TOPIC:

If the prices achieved at Spink today are anything to go by, our hobby us in rude health! I was one of 4 people in the room with a host of internet and phone bidders vying for the medals on offer. Some went for silly money. I was happy to walk away with the ABO to Leibbrandt which is a good research product.

Does anyone have a contrary view to my assertion as enunciated above?

Regards

Rory

Rory,

I was thinking about you at the auction today and whether it might be you who was the room bidder for some of the items.

No, based on the evidence of today, I totally agree with you. Some of the material was very good today and the prices certainly matched and, in many cases, exceeded my expectations. I still cannot fathom some of the prices realised; the 5th Lancers Elandslaagte pair to Harmer, the NZMR/FID pair to Coleman, the Wepener casualty to Pte Thomas, The QSA to Captain Biddington ... I could go on!

From what I am hearing auction prices are exceeding expectations in all fields.

Furniture and ceramics dealers tell me that it is impossible to buy at auction at the moment, as pieces are fetching at least four times what they can sell similar items for in their shops.
Prices are reaching up to twenty times low estimate.

So, it is not just medals.

And no one seems to know why.
Perhaps it is the last hurrah before everyone has to tighten their belts?

For me the GBP1900 for the QSA to Tpr A.D. Gunn, Southern Rhodesian Volunteers was a surprise.

Nothing found on him in my casualty list.

I saw some of the early bids and had a suspicion that some of the prices could have been healthy. And healthy they were, I didn’t waste my time staying ‘up’ for a couple of items I had my eye on. Anyway, I did enough damage to the family finances at the Noble’s Auction.
Well done to those who were successful.
Jim

Altogether an enjoyable sale. I set myself a very modest target of walking away with any one of the QSAs on offer to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, of which there were a good selection (I suspect a collector of RWF medals has 'sold up' as there were a few at DNW aswell).
For reasonable money, I got the QSA bearing clasps Tugela Heights and Relief of Ladysmith to 5295 Pte. A. Thom(p)son RWF, died of disease at Kimberley. Also accompanied by two temperance medals. So I think I did OK.
I felt that the auctioneers moved proceedings along well and also encouraged those extra bids to be made.