AMID THE smell of musk and newspaper racks, cuckoo clocks and a statue of the Virgin Mary, the punters gathered. Loads of them. They spilled out of the auction room doors, straining on tiptoe to get a glimpse of the lots.
The crowds had amassed to catch a glimpse of someone else’s treasure. Items which had never made it to their destination, improperly addressed and undeliverable. A post-An Post sale. The sale of items which An Post was unable to deliver or to return to their owners took place last night at an auction room in Rathmines, Dublin. Outside the room, rumours filtered through the crowd: a piece of Tiffany jewellery had sold for just €30, a Rolex watch for €2,000.
Every once in a while, a red-faced bargain-hunter would emerge from the throng, making room for new arrivals. However, once they had literally squeezed themselves into the auction hall disappointment registered.
“A pair of dancing shoes – €2,” auctioneer David Herman offered as a woman lifted the lot above her head as if parading a number in a boxing ring. “What size?” came a flurry of voices. It seems size 7s weren’t common and the pair only fetched €6.
A picture of the Titanic started at a fiver but, unlike the painting’s subject, the ship went up, not down, selling for a handsome €20.
A box of children’s clothes went for €25. “You’d buy them for cheaper in Penneys,” Derek Fitzsimons, from Cabra, muttered, rather loudly.
He was admonished with dark stares and shushes but he persevered. “The recession has finally hit – every cheapskate in the country is out looking for a bargain.” The lots became increasingly tedious. Half a dozen ladies’ scarves; a box of school books; a knitted doll.
One man made his way slowly through the masses. “They’ve already sold the thing I was looking for,” he explained. “What’s that, a Playstation?” Mr Fitzsimons asked. “No, dignity,” the man quipped and exited.
The majority consisted of the curious who had heard the event advertised on the radio or in the newspaper and had come down for a look-see. The pros were easy to spot among them, deftly flicking their notebooks at the auctioneer, his eagle eye catching their every movement.
After a while, the curiosity hunters were beginning to wane. Joe Gallagher, from Ranelagh, thought the items on display were a “load of rubbish”.
Jean Larkin, from Templeogue, was there for the second year running but found the quality much better last time around when she came away with a pair of John Rocha glasses and Waterford Crystal. This year it was a case of “more people, more tat,” she summarised. “Maybe it’s a sign of the times.”
Most were just happy to get out of it all. A set of Remington clippers: €25. A pair of skinny leather trousers: €18. Four communion dresses: €20. Getting out of the auction house alive: priceless.
