The Gorringes End of Year Review 2019
2019 ended on a high with a sleeping Chinese vase that opened at £400 and, after prolonged bidding, ended at £270,000. Opinion was split within the UK trade but the three Chinese bidders all seemed to agree that the vase was of the Daoguang period.
This year has seen a continued rise in popularity for the weekly sale. Every Monday sees 700-800 lots on offer, all catalogued and photographed with online listing. Attendance on the sale day fluctuates as online bidders now dominate the proceedings. David often has to wait for 20-30 lots to sell online before he sells a lot to a bidder in the room. This is good news for vendors and food for thought for the auctioneers.
Online bidders are coming to expect a service that matches the giants such as Amazon and this is not so easily replicated by a small scale business with such diverse (and often imperfect) goods for sale. Nevertheless we aim to continue to improve our offering to meet the demands of an auction world that would seem quite unbelievable if viewed from 20 years ago.
2020 will bring new challenges and, all things going to plan, 28,000 fresh items to be receipted, researched, catalogued, photographed, lotted, displayed, condition reported, sold, stored, packed and posted. Bring it on!
Some featured lots from 2019:
January
A Radio One Club autograph album, c.1968
Sold for £1,100
February
A Steiff centre seam bear, c.1908
Sold for £1,500
March
An extremely rare Girl-on-a-Horse or Compass Marked group of a young lady riding a piebald horse, c.1755
Sold for £13,000
April
A Chinese sang de boeuf inkwell
Sold for £6,000
May
A Dutch miniature white metal ewer, a lantern and eleven other miniature novelties
Sold for £4,400
June
Johannes Kirchring the Younger. Psalter in the German translation of Martin Luther.
Sold for £28,000
July
A Victorian yellow metal and gem set heart shaped 'regard' pendant locket
Sold for £1,800
August
Richards, J.M - High Street, illustrated by Eric Ravilious
Sold for £1,400
September
An Aldo Tura (1909-63) italian lacquered goatskin cocktail cabinet
Sold for £2,100
October
Nicolas de Stael (1914-1955) Composition
Sold for £250,000
November
A Victorian mahogany and brass bound campaign chest
Sold for £1,000
December
A Chinese blue and white bottle vase, Daoguang seal mark
Sold for £230,000
2020 Sales Calendar
Keep an eye out on the Lots we have coming up this year by viewing our latest sales
