AUCTION TRENDS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 26, 23 November 1943, Page 5

AUCTION TRENDS

VALUES AND PRICES

SEQUEL TO SHORTAGES

inability to obtain many articles, especially of the ordinary household requisite type, through the customary channels of trade has made the prc.sent-day auction sale of household effects practically the only means whereby many persons, can renew or replenish lines which, through ordinary usage, arc a diminishing asset. A Whakatane businessman in close touch with this class of business said that because main' articles of household furnishings 'were unprocurable from shops people wore often prepared to go lo prices substantially in excess of actual vainest simply in order to secure what they want. It is true, of course, he said, that values to-day of articles, if they could be procured, through the ordinary channels of trade, would lie much higher than those for which they could be bought before, the war, because of the scarcity of raw materials 'and tlie shortage of manpower in New Zealand, and in. other in-t stances on account of the impossibility of iniporLs from overseas where there arc. shortages from the same causes, and also because of restrictions on importations.

Ready Market

Kilchenware. pots and. pans, enamel plated Avare. crockery and glass ware and general household requisites are among the many articles which lind a ready market.. Carpets, because new ones are almost unprocurable, are also in great demand, while such things as chairs and other pieces of furniture sometimes realise tAvicc as much as the prices obtained for them before the war.

An'instance at a recent sale, was that, of a lawn mower, which before the war could have been bought for probably £3 J ss, which was sold for over £9. Another example was that of a china cabinet, certainly riot an indispensable piece of household furniture., which some years ago was purchased at auction for £6 10s and was recently re-sold at £14.

A striking -example of the; lengtlx to ■which people will go in order to acquire sports material was shown recently when a set of composition, bowls and, a bag originally bought within the past five years for £9 10s was sold for £25 10s. This may bo accounted for somewhat, by the fact of the steadily-increasing number of boAvlcrs making the demand for requisites heavier., but a similar set without the bag could have been obtained for £(j 10s in pre-war days.