Auction Houses

Having only ever bought items at auctions and having no experience of the service they provide in selling, was wondering whether anyone on NP has first hand experience in disposing of items through Auction Houses.
Most of my purchases were back in the 1980s to 2010 and several of the Auction Houses no longer exist. My most recent purchases were through GCRA at Stoneleigh and they are certainly professional in the service they provided but I know nothing about selling through them.
Can anyone give a recommendation on the service they have received from the various Auction Houses they have sold through?

On another tack what have been the outstanding moments you might have witnessed when attending an auction?

 

Not quite an auction, but I remember the late Mike Higson had to sell a large number of his personal effects as a result of a messy divorce in the late 1960s.
At the Tyseley open day in September 1968 he had a nameplate from The Great Bear for sale for 100 guineas.
I suggested to my late father that it would be a good investment, but he wasn't convinced.
Does anyone know where it went?

 

That would have been an extremely good investment. At today's values 100 guineas would be worth about £2000. The Great Bear in Auction today? £30000+?

 

Cannot remember the precise year (could look it up) but Mallard's smokebox plate sold for £22000, or thereabouts, at Stoneleigh. I was sitting next to the winning bidder and throughout bidding he was sweating nervously. Dunno if it was the excitement or the ever rising cost. He seemed pleased at the end and phoned his wife to say he got it, so she must have been agreeable.

 

One of my earliest childhood memories is seeing that plate on the back wall of Mike's premises (Roundhouse Books) in High Street, Northwood, round about 1967. Much later I bought many things from his establishments in Harrow-on-the-Hill and Kingston, but I never saw that plate again.

 

A few years back was delivering to "Kneller House" (according to my manifest) in Twickenham. Turned out to be Kneller Hall, the Army music training establishment. The nameplate was mounted on a wall inside the Gatehouse. Used to be on the railings outside but moved. I wonder why?

 

No personal experience but for Railwayana, you could try GW Railwayana Auctions.

https://www.gwra.co.uk/

I think that perhaps [member] Breva has purchased from them in the past.

Perhaps he will along later.

 

I have looked at their site and they seem pretty professional but I as hoping someone could give me some positive feedback from their own experiences.
Thanks for posting anyway.

 

I can recommend GWRA - positive experiences there both as a seller and a buyer

 

Bought from most over the years, if selling I would be choosing between GCRA and GWRA.

 

From personal experience, I would NOT recommend Staffordshire/Crewe Heritage Railwayana/Railwayana UK or whatever he calls himself these days. He has 'lost' this sign:

I'm still waiting.....

 

I have heard poor feedback re: this Auction House in the past.

 

I hear the one at Crewe Heritage Centre at the weekend wasn't particularly successful or well attended. 18% commission putting buyers and sellers off?

 

18% (which includes VAT) is the buyer's premium. There is also seller commission, nominally 10% + VAT (negotiable for more valuable consigments), so the amount of "friction" is considerable on the sale/purchaae of an item at auction.