Antiques and Fine Art

Held four times a year on on Fridays.  With international promotion on industry leading bidding platforms Easy Live and The Saleroom our customer base is growing attracting regular bidders, watchers and vendors from Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada, USA, Europe and the British Isles.  We take consignments in at any time through probate, family division, perhaps downsizing, moving home or a change of Décor. We hold regular valuation days and can handle all aspects of the selling service from start to finish to provide a safe, simple and secure solution to vendors and a comprehensive, high quality experience for our buyers.

Our dedicated team will consign, catalogue, photograph, present, promote, pack and process payments, all from our fabulous spacious facilities in the docklands area of Goole, East Yorkshire. Come and see us any time, we'd love to meet you. These auctions have are presented in hard copy advertising often appearing in the Telegraph, The Times, Yorkshire Post and various local magazines, newspapers and radio stations. All auctions are presented on our website and with Easy Live and The Saleroom giving three online viewing and bidding options for buyers. In addition we have an active mailing list of specialist buyers and collectors and we contribute to various auction search portals that inform their subscribers of items in our sales.

Silver and Jewellery

Andy Spicer, formerly of Bonhams International, has over 40 years experience of presenting jewellery, silver and gold. Offering personal valuations for probate or auction sale with Spicer's, Andy can quickly establish the value estimate on rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches whether they be diamond, emerald, sapphire, Swiss, French or British, gold, silver or platinum. With a keen interest in craftsmanship, quality and the current market place, consigned lots are placed into the most appropriate auction to ensure each has the best possible chance to attract the highest bidders, our photographers capture the essence of each piece and the cataloguers describe every detail with honesty and clarity. 

Books

Along with our auctioneer valuers, Andy and Ian, we are delighted to have the expertise of book consultant Alex Alec-Smith who has been in the second hand antiquarian book trade for over thirty years. Alex recently curated the antiquarian Johnson of Hull book collection for us which featured in the Fine Art Auction on 30 July 2021 achieving nearly £10,000 for the estate.

Books of all eras pass through the saleroom on a regular basis.  Better quality and higher value lots are sold in the Fine art auctions, books relating to memorabilia are offered in the Collectors sales and items of lower value are sold in the regular Vintage and Modern Home auctions.

Clocks and Instruments

Clocks and Scientific Instruments feature in our four specialist auctions each year, selling a diverse range of items from all manner of clocks and timepieces, to the intricate world of instruments such as barographs, sextants and musical boxes. We were delighted to offer for auction much of the John Gresham collection of automaton, arcadia and a fine collection of Swiss musical boxes, the star of the show in April 2021 was a Lecoultre and Falconnet Key wind Quatre overture musical box which rea £32,400 including fees.

Maps

Maps and charts are often included in our Fine Art and Antique auctions with old county maps of Yorkshire and the Ridings being offered frequently.

Metalware

Our metalware section includes all manner of items. We always look forward to offering Arts and Craft copper and brassware from the Newlyn, Keswick, Glasgow and Birmingham Schools as well as Continental Secessionist and Scandinavian 1960/70's designers, we have regular buyers eagerly waiting for these lots to be presented in their many forms.

Works of art

This a very diverse subject covering all sorts of interesting genres that are considered beautiful, interesting or of artistic value, a curio perhaps? Such delights may include  bronzes, ceramics, glassware and a whole host of trinkets, treasures, charms and collectibles from across the centuries such Meiji period Japanese Okimono's, Art Deco bronze and maritime models and garden sculptures. 

Oils, watercolours and prints

We are established auctioneers of local artists such as The Elwells, Fred and Mary, Walter Goodin, Jack Rigg and northern artists such as Lowry which we offer in our Fine Art and Antique quarterly auctions. 

In addition, we have a section within each Vintage and Modern home furnishing auction for lower value and group lots. All sales are live online and presented over two bidding platforms and in the saleroom where subscribers can watch or bid in real time enabling us to reach a growing national and international audience. Whether consigning single paintings or a collection to fine art or furnishings we can offer a valuation by smart phone, email or with a home visit.

Stamps and Coins

We have been fortunate over the years to have a steady flow of stamps pass through the Saleroom, including many private collections. Most are sold within our specialist collectors sales, however, items of lesser value can also be offered in our more regular general auctions. Stamp collecting has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth century with the rapid growth of the postal service.

Our stamp expert Graham Wilkinson is on hand to offer valuations drawing on his lifetime experience as a collector and enthusiast

If you have any stamps or coins whether they are single items, small or large collections, then please discuss their value with one of our experts.

Taxidermy

Taxidermy is the preserving of an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. We have successfully sold many items over the years and may not be everybody's cup of tea but it is an area that collectors take great interest in.

Textiles

This is another area that we have focused on in recent years.  Designer clothes and Handbags fall into this category as well as Carpets and Rugs. Textiles relating to the Military or sport are offered in our Collectors and Memorabilia specialist sales.

Watercolours

A watercolour is a painting method in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-based solution. Watercolour refers to both the medium and the resulting artwork.  This section also includes Pencil sketches (see below). Pictured in our header image is Mary Isabella Paine (early 19th century), one of 19 Original Sketches taken in the Isle of France (Mauritius), 1837, various sizes mounted in a contemporary book that realised £2,600 plus buyers premium in our August 2018 Fine Art Sale.

Wines and Spirits

We love learning about wines and spirits at Spicer's, this category that has proved very popular. Vintage wines and spirits may be offered along with some non-vintage lots as we have to acquire a licence for the whole.

A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.