Smiths Auctions saleroom was a hive of activity last week as they packed and posted over three hundred parcels to the online buyers from their November antiques sale. The packing team of five people have to work tirelessly to get all the parcels away by the end of the week, with admin staff also playing their part taking payments and arranging the postage. Parcels can include anything from a single item of jewellery to a bundle of awkward items such as a walking stick, clock and a picture!

Whilst this is still going on the valuers are already taking in new items for their first sale of 2026 on January 2-3. This New Year sale is usually the most popular sale of the year with more than twice the usual number of buyers logging in to join the auction. Last year over two thousand buyers registered to bid, due in part to the fact that the catalogue is online all over the Christmas holiday period. Many people imagine that January might be a poor time to sell, and that people will be short of money straight after Christmas. But Smiths have repeatedly found the opposite to be true, with little competition from other salerooms and many dealers desperate to restock after the Christmas rush, it’s actually a fantastic time to sell.

Smiths are very keen to offer yet another great selection of Antiques and Collectables as many private buyers and collectors will also be looking to spend their Christmas money. Antique jewellery is still selling like ‘hot cakes’ and vendors are constantly amazed and delighted with the results achieved for what they thought were just a few oddments of jewellery of little value.

With gold prices still flying high, this is the perfect time to sort out any old unused or inherited jewellery and you might be very surprised by the outcome. For example a rather strange looking large Victorian seed pearl brooch looks like the sort of thing that nobody in their right mind would wear! However collectors will appreciate the workmanship involved with the hundreds of tiny beads being woven with horsehair onto a mother of pearl frame. The brooch, which comes with its original fitted box, is in excellent condition and is estimated to make between £200/£300. Other jewellery items consigned so far include a range of attractive Edwardian gold pendants and brooches, which are always very popular, and a Victorian turquoise set dome form pendant on chain estimated at £180/£250.

The silver section is also selling very strongly at present with a fairly ordinary silver tea service in the last sale making £1,450. Small silver collectables are also extremely popular. For example in the September sale a selection of antique scent bottles attracted buyers from as far afield as India and in the last sale a novelty mid-20th century cat bookmark estimated to make £30/£50 sold for £95. The January sale already includes three collectable Georgian silver vinaigrettes. These are tiny silver boxes which have a pierced inner hinged grille to the interior which held a small piece of sponge soaked in vinegar and scented herbs. This aristocratic and decorative accessory would have been used when encountering unpleasant smells around and about town!

Smiths’ January sale features a wide variety of other antiques including ceramics, glass, watches, furniture, pictures and collectables as well as special sections for postcards and advertising collectables. Both categories are currently popular with postcard collectors paying the highest prices for ‘real photograph’ cards showing scenes of local history interest. However buyers also collect on certain themes such as transport, militaria, animals or specific artists. Advertising collectables covers a wide range of items from throw away paper items to packaging, enamel signs and shop display items. Incredibly popular with interior designers as well as musuems and collectors – prices for the most sought after items can range from a few pounds to several thousand.

Entries for the sale are invited by appointment with a final deadline on the 6th of December. Please telephone 01531 821776 or visit www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk for further information.