Hot Price for Cold Painted Bronze

Report from our auction on 19th October 2011

Top price at John Goodwin's latest collective auction sale at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern went to a small cold painted bronze figure mounted on a block of glass.

Depicting an Inuit fisherman, complete with spear, the figure bore the foundary stamp for the highly desirable Geschutz foundary.

Considerable internet interest coupled with interest from local collectors and specialist dealers led to a number of commission bids and three telephone bidders.

The figure sold at £1500, double the £500 to £800 pre sale estimate, to one of the telephone bidders, a local dealer.

An excellent turnout ensured that the bacon butties sold out early with the early birds snapping up the comfortable sofa seats to oversee proceedings during this packed 630 lot sale.

Another multiple estimate price went to a very heavy carved ebony “Mother of nations” figure. Thought to be Ghanaian and with a label on its base indicating that it was a gift from an ambassador the label also included very helpful cleaning instructions! Estimated at a cautious £100 to£200 the figure went to a telephone bidder at £600.

A large entry in the picture section was topped by a watercolour, a river scene by Paul Marny, which sold at £410. From the same vendor, a watercolor entitled “Church of St.Gervais, Falais” by Milliken, sold at £200. 2 entries of etchings also performed well, 4 etchings by Stanley Anderson selling at £190 and 4 etchings by Joseph Knight £110.

The furniture section was a mixed bag with many bargains to be had amongst the Victorian and Edwardian entries. Quality remained at a premium with a “Derwent” sofa, a modern sofa, hotly contested by private buyers to a triple estimate £300. Also appealing to the private buyers, a Multiyork sofa achieved a hammer of £140.

There continues to be good demand for walnut with a Queen Anne style lowboy selling at £280 and a small oak dresser with pot board achieved £450, in line with estimate but well short of its peak value a few years ago.

It is the more unusual items and collectables that continue to perform well. Amongst the very diverse entries a collection of miniature whisky bottles were contested to £80, a bottle of white wine “especially bottled for SAS 22 regiment” £20 and a Curta calculator, a mechanical version of the modern electronic calculator and highly collectable, sold to a persistent telephone bidder at £420.

A diminutive art deco Lorenzl figure of a nude dancer on a damaged onyx plinth sold at £200 and a small black forest carved wooden nutcracker in the form of a squirrel sold at £50.

There was a disappointment in the clock section with a longcase clock failing to achieve its very modest estimate of £250 to £300 to be re offered in John Goodwin's December sale. Other clocks however performed well, a drop dial clock selling at quadruple its £40 estimate and a Thwaites Reed falling ball clock also topping its £100 estimate at £160. Creeping into the clock section, an un-named barograph sold at £220.

In the militaria section a number a swords sold well with a British infantry officer's sword by Fenton Brothers selling at £180 and others with prices to £160. The auctioneers reported that a number of medal entries, a sector of the market that has seen considerable recent growth, have been held back for John Goodwin's spring collectables sale which is to be run in conjunction with the-saleroom.com, allowing live internet bidding.

There were fewer entries than usual for the jewellery section, no doubt some items being held back for the December, pre Christmas sale, however demand remained brisk with a silver Navajo bangle selling at £280 against a £50 to £80 modest estimate.

Sovereigns were hotly contested and, despite record gold prices, are regarded by many as an investment in the current uncertain financial climate. Full sovereigns were contested to £235 for a particularly fine example and half sovereigns to £120 for a Victorian shield back version.

Other notable prices included £150  for 2 good quality coaching horns. A tin plate toy of a fairground hammer and bell game of strength sold to a specialist dealer at £80 and there were multiple commission bids and saleroom bidders for 2 early GPO bicycle lamps sold at £45 and 3 other bicycle lamps £55.

John Goodwin's next good quality sale is scheduled to take place at the Teme Hall at the Three Counties Showground on 7th December. The auctioneers report that there is only limited space for further  entries in this and their Spring Collectables sale.