Adam Partridge studio ceramics auctions

A well known auctioneer being interviewed in the atg thought that in the near future in most sales would be held online only with no attendance or viewing taking place but with enhanced condition reports and photos available online, as most lots are purchased in this way anyway. Getting back to adam partridge sales i see that gordon baldwin hasn't done to well lately .

I used to go to a fair few auctions - and hope to start going again soon - and viewing in person is always best, only then can you assess the quality of finish, amount of crazing in a glaze etc. It is in the interests of the better auction houses - and should be for all - to serve sellers and buyers well or they will soon get a bad reputation and lose customers. Woolley and Wallis give quality condition reports and will give details of restoration that I can't see. Mallams too give good service and both allow free live bidding on their own platforms. A no. of other salerooms also offer in house live bidding. I will avoid using 'the-saleroom' as you are adding another 6% onto already high charges, where I can I use 'easylive' who are cheaper. Viewing in person can be like going to a top museum but being able to handle the exhibits, you can get to know pieces that are new to you, look at marks up close. Auctions houses have their uses. Good auction houses will get good prices and often be known for certain areas of specialisation so will attract buyers and sellers of those items.

Interesting points made. When I was going to Cottee's auctions twenty years ago the dealers saw us the public as just an annoyance - it was their livelihood e were bidding up and they were the auctioneers best friend. The same names would come up again and again.

As my mum used to point out they all went round the auctioneers house and divided it up over a cuppa after the auction anyway.

Things change - there are far fewer antique shops, public are definitely buying more direct and they want to do that online, they are all used to eBay are they not?

hi,i happened to be one of the dealers you refer to but i never heard of any dealer going to an auctioneers house to divide up as you put it, we all retired to the nearest cafe to knock out, and yes the public were an annoyance as there was always one that would push the price.The internet has put paid to all of that,(well nearly).

It was a bit tongue in cheek but they all knew each other and there was a symbiotic relationship going on, without the dealers buying the stuff no auction house, without the auction house no dealers. I'm sure that has been true in the provincial auction houses for a long time but the interwebbything is changing it as you describe above.

An illustration of the problems involved with auctioneers and Condition reports.  I was interested in a piece coming up that was fairly pricey. It is at a 'Fine 'Art' auction house.  
           'Scuffs and Scratches commensurate with age' what does that mean?  The photos were of such poor quality that you just could not examine the item closely.  Then of course there are the ifs and buts at the bottom. How can you examine the item when its online and you cannot see it in person?   Needless to say, I will not be bidding.

CONDITION REPORT.
'No sign of restoration or damage, some minor scratches, scuffs commensurate with age and wear'
 

Condition reports are available on many lots and are provided as a guide only. Prospective buyers must satisfy themselves as to the condition of any lots on which they may wish to bid, prior to bidding. Notwithstanding this report or any discussions concerning condition of a lot, all lots are offered and sold ‘as is’ in accordance with the conditions of sale printed in the catalogue.

hi, wear and tear commesurate with age seems to be standard blurb from all auction houses also" good antique condition" is another .
I would always prefer to view but its not always possible. I buy a number of watches from auction and it this really is a minefield as very few auction houses have any one who has any horological knowledge and to get a reasonable report you have to guide them through step by step. At the moment i am bidding in a timed auction in canada at waddingtons they have stated that the piece is in fine condition and the photos look fine (we shall see).

I have a little collection of automatics absolute minefield buying vintage watches at auction. Hard enough if you have them in your hand buy buying them remote is a step too far for me.

Just viewed the latest offering from Partridge's studio pottery sale , there is a fair amount of good Wallwork and and a few large Welch pieces but the rest of the sale is pretty average i think, the star of the show is the Jennifer Lee bowl also there is a good John Ward pot.

I like it there is a lot there of low end - usual names

Over 700 Lots in a One day sale. Given the slow rather theatrical  rate at which Adam Partridge works, that is going to be a looonnnnggg sale.
             Nice lot of Wallwork, Maltby, Robin Welch, and overall an excellent overview and large selection  of the middle to low range price points in studio pottery. If you are a collector, then there is virtually something there for everyone Which is presumably the aim. To get  good deal of it sold. But on t'other hand, that is a helluva lot of pots in one single day auction. Too many.
             Very few Gosh Wow! stuff as well. The Jennifer Lee and John Ward. But after that?
A link.

https://live.adampartridge.co.uk/m/view-auctions/catalog/id/235?page=1

Hi Philpot, The lee bowl is good but i think collectors prefer her vase types , she is rare on the market so it will probably sell, as for the Ward piece i am quite surprised at the low reserve as i under bid this item at Woolly and Wallis in 2018 and it sold then at £5000 plus premium and arr. The Wallwork would appear to be from one source, a forum member perhaps, as you say something for everyone but 700 lots YAWN.

I suspect a good deal of the Wallwork came from the Reg Moon's Torquil gallery in Henley in Arden near Stratford Upon Avon. He held at least two very good mixed shows a year for a long time, and there was normally a good contingent of Alan Wallwork pieces there. Single owner might well explain the quite high Wallwork estimates. Normally Adam Partridge likes to put his estimates at an attractive starting point.

I once sat through a whole Adam Patridge sale, as there were a number of scattered pieces we were interested in, but they were all over the place. I nearly had to use matchsticks to keep my eyes open!

Well i don't think i have fell asleep at auction but i have been bored and wandered off for refreshment then missed my lot owing to getting to conversation with someone. Partridge might like attractive estimates but at a £3000 reserve on the Ward pot he might be pushing his luck a bit ,I don't think it will but if it went for that amount he would have some explaining to do after encouraging the vendor to place a low reserve .

Those Wallwork pieces are underpriced - bet ya - watch them fly

Wallwork of course is a big seller on Ebay. It will be very interesting to see how hammer prices compare with what he goes for on Ebay. Bearing in mind of course Buyer's premium, internet premium, costs of delivery. All of which add a fair amount to the hammer price.

One piece that has caught my attention in the sale is the Nora Braden jug lot 443 ,this piece doesn't seem typical of her work as i am more used to seeing items similar to Bouverie ,it's a pity it has been restored but i guess that's why she kept it back in her studio, it appears that the bottom may have fallen out.

£500-£700 is a lot of curiosity value for an ordinary looking piece. You have to be real Norah Braden collector for that. Which of course begs a point. How many old style collectors are there around now who collect the more abstruse Leach connected potters?

Interesting Naomi. I have a piece of Emmanuel Cooper's domestic pottery, which has exactly the same as the Yates Owen mark. That is a double half moon mark, but the ones that are in the Partridge show have a single one. Its also not quite as dappled as those.
On the other hand! The mark you provide the link to has a much sharper curve to it, on the inside bit looks more like a sharp C. So it might well be possible he used more marks than we actually know of!

I have posted a photo of my Emmanuel Cooper domestic piece with mark, on his thread.