Smiths Auctions sale on the of August 10 and 11 produced some surprising results with some interesting surprises.

The top two prices of the day were paid for a five stone diamond ring and a 1972 Jersey Royal Wedding Anniversary coin set – both of which made £2,000. A Rolex Royal Oyster vintage gentleman’s wrist watch made £1,000 whilst a Christopher Dresser Linthorpe bottle vase made £1,500.

Predictably the other four figure results included a Victorian diamond pendant which sold for £1,250 and a pair of diamond stud earrings which made £1,200.

However it was the collectables section of the sale which makes for more interesting reading. One of the most surprising results was for a 1930s three piece tweed suit which came from a large house clearance in Evesham which sold for £410 against a £40/£60 estimate.

Smiths were amazed by the demand for condition reports and measurements of the suit and the number of online ‘watchers’ and bidders.

The eventual buyer turned out to be an actor from Shropshire who was absolutely delighted when he arrived to pick it up on Saturday morning. Another successful result from the same property came in the form of two light fittings found in the loft by the transport contractor. They were in the style of Benson – an incredibly sought after Arts and Crafts designer who worked closely with William Morris. Both of the lights were incredibly dirty, but one came with three beautiful Vaseline glass light shades which had managed to survive in perfect condition. Once again there was significant pre-sale interest and they eventually sold to an online buyer for £560. Although the lights were not signed, they were carefully catalogued as in the style of Benson in order to ensure they attracted the attention of the right buyers – who obviously liked what they saw!

Other surprising results included a rather tatty looking leather 1930’s large elephant which was knocked down at £360 to a determined private buyer in the saleroom against significant online interest. A Victorian ‘quill work’ picture with a small watercolour of Jesus in a very decorative surround of coiled up coloured paper also attracted the right attention and made £210 whilst a box of antique fountain pens made £210 – highlighting how these small collectables can be so popular.

On a larger scale a huge 1930’s London Underground enamel sign sold for £410. Measuring 3m x 2 m, it’s size rather worked against, it as most collectors simply would not have the space to display it. One client viewing in the saleroom before the sale explained to the auctioneers that he when he had worked for London Underground in the 1960’s thousands of these enamel signs were all just thrown into skips and disposed of for scrap metal. It is often the case that collectables that have been thrown away in the past make some of the most valuable antiques and interesting stories in the current market.

Smiths are currently accepting entries for their September sale which includes a broad range of antiques and collectables as well as specialist sections for fine clocks, watches and oriental items. Please telephone 01531 821776 or visit www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk for further information.