Auctioneers

The auction process is a key part of the secondary art and antiques market.

Firms of auctioneers usually specialise in a number of fields such as jewellery, ceramics, paintings, Asian art or coins but many also hold general sales where the goods available are not defined by a particular genre and are usually lower in value.

Auctioneers often provide other services such as probate and insurance valuations.

Wilde (1)

Extensive Oscar Wilde collection to go under the hammer

07 January 2026

A huge single-owner collection of Oscar Wilde letters, books and portraits are going under the hammer at Bonhams next month.

head study of a bearded man

Bidders overlook condition issues as drawing flies to 50 times estimate in Gloucestershire

06 January 2026

Despite suffering from water damage, wear and loss to the sheet as well as chips and cracks to the later 1950s-style frame, a head study of a bearded man brought intense competition at a recent sale at Wotton Auction Rooms.

Microscope

Dutch buyer secures another British microscope for his museum of science

05 January 2026

A rare Georgian brass microscope by Edinburgh maker John Clark will join an important Dutch collection after its sale in the Cotswolds.

Ronald Searle illustration

Do book collecting terms fox you? Pick up a Searle at auction

05 January 2026

An original illustration for one of the most entertaining works on rare book collecting hammered for £15,000 to lead Mallams’ latest Modern Art & Design auction.

Mamluk manuscript

Pick of the week: Mamluk manuscript gallops to £150,000

05 January 2026

An ‘exceptional and newly discovered’ Mamluk manuscript copy of an Arabic text on hippiatry (equine medicine) was the highlight of Lyon & Turnbull’s latest Islamic and Indian art sale in London.

Venison dish

More than 1000 lots from Cumbrian castle offered at Tennants

05 January 2026

An extensive collection of art, antiques and silver from Corby Castle, one of Cumbria’s most historically important mansion houses, will go under the hammer in a three-day sale at Tennants from January 22-24.

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Andy Pandy and friends fascinate older fans

05 January 2026

An original Andy Pandy string puppet from the BBC children’s TV show of the same name first aired in 1950 caught the attention at a Kent auction 75 years later.

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Punk band Discharge were championed by Peel

05 January 2026

John Lennon, Yoko Ono and U2 were among the big names making big prices at the John Peel Collection Part One auction held by Omega (25% buyer's premium) back in September (see ATG No 2708).

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Bust follows style of sculptor and ‘nose breaker’ Torrigiano

05 January 2026

When a 16th century white marble bust of an elderly man with a furrowed brow and resolute gaze came up for sale at Nagel (29.5% buyer’s premium) in Stuttgart, it was clear that more than one bidder was confident of knowing either the identity of the artist or that of the subject.

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Not a ticket to ride for Paul McCartney but a licence to drive yourself

05 January 2026

Paul McCartney famously sang ‘Baby, You Can Drive My Car’ with the Beatles but he could clearly drive himself.

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Handwritten lyrics lead to reflections on Hendrix

05 January 2026

These two pages of working lyrics for the Jimi Hendrix song Room Full of Mirrors (which later appeared on his 1971 album Rainbow Bridge) are handwritten on Londonderry Hotel, Park Lane, stationery.

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Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham dressed to impress

05 January 2026

When a pinstripe suit came up for auction at West Midlands firm Fieldings (26% buyer’s premium inc VAT) it had an interesting consequence.

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Perfect for serving a bottle of lovely jubbly bubbly perhaps

05 January 2026

Described by Fieldings (26% buyer’s premium inc VAT) of Stourbridge as “by repute used on the set of Only Fools and Horses”, this Mid-century cocktail bar came for sale guided at £500-600.

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Behind the scenes on Planet Hoth

05 January 2026

Collection of film crew member who worked on gruelling Star Wars shoot in Norway comes for sale

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Movie camera of type that starred in Buster Keaton film is now in the frame at auction

05 January 2026

A hand-cranked movie camera from 1908 was one of the stars at a recent sale at Auction Team Breker (21.8% buyer’s premium) in Cologne.

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Latin America art emerging at last in its own right

05 January 2026

The arts and crafts of colonial America are enjoying a purple patch in the market as Western institutions seek to tell the story of Latin American art in more inclusive and expansive ways

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Welsh icon Richard Burton's coat features in Welsh Sale

05 January 2026

The Autumn Welsh Sale (Part II) held by Rogers Jones (24% buyer’s premium) on December 2 included an item of clothing once owned by a Welsh icon: Richard Burton (1925-84).

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The stars aligned for Harvard professor and book collector

05 January 2026

Expert in astronomy and history of science amassed an impressive private collection of related works

A daguerreotype of Ada Lovelace

National Portrait Gallery buys only known photographs of Ada Lovelace via Bonhams

02 January 2026

Three photographs of computing pioneer Ada Lovelace (1815-52) have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in a private treaty sale.

Sèvres snuffbox

Friends of Versailles buy Sèvres snuff box at Bonhams

29 December 2025

A snuff-box made for Madame Adélaïde has set an auction record for a Sèvres box, selling for £150,000 (or a premium-inclusive £190,900).

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