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For those of you that don’t already know me, I’m Jade, one of the account co-ordinators here at William George. I started working with this amazing team at the beginning of last year, so I’ve been fortunate enough to witness peaks in market trends as the seasons change.
I have an automotive background in the auction industry, so whilst I already knew my fair share about auctions, it’s been really exciting to be able to expand my knowledge by learning about all the different categories of items that we have to sell, from retail returns to art and antiques.
Here I’ve taken some time to reflect on some of the most interesting and exciting items we’ve sold during 2022 and some of my personal favourites, in no particular order.
A young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in December 21st-23rd 1944 at Windsor Castle. A rare original photograph, Christmas Pantomime Programme and a ticket for the "Old Mother Red Riding Boots" Christmas Pantomime. A rare trio of items.
For a royalist like me, this is such an exciting piece to come to auction. This original photograph of the late Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret taken in 1944 came to us to sell right at the beginning of 2022 and as you can imagine it was hugely popular, attracting lots of interest from bidders and the press alike. What a great way to kick off the year!
Original Beatles Art presentation. Bearing the original authenticated signatures of not only John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, but also Peter Blake and George Martin. Within the presentation is an original Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band record and sleeve. Each photograph is mounted separately on a floral material background and the Sgt. Peppers logo in the centre is a hand painted work of art. The four Beatles silhouette is a cut-out, giving a 3D effect. This truly unique very large work of art would be loved by any serious Beatles fan or collector. The presentation came accompanied with a full authentication certificate verifying the original signatures.
This was a real showstopper from one of our collectable memorabilia auctions over the summer. It was purchased by a Beatles collector, fetching £12,000 on the hammer. It certainly is a unique, interesting piece which will surely have taken pride of place in the buyer’s collection.
5.26 CTS natural fire opal colour: multi-coloured. Weight: 5.36 carats black diamond-0.10 carats. Cutting style: brilliant modified cut. Shape: oval Clarity: VVS, transparent.
Just one of many really eye-catching items of jewellery from one of our lovely regular sellers. A one-of-a-kind ring which I really wish I could have bought for myself. There’s just something about opals which really fascinates me! Everything this vendor sends us to auction is lovingly handmade. They really do take the utmost care in sourcing their gemstones and take pride in every piece that is made before it comes to us to auction.
Another really interesting piece that sold at auction early on in the year. I recently went to view one of the remaining Concorde planes in Manchester, and whilst I’m not an aviation expert by anyone’s standards, it really was a sight to behold! This blade was part of one of the Concorde planes that was flown by the famous Mike Bannister, previously Chief Pilot of British Airways Concorde fleet. He also signed the blade!
Category: standard small domestic appliances.
This included:
- Crock-Pot CSC051 Express Electric
- Tefal Ultraglide+ Steam Iron
- Dualit 1.5L Electric Kettle, Black
- Dreamland Fleece Easy Fit Dual Control Heated. Power Air Fryer XL 5L, Black
- Bosch TWK7507GB Vision 1.7L Kettle
- Panasonic NN-E27JWMBPQ Microwave
- Bosch TWK7507GB Vision 1.7L Kettle
- Sage the Compact Kettle Pure
- Panasonic NN-E27JWMBPQ Microwave
- Lavazza A Modo Mio MilkEasy Milk Frother
- De'Longhi Simbolo Electric Kettle, White
- De'Longhi Simbolo Electric Kettle, Black
- Kenwood BLP31.D0WG Blend-Xtract 3-in-1
- Dualit Milk Frother, Black
- Bosch MS8CM6160G MaxoMixx 1000W
- Kenwood BLP31. D0WG Blend-Xtract 3-in-1
- Dualit 1.5L Electric Kettle, Canvas White
- Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Espresso Coffee
- Lavazza MilkUp Milk Frother, 0.18L, Black
- Sage the Risotto Plus, Silver
- Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Espresso Coffee
- Tassimo Suny Coffee Machine by Bosch
- Lavazza A Modo Mio Idola Coffee Machine
- Dreamland Boutique Hotel Cotton Mattress
- Vax S86-SF-C Steam Fresh Combi
- Ninja BN650UK AutoiQ Food Processor
- Morphy Richards 501025 Perfect Soup
- Dualit 1.5L Electric Kettle, Black
- Morphy Richards 501021 Compact
- Philips GC4908/86 Azur Steam Iron, Black
- Dreamland Sherpa Electric Underblanket
Just imagine how happy our buyer was when they received this returns pallet. This lot came to us directly from a major UK retailer and contained 33 branded items including Sage, Morphy Richards and Lavazza. Purchased at £450, the original RRP was over £2,072 meaning the buyer saved a whopping £1,622 by purchasing at auction. I think if it were me, I’d be feeling extremely smug. We hold at least two of these auctions every week so don’t feel like you’ve missed out, there’s plenty more of these to bid for!
Set of five Banksy Dismaland aerosol and stencil on cardboard. Each one bears the mention "BANKSY IS DISMAL" with stamp from Dismaland and is numbered on the reverse. Supplied with a copy of Dismaland full colour brochure, Dismaland entrance ticket and a Dismaland flyer with map. Professionally framed and glassed front and back for protection.
I have been fortunate enough to view several Banksy pieces this year for the first time during a trip to Amsterdam. This art will always be controversial, but I just love how it gets people talking. Dismaland was a temporary art project that took place during the months of August and September 2015 taking the form of an amusement park. Created by Banksy, it was located in Weston super-Mare on the site of a former recreation area. These boxes were strewn in the park, visitors finding them could leave with them.
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I don’t know what it was about lockdown and BBQs, but I became obsessed with grilling absolutely everything! I’ve actually picked this shiny number out due to the bargain price it was purchased for though. This lucky bidder got this for just over 10% of the RRP…what a steal!
I genuinely considered redecorating my home office when this desk came to auction. What a gorgeous piece of furniture. This was another real bargain for one of our bidders who purchased it for £150 as new, with the original RRP at £549.99. I rarely look at any items brand new anymore, working in this industry has turned me into a serial bargain hunter!
The second-generation C/K was introduced for the 1967 model year. Designated the "Action Line" generation by General Motors, the C/K largely carried over its drop-centre ladder frame and its coil-sprung rear axle, but the body was redesigned from the ground up to improve its capability as a multi-purpose vehicle. Alongside a utilitarian vehicle intended for work or farm use, the C/K was also offered with optional features carried over from Chevrolet sedans, including automatic transmissions, AM/FM radio, carpet, and two-tone paint.
If it’s possible for someone to fall in love with a vehicle, then I can tell you it happened to me when I saw this truck! This stunning motor sold in one of our monthly plant & automotive auctions, fetching £12,000 on the hammer. It was lovingly refurbished by one of our regular sellers who parted ways with it in August. I really don’t know if I would be able to do it!
Who doesn’t love a Chanel, right?! This is just one of many gorgeous, pre-loved items that came to us to auction last year. We are really passionate about sustainability here, reducing waste and saving items from landfill wherever we can. In 2022 we began holding regular clothing & accessories auctions which have proven popular with our fellow climate conscious and bargain hunting bidders.
I know there are only 10 examples here, but there are SO many more that I could spend all day reeling off for you.
If you haven’t already started buying at auction, now is the time to do it. With the cost of living crisis already hitting most of us pretty hard, what better way is there to save money than buying from the secondary market?
It’s a really great way of making money too, so if you have anything you’d like to consider getting into an auction with us please do get in touch, myself and the team will be here to guide you through every step of the way.