Saleroom Manager Bill Nelson shares his appreciation for our customers over a period of change for the auction house. He also outlines the system in place to manage the huge number of items coming through for sale with us.
“This week, I have been looking at the number of items we consistently have coming forward for auction and realised again what brilliant and understanding clients we have.
“Last year, while we built and finished our additional saleroom, we were restricted in the number of lots we could fit into sales and even had to cancel or postpone several. This meant clients had a long wait for their items to be entered into the sales. We thank them for their patience during that disruption.
“Now the build is complete and the four salerooms are fully operational, the waiting times are coming down, and we can sell without future interruptions to the sales calendar.
“There’s also a clear process for items coming to auction. Here’s an insight:
- We visit clients’ houses and appraise what is or isn’t suitable for sale at auction. This includes advising clients on clearances and downsizing, helping arrange transport, and estimating item values.
- We run a calendar booking system for receiving items and entering them into sales according to the order they arrive.
- Our specialist valuers produce a list of accepted goods, allowing us to calculate each sale’s space requirements. Lee handles the logistics of receiving goods and arranges dates for the receipt of the items, which will be coded with the vendor’s personal code.
- The saleroom team unpacks and displays items for each auction using the vendor’s personal codes.
- Items put forward for our regular sales (Antiques, Vintage, and Collectables; Antique, Vintage, and Later Furniture and Furnishings and Pictures; and Artwork and Imagery Featuring the Gallery of Affordable Art) may move through the system quicker than those entering our less frequent, specialist sales (such as Collectable Stamps, Cigarettes Cards and Postcards, or, Toys, Models, and Railwayana).
“This structured system allows us to be as fair as possible with all vendors.
“We kindly ask customers to follow Lee’s guidance. For instance, if three boxes are booked with Lee, we ask customers to stick to that limit and not bring more, as that is unfair to other clients waiting for space in a sale. There is always the option to make another appointment to have more goods appraised and entered into future sales.
“Please contact us if you have further questions about the process or want to enter items for sale.”