“Attendance at the Three Counties Showground actually appeared to be much greater than usual, despite local flooding,” said auctioneer Christopher Mauklin.
The range of goods which brought the bidders included a violin which was knocked down to a dealer at £2800, the day’s top price.
The c.1906 instrument bore the label of the respected maker George Graske and was probably boosted in value by the chance find – among the consignment of books from the same source – of the retailer’s original promotional booklet and receipt for £20.
The demand for tea caddies was once again highlighted by the performance of a tortoiseshell veneer caddy of rectangular form.
This relatively modest piece, consigned from a deceased estate, sold in “good condition” to a London dealer over estimate at £1650.
The silver section was led by an oval engraved tray, 18in (46cm) wide weighing 104oz which was presented to a member of the local vendor’s family by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in 1906.
The piece generated pre-sale interest from a number of sporting enthusiasts including Spurs Supporters Club, but it was a telephone bidder who took the final hammer to £1600.
And the garden bench?
Although in rather distressed condition, it sold to at £420.
John Goodwin, Ledbury, November 1
Buyer’s premium: 12.5 per cent
Bids flood in as buyers brave the weather
THE flooded Welsh Marches in November didn’t augur well for sales but the Herefordshire auctioneers even managed to find a buyer for a highly unseasonal garden seat.
