Smiths Auctions have had a busy week clearing the saleroom after their May sale in preparation for a refurbishment. With the carpet fitters booked in for the Thursday of packing week, it was imperative that everything got collected, and everything that needed packing and posting was completed on time. Luckily Smiths are used to working to deadlines and were able to get everything cleared and all the walls painted in time for the carpet to be fitted, and in time to receive delivery of the new shelving. With the bank holiday weekend the perfect opportunity to complete the installation of the new shelves, customers will have a pleasant surprise when attending appointments at the much-improved saleroom.

The refurbishment of the saleroom coincides with Smiths celebrating their 50th year in business, and how things have changed in Newent over those fifty years. Culver street once had a cinema, a pub, even a sweetshop, and now the street just has the auction room still operating and bringing in business to the town. Smiths plan on celebrating the last fifty years with a special viewing day on Tuesday, June 30 for their July sale. Details are still to be confirmed but it will definitely be a party atmosphere and the perfect excuse to have a glass of bubbly and a slice of cake on a Tuesday afternoon.

The taking in period is now underway, and Smiths have been inundated with people requesting appointments for the upcoming July 2-3 antiques and collectables sale. With multiple home visits already completed by the valuation team, the sale is already full for furniture, and they will not be accepting any further entries of furniture until the August sale. The team will now be concentrating their appointments on smaller items such as jewellery, silver, ceramics, pictures and collectables, as well as the specialist section of antique and vintage toys.

As previously mentioned, Smiths have already had an impressive collection of steam models consigned to the July sale. Several Mamod and Wilesco steam vehicles will take centre stage at the upcoming sale with one of the most sought-after models being a Mamod London Bus, that comes in its original box and has an estimate of £300-£400. Mamod was a British toy manufacturer that operated between 1937 and 2024, specialising in making live steam models.

The company was set up by Geoffrey Malins, who combined his surname with the word model, to give us the name Mamod. In the nearly 90 years that Mamod was operating they produced a fantastic range of steam engines including stationery engines, rollers, wagons, cars, vans, and trains. Following the closure of the company in 2024, Smiths are expecting good Mamod examples to only increase in rarity and value and now might be the perfect time to purchase one.

Other toys that prove popular at auction include vintage Barbie and Sindy dolls, Action Man figures, and Star Wars toys. In more recent years areas such as Pokémon have increased in popularity with some rare cards selling for incredible sums of money. If you have any toys that you would like to be considered for auction, please contact the team for more information.

Smiths May sale had a slightly smaller than usual jewellery section, but what they did have performed extremely well. Jewellery is always one of the most popular areas of any auction, and it will be an even bigger focus for Smiths moving forward, as Chris from the valuation team is due to complete his training with the Gemmological Association of Great Britain very soon.

The training that Chris has received will give the team at Smiths even more confidence when providing valuations, particularly for stone set jewellery. When people are looking to sell jewellery it’s so important to get a professional opinion, especially if that jewellery has been inherited and you’re not sure what you have. Somewhere like Smiths have the knowledge and ability to identify gemstones and give you a valuation based on exactly what you have, and on how the market is currently performing. Smiths offer free no obligation valuations on all items, including jewellery and would be more than happy to look at any items you have.

Smiths are now inviting good quality entries of antiques and collectables for their forthcoming sale on July 2-3. The sale will include ceramics, silver, gold, jewellery, watches, furniture, pictures & collectables as well as a special section for antique and vintage toys. Please telephone 01531 821776 for an appointment or visit www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk for further information.