Eastbourne Auction Rooms

[Cantona93]

I would just like to share an unfortunate experience I have recently had with Eastbourne Auction Rooms. This auction house regularly holds household and collectibles auctions. A couple of months ago I left a commisson bid for a suitcase full of football memorablia. I didn't see the lot (living 250 miles away)but when I requested a condition report I was told that it consisted mostly of items from the 1900's to 1920's. I won the lot for £120 and it was delivered to me.

It actually mostly contained programmes and annuals from the 1970's onwards, with only one item from the 1900s, a load of worthless junk basically.

Despite me sending them photographs of the contents of the lot they have refused to acknowledge any liability for misrepresentation.

A warning to others......

[mark01]

Ive got caught out a couple of times too, with other auction houses around the country. The specialist football houses are great because they know their target audience and descibe their lots accurately and give good information when you ring them up.

Trouble with small 'odds and sods' auctions 'collectables and household' etc are simply that and are probably catalogued by the YTS kiddy.

[Eddie Reeve]

Have to agree with the above posts. I have given up bidding at non-specialist auctions unless you can actually view the lots as my experience has been that the descriptions given are often very poor.

[Ruud Van Driver]

Likewise, I had a similar experience with an auction house in Bristol from memory. I bought a small collection that were nothing like their description suggested. Worse still I then discovered that their policy was not to post any auction lots won on the internet! Fortunately I was able to sweet talk an employee into posting them but most definitely paid way over the top for the privilege. Have only purchased from Sport/Football auctions since but have no doubt missed out on some desirable items as a result.
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[tommy]

Caveat emptor (Buyer beware).

Auction lots from non football memorabilia specialists (+ Bonhams in Chester) must be inspected for content and condition by you or somebody you can trust in person, often the auction house has no idea what they have. This can sometimes pay dividends (0.1%) but more often than not (99.9%) be a waste of time. However being a waste of time is preferable to being a waste of money.

This is my 0.1% story. Picked up a nice collection late 2009, unfortunately dealers were in the know so paid over what I hoped for but less than at a specialist auction. Added three programmes to my collection, since exchange some of the spares for three more programmes for my collection and still have a few left over. Nice result, but I viewed first.