CHURCHILL AUCTIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 176, 28 July 1942, Page 3

CHURCHILL AUCTIONS

STRAIGHT-OUT BIDDING

n* A statement was made to-day by Mr. Pat. Lawlor, honorary Dominion organiser of the Churchill auctions, clarifying the position regarding the holding of the sales. Mr. Lawler stated that there was some misconception regarding the method of these auctions.

In the first place, the rare Churchill book, the inspiration of the auctions, will be sold by radio in a national hook-up. This will enable all centres to bid, and the tota? price realised will be divided among the four centres. Secondly, one auction sale will be held in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin and possibly one other South Island town, but not on the same day; this so that collectors may have an opportunity to attend all sales. These city sales will be conducted on the same lines as an ordinary business auction sale; that is, the items will be put up lot by lot, falling to the highest bidder. "Some people seem to have the idea," said Mr. Lawlor, "that because these are patriotic auctions, the items will be auctioned time and again, so as to realise a cumulative price. That is not so. There will be straight-out bidding for all, and although the rarer items will be expected to realise big prices, there should be bargains for all among the lots to be submitted. The profits of these sales will go to the patriotic funds of the respective cities."

A repeated question also is as to when the sales will be held? Mr. Lawlor's reply to this was that the sales will take place at such time as the quantity of gifts received justifies. Many fine gifts have been received to date, but these were not in sufficient number to complete the catalogues.

In conclusion, Mr. Lawlor mentioned that people need not be overconcerned as to whether the gifts they have in mind are sufficiently rare for inclusion in the auctions. It would greatly help the auctions' committees if prospective donors were to act right away and send their gifts along. For one thing, their early arrival would facilitate the holding of displays of the best of the gifts received. Gifts of books, pictures, autographed letters, antiques and stamps may be sent to the public libraries in each centre.