Behind the Scenes of The Estate
Did you know that our Estate department consigns, catalogues and photographs almost 1,000 lots a fortnight? That’s nearly 26,000 lots a year. Behind the scenes of this wildly popular and ever-growing auction is a dynamic, fast-moving process that's kept running seamlessly by our hardworking Estate team. Take a closer look at how it all takes shape over the course of two weeks.
A new cycle begins
Each new auction cycle begins before the last one is even over, with new pieces being consigned constantly by The Estate Manager Cam Millar and our newly appointed Specialist, Charlotte Dippie.
Once cataloguing deadlines are met, each item is assigned a lot number, is stickered, then photographed individually by our in-house photographer Jimi Frizzell, who also captures the sleek styled shots you see here and on our social media.
From whirlwind to wow
At this point in the process The Estate gallery appears in what you might describe as a state of organised chaos, but this is where the wonderful Karen Dunsmore comes in.
Over just three days Karen and the team will style the hundreds of lots into a series of chic vignettes, transforming the space into a welcoming showroom, ready for public viewing over the course of the auction's five day run.
According to Karen: "Once the chaos turns into a visually tantalising gallery there's a real moment of collected calm—it's my favourite time."
On view and time for auction
Popping in for a browse? You'll be greeted by either Karen or Ruby Whitaker, and they'll also be on hand to help you find a specific item or answer any questions you may have. Over the course of the auction period, they'll welcome hundreds of visitors through the showroom.
While the auction is running the team is kept busy monitoring bids, fielding enquiries and sending out condition reports, then once it's over it is straight onto invoicing, picking, packing and sending before the whole process starts over again for another fortnight... it is no small feat!
As Karen explains, the fortnightly auction process is the equivalent of "setting up a physical shop and website, selling everything and then starting over again," but she and the rest of the team wouldn't have it any other way:
"We never tire of the endless selection of treasure we are surround by—you never know what will come in and we're constantly being surprised. We also love seeing familiar faces and the excitement that new auction buyers get when they buy from The Estate for the first time. It's a real privilege."
If you’re interested in selling with The Estate or want more information on how to acquire pieces at auction, get in touch with our Estate team, they’d love to hear from you.
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