Uncovering treasures: A day at Windsor Auctions

It may come as a surprise to hear considering I work with second hand furniture, but I had never actually been to an auction house until my recent visit to Windsor Auctions.

But one thing’s for sure, I’ll definitely be going back!

I attended one of the viewing days before the actual auction, which is a good opportunity to see what’s on offer, and as soon as I walked in I was greeted by an Aladdin’s cave of fantastic gems.

The variety of items was what struck me most and it made me think that if I was furnishing an Airbnb or my home, I would 100% start at an auction house. It has everything from art, beautiful vintage and Persian rugs, lights, sculptures, ceramics, cutlery and the list goes on 

 

Standout finds:

 

Seating: 

Predictably, I was immediately drawn to the seating and the items of furniture that had potential for reupholstery and I noticed a two-seater red leather bench seat with brass studded detail, which would look great in a hallway. It needed reupholstery and a bit of wax on the frame. It had an initial valuation of £80-£120 and it sold for £60, an absolute bargain.

 

 

There was a Victorian armchair, with a spoon button back on cabriole legs, which had an estimated sale price of £40-£60 and it sold for £30. I’ve reupholstered plenty of these types of antique chairs, so I know that’s a great price and with new fabric this would look amazing in someone’s bedroom.

As if that wasn’t enough, there was a leather wing back chair that had an appraisal price of £120-£150 and it sold for £190. That’s exceptional value considering it didn’t need reupholstery and you could put it in your house without touching it.

 

 

There was a white three-seater and two-seater sofa that sold for just £20 each, having had an estimated sale price of £40-£60 each, the perfect preloved pair of sofas. It looked a bit dated, but reupholstered with new fabric and if you removed the skirt it would look amazing and totally modern again. 

 

 

Other furniture: 

There was so much more than seating available, you could easily furnish your entire house with the items on offer for a bargain price. With some imagination and styling you would have a totally individual home. 

I loved an English oak sectional bookcase that would look amazing in a kitchen displaying glassware or plates, it had a valuation of £60-£80 and it sold for £80. 

 

 

There was also an abundance of fabulous mid-century furniture including a circular extending table with four dining chairs with unusual leather pads. They were in great condition for a bargain estimated price of £80-£120 and it sold for £70. That’s an amazing price for mid-century furniture. 

 

 

I couldn’t believe how cheap a huge G-Plan mid-century curved wall unit sold for, it consisted of four huge units, including one glazed display unit. It had an appraisal price of £80-£120 and it sold for £50. All this needed was cleaning! You could never find that anywhere else for that price. 

 

 

But, arguably the standout item for me of the whole auction was a 1970’s Richard Young for Merrow Associates chrome and glass topped circular dining table, with an estimated sale price of £600-£800 and it sold for £400. The chairs need re-caning, but the table was in good condition and it sold for a really good price. If I didn’t have my fabulous tulip 1960’s dining table and chairs, I would have bought that one in a heartbeat!

 

 

Attending an auction:

 

I would highly recommend visiting your local auction house if you’re looking for a stunning item for your home or if you’re furnishing your whole house. 

One piece of advice I would share is that if you see a piece of furniture, but you’re not sure whether it has the potential for reupholstery, don’t hesitate to send a picture to your upholsterer and they can let you know, as well as giving you an idea of how much the item and the upholstery might cost, before you even bid.

One of the great things about auctions is that you don’t even have to attend in person as most auctions will share their catalogue online so you can see everything there.

You can do it all online from bidding to setting your maximum price, so it works a lot like eBay in that respect, but with MUCH more reasonable prices.

Although, if you can make it to the auction house in person, it’s worth it, as unlike other online marketplaces, you can actually go and test out the item yourself to see how it works and how sturdy it is, which is a feature unique to auctions.

You just have to look past the dust and think of the potential of each item, because it’s important to remember that these items have been taken directly from a house clearance or someone has brought them in without cleaning them up. You just have to have a little bit of vision.

 

How does an auction work? 

 

There are also a few things you should be aware of before attending an auction yourself. It’s important to remember that if you buy an item, the final auction price isn’t what you’ll pay, you have to pay a buyers fee, plus VAT, which at Windsor Auctions comes out to an extra charge of 21.6% of the purchase price and there can be more fees if you buy online. 

As for actually taking the item home, the easiest option is to take it home on the day, but Windsor Auctions will ship smaller items, although for larger items like furniture, they recommend using the local courier services, who they have a great relationship with.

Say you want to return later on to collect the item with a van, Windsor Auctions will allow buyers ten days and then they charge £3 per item per day that they are storing it, and the same goes for sellers whose items have not sold.

 

 

If you’re the seller, who has decided to take your unwanted items to be rehomed at auction rather than sending them to landfill, an expert auctioneer will value your item prior to the auction and then in the unlikely event it doesn’t sell, you have the option to put it in the next relevant auction or take the item back. It’s a win win situation.

If it does sell, however, Windsor Auctions receive a fee of 20% of the hammer price, plus VAT, which works out at 24% and then you get the rest. They also take a lot fee, which means they charge £2 plus VAT on anything they take in, whether it sells or not, but they have an 85% sale rate. 

So, if you make sure you do your research beforehand and only bid as much as you’re willing to spend then you can find some real gems when buying at auction.

 

Sustainability and the circular economy:

 

Visiting Windsor Auctions was also a great reminder of how buying second hand furniture, rather than buying new, is the sustainable option and it supports the circular economy. 

A lot of the items being sold at Windsor Auctions had come from situations where house clearances were necessary if someone has passed away or maybe someone is downsizing. 

The beauty of the older generation is that they bought good, quality furniture, therefore a house clearance and auction house is a dream for anyone who likes the furniture style and quality of years gone by. 

Instead of furniture being sent to landfill, it is given a new home through an auction and the fact that these items sell is proof that they still have value. 

 

 

Even if some of the items only sold for £20, then it’s got value and it shouldn’t be thrown away or left on the street somewhere. Someone else can treasure that and then pass it on again. 

Going to this auction reminded me that choosing the eco-friendly option doesn’t mean sacrificing style or quality, there was such a variety of hidden treasures ready to make a beautiful addition to someone’s home.

So, if you’re someone who finds beauty in the old and overlooked, I couldn’t recommend going to your local auction house more.  

I can’t wait to go back and as I mentioned, you can furnish your entire home with the items on offer. 

There was even a campervan that had come from France that was up for auction, so there’s literally everything you could ask for from a mobile home to items for your actual home. 

It’s not just about finding potential additions for your home, you can also feel good about it at the same time knowing that you’re re-homing an item that would have otherwise been destined for landfill, you’re making the sustainable choice.  

To find out more about Windsor Auctions, visit their website here and if you find a great piece at your local auction house that needs to be reupholstered, don’t hesitate to contact me at hello@test.vintiqueupholstery.com or call me on 07764 182 783.