Antiques

The 4ft x 3ft James Bond Casino Royale collage picture £100-200 in the Charterhouse two day 10th & 11th March collector’s auction.

BUYERS LOVE TO BID

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

Itook my first auction in 1985. Since then I have lost track as to how many lots I have put under my trusty gavel, but it will be a big number.

Over the decades I have probably seen just about every reaction possible to buyers successfully bidding on a lot. Some with jubilation, some indifferent and some almost disappointed!

Our jewellery auctions are always popular, with our next such sale on 3rd February. At the viewings our specialists are on hand to give help, advice and guidance. The best help I like giving is when we are asked to advise on engagement rings. Occasionally there are big smiles when the engagement ring has been successfully bought, although I never seem to get a wedding invitation!

Sometimes, when selling items for a deceased

estate, family members buy back items as memories. More often than not having bid against other family members, close or distant, they are always pleased with their purchases whilst the underbidders suffer from bidder’s remorse.

But bidder’s remorse can take on other forms. In our catalogue descriptions we endeavour to note damage, restoration or repair. We also take measurements as many people today do not attend auctions but are armchair bidders sitting at home, in the office or out in a coffee shop when the lots they are interested in go under the hammer in our international online auctions.

Despite all the information available, some buyers see what they want to see and this happened to a seasoned auction-goer who bought a James Bond collage picture from the 2006 Casino Royale film at another firm of auctioneers. Most items Bond-related have a large and loyal following. This collage picture featured signed photographs of Daniel Craig (the last James Bond) and Mads Mikkelsen (villain Le Chiffre) with Heineken Casino Royale playing cards and three Casino Royale gaming chips. All mounted on green card – I assume to represent the top of the casino card table, and set in a nice frame ready to be hung on the wall of a living room, study or man-cave.

When the owner, who lived near Leicester, viewed the lot in a catalogue online it certainly ticked several boxes for him so he decided to have a few bids to try to buy the picture. Having been successful he arranged to have it delivered to his house. As a collector, he was excited as the delivery date drew near and finally arrived. Over the decades he had bought many items at auction and his house was pretty full, so when the doorbell rang with his latest purchase, he opened the door with great anticipation but that changed to immediate disappointment.

Quite simply, he did not appreciate just how big the picture was, measuring a whopping 4ft high by 3ft wide. With little wall space available to hang it, he had little option but to re-sell the Bond picture.

Despite living near Leicester, we regularly see him as a client at our Sherborne salerooms. On his last visit he brought the collage picture to us and entered it into our 10th and 11th March two day collector’s auction. Estimated at £100-200 hopefully the next buyer will realise how big it is or have enough wall space to hang it!

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