A late September Lincoln Collective sale warmed the cockles of this traditional valuer’s heart due to the range of old school items not only achieving exceptional prices, but creating immense pre and post sale interest.
The reality of all sales and attitudes to buying is people will always collect objects, but over time these objects change. The fear for provincial salerooms is a lack of new buyers coming through under the age of 40 who require the same things that the same age group wanted in the late 80s and early 90s.
Such collectors exist, but their tastes are narrow and often only consume items they grew up with, rarities and limited editions rather than usable items. They buy Nike trainers, Pokemon cards and Lebron James basketball cards, all things rarely seen in the provinces but things making prices as eye watering as the tears shed when a George III chest of drawers doesn’t sell for what it did 45 years ago.
It is heartening to see more traditional pieces making good prices and this sale included a collection of 19th century and later swords, atlases from a similar period and staples like coins and medals which exceeded expectation as did the first lot in the sale, a George III navette tea caddy. This stalwart of salerooms expertly made and decorated with tiny pieces of rolled paper to produce a floral and decorative scene on the elongated pointed oval (navette) body, was a great addition to the proceedings and deserved its place as the opening lot.
It is a traditionally high valued and sought after item, dating from the 1790s or there about and illustrating the skill and stature of those greatest of makers: the Georgians.
It had its issues; pieces lacking, a little dirty and tired and was not pre loved by the vendor as it was found in an old, dated box, with little love or appreciation seen. This highlights the importance of using an RICS firm like ours, an expert eye, description and photographs placed on two world seen online platforms led to the £400 changing hands to an American buyer a piece which may have been discarded elsewhere.
Here we maximise interest, find the right buyer and prove even the traditional items weeded out of dusty boxes can turn into big reward with a little help from Golding Young!
The sale also showed this price was no fluke when an extremely rare copy of the R. Montgomery Martin The Illustrated Atlas Of The World Geographical, Political, Commercial and Statistical (they don’t write them like that anymore!) went through the same sale. As the illustration shows, it may also have been overlooked at first glances looking like just another book.
It was 19th century in date and as traditional and complete as you like. This gem brought out a host of map and atlas collectors and buyers throughout the world and is again testament to the power this saleroom’s global reach has in finding new owners when £4200 changed hands to a buyer on the telephone.
Yes the atlas was complete and a great rarity, but vendors need the vehicle to advertise these things and find the correct buyers and Golding Young showed once again its ability to do this.
There is room for all buyers and all objects and we will link them through world class diligence, advertising and reputation.
If you have anything you need to find a buyer for from Georgian chests to Michael Jordan vests let us help you find them!
