October Auction to be re-scheduled

We are very sorry to have to announce that the General Auction due to take place tomorrow (Thursday, 8th October) has been cancelled. Unfortunately, our Auctioneer, Gary Barnes, has been struck down with laryngitis and cannot utter a word.
Please note that the sale will be re-scheduled for next week - the exact date to be announced shortly.
Once again, please accept our apologies - normal service will be resumed soon.

Bob Dylan's Harmonica - David and Goliath

In all of the thirty years that I have been in the antique trade, nothing has excited me more than the Bob Dylan harmonica that we sold yesterday for just under £3,000 (£2,700 hammer + £270 premium). I have sold more expensive things - Georgian furniture for example - but nothing like this. Nothing so iconic.

The moment the vendor entrusted us with his prized possession, I knew that we had a responsibilty to exceed his expectations, because sometimes auctioneering is about selling silver-plated flatware and sometimes it is about realising dreams. We realised his dream yesterday when a local collector outbid potential buyers from London, America, and Japan, and bought a piece of Bob Dylan history. This man has followed Bob Dylan all his life "I just had to have it" he said afterwards.

The saleroom erupted in applause at the fall of the hammer. Actually, that brings me onto the real story here. You see, I don't have a hammer or a gavel. I have a pen and a clipboard: we're not Sotheby's. We are a provincial auction house that has made headlines across the world. We have sold something that all of the major auction houses competed to have in their catalogues. We are David and each one of them is a Goliath. They have millions of pounds in hand to dominate the market. We have a stone and a sling. So just how did we do it? How did we beat everyone else to secure the sale of such an important item? We did it by offering a bespoke service. We did it by having an intimate knowledge of our customers. We sold the harmonica for five times the estimate because actually we are pretty good at what we do.

Tomorrow is another day and another deal. Something else will be in the news and this will all die down. But be in absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Barnes Auctioneers is a business thriving at a time when good news is hard to find.

Two exceptional lots for this Thursday's General Auction

A Moorcroft ginger jar (LOT - 1,000) and an original pastel by Ken Paine (LOT - 600)

More photographs for next Thursday's Auction

Here we have:

LOT 502 - Steward Patteson Finch & Co stoneware flagon

LOT 820 - 19th Century wooden box inlaid with Mother of Pearl

LOT 618 - Satsuma vase

LOT 800 - Coalport Willow Pattern bowl

LOT 901 - Pair of miniature Satsuma vases

We will continue to post pictures over the course of the next few days so keep watching!

More lots for next Thursday's General Auction

Here we have five Royal Doulton figurines:

LOT 759 - 'Julia'

LOT 760 - 'Coralie'

LOT 761 - 'Belle'

LOT 765 - 'Daydreams'

LOT 769 - 'Hilary'

We have a vast number of Royal Doulton, Coalport, and other figurines in the sale so do contact us for more details at barnesauctioneers@btinternet.com

Featured Lots - General Auction 10th September

Over the course of the next few days we'll be featuring some of the lots we have in next Thursday's General Auction - so keep coming back to see the photographs as they are posted.

Here we have:

LOT 979 - a cased Super Chromonica Harmonica, M.Hohner, dedicated and signed by Bob Dylan in 1974 to a member of his wardrobe department Est 400-600

LOT 977 - Job lot of watches including Elgin pocket watch (pictured), Timex, Avia, Rotary, etc

LOT 700 - Monkleigh Pottery, North Devon, fruit bowl

FAB Launch Today

FAB, a new service provided by Barnes Auctioneers, launches today.

Congratulations to Mike Bristow for correctly guessing that FAB stands for Fairs and Auctions Bulletin. He has won £50 which may be spent at The Cloisters antique and collectables fair during September.

FAB is an e-bulletin delivered to your inbox on a weekly basis. It will contain details of all the antique fairs, car boot sales, fleamarkets, auctions, etc that are taking place during the week in our area as an aid to planning your diary.

FAB will also offer other services including networking opportunities for those working within the business, special offers and promotions, news and information, etc.

FAB will also contain a classifieds section enabling you to promote your business, sell your stuff, or make announcements.

If you would like to subscribe or to know more about FAB, then simply email f_a_b@btinternet.com

Mixed Lot

One feature of any decent auction is social diversity and inclusion. Lot 190, the hallmarked silver box, is just as likely to be bought by someone living in a terraced house as someone living in a mansion. Ok, so the 8ft tall Edwardian mahogany bookcase might fit a little easier in the mansion, but antiques and collectables appeal to a wide variety of people and it's this aspect of our business that appeals to me - money is money is money and it doesn't matter to me who hands it over.
There is a mix of experience too. Consider the punter who offered me £150 for a table recently. The table hadn't met it's reserve at the previous auction (the reserve was £100). The vendor instructed me to sell it post-sale for whatever I could get. "Just make me a reasonable offer" I said to the potential buyer. "£150?" he said. "That's more than the reserve" I advised, having expected him to say £80. "I know!" he exclaimed, almost offended that I had cautioned his tactic. "Sold" I said and the buyer left with a big grin on his face, convinced that he had acquired a bargain.
There are bargains to be had at an auction too. Out-of-town superstores will sell you a three-piece leather suite for many hundreds if not thousands of pounds. You could buy a second-hand one in almost as good condition for a fraction of the price. And no one would know any different.
Entries for our next auction on 10th September are progressing well. We still need more lots so do contact us on 01603 304337 or barnesauctioneers@btinternet.com if you have stuff you want to sell. We accept entries right up until 6pm on Wednesday, 9th September.
You're running out of time if you are attempting to guess what FAB stands for. No one has guessed correctly so far. Perhaps we should play hangman? Fa--- and A------ B----t--
The Cloisters Fair was a little quiet yesterday - although most stallholders appeared to have a good to reasonable day. August is usually slow - the beach, picnics in the local park, holidays abroad: they are the natural activities of summer. September should see a return to normal, although nothing is normal in our business.

FAB Clue 3

This is Clue 3 - FAB is coming, but what does it stand for? A hint - FAB = F and A B

FAB Clue 2

FAB Clue 1

FAB to be launched during August 2009

FAB will be launched during August 2009 by Barnes Auctioneers. But just what is it? Many of us remember the iconic Thunderbirds television series produced in the 1960's, marionette stars such as Jeff Tracey, Virgil, Brains, and not forgetting Lady Penelope. Nor forgetting the machines either, like Thunderbirds 1 and 2 - and Tracey Island of course!

FAB isn't a Thunderbirds re-make, nor is it anything to do with puppets. It is just as exciting though - and it will be here soon.

1st Edition Harry Potter in Book Auction Tomorrow

It's our Specialist Book Auction at St Andrew's Hall in Norwich tomorrow and we have some super lots to interest you, including a 1st Edition, 1st printing, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, number sequence 10987654321. It's attracted quite a bit of media interest, so listen in to the radio and check the newspapers for more information.

If you would like a catalogue for tomorrow's sale, just email us barnesauctioneers@btinternet.com and we will send you one. The sale starts at 9am and finishes at 2pm. It's a written-bid auction so you can come at any point between those times and leave your bid. Payment is by cash or cheque only and buyer's premium is 10%.

98% of lots sell at July General Auction

It was quite a record for all concerned at Barnes Auctioneers last week when 98% of lots sold at our General Auction on Thursday. Everything from a Persian carpet to a beautiful pair of mother-of-pearl opera glasses, an Edwardian inlaid mahogany bed to a box of DVDs - all sold. Our next General Auction is on Thursday, 13th of August and we are already accepting entries.

In the meantime, we are preparing for our specialist book auction on Thursday, 23rd July. We are accepting entries up to and including Saturday, 18th July - so do contact us to discuss your books.

Tomorrow is The Cloisters Fair at St Andrew's Hall - make sure you pop in to say hello.