viewing before the sale. That way you can wander around and look at everything that’s on offer in a relaxed fashion. At viewings you will find lot numbers attached to each piece on display, and they correspond with the numbers in the catalogues, which are also around the saleroom so you can check out the description and estimate. Staff are on hand to answer any questions or help you get a better look at anything – you’ll find that’s true at any decent auction house.
And if you want to see a great bit of traditional auction drama, come along to the early part of one of our general auctions when the saleroom manager takes bids in the back viewing room rather than from the rostrum. You will find all the bidders standing together among the pieces being sold. There’s nothing quite like it to get you hooked.
A topical way of looking at antiques and collectables for the first time is to study Coronation memorabilia. May 12, 1937 – 86 years ago now – marked the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Coronation mugs from that event are still changing hands, as is memorabilia from the late Queen’s Coronation in 1953 and all the jubilees since.
While a Queen Victoria 1837 Coronation mug in good condition might now fetch £700-800, her successors’ Coronation mugs can generally be had for less than £50, even that for Edward VIII who was never crowned.
In modern times, though, the one to look for is the alternative 1953 Coronation mug, modelled by Wedgwood on a design by the artist Eric Ravilious. For that you can expect at least £250 and probably more.
Feb 27, 2023
A collector I know has proved very successful in identifying trends – perhaps even creating them himself – by taking calculated risks as a pioneering force. Describing himself as a ‘homesteader’, he has acted like one of the great pioneers of the West in the 19th century, heading out and staking his claim before seeing if it yields anything of value.
The thing about people like this is they accept that a lot of the time their efforts will yield very little, but it’s all worth it because here and there they hit paydirt.
So, look about you and ask yourself a few questions. What do you see that will stand the test of the time? Does it have mass appeal? In time, will items associated with this field decline sufficiently to create that vital rarity factor… but not become so rare that not enough of it is left to sustain a collecting base? Does it have the potential to create a strong sense of nostalgia? Perhaps have retro or kitsch value? Is it the sort of thing that could be a future design icon or simply a fascinating piece of history?
One of the best ways of doing that is to see what is coming into fashion now.
A superb example is memorabilia and particularly photographs linked to the Apollo missions of the 1960s. At the most important art and antiques fair in the world a few years ago, one dealer devoted his entire stand to photos from the Apollo missions. Not only was it a stunning display, but it was also able to capitalize on the fact that it was building up to the half century since man first landed on the Moon in 1969. Momentum always accelerates as you get closer to a significant anniversary.
First generation iPhones only date to 2007 – only 15 years ago. Yet in February, one of these, still factory sealed in its box, took $63,000. And that’s the key with items like this: condition is everything. In mint condition is good; still in its original box is better; factory sealed is best!
Jan 27, 2023
Death, Divorce, Debt and Disaster. These are the four Ds, as they are known, that have traditionally defined why people decide to sell their belongings at auction. Now, I am adding another two: Downsizing and Decluttering.
From family heirlooms to duplicates within collections that can be recycled to fund the next purchase, these sources of auction consignments bring hard-to-find rarities to the surface all the time. Auctions provide probably the best hunting ground thanks to house clearances and deceased estates, where interesting antiques and collectables that have been hidden away for decades get their first public showing. Pitched right, they can create a lot of bidding competition. But these circumstances also create the perfect opportunity to pick up a bargain. That’s why general auctions are such an exciting experience – you never know what will turn up.
Before the days of throwaway consumer culture, this is how many people furnished their homes.
One of the great obsessions in our industry is how you attract the next generation of buyers and sellers. Forty or fifty years ago, newly married couples tended to go to auction to buy furniture and decorations for their first home. They were the original recyclers, unwittingly supporting the green end of the economy.
Then the era of mass consumerism, with its disposable, flatpack furnishings, took over, tastes changed, and the local general weekly auction started to look like a thing of the past.
Well, close to half a century on we’re still here and as relevant today as we have always been. Yes, we have had to adapt, offering more specialist sales, better catalogues, clear costings and, in the advanced technological age, live bidding via the internet.
What hasn’t changed are the twin thrills of finding something special hidden among the day-to-day items and the charged atmosphere of competitive bidding and ultimate victory as the hammer comes down. I’d say they are as attractive characteristics of the auction process for the young as they are for the more mature among us. What’s more, the concept of recycling and upcycling is stronger than ever, so the tradition continues!
Jan 2, 2023
One of the most interesting aspects of working in the art, antiques and collectables world today is just how few people realise that they are part of it. Antiques may be things of the past, but it’s an ever-changing world, which means there is a constant supply of ‘new’ antiques, objects that have just become more than 100 years old.
In the end, it is an arbitrary measure; what really matters is the quality of the piece in question. Values can change depending on a range of factors, such as rarity and condition – and, indeed, age – but perhaps the two factors that most alter the general cycle of buying and selling are changing tastes and habits.
Think of tobacciana and smoking accouterments. Cigarette cases of the 1930s remain highly collectable, but will that always be the case no smoking itself is in such decline?
A similar view can be taken of dining room furniture. Personally, I think a return to having a special room for dinner parties and the like is long overdue, but while larger homes may still accommodate this if they choose, the average new-build house simply does not have the space.
What we need to seek out then, are the antiques of the future.
There is one collector I know of who has proved very successful in identifying trends – perhaps even creating them himself – by taking calculated risks as a pioneering force. Describing himself as a ‘homesteader’, he has acted like one of the great pioneers of the West in the 19th century, heading out and staking his claim before seeing if it yields anything of value.
The thing about people like this is they accept that a lot of the time their efforts will yield very little, but it’s all worth it because here and there they hit paydirt.
So, as we embark on 2023, look about you and ask yourself a few questions. What do you see that will stand the test of the time? Does it have mass appeal? In time, will items associated with this field decline sufficiently to create that vital rarity factor… but not become so rare that not enough of it is left to sustain a collecting base? Does it have the potential to create a strong sense of nostalgia? Perhaps have retro or kitsch value? Is it the sort of thing that could be a future design icon or simply a fascinating piece of history?
Dec 5, 2022
What should you look out for in 2023 when it comes to auctions and collecting? What will be hot, and where will the money be? If I could say for sure, then it’s more likely I would be cruising the Caribbean by now instead of rolling my sleeves up for another year of hard graft (although I love it really!). However, decades of experience have taught me to spot the signs, and here are a few to whet the appetite.
- Modern British art. The wonderful exhibition running until April at the Pallant House Gallery in Chichester – one of the most influential public institutions of its type in the UK – illustrates this perfectly. Inspired by the South Down and titled Sussex Landscape: Chalk, Wood and Water, nowhere does it capture the spirit of that landscape better than in the exhibition’s cover painting, Chalk Path (1935) by Eric Ravilious. Mod Brit works are here to stay, with many prices climbing.
- Railways. A century ago in 1923, all the small, independent railway companies were brought together under the umbrella of the big four companies: LNER (London Northeastern Railway), GWR (Great Western Railway), SR (Southern Railway) and LMS (London, Midland & Scottish Railway). Railwayana already has an extensive following; expect auctioneers to mark the centenary with specialist sales, along with dedicated exhibitions at public institutions.
- Pre-owned luxury brands. Handbags, scarves, clothing, accessories, jewellery, sunglasses – if you want to attract a mass following at auction, this is a sure way to go. Millennials, Gen Z, ladies who lunch… all of them are piling into this sector, so much so that the original brands themselves are now launching sidelines in secondhand versions of their own products.
- Watches. With prices of new watches going up, vintage has become even more attractive. From Rolex and Patek Philippe to Cartier and Omega, there seems to be no end to their popularity and ability to hold value. Ladies and gents are both keen collectors, as are fans of engineering, luxury and lifestyle statement collectibles.
Nov 8, 2022
November 14 is the 74th birthday of our new king. As Charles III, he has brought in the new Carolean era – indeed Carolean has been chosen as one of the words of the year.
Major events in Royal life are always accompanied by a fresh release of memorabilia. From Coronation mugs to Jubilee tea towels, almost every household has had at least one item pass through its doors at one time or other.
The Royal Family mean different things to different people, from the staunch royalist to the anti-monarchist, but none can dispute that their presence and impact on public life is as far-reaching and important today as it has ever been.
Those worried that the campaigning frankness of Prince Charles, especially on matters of the environment and architecture, would continue once he had donned the crown, making the role more political, can now rest assured that will not happen.
The new king has clearly learnt from the unrivalled experience of his mother, the late Queen, and is set to put his own stable regal stamp on the coming years.
This creates the ideal circumstances for cultivating a new era of collecting in the royal memorabilia sphere, and this will undoubtedly start with the Coronation in May.
The king is known for wanting a stripped back monarchy and less opulent start to his reign – a noble and sensitive approach in these straitened times – but even he is unlikely to deny his many devotees the opportunity to obtain a small keepsake of what will still be a grand and landmark occasion.
The earliest surviving pieces of Royal memorabilia, some dating to the previous Carolean period of Charles II, can make six-figure sums. However, even Diamond Jubilee mugs specially made for children to mark Queen Victoria’s 60 years on the throne in 1897, appear at auction regularly and can be had for around £150-200. Similar prices can be had for subsequent Coronation mugs, including those for George V and Edward VIII, whose short-lived reign meant that he was never actually crowned.
Oct 28, 2022
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Oct 11, 2022
The BBC becomes an antique on October 18 as it celebrates its 100th birthday. TV has proved a wonderful format for antiques programmes thanks to the magical mix of culture, cash and treasure hunt.
Everyone dreams of having a hidden fortune in the attic. Remember Del Boy and Rodney, from Only Fools And Horses, and the great Harrison watch that brought them millions at Sotheby’s?
This mixture of hope and fascination has made the Antiques Roadshow one of the great BBC success stories of the past half century. But it is not alone in pulling in the viewers and making stars of antiques dealers and auction house specialists.
Some of you will remember the first TV star from the antiques world, a rather unlikely celeb in the form of the late Arthur Negus, who wooed the public with his knowledge of furniture in the late 1960s on Going for a Song. Negus had been an auction house specialist but attracted a cult following thanks to his popular scholarship and a smooth and calm delivery that was the vocal equivalent of a rich patina.
He also made us curious and showed how a thirst for knowledge could widen our aesthetic appreciation and understanding of history, as well as arm us better when in search of a bargain. He took that knowledge onto the Antiques Roadshow when it first launched in 1979, setting the tone and format for the next few decades
Many other experts have proven to be TV friendly down the years, helping to create healthy audience figures for the Beeb and its rivals, as well as entertaining and educating the public more widely on the greatest commercial game of them all. It is indisputable that his enthusiasm and the programmes that followed helped bring the populace en masse into the saleroom and bidding online in a way they did not do before.
So as the BBC celebrates 100, let’s salute Arthur Negus for what he started.
Sep 13, 2022
Students have headed back to college, pupils to schools, but there are also a lot of new graduates and school leavers looking to their careers now. Should they consider becoming auctioneers?
Having started at the bottom and worked my up, I have no regrets. I still think the best way in is the traditional one: starting as a porter at one of the larger auction houses, graduating to cataloguing and developing specialist knowledge in your chosen field while studying for a fine arts valuation qualification. There aren’t many courses left around the country, but they are worth doing if this game is for you.
A lot of the auction business has already gone online and I have no doubt that more will in future. However, I also believe that there will always be brick-and-mortar salerooms for people to visit, view and handle the goods first, particularly at the top end of the market where prices run into the millions. We sell via both channels.
Greeting buyers and browsers face to face in the saleroom means we have the best of both worlds: the chance to deal with people and things. I suspect that has more appeal to most people than cutting out the live human element of the transactional process.
If the past couple of years have taught me anything, it is that the young are very resourceful, tackling the challenges of the pandemic in inspirational ways by harnessing the internet and social media. That tells me that many of them also have the talent to develop the next generation of the international art and antiques market as fresh ideas and ways of selling emerge in tandem with collecting fields.
Auctioneering as a career still holds a lot of promise and the chances of setting up your own business and working for yourself in the long term are greater than in most other industries. It’s something you might want to have a think about.
