Love-hate relationship

WHEN I was soldiering, one of my boys had LOVE tattooed on one hand and, you’ve guessed it, HATE on the other. That is how I sometimes feel about auctioneers – in fact, and while I’m on the subject, another had JEAN tattooed on his knuckles. “Your wife?” I asked; it was late, we were on sentry duty and I needed to stay awake. “No,” he said, “my ex…” End of that topic of conversation. Because, whilst auctioneers can sometimes drive me to drink with their schemes to coax every last penny from we buyers – and in so doing boost their commission – they live in febrile times; if a sale goes ‘wrong’ and they end up with a load of unsolds, they face deep financial doo-doo.

Key to a successful sale is getting the estimates and reserves ‘right’. Price things sensibly and, especially in these internet-driven days where all the world can view what is on offer, the buyers should come. Gavin Gardiner of the