That's a wrap on our Scottish Sporting Memorabilia Auction
It seemed like forever since we had truly been out on the road.
We have said it before - Covid changed the auction industry and, indeed, many more areas of commercial life forever. OK - we have a way of adapting, don’t we? What you once did in person you can generally do online or over the phone. But to the true collector who enjoys the thrill of the chase then there is no finer environment than the saleroom. I can promise you that we all miss the cut and thrust of a room full of people more than you can ever imagine.
Auctioneering is about the interaction. The twitch, the nod - the buzz in general and the ability to feed off the energy in the room as an auctioneer, porter or any member of the team full stop. Our Horse Racing sale in October last year in Newmarket whet the appetite of all of us who were there. A room fittingly situated in the Horse Racing Museum filled with lovers of the sport of Kings, the chance to view the items up close and personal again and to take your purchase away when you had settled your dues and demands. A sale just how it should be, and all of the team wanted more.
We honestly believe that the place to be is the saleroom - the world, as our bidders online show, is a much smaller place in terms of where our clients herald from, but we want to get back to our roots, connecting face to face with as many of our customers as we can. So it wasn’t really any surprise that when the chance to do a Scottish sale in the bonny City of Glasgow was first mooted, nobody put up a fight against it.
Our Head of Sporting, David Convery, is Glasgow born and bred, so it must have been a proud old moment to go back to where it wall began for him at Christie’s nearly 40 years ago.
The setting couldn’t have been any better - the Trade Hall, set right in the heart of the centre was our venue. A room that held just the right number of punters in a setting that had a real feel about it. A historic building offering the chance to invest in history - what could be better?
Rails of shirts, cabinets of medals, folders of programmes and the odd Ryder Cup and International Cap were all there to be enjoyed on a proper viewing day - no need for a condition report for those who could make it down to have a look on the day before the sale. It helped put faces to the staff that make up Graham Budd Auctions. Blogs are great, podcasts too, but the strength of our business lies in the body of its staff, and pretty well all of us made the journey to take part and support each other, just as it should be.
You can’t beat the day of a sale. All is ready to go, but you are still awake from silly o’clock as the nerves kick in. Was the estimate correct? Will that item attract the interest it deserves? Should you really have another full cooked breakfast, this time with the added attraction of haggis and tatty scones? The proof is always in the eating, as they say!
Clients registering to bid, phone numbers being apportioned for those wanting to have that personal touch and control from a distance via a member of staff seeking out that piece, the buzz of the room, the build up to the striking of the gavel on the podium to bring all to order. If only you could bottle it.
It gives you the chance also to connect face to face with many of those people who are just voices at the other end of a telephone line or e-mail. One thing that fascinated was the age demographic of many who joined us. Used to the familiar faces that are always a part of such a picture, there was a newer, younger breed coming to the room and, in many cases, not simply angling to the starting point lots. Indeed, in many cases going all out for some real treasures from the Old Firm in particular, and that really does give you hope for the future. We always talk about finding the next generation when it comes to collecting, but here was living proof that it is finding itself and doing very nicely as well, thank you very much!
In true GB style, record prices were set, old school catalogues handed out, new acquaintances made and, for David I am sure, old ones re-affirmed on familiar ground.
As for Glasgow, what a city. I have spent a fair bit of time there over the years, but it had been a while and the joy of going back never leaves. Right from Glasgow Central station to the venue, there is always a welcoming buzz around the place that’s a true City of Sport. It was a more than fitting backdrop to a wonderful sale for all.
We are next out of the road at the legendary Silverstone for our inaugural F1 sale very shortly, followed by a trip to the fair city of Manchester in September for the team. Who knows where else we will transplant our operation to, opening the doors once again for all to join us in the way that auctions were meant to be, so look out for details on the GB official site.
With over 500 registered bidders spanning the globe, a packed saleroom, Scottish Auction world record prices, the Alex Miller collection 100% sold and the sale fetching over £380,000 with buyers premium, Glasgow certainly delivered and we look forward to the next one.
Farewell Glasgow - it was a genuine pleasure, and thanks to those who came along to join us on the day, as well as all of you spread across the bidding world wherever you were, and however you got involved.
