Going going gone

One thing I have missed out on during lockdown more than others is a rummage around a good old fashioned auction house. I have had to travel further than normal since the closure of the Wirral Auctions site in Birkenhead, and I still do wonder where all the eclectic 'treasure' which Neil used to sell, has gone. The Hoylake rooms have always been poor quality, but the other major sites seem to be Knutsford and Macclesfield way.

I have, therefore, been much more selective at what I look at and bid for, as you can never be quite sure what you are getting unless you have seen and felt the goods during the preview days.

So I have taken my financial life in my hands again today and speculated a bit over some art prints and posters to see whether after a bit of restoration they can be sold on to accumulate some funds for more investment. Antique bargaining for me is very similar to my golf equipment process. For example, when I purchased my Q follow golf trolley SWMBO indicated to me that it would be sensible to sell one of my other 'golf toys' before I laid out for this new one. That way we are fairly golf neutral, and that's the way I  try to be with auction items.

So the main purpose today was to buy enough stock to sell most on via E-bay and recoup funds to pay for the good ones to be restored. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, although the collection of Harold Riley prints I had hoped would be part of the process had a reserve of £40-£60 and went for almost £1000. I couldn't see much profit in that sadly.

Anyway, I am expecting viewing days to be reinstated shortly albeit with a booked visiting slot, which will get me out of the house to do something other than play golf! 

Happy Days....

 

This caps it all

I trawl through E-bay every now and then. it's a great insomnia cure. Generally I am looking for something to do with the house genealogy, works of art which have been incorrectly attributed  or Twickenham RFC memorabilia. In the last few weeks I have had a couple of good results.

Firstly I picked up a little limited edition sketch book by Northern artist Harry Riley.  Riley was a contemporary of L S Lowry and they knew each other well. Where as Lowry was renowned for his matchstick me, Riley was, and still is, a unique golf scene painter and commentator. The book I brought tracked Jack Nicklaus through his final two rounds at the Open championship at St Andrews. The commentary charts Jack's  thinking as he decided that missing the cut at his final Open was the best thing to do as he could not face two more days of high drama and emotion, nor did he want to deflect from the actual winner and the reception he should get. Typical Jack Nicklaus to the end, every bit the gentleman.

That's two of Harold Rileys sketch books I now own.

Things then got a whole lot better when I noticed what looked like a Twickenham RFC honours cap from 1926 in the rugby memorabilia section. I did a bit of checking and found that indeed it was a genuine article. I contacted the lady to see if she would sell outside the auction, but she was keen to let it run. I contacted the club treasurer to see what price he would fund up to and then played a waiting game. I won it at about ten percent of the price it could have fetched and it is now in the clubhouse collection with its fellow cap's.

Two were awarded each year to first XV players who had an outstanding season, and that tradition still goes to this very day albeit the designs are slightly different. One such cap is the oldest relic the club has dated as 1897-98

The cap I obtained had the name Bishop inked in the label and a study of the team photograph for that year shows a gentleman of that name sitting in the front row. I love it when a plan comes together.