Lay’s Auctioneers
Lay’s Auctioneers (previously known as David Lay) are a firm of fine art auctioneers and valuers based in Cornwall. Founded in 1979 by David Lay, they hold regular auctions at the grade II listed Penzance Auction House.
The business often deals with private collections such as the contents of the Pendarves Library which they sold in 2013. Other areas of expertise include Oriental works of art, prints, collectables and books.
In September 2022, the firm changed its name to Lay’s Auctioneers and opened The Lanner Auction House in a former Methodist church in the village of Lanner, near Redruth in west Cornwall.

Spectacular Cartier on offer includes tiara with Astor provenance
02 June 2025Bonhams’ London Jewels sale on June 5 features a spectacular Cartier turquoise and diamond tiara that comes by descent from Nancy, Viscountess Astor (1879-1964).

Rich seam of modern art surfaces in Somerset
19 May 2025An untitled abstract by Gillian Ayres (1930-2018) was among the works attracting interest from the collection of Simon and Jennifer Murray at Dore & Rees (25% buyer’s premium) in Somerset.

RAF relics on display in Cornish theme park reflect courage of one of ‘The Few’
05 May 2025An RAF uniform, log book and medals that belonged to one of ‘The Few’ was a highlight when Cornish saleroom Lay’s (21% buyer’s premium) dispersed the contents of Flambards theme park.

Game on: the new modern collecting categories coming into play
28 April 2025From Pokémon trading cards to retro gaming consoles, the growing market in modern collectables is bringing new buyers and consignors to the market – and providing new business opportunities

Flambards theme park village sells ahead of auction
13 March 2025The ‘Victorian Village’ at Flambards theme park, consigned to Penzance saleroom Lay’s for sale on March 25-28, has been sold by private treaty

Quirky contents of now-defunct Flambards theme park to be sold at Lay’s
21 February 2025It’s not often that you find a Concorde cockpit, a Victorian pharmacy and a butcher’s shop appearing at the same sale.

Cubist design with a difference
27 January 2025The Leicester engineer Robert Crawford Johnson (1882-1937) registered the design for the cube teapot in 1916.

Hundreds of lots withdrawn from shipwreck auction after last minute offer
07 November 2024A large number of items were withdrawn at Lay’s sale of the Charlestown Shipwreck Museum collection after a last-minute offer from the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST) secured 500 lots.

Cornish firm holds two ‘shipwreck’ sales in a week from museum and diver’s collections
21 October 2024Lay’s is holding two ‘shipwreck’ auctions in a week as contents from the Charlestown Shipwreck Treasure Museum and the archive of wreck diver Richard Larn OBE come for sale in Penzance, Cornwall, on November 5-8.

Golf narrated as a Greek epic
23 September 2024First printed book dedicated to the game took the intriguing form of a heroic clash on Leith Links

Captain must have made a packet to live in a Falmouth house that grand
27 August 2024Two religious works were among an intriguing archive of items relating to a famed Falmouth packet ship commander and family that impressed at Lay’s (21% buyer’s premium) auction in Lanner, Cornwall, on August 8.

Penzance saleroom Lay's stage inaugural studio pottery auction
14 August 2024Lay’s inaugural 'Studio Pottery Sale' is due to take place on September 6 in Penzance.

Copy of earliest printed book dedicated to golf doubles estimate in Cornwall
13 August 2024The latest Books & Works on Paper sale at Lays in Penzance included a copy of the first printed book entirely dedicated to golf: Thomas Mathison’s ‘The Goff. An Heroi-Comical Poem. In three Cantos....’

Abstract artist Barrie Cook’s studio sale to be held at Lay’s
24 July 2024Painter and educator Barrie Cook (1929-2020) was an adopted son of Cornwall.

Most watched: Victorian centre table attracts interest ahead of auction
11 June 2024An intriguing Victorian centre table, in the manner of Morant & Co, is coming up for auction this week at Lay’s Antiques & Interiors sale.

Vendor left ‘speechless’ after ‘Ben Nicholson’ mural withdrawn from Lay’s auction
03 June 2024A row over the attribution of a ‘Ben Nicholson’ mural painting that appeared on the BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' led to the work being withdrawn at the last minute from an auction in Penzance.

Picture postcards from Polar explorers delight at Lays
13 May 2024Letters and postcard written by Antarctic expedition members were sent to New Zealand host family

Year starts with a Modern British bang according to London gallery
19 April 2024Portland Gallery’s regular look at 20th century art includes its own actions and observations on the wider market

Cornish art collection creates Newlyn School wave of interest
15 April 2024One of the most important groups of works by the artists’ colony to emerge recently indicates level of demand in this market

Wall mural from a Surrey cottage featured on BBC’s Fake or Fortune? comes to auction in Cornwall
06 March 2024A mural painted on a wall inside a Surrey cottage which starred in an episode of BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' is to be offered with a £40,000-80,000 estimate.

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