What to make of the ICCA Auction..November 2013.

I have been watching the latest ICCA Auction with great interest, this sale was number 13, was it unlucky 13?? I am not sure the results will look positive for the organisers, personally I think interest in corkscrew collecting is gradually dying. 

Are the more mature collectors who over the last few years have been seen to disperse of their collections being replaced by new collectors who have  the same deep pockets and passion? I have seen a fraction of new collectors enter the market compared to collectors leaving the market. I could name 10 large collections at least that have been sold in recent years and it's my opinion that other collectors are struggling to absorb these collections let alone new pieces that appear on the open market.

Maybe the ICCA Auction organisers will release their latest sales figures, shedding some light on the state of the market!! Many fellow collectors that I speak to say "it's just a blip....things will pick up". I am not so sure, it's Monday morning and I am negative at the best of times!!!!

Some price observations.....

Ebay late 2013.....Heeley Empire sold - 1 bid £450!!

Ebay mid 2013....Loach & Clarke Patent - sold £630!!

ICCA Nov 2013.....Vines & Fruit Thomason sold £445!!

ICCA Nov 2013....4 Pillar Bronze Thomason....never sold £375

ICCA Nov 2013...Dray...never sold £160

Sure these are just a few examples I have plucked out of the air.

Do you know a collector who hasn't got an Empire, a Robert Jones narrow barrel, a Gothic Thomason, a Grapes and Vine Thomason, a Baker Patent? My point is, collectors seem to have most pieces they want!! Corkscrews once seen as rare are looking common. Soon there will be enough examples of the corkscrews above for us to all have 2 or 3 each!!!!!!

All the above corkscrews are great English pieces, not rare, not too common but the one thing they all have in common is the fact that they have dropped in value considerably over the last few years. The low end of the market is in an even worse state.....

Heeley A1's, Lund and Tangent levers can now be bought for £40 each, I see them at this sort of price regularly!!!

Where will it all end?? In tears??

Lets finish on a positive note ...

The rare pieces are still keeping their value, although pieces that used to seem rare no longer look as rare as they once did.  Maybe that's partly due to the thousands of pieces we see for sale on the ICCA Auctions, better quality in general than what we see on Ebay.  Personally I love the ICCA Auctions, soon it may be a great place for me to buy rather than sell.  Perhaps I can build the best collection in the UK while spending the least money!!!

At the moment I have a very small high end collection maybe now is a good time for me to buy all those mid range English pieces I have always wanted for less than half the price they were 5 years ago!!!

Off to speak to the Bank Manager!!!!!!