Topic: Paperweight collecting as seen by others

[SophieB]

Hi all,

I found this blog entry on the Salesroom and thought it quite funny really:

http://blog.the-saleroom.com/uncategorized/glass-paperweight-collectors-eye-cotswold-auction/?utm_source=the-saleroom.com&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=the-saleroom.com&utm_content=latest-blog-post

Anyway I thought I should pass it on for everybody else to have a laugh.

Actually the auction in question was definitely odd...

SophieB

[KevinH]

Actually the auction in question was definitely odd...

Sophie! You can't say that and then leave us wondering!!

[tropdevin]

***

Hi.  I love the article!   I watched / participated online in this auction.  It was odd, in that a single buyer accounted for around half of the 80 lots on offer.

Alan

[SophieB]

Hi Kevin,

Well, I was surprised by the bidding activity at that auction (Moore, Allen & Innocent on 7 August).

I expected competition over the lots of traditional paperweights, i.e. the Whitefriars, the Clichy, the Salvador butterfly, the Caithness Whitefriars and the first two lots of Selkirk, but I was more than a little surprised by the competition over those of abstract paperweights (Caithness and Selkirk). They made good money. I thought this success at odd with the present market (as exemplified by the prices seen on Ebay). Indeed, we often advise sellers (rightly in my view) about the modest resale value of these weights.

While I am partial to a Selkirk abstract myself, I thought the abstract lots at Moore, Allen were going for a lot/too much money.. And I am at loss to account for this bidding activity: of course, there would have been paperweight collectors and dealers in addition to the 'normal crowd' at that auction and that tends to push prices up, but both dealers and collectors would be aware of what abstract weights are worth... So how come... It is a bit of a mystery to me. And, yes Alan is right, there seemed to be a very determined bidder in the room but there needs to be underbidders too to bring the prices up. Furthermore, I had observed something a little similar at the Cheffins auction the week before where a few lots of Caithness and Selkirk came up for auction.

May be there are 'new collectors' coming unto the market, and they do not distinguish between abstract and traditional paperweights (any more than the author of the blog above it would seem). I wonder whether the recent statement by one of the dealers on the TV show 'Secret Dealers' that glass paperweights were the antiques of tomorrow is affecting the market (and Tim Hogarth good to his words bought a lot of 4 modest paperweights - Murano and abstract Caithness - for £100!!!).

Anyway, this is what I meant by the auction being odd.

SophieB

[KevinH]

Sophie, thanks for the info. I was not aware of that. I have been a bit quiet in relation to auctions (and general buying) over the last year or so.

Alan said, "I love the article!". Of course you would, Alan, your paperweight site is given a mention!  (Sorry, couldn't resist it.)

Having taken a look at the sale results, I can see why some of the lots seemed a bit odd in their realized prices. However, many of the latter paperweight lots sold at (hammer price?) £10 - £20 per weight and if the buyer was a collector, then they secured them at a price not too different from that currently expected.

I agree with Sophie's expectation for some weights to have reached a higher price. The Salvador "floating butterfly", for example, would usually have made at least £200-300 on its own.

It will, however, be interesting to see if the trend of two determined buyers continues for the "abstract" weight market - as it did for general Ysart / Vasart/ Strathearn weights not so long ago. And will it affect the general market? Let's wait and see.