About London Auctions
Like at any antique auction, London auctions give you the opportunity to bid on items and they can be set up with or without a reserve or as absolute auctions.
If an auction has a reserve set on it, it means that there is a minimum bid that will be accepted and the item will not be sold for less than this. At an absolute auction, on the other hand, the item will be sold regardless of how low the highest bid is.
There is a huge variety of antique item that can be sold at London auctions, including furniture and household items, jewellery and clothing as well as collectibles such as militaria, stamps and coins to name just a few.
London auction tips
Prior to attending a London auction, it is a good idea to attend the viewing day that takes place beforehand:
- This will give you the opportunity to see what will be on offer at the London auction you want to attend and to examine any items that you are interested in
- For instance, if you want to bid on antique furniture you may want to take measurements to ensure it will fit where you want it to
- You can also use this opportunity to check for maker’s marks or to examine the items for damage or faults
Once you have established which items you are interested in bidding on, you will probably want to do a bit more research to find out what sort of prices these items are likely to go for at London auctions. If you are buying as an investment, then you will also want to do your homework on whether the item you like is as good an investment as you hope.
Once you have established the probable value of the items, set yourself a budget and ensure that you have the funds ready for when you attend the auction.
Preparing in this way before attending London auctions will help you get the most out of the day and hopefully bag yourself a few bargains.
Find out more about attending Boningtons’ London auctions.