Thread: Second hand furniture / collectables in UK

Foolishly perhaps agreed to buy another little flat in the UK for short lets / holiday rentals. It's in a Regency building so I'm on the look out for odds n sods to furnish it to get the right look for rich Londoners and overseas guests looking for a bit of heritage. Basically Downton Abbey on IKEA money

Being stuck in KL is not the best place for buying at auction in the UK so I marked off about 20 lots and asked a friend and sometime business partner to give up half a day to give it all the once over.

Quite a nice result - there are some real bargains out there. In particular silver which seems to be selling for practiaccly scrap value! As for Asian art n stuff - it's cheaper to buy in the UK at auction than sweating your knickers off at Chatuchak




£140 plus premium - posh enough box to liven up a dressing table for thye guests' cotton buds etc
"Antique Qing Dynasty Chinese Elm Lacquered Box, the black lacquered box having coloured gilding and depicting a courtyard celebration scene with inside painted lid and Letter of Authenticity 27 x 16 x 17 cms" believed c 1880s


£22 plus premium - nice hand coloured engraving from 1792 with serviceable frame


A couple of solid silver ciggie cases - one from 1908 at around £70 ea + premium. Not bad for 330g of silver!


Thought this might do as a bedroom chair - great nic for £55 + premium


These side tables pair were est at £80 - I'd said up to £150.....someone paid £3,400!!!! Not bad as apparently they had come out of a skip


Quirky little drop leaf table for £50 + premium. Edwardian. Needs some tlc (will attack it gently with some fine wire wool and wax when back in Blighty) perfectly good side table/card table for the new gaff though

Originally Posted by cyrille

Will you really be furnishing a short term rental flat with silver cigarette cases?

Yes. It may sound a bit Chinese but everything in the property is for sale and priced/inventoried - including all furniture as it's all antiques. In the first year of operation we've sold odds n sods but also three large pieces of furniture inc a Victorian leather sofa and a Howard armchair.

It's all checked at the end of each stay - the cig cases will go into the town house. We occasionally lose a minor object but the cleaner has a "mise en place" guide for every room set up right down to position of tissue boxes etc so it is checked on every turn around

We take a small inventory deposit plus the exterior and perimeter outside is monitored by hi def CCTVs in case someone tried a wholesale removal.

It's mostly professionals having a special celebration /get together and they generally leave the place spotless. The house is charged out at £750/night at weekends (more at Gold Cup week etc) and the punters seem pretty honest (so far!)

The only slight dishonesty - we leave comp gin, brandy and whisky (supermarket brand only) in a decanter set with a clear note asking for a £3 a measure donation into a charity box (bereaved kiddies). I must have supplied £100 of booze last year and still not seen £40 in the box.

Henceforth I will double check all reservations from people called Cyril or anyone who looks like a Cyril and lock everything up!