Today has been a hectic day, with getting things set for the auction coming up this Saturday at Fakenham Racecourse. Those who cannot make it to Fakenham can bid online via http://www.the-saleroom.com. In addition to this it was necessary to start imaging for the December auction since there are only two weeks between the two auctions.
Also a class from twitter: in an example of self-inflicted gunshot wounds to both feet a member of UKIP contrived to mistake Westminster Cathedral for a mosque!!
My own personal twitter account continues to thrive, with 443 followers at present.
Now for some images…
These last six images are of stuff in the Great Centenary Charity AuctionLot 778Lot 772And this is the front cover logo made as clear as I can.This is the front cover of the folder in true colour.
The next five images are of lot 758.The first four images are of lot 374 in our Nov 29th auction
Yesterday at work was once again entirely devoted to imaging, and by the end of it the imaging for our November auction (Saturday 29th, Prince of Wales Suite, Fakenham Racecourse) was nearly complete. On Tuesday I will be in position to temporarily abandon imaging and work instead on the stock and auction sides of the database so that I the auction runs as smoothly as possible. My Twitter following continues to grow at a spectacular rate, and currently stands at 342, having overtaken that of @great_auction.
I have some decent images from yesterday for you…
These proof coins are sealed in plastic which is set into the lining of the case.
These next two images are of one of several old Ordnance Survey maps going under the hammer. I chose this one because it features “Dinosaur Coast”
Two batteries going phut in quick succession, first on the old Nikon that is our official work camera, and then on the second camera I used immediately afterwards meant that with my Nikon Coolpix P520 still at the repair shop most of my imaging today was done on my old Samsung, which after almost 5 years and 16,000 photos is still working as well as ever. Finally I concluded a day devoted entirely to imaging by using the scanner for some small items. I have plenty of decent pictures, some of which I have already put on twitter…
In between unloading the van, sorting stuff for tomorrow’s fair and loading that stuff on to the van I did manage to get some imaging for the November sale (29th Nov, Prince of Wales Suite, Fakenham Racecourse) done. My first batch of imaging was d0ne with scanner as it consisted of tax discs and log books, then late in the day I did some photographing of a variety of interesting items. Here are the highlights as far as I was concerned…
This hydrometer was fun to image.
Just to demonstrate the amount of editing necessary post scanning for best images this is what the unedited scans of a set of six discs look like!
Log books do not image particularly well, but I include this one as a sample.
Another busy day at James and Sons. I have done some database work, and also started imaging lots for our next auction, which will take place on November 29th. Although I am still stuck with my old camera, I still managed to produce some decent pictures. The lost I imaged today were an interesting mix…
Actually given the weather that title is a trifle optimistic! Nevertheless, the October auction of James and Sons was a MASSIVE success. There will be press releases in the near future about Hornby train sets, stamps and militaria to name but three successful areas. Also look out for related posts on my personal twitter account. The single most astonishing story from the auction concerns a box of loose penny red-browns, with may be a few penny rose reds in there as well, which started at £30 and ended up fetching a cool £350!
I do have some photos for you, but because my good camera is at the repair shop they were taken with my old camera and are therefore not as good as they would be had I been using my camera of choice…
A scene from the walk from Fakenham town centre to the racecourse.The Prince of Wales Suite, Fakenham Racecourse, all set for auction action!This pair of U-Boat binoculars went for a mere £3,000The tax discs had some advance publicity in the Lynn News.This cake stand sold.The Fitzroy Barometer was a rare disappointment on a very successful day.In spite of being carefully presented by yours truly most of these suffered the usual fate of books of auction.The banner, behind the rostrum.The view out of the window.The Hornby stuff was a monster success!
This lot sold reaasonably well, and just sneaking into shot is the Connaught Rangers helmet which sold for £160This is not an auction lot – it is marble pestle and mortar bought in Dimitsana and now in residence in my kitchen.
This concerns my journey home last night. Having secured my preferred position on a double decker (front, top deck, non-driver side) I was most gratified to see a very low flying military plane directly out of my window. The Nikon P520 Coolpix was in its usual travelling place (around my neck), so I got the photo, and another good one of a crescent moon in an early evening sky.
Editing it this morning I came up with three different versions, one of which is going on the @great_auction twitter feed (as anticipated/ hoped we gained our 200th follower yesterday). See what you make of my efforts to get a good image from a moving bus…
This is the original picture, reduced in size but otherwise uneditedThe crescent moon was take before the bus started moving, and this image is the result of serious editing work.This crop keeps the moon and the plane, but was edited slightly differentlyThis crop keeps the moon and the planeThis one loses the moon but instead shows some very diaphanous clouds behind the plane
On Saturday James and Sons had their September Auction in the Erpingham Room at the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich. The auction featured two lifetime stamp collections, a large amount of militaria, some interesting coin lots, three folders of Liebig Company Picture Cards and sundry other items.
In order to assist with setting things up, and to be ready for action at the 10AM start time it was necessary for me to catch the 6:00 bus from King’s Lynn, arriving at Norwich Bus Station just after 7:30. After a slightly slower than usual start (for the right reason – lots of bidding), the pace picked up in the later stages of the auction. On a whim I purchased a tub of thru’penny bits for £7, and a little later a made a more considered purchase of a set of Liebig Picture Cards featuring “Divers systemes de Chemins de Fer” for the same price.
Although the massive lot 83 (all 16 boxes of it) did sell, it went to an internet bidder, so it still had to be loaded back on the van. Overall it was a very successful sale, and in the end I got back to my flat a mere 13 hours after setting forth.
I have some pictures from before, during and after the sale, and you can expect pictures of thru’penny bits, and when the coin in question comes out juxtapositions of thru’penny bits and the new style of £1 coin to feature in future posts!
Swaffham Church early in the morningThe nearest place to this church is so insignificant that I have forgotten its name.
A light source doubling up as a hanger!
Most of this headgear did sell.The Auction Database ready for action (but revealing no confidential information) – all I will enter manually during the day are paddle numbers and hammer prices.This spiked helmet did not go due to having an overly high reserve.
This is part of the Norwich Cathedral complex.
Making use of a renewable resource the Norfolk is abundantly blessed with!
aspiblog 