Here, Edward Rycroft, head of furniture at Hansons Auctioneers, reveals the top lots in his most recent furniture and clocks auction, and the great buys to be had.
If you love vintage and antique furniture, there is no better place to find a good buy than the auction room.
I adore the quality and workmanship of antique furniture and I’m often astonished by prices achieved – big and small.
In our most recent auction, some pieces saw good prices for the vendors whilst others offered outstanding value for money for the buyers.
For example, Lot 4076, a set of six George I oak chairs estimated at only £80 to £100, sold for £250.
Meanwhile Lot 4085, a pair of French mahogany marble-topped bedside tables, were estimated at £250 to £350 but sold for £520, showing that good small pieces are still desirable.
Other strong items included Lot 4118, a McIntosh sideboard which made £750; Lot 4151, a Victorian pier cabinet which fetched £210, and Lot 4223, a set of Arts and Crafts chairs which sold for £340.
As well as the strong prices, there were plenty of bargains to be had. Lot 4069, an Art Deco armchair sold for £5; Lot 4083, an Edwardian mahogany bureau sold for £20; Lot 4117, three travelling trunks sold for £12, lot 4130, a Georgian chest of drawers sold for £65; Lot 4145, a George III mahogany corner cupboard sold for £18 and most astonishingly, lot 4207, a contemporary dresser base sold for £5 – a total bargain!
Other items such as corner cupboards and standard lamps went under the hammer and some sold for just a few pounds. Several buyers bagged some bargains.
Hansons saleroom is also a good place to source high quality rugs. For example, Lot 4257, a Persian carpet estimated at £200 to £300, fetched £440, more than double the lower estimate.
Hansons is also a good place to find a wide array of clocks. In our March sale, Lot 4001A, a longcase inscribed ‘John Whitehurst, Congleton’ was valued at around £700 to £800 but fetched £1,100. Despite the condition, which was poor and required work, the rarity of the mechanism is what sold the clock.
Other longcase clocks were contested to around £200 to £300, reflecting good value time pieces.
Other time pieces in the sale included Vienna wall clocks and mantle clocks making around £40 to £80. A perpetual calendar also sold in the saleroom for £200.
Then there was Lot 4035, a Black Forest cuckoo clock. Estimated at a sound £100 to £110, it sold for £220, double the upper estimate.
Another clock which tickes the boxes at auction was Lot 4048, a 19th Century garniture clock set. Its guide price was £100 to £150 but it sold for £220.
Entries are invited for future furniture and clock sales at Hansons Auctioneers. To arrange a free valuation, email [email protected]s.co.uk. Free home visit valuations can also be arranged by calling 01283 733988.
