Christie’s South Kensington, who this year launched a new range of Sunday sales as part of a seven-days-a-week opening initiative, have refocussed the content of these weekend auctions. Collectors’ categories such as cameras, posters and toys were part of this year’s schedule, but from January the Sunday sale format will be exclusively for monthly classic house-style sales of single-owner collections, with “a wide range of objects and works of art that will enhance any interior” from carpets to coffee tables and pictures. First off will be The Collishaw Collection on January 22.
CSK chairman Hugh Edmeades said 2005’s piloting of weekend opening and sales had proved more successful in some categories than others. Collectors’ sales have a following who will buy at any time, but the new Sunday sales will target home-decorating weekend shoppers.
Christie’s mid-week At Home sales, launched in 2003, will also grow as Interior Sales, run twice a month, with more home-furnishing categories, and every lot illustrated in the new shopping-style Magalogues.
Meanwhile, Sotheby’s will re-organise regular furniture sales at Olympia into different specialised categories to better target buyers.
At present Sotheby’s Olympia hold eight to ten all-encompassing furnishings sales a year, styled as The Interior Decorator. From February these will make way for three categories: The 19th century Interior, with Empire, Regency and Victorian material, and more glizty Belle Epoque fare; the thrice-yearly The 18th century Interior, encompassing baroque, rococo and classical pieces, standard Georgian and Continental fare and 18th century-style pieces from later periods; and Antiques for the Modern Home, with a broader mix of decorative and classic furniture. Jeremy Morrison, head of furniture, said the more electic mix would cover material that does not fit the two more specialised categories: small collections and mixed property consignors don’t want to split. Minimum lot values for all sales will stay at £1000.
Mr Morrison said the new, more select approach would target buyers better and allow Sotheby’s “to see what areas of the market are doing well,” allowing them to reach strong markets.
Sotheby’s and Christie’s alter sales formats to woo home furnishers
imminent changes to the furniture and objects sales at two London rooms underscore the need to woo private, home-furnishing buyers and bolster more traditional sectors of the auction market.
