Rye Auction Galleries Ltd, now based at Unit 36, Rye Industrial Park, Harbour Road, TN31 7TE, is not easy to find. In spite of two previous efforts, and more detailed directions, it was still rather daunting to turn into an industrial park, look for the Sheri’s Café sign, follow the road road, turn a sharp left, be faced with a row of what appeared to be garages and finally reach the premises of this well-known local auction house. It was, however, well worth the effort, to find a real treasure trove of antiques and collectables.
The latest sale, held on May 5 from 10am until 4:30pm, was one of the two held each month, one for antiques and collectables and the other a general sale. The next one, a general sale, will be on Friday, May 18. Viewing is held the day before and from 8:30am on the day of the sale.
Mr Kevin Wall is the Company Director and auctioneer (pictured) and he told me that they had moved from previous premises due to a lack of space. He runs the Galleries with a team of three other people, Jo Wells, office manager; jewellery advisor, Emma Meijer-Harding, art specialist; and Stuart Page, valuer and adviser. The move, he said, had been beneficial to the business and, to the relief of visitors, a new sign was being erected that day.
Moving round the pleasantly warm room, some lovely little silver boxes caught the eye, and an astonishing pink cocktail cabinet made a suitable contrast! There was china and glass, some pretty jewellery and quite a large number of paintings and drawings. The inevitable brown furniture, most of it in a very good condition, could immediately be seen on entering the space, with garden furniture and oddments in the entrance. If your fancy takes you to Elvis Presley, there was a collection of memorabilia “to include the Sun” or you might possible prefer “a leather-bound hardback volume of Dante’s La Divina Commedia – Inferno”, I quote from the catalogue, which is available for all the sales, on the saleroom website.
Valuations are free, with the Galleries dealing in gold, silver and coins, as well as fine porcelain, medals and agricultural implements. And ephemera, of course. This is not a definitive list but gives an idea of the range that can be sold at auction. Deliveries and collections can be arranged for a small fee.
Open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm, the email address is info@ryeauctiongalleriesltd.com. They deserve a visit, and you can bid online as well as in person, which, if intimidating, is competitive and stimulating. If you prefer online-only sales, the Galleries hold two a year, with viewing by appointment only. Surely this indicates the future trends in this industry.
Photo: Gillian Roder