Important Auction & Bidding Information
Our Auctions are held regularly through the year. The next Sale is March 8th 2023. We charge a commission fee of 18% plus VAT - Buyer’s premium – if you bid and win through the saleroom internet platform there is an additional fee of 6% which is the platform charge. We also sell through Easy Live Auctions where rates are more competitive.
We also offer in-house post and packing at reasonable and competitive rates. The postal cost will be added to your invoice. Auction catalogues will always be online 14 days prior to the auction, giving our customers time to view the items and potentially visit us on the day of the auction. Auction viewing will also be available at our new shop in Felixstowe. Viewing times will be available up to a week prior to the auction and we ask that you advise us of when you would like to come and view the auction items.
In making any bid or commission bid, the purchaser accepts that attention has been drawn to these conditions of sale and agrees to be bound by them. The highest bidder shall be the purchaser. The auctioneer reserves the right to refuse any bid and regulates the advance of bidding. The auctioneer reserves the right of absolute discretion should a dispute occur concerning a sale, including the right to offer any disputed lot for resale. Where a vendor has imposed a reserve, the auctioneer shall have the right to bid on his/her behalf. Before commencement of the auction prospective purchasers must register their name and address and be issued with a bidding number. Failure to do so gives the auctioneer the right to disregard any unregistered bid and re-enter the lot for sale. Bids are accepted by email as well.
Further Auction Information
Nick Barber Auctions Ltd accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any statement, whether printed in a catalogue or made orally, as to grading, authorship, attribution, genuineness, origin, date, age, provenance and condition. All such statements are ones purely of opinion and are not to be taken as being, or implying, warranties, guarantees or representations of fact. The auctioneers reserve the right in forming their opinion, to consult and rely on any expert or authority considered by them to be reliable. Ample opportunity is given for inspection and purchaser, by making a bid for a lot, is deemed to have understood all the conditions of sale and to have satisfied themselves as to the condition of the lot and the accuracy of its description, including whether the lot is damaged or has been repaired. The auctioneers, at their discretion, may modify any description or statement in the catalogue.
Vinyl Records
Vinyl has come back with a vengeance and is an important part of the fabric of the shop. There’s a real appetite for vinyl again, and we always have a great stock in the shop and often buy new stock every day to keep things fresh.
A large and varied customer base from all over Suffolk, Essex and beyond are regular visitors to the shop. Our auctions are always well stocked with records, and we regularly have over 100 lots per auction. If you’re thinking of selling your old record collection, we can advise you on whether the best option is to sell directly or the collection is suitable for auction.
Condition of vinyl records is key to how successfully they sell. Rock, punk, progressive, soul, funk, disco, pop, reggae - you name it, we are interested in it!
Postcards & Cigarette Cards
Postcard collecting is a very popular hobby these days and has been for many decades. Each auction will have postcards, and we have had several vast collections sold on behalf of vendors in recent years. The more valuable postcards are those with real photographs of a local area, shop fronts, railways, streets, etc. These are widely collected, generally by collectors who specialise in an area, town or village. Many other cards are popular including war-related postcards, comic postcards, etc.
Cigarette and gum cards are also very popular with lots to collect. Issuing began in the early 1900s and there are a massive number of sets, from sporting and landmarks to animals, royalty, etc. Many of the regular makers such as Players, Wills, Ogden are quite common but there are many more that are very difficult to find. There has been a shift in collecting in which 1960s gum cards, such as A&BC, Somportex, Topps, etc., have become extremely popular. All of these are more up to date with sporting themes, films, pop music, etc.
Magazines & Comics
Magazines and comics are always popular in our auctions, whether they are action, kids, music, etc., but they need to be the correct subjects. As a rule of thumb, most modern or glossy magazines/comics are not very popular but can potentially be a collectable in the future. Age doesn’t always automatically mean they are of interest or value, however.
After auctioning such items for many years, we can advise you with a yes or a no. Comics such as DC, Spiderman, Batman, Beano and Dandy have been popular at auction. Magazines such as Look In, music magazines from the 1960s/70s, motor racing, car, fashion and adult glamour magazines are all typically very popular. The shop always has various comics and annuals for viewing!
As an example, we have had the first comic that featured Spiderman (Amazing Fantasy No. 15) once before at auction. It has most recently sold at auction for £13,000!
Stamps
Stamp collecting continues to be one of the most popular hobbies across the world. Many millions still collect and often the hobby is rekindled by retirement or when a collection is inherited from a relative. It is still a big part of our auctions and normally nearly every lot is sold (lots can be sold to customers across the globe).
There is no need for you to sort your collection that you're bringing in for auction. It is up to us to get them ready and suitably lotted up. From British Commonwealth stamps to European or other stamps from around the globe, there are collectors for it all!
Coins & Banknotes
There is a massive market worldwide for both coins and notes. We always have both in our auctions and they normally sell very well. Older British coins that are made of silver or gold are always popular. The same can be said for banknotes.
Militaria
We occasionally get military items from estates. Malcolm Gordon has joined us as our medals and militaria consultant and is happy to discuss the disposal of single medals to groups and even collections at highly competitive rates for collectors and dealers. We have been amazed at some of the current prices being paid across the range of medal collecting themes.
Malcolm has already amassed a fine first auction with gallantry groups that features a diverse range of very interesting campaign singles and groups, and we have been getting orders from around the world. There is a very strong market for militaria worldwide.
Sporting Memorabilia
We are sporting memorabilia and paper ephemera specialists. Nick has been dealing in speedway programmes and memorabilia for over 40 years. A well-renowned expert, he is respected across the world for his knowledge. It’s a passion and there’s not much he doesn’t know about the sport and its collectables.
Over the years this passion and knowledge have spread across the sporting spectrum from stock cars to football, motor racing, superbikes, TT, hill climbing, boxing, horse racing, ice hockey and more.
Nick actually ran the only regular speedway auction twice a year from 1993 until 2015 in Coventry. It was an annual pilgrimage for many to come and see friends and find those rare items. So when it comes to sporting memorabilia, Nick generally knows most of it!
Die-Cast Toys
Very popular among both young and old, these collectables span from pre-World War II to present day. There is so much in this category that is collectable. From lead soldiers to Dinky, Corgi, Matchbox, Lesney, Vanguard and other foreign producers, there is a wide range of valuable die-cast toys.
That’s without thinking about the railway side of things such as Hornby, Triang, Lima, Bachmann, etc. It is a timeless hobby, whether you are seven or 70!
Our auctions always have a selection of die-cast toys and they are very popular at every auction. Very rarely do any lots go unsold. In recent years, demand and prices have certainly risen. As the hobby changes, vintage items that are boxed have become important as condition is key.
The shop also boasts a good selection of boxed and unboxed items and none of these sit on the shelf for too long! We often have vast collections come in that are split down into lots for auctions. These are no problems for us to deal with at all.
154 Hamilton Road
Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 7DS
Daytime Phone: 01394 549084
Mobile: 07876 757268
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