Smiths Auctions and the team have had a fantastic week, firstly celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the company with a special viewing day on Tuesday, followed by an incredible two-day auction on Thursday and Friday that saw competitive bidding and exciting results.

The special viewing day on Tuesday was attended by the original founder of the company, the current owners, many current and former members of staff, and plenty of customers.

It was a great opportunity for people to not only view the July sale but also to experience the newly refurbished sale room, and Smiths colleagues were glad to hear so much positive feedback about the improved space.

Smith Newent
(Smiths)

Moving onto day one of the sale and Smiths saw some fantastic prices achieved. The auction started with the ceramics and glass section that had just over 200 lots and did extremely well with many items exceeding the top estimate.

A very large collection of blue and white Spode was consigned, and the team felt it necessary to split it into smaller groups, with the total hammer price for everything reaching almost £1,500.

In the silver section the standout lot was a group of Georgian cutlery that sold for £4,100. Other items that did well included a four-piece tea and coffee set that sold for £1,450, and an impressive Georgian cruet stand with silver topped bottles that sold for £1,000.

At the lower end, but still impressive nonetheless was a sweet little white metal llama that sold for £110 against its £30-£50 estimate. The silver section was a massive success across the board with the precious metal being well sought after by both dealers and collectors.

After the buzz of the silver section, Smiths moved into the jewellery and watch section which didn’t disappoint. Jewellery is always the most popular section, and the star of the show was the Theo Fennell 18ct gold charm bracelet that sold for £8,000.

A beautiful reliquary filigree pendant with hallmarks for the Vatican City was in poor condition but proved popular with bidders, estimated at just £40-£60 because of its condition, it was a great surprise when the hammer fell at £820. Brands including Omega, Rolex and Tudor were as popular as ever in the watch section, with a ladies Rolex selling for £740, and a gents Omega Geneve selling for £390.

Toys was the final section of the day for day one and started well with the carousel horse selling for £500. The steam models were the big hitters with a Mamod London bus being the top seller at £620, with all the other Mamods exceeding their top estimates.

Train sets were also well sought after with most groups falling within or above the presale estimate. Die cast vehicles aren’t generally the most popular items, but again they have levels, and Smiths found that the good quality examples did well.

Day two kicked off in the books and ephemera section. The James Bond books sold well with For Your Eyes Only the best seller at £320, closely followed by Dr No at £310. The Wasp Factory first edition book by Iain Banks was popular with bidders and sold for £95.

The collectables section is always an interesting area and one of the most likely sections for a nice surprise. This sale was no different, with a cast iron moneybox in the form of three baseball players selling for £520 against a £20-£40 estimate.

A pair of brass wall lights again far exceeded estimate hammering down at £240 against a £20-£40 estimate. The collectables section covers a wide range of items and is a section that Smiths like to have filled with intriguing and quality items.

The pictures section had some fantastic results. Paintings that are done by a recognised artist, or that are painted particularly well, will always attract interest. An oil on canvas of a Jewish family at dinner by Swiezaczyuski is a good example, selling for £580 with multiple bidders competing for it.

At the other end of the scale, pretty little watercolour scenes and paintings by unknown artists are far too common and unfortunately never do particularly well. It’s a tricky one for the team at Smiths because art is very subjective, however moving forward the pictures section is something that may become smaller and more considered.

Furniture was the final section of the sale and Smiths had a good variety of furniture up for auction and all priced very reasonably. An 18th century French elm dining table was the top selling item at £300, closely followed by a large Victorian curved back settle that made £250. The furniture generally did well and was a good end to what was a fantastic week for Smiths.

Smiths are now inviting quality entries by appointment for their 13th and 14th of August antiques and collectables sale.

You can contact them on 01531 821776 or head over to www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk for more information.