NEWS

ANTIQUES VALUATIONS GO HI-TECH

With turnover up over 100% in 2007, Ewbank introduce free email service

Surrey fine art auctioneers Ewbank – one of the first provincial salerooms to embrace new technology and adopt live Internet bidding in their sales – are set to introduce a new innovation in 2008: a free antiques valuation service by email. The move comes after a year which has seen the saleroom’s turnover more than double.

“The Internet has become part of all our lives,” said Chris Ewbank. “We think nothing of using it to buy all sorts of commodities and because of the ease and speed of the process, sending emails is now the accepted form of communication.

“Antiques dealers, professional institutions and long-time collectors who know their subjects well have been doing business with us by email for quite some time. We are still the only local saleroom whose sales are broadcast live on eBay and we have many clients who both buy and sell with us whom we have never met. More often than not, those buyers who deal with us by email never see the objects they bid on until they get them home. It’s a case of trust and knowing your subject well enough to rely on our catalogue descriptions and the condition reports we offer on lots we sell.

“Members of the public do not have that specialist knowledge. That is why they come to us to auction their possessions on their behalf. However, we recognise that people do not necessarily have the time to make appointments and visit us in person, particularly if they live out of the area.

“Equally, they may not want to carry valuable objects to and from the saleroom in order to get valuations, or they may be too big or too numerous to move physically. In such cases, it is perfectly possible to give valuations from good quality digital images. All we ask is that people wanting to make use of the free service should include such details as condition, measurements, signatures, makers’ or trademarks and other distinguishing features.

“Such valuations will always be subject to final inspection and we can arrange for goods to be transported to the saleroom on their owners’ behalf. However, we feel that offering a valuation service by email could save people a great deal of time and effort.”

Emails should be addressed to antiques@ewbankauctions.co.uk.

Of course, not everyone has the computer equipment or technical knowledge to transmit images to the saleroom. Consequently, every Monday from January 7, Ewbank valuers will be present to give verbal valuations of antiques and works of art which are brought to the saleroom in London Road, Send. The valuation and advice sessions will run from 10am to 1pm and will be offered without obligation and are entirely free of charge.

“Previously, we have given valuations to people visiting the saleroom on an ad hoc basis and of course, no one will be turned away if they come at other times,” said Chris Ewbank.

“However, there have been times when members of the public have gone to the trouble of bringing in objects for us to value but have arrived to find that all our valuers were out of the office on calls. By setting aside time every Monday morning, we hope to maximise our service and minimise any delays or frustrations. We will also be continuing to see people or make home visits by appointment as we have always done.”

The past year has seen rich rewards for people selling their works of art and antiques in Ewbank auctions. Highlights are many, but the happiest vendor was Malcolm “Mac” Robertson, 72, a drinking companion of the artist Francis Bacon, who had the foresight to rescue ephemera and paintings which Bacon had scrapped and was about to consign to a builder’s skip.

Bacon, regarded as the most important British artist of the 20th century, was notorious for mutilating and destroying those paintings he was not satisfied with, but recognising that he owned works which had not been seen before, Mr Robertson was anticipating a financial reward from their sale in the region of around £50,000. In the event, the Ewbank sale made worldwide headlines and raised a total in excess of £1 million.

The amazing result took Ewbank’s saleroom turnover for the year to over £2.5 million.

Chris Ewbank added: “The credit crunch may be a problem for international financiers currently, but our success in 2007 underlines the continued strength in the market for locally sourced antiques and works of art. We look forward to another year of achieving London prices for property consigned to us which we are able to sell without the associated high costs of consigning to the London salerooms.”

Entries are now being accepted for the next fine art and antiques auction which will be held in the Spring on March 13, 2008, and for Ewbank’s regular monthly general auctions on January 17, 31 and February 14. For further information, please contact the auctioneer on 01483 223101 or antiques@ewbankauctions.co.uk.