AUCTION SALE PRICES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 255, 25 July 1944, Page 6

AUCTION SALE PRICES

Bargains A Thing Of The Past KEEN SELLERS’ MARKET Judged by recent price trends, bargains arc a thing of the past at present-day auction sales. , Short-ages-in many household luruishings due to the war have brought about n condition whore the auction sale is no longer the medium of many a purchase bargain, fbuta medium for procuring, second-ham , goods practically unobtainable through ordinary channels. With money in apparently plentiful supply 'and a sellers market ruling the prices have been high—fantastic in some cases. It is uot. surprising, therelore. when such lines ns mahogany tables and chairs and English oak furnishings are advertised that interest in a sale becomes keen Ample evidence of this was afforded at jin auction sale in Wellington yesterday. of thousands of pounds' worth ot de luxe liners fittings and furnishings. Many ot the goods put up for auction were damaged or incomplete, but as at nearly all recent sales of this kind, where goods difficult or impossible to procure through ordinary channels were obtainable, money seemed tro object among a section of the large crowd. Bidding was keen from the outset, a high price level being set, and maintained, and there was an excellent clearance. , Several shaped cane chairs brought i--17/6 apiece; others in a damaged condition. 22/6 apiece, arid a group of broken chairs with crushed legs or torn backs were taken at 6/- each.. A cane lounge seat sold for £7/10/-. Principal interest lay in the mahogany chairs, and some remarkable prices were paid, notably £ll/10/-* apiece for nine small Ilepplewhite mahogany chairs. A collection of mahogany fan-back chairs, the seats of which were missing,, fetched £7/15/- apiece. By comparison with this, a large number of solidly-built English oak dining chairs with reversible seats went modestly at £4/10/- apiece. Tallboys, the majority slightly damaged, brought from 4gns. to lOgns. Single and double wardrobes with parts missing ranged from £3/10/- to £7/10/-. Mahogany tables brought from £8 to £lO. Probably the one bargain of the sale was the purchase of 48’damaged mahogany chairs for £BO.

Ship's bunks sold up to £l3 a pair.