The Benefits of Buying & Selling at Stamford Auction Rooms

Expert Advice and support

It can often be daunting when it comes to buying and selling at auction, but our friendly team of auction house experts aim to make the bidding or selling process as simple and enjoyable as possible, and are on hand to help and guide you along the way. Initial valuations can be done in person at our saleroom, via email, or our online portal, and all valuations are free with no obligation to sell.

Specialist Auctions

The auctions held at our saleroom are specialist in nature, covering all collecting fields from Jewellery & Silver to Toys & Militaria.

This means that the auctions are more targeted to the audience that are most likely to bid, and ultimately that buyers can easily find what they are looking for.

Specialist sales also attract sellers with wonderful collections, who are looking to make sure their items reach buyers with the same interests and for them to go to new homes where they will be loved and appreciated for years to come.

Antiques are Green

A huge benefit to buying and selling is that we are essentially recycling everything we handle, and one of our favourite things is to see items once hidden in long forgotten corners of cupboards, cellars and attics come to life in the hands of the next owner.

Worldwide Bidders

Stamford Auction Rooms have a global reach, with the use of multiple worldwide bidding platforms, including our own in-house SARLive and  market leading external platforms such as the-saleroom.com and Easy Live Auction.

This reach means that we have competitive bidding which ultimately means the best hammer prices possible are achieved for our clients.

The hard work done for you!

We go to great lengths to publicise the lots we sell, beginning with careful researched cataloguing of the items and professional photography,  the targeted marketing, promotional material on social media, the website, and other publications locally and internationally.

We host viewing days for clients to allow them to see the items in person, as well as online and printed catalogues that are produced at least three weeks prior to the auction, which means there is ample opportunity for all those bidders out there to have a good look and place their bids. On auction day, our fabulous auctioneers that take in those all important bids!

SAR also provide condition reports and post most items to make it easy and accessible for remote bidders.

This is all done on a no sale no fee basis, so it is risk and hassle free!

Auction Prices vs Retail Prices

Buyers will also find that when purchasing items through an auction, they are typically paying less than retail. A recent example is this 18ct white gold Tiffany Atlas pendant necklace that was bought for £280 hammer (plus 21%+VAT commission) but if purchased from a retail store would cost £1,850 which is considerably more.

You can also utilise the non-biased opinions and advice from our experts before bidding to make an informed decision on how much to bid up to. 

Better than Scrapping!

A question that we get asked very often at SAR when it comes to selling gold and silver is ‘will it just be sold for the scrap value’.

We always achieve better than scrap prices for gold, and make sure that any items have a reserve to ensure this. What is wonderful about selling jewellery and gold at auction is that whilst its intrinsic gold or silver value plays and important part, it is the extra features of the item itself such as the period, style and maker that is integral to the overall hammer price achieved.

Fast turn around

With two auctions a month, there is always one coming up that will be suitable for the items you wish to sell, and unlike in retail situations where items can ‘stick’, the date for an auction is fixed. This means if you need to release some capital quickly, selling with us can be a good option.

We are on the same team!

When it comes to selling, the auctioneer is always working for you, to achieve the best possible hammer price. It will be reassuring to know that the more money you make, the more money we make in commission, and this is why we make sure the best hammer results are achieved on your behalf.

It’s fun!

Once you start, you can’t stop! Or at least that’s how we all feel at SAR, the joy of bidding and winning the lot is addictive, finding items you were not expecting to is exciting, and selling items, particularly when something flys way past its auction estimate is a thrill that is sure to get anyone’s heart racing!