The buying guide part 1: the auction house

The Buying Guide Part 1: The Auction House

Auction houses are the source: if you can learn to buy the good pieces from them you're cutting out markups from dealers. Mix visiting auction houses with visiting antique dealers. You'll then learn to spot what a good leg is on a chair, or whether a table is well-made.

Remember that you're not buying the finished article at auction. Often you'll need to recover the chair you've bought, or soak the china to get it looking as you want it.

When buying textiles, hold them up to the light. You can very quickly see if they have been moth-eaten or have wear. Auction houses can be fantastic for vintage textiles which have a lot of different types of uses: curtains, cushions, lampshades & furniture. When you go shopping, you should always bring a tape measure, a phone and a pen to take notes.

Your Assignment

Find an auction house near you and make a list of the items you like. Bid on them if you like, but initially, it's interesting to see how much items sell for and whether they then feel like value for money.

Your Guide to Auction Houses in the UK and US

Buying furniture at auction may prove to be cheaper in the long run, as often the furniture is sturdy and of a superior quality to 'the big box stores'.

Visiting an auction house for the first time can prove to be daunting. In the guide, I will explain how to find local auction houses in your area and how the process works.

Finding Your Local Auction House

Most towns and cities have auction houses. Below are some auction houses in different parts of England, Scotland, Wales, the United States and Australia.

UK Auctioneers is a great resource to find more regionally specific auction houses.

For those based outside of the United Kingdom, Live Auctioneers Auctionzip.com and has a comprehensive auction house directory.

Before Bidding

I suggest that you get acquainted with the auctioning system and attend a few auctions before bidding. This will allow you to best understand the process involved.

You can find auction house catalogues online. The catalogue lists the name of the artist or creator, the pre-sale estimate and a description of the lot. A lot is an individual item or a collection of items that are sold for sale at auction as a single unit.

Bidding

The traditional way of bidding is in the salesroom. In recent years timed online auctions have become more popular. In The UK there is The Saleroom, the Easyliveauction and UKAuctioneers.com. In both Australia and The United States LiveAuctioneers is a good website that acts as a virtual salesroom. To be able to bid for an online auction, you need to register for the website in advance. You must log in to your account on the day of sale and accept the terms and conditions. After that, you can click to watch the auction in the pop-up window and bid live.

Auction House Directory

England

North East

• Kristen Leigh Auctions
• Potters Auction Saleroom
• Prestige Auctions

North West

• The Lancashire Auction House
• Bolton Auction Rooms

Yorkshire

• Tennants Auctioneers
• Halfway Auctions

East Midlands

• Robert Bell & Company
• Churchgate Auctions Ltd
• Arthur Johnson's and Sons

West Midlands

• Brightwells
• Nock Deighton
• A.S.H. Auctions

South East

• Antiques & Collectors Corner Auctions
• Ewbank's
• Chaucer Auctions

South West

• British Bespoke Auctions
• West Of England Auction
• Bonhams
• Michael Bowman
• Pyle's Auction
• West of England Auctions

East of England

• Willingham Auctions
• Cheffins Fine Art
• Golding Young
• Mawer Bourne
• Batemans of Stamford
• Suffolk Clarke & Simpson Auctions Ltd
• Durrants Auction Rooms

London

• Bonhams
• Sotheby's
• Citerion Auctioneers Ltd
• Chiswick Auctions
• Roseberys London

Scotland

• Taylors Auctions
• McTear's
• Paul Alexander Auctioneers
• Lindsay Burns & Company
• Auctioneers & Valuers & Iain M. Smith Auctioneer

Wales

• Peter Francis
• Anthemion Auctions
• Cooper Barrington

Northern Ireland

• Bloomfield Auctions
• AuctionsNI

United States

New York

• Roland Auctions New York
• Hutter Auction Galleries
• Grand Bazaar NYC
• Brooklyn Flea

California

• South Coast Auction
• Abell Auction Company
• Bonhams Los Angeles

Texas

• Bright Star Antiques Co
• Austin Auction Gallery
• Antiques.lovetoknow

Australia

• Sotheby's Australia
• Principal Antique Auctions
• Kim's Auctions

Quick Tips for Washing Ceramics

Earthenware

Earthenware is the most common type of ceramics you'll find in department stores.

Porcelain

Porcelain is durable and extremely nonporous with a milky white appearance.

Stoneware

Stoneware is fired at high temperatures, making it nonporous. Stoneware is versatile and easy to maintain.

Stubborn Stains

Before washing ceramics inspect the pieces closely, checking that no areas have been damaged, glued or restored. Remove stubborn stains by soaking ceramics in biological washing powder overnight and rinsing thoroughly. Biological washing powder contains enzymes that break down grease, fat and other stains. This is commonly known in North America as enzyme laundry detergents. In America, you can use Arm & Hammer Powder Laundry Detergents to soak the ceramics or other enzyme laundry detergent. In the UK we recommend using Ariel's biological washing powder, although most biological washing powders should work. For those based in Australia, we recommend Omo with A Touch of Comfort Inspired Freshness.

Common Ways That Ceramics Become Damaged Through Cleaning

• Don't wash your ceramics in the dishwasher. The detergents are harsh and erode the surface of the ceramics. Also, the high temperature in the dishwasher can cause thermal shock, fracturing the ceramics.
• Don't use scourers or wire wool on the ceramics. This will scratch the surface, damaging the ceramics.
• Don't use bleach, although initially, it may appear as if bleach is helpful, it is not. In the long term, bleach permeates the body and glaze discolouring ceramics.
• Don't use abrasive cream cleaners, they can damage delicate decoration on ceramics dulling them.
• Rinse items as soon as possible after use. Certain foods and food acids can cause staining if left to stand for long periods.
• Sharp cutlery should be avoided where possible as it will scratch the surface of the china.
• Never place a hot ceramic pan directly in cold water. Although the pans can withstand very high and low temperatures, rapid and severe changes in temperatures can affect your cookware.