AD: I have received payment for this blog post but all opinions and words are completely my own.

When my brother was younger, he was gifted a stash of second-hand Subbuteo from a friend. After laying dormant for a while, my Dad suggested he try selling it at our local auction house. I tagged along to watch the bidding, my eyes wide from the spectacle. A room filled with furniture telling a hundred stories, previously prized gold trinkets sparkling in glass cabinets and pictures or mirrors adorning every inch of wall space. The smell of coffee and smokey bacon sandwiches from the café intertwined with furniture polish, musty upholstery, and the scent of a small dog, sitting peacefully underneath a gilded chaise longue.

My dad didn’t have high expectations for these dusty old shoeboxes filled with little football models, they were neither fancy, nor seemed relevant, to the other bidders present. However, as the auctioneer started to call each lot out, we sat agog as the bidding rose higher and higher. Despite being instructed to keep a poker face, my brother and I craned our necks from one side of the room to the other, trying to spot the fervent competitors as they bid beyond £400. I could barely contain my excitement (and envy) at the fortune my brother had amassed for something that my mum had, just weeks before, come close to throwing in the bin.

At 12 years old, this exhilarating evening certainly left its mark on me and I was hooked. By 16, I was bidding myself and won my first piece of furniture, which I paid for using cash from a weekend job. By the time I could drive at 18, I was going on my own once a month, standing out amongst the regulars, a sea of men four times my age, with wiry grey hair, scruffy Barbour jackets, worn jeans and the occasional pocket watch. I bought a whole array of furniture, often struggling to fit my winnings into the back of my tiny post box red Rover Metro, not to mention finding space in my bedroom when I came home!

auction house furniture — The first piece I bought at auction when I was 16. The chest of drawers cost me £60 and we’re still using it, 14 years later!

So, how can we continue to buy from auction houses during a pandemic?

Many sale rooms are now popping their catalogues online, so you can browse the items available from the comfort of your sofa. At Fellows auction house in Birmingham, you can book a complimentary Zoom call with a specialist, who can show you a close-up video of any items you’re interested in, plus answer any questions you have about the condition of the piece or the bidding process.

You can also set up alerts for future auctions including specific items you are searching for, and like a personal shopping service, you will be notified when anything fitting your description becomes available. As auction houses are more localised than national selling sites, you may find that less competition leads to bigger bargains. From a king size bed for £18 (which I sold five years later for £100), to a chest of drawers (bought for £60 and sold 6 years later for £45), we have frequently bought good quality solid wood furniture at auction far cheaper than anything you can find on other second-hand selling sites or vintage shops - and it holds its value better than flat pack furniture too.

One thing you must remember before getting carried away though, is that all auction houses will add a buyers premium to the final cost of the item. This is generally between 20-30%. Fellows have a super helpful bidding calculator which you can use to work out the final amount you will need to pay.

small round chest auction house — Our bedroom from two houses ago. This small round chest is one of the items I managed to get in the back of my Rover Metro when I was 18. The bed we bought for £18 and sold after six years of use for

chest of drawers second hand furniture — Another image from two houses ago. This chest of drawers was bought for £60 at auction and I sold it 5 years later for £45. Solid wood furniture has a great resale value!

At Fellows, you can see the current auction catalogue here which ends on January 25th. It is a timed auction, but if bidding is still going back and forth within 30 seconds of the lot ending, the time will be extended until the bidding stops. You can find out all about the bidding process here. One of the things that I find most reassuring about buying from an auction house – when you can’t see the piece in real life – is that the description is always accurate as each item is assessed by an expert and the authentication guaranteed. If you’re buying some Ercol chairs, for example, and they arrive and turn out not to be Ercol, Fellows will give you a full refund - no quibbles.

Of course, there is nothing quite like raising your paddle to signify a bid, feeling the hush in the room as an item is fiercely contested, or the sound of the gavel hammering down on the auction block. However, bidding online is a great way to dip your toe into the world of auctions as a beginner. The joy of a bargain never gets old, and via auction houses, whether it’s online or in person, you can get beautiful furniture, homeware, artwork, or jewellery, that is full of character and perfect for you and your home.

The two pictures below give an example of some of the lovely pieces available in this week’s auction ending on January 25th at Fellows.