Diggory Hadoke explores the possibility of European auction houses usurping classic British sales. An interesting letter appeared on my desk recently. It was from a European auction house and it was asking for consignments from the UK. The auction house…
AUCTIONS ALWAYS CONTAIN ONE OR TWO SURPRISES. Holt’s this summer had a cracker. The item in question was a round action, non-ejector gun by Dickson, the renowned Edinburgh gunmaker. It has to be said, it was not the best one…
Diggory Hadoke reports on Southams’s Bedford debut and the latest fare on offer at Holts. Southams started May with a sale at their new premises near Bedford. I was curious to see how it looked. After an early start, and…
With tensions for auction supremacy building between the US and UK, the latest rounds showed the state of the bidding arms race. Diggory Hadoke unearthed more… THE EARLY YEAR SHOWS IN THE USA SAW BRITISH AUCTIONEERS BACKING OFF in the…
The distinction between auction sales and retail sales is blurring as auctioneers move into the traditional dealers’ territory, writes Diggory Hadoke. Watch collectors have been getting used to buying direct from auctioneers for some time. Take a look at Christie’s…
Looking back on historical traditions in the auction world, Diggory Hadoke explores how changing times have affected the relationship between auctioneers, traders and members of the public
Diggory Hadoke examines how Holt’s sales tactics have opened the auctioneers to a broader audience and boosted sales figures.
When I was a troublesome teenager, writes Diggory Hadoke, my mother despairingly said: “Why don’t you go to Sotheby’s or Christie’s and see if they’ll take you on as a trainee in the gun department?” She had observed that the youthful Diggory had little that really…
Reaping the rewards with Diggory Hadoke
With the first auctions of the year looming, Diggory Hadoke reflects on the frustrations, tribulations and ultimate rewards of the auction circuit. As I write this in February is beginning to fade into memory, the weather is feeling pretty wintery…
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