A 12-bore in Barnstaple at ten, a working diesel tractor in Exeter by noon, and a £5 no-reserve free-for-all in Abergele in between. Four salerooms open their doors on Sunday 23 August 2026 — two in Devon, one on the Dorset coast, one online-only in North Wales. Here’s what’s worth your time in each, and exactly how to get a bid in.
What’s in the Pyle’s Auctions sporting sale in Barnstaple?
Field-sports buyers get first light. Pyle’s Auctions’ Sporting Effects, Shooting & Fishing sale opens at 10:00 am and leans hard into the practical end of the trade: air guns, shotguns, ammunition and accessories, alongside a proper run of fishing tackle — rods, reels and the odds and ends that fill a river bag.
This is a sale for people who use their kit as much as collect it. Vintage reels and cased rods reward a patient eye, and the late-August timing is no accident — it lands as the game season warms up, so a well-chosen shotgun or a tidy set of tackle here is bought to be carried, not shelved. New to buying firearms at auction? Sort the licensing paperwork first; the saleroom staff will talk you through it.
- Air guns and shotguns — working sporting arms for the season ahead
- Ammunition and accessories — the supporting kit dealers stock up on
- Fishing tackle, rods and reels — vintage and usable lots for the riverbank
When and where: Sunday 23 August 2026, 10:00 am (BST), South Street, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 9DT. Online & in person. More from this seller on the Pyle’s Auctions house page, and the live catalogue is on EasyLive.
What’s in the South Dorsetshire Auctions antiques sale?
An hour along the coast in Wareham, South Dorsetshire Auctions’ Antiques & Collectables sale gets underway at 11:00 am. The individual lots aren’t listed yet, which for regular saleroom-goers is half the appeal — a general Dorset antiques sale is exactly where furniture, ceramics, silver and the occasional sleeper turn up before anyone’s had the chance to overprice them.
Good hunting for interior buyers and trade dealers who like to view in person and trust their own eye. If you’re near Poole or Bournemouth it’s an easy run out, and mixed sales like this are how plenty of first-time bidders find their feet — modest estimates, a broad spread, no single specialism to master. Keep an eye on the catalogue as it fills out over the coming days.
When and where: Sunday 23 August 2026, 11:00 am (BST), Unit 4, John’s Road, Wareham, Dorset BH20 4BG. Online & in person. See the South Dorsetshire Auctions house page and browse the live catalogue.
What’s in the North Wales Auctions £5 no-reserve clearance?
For bargain-hunters, this is the one to circle. North Wales Auctions’ Stock Clearance Sale runs online only from 11:00 am, with every lot starting at £5 and no reserves. That’s the format where the disciplined bidder walks away happy and the impulsive one overpays, so set your limits before you start.
Read the terms properly — the house is unusually clear about them, and for good reason. They’re closed until viewing day on 22 August, so questions and condition reports won’t be answered before then. Pictures form part of the description, so study every image; if you can’t view in person you must request a condition report, or there’ll be no refunds. Anything labelled “designer style” is decorative, not genuine, and jewellery — especially stone-set pieces — is sold used and as seen. None of that is a warning sign; it’s simply how no-reserve clearance works, and knowing the rules is what separates a good buy from a lesson learned.
When and where: Sunday 23 August 2026, 11:00 am (BST), Abergele Antique Centre, corner of Bridge Street and Llys Gele, Abergele LL22 7HA. Online only. More on the North Wales Auctions house page, in the North Wales region hub, and via the live catalogue on Bidspirit.
What’s in the Marsh Barton Auctions sale in Exeter?
The day’s most eclectic line-up closes things out. Marsh Barton Auctions goes live online at 12:00 pm, and the headline is a genuine talking point: a 1970 International Harvester 276 2WD diesel tractor — a proper vintage machine for the restorer, smallholder or collector of agricultural iron.
Around it sits a sale with real range. Maritime buyers are well served by a run of British Admiralty and New Zealand nautical charts — Vila Harbour on Efate in the New Hebrides, anchorages in the Friendly Islands of Tonga, Tahiti and Moorea in the Society Islands — framed cartography that furnishes a study handsomely (note: these cannot be posted). Furniture buyers have a set of four Jacobean Revival oak side chairs, a 17th-century-style oak hanging corner cupboard with geometric panel, and a Jacobean Revival oak gramophone cabinet to weigh up.
Elsewhere there’s a decorative Moët & Chandon advertising mirror after Alphonse Mucha for the interiors crowd, a Squier by Fender SP-10 guitar amplifier (untested) for the musicians, and an 18th-century Dutch Delft manganese biblical tile for the ceramics collectors. The Chinese carved soapstone — a fisherman figure, a ten-monkey group and a deer family group — is charming and eminently collectable, and with summer still with us the weathered cast-stone garden pedestal with three putti and the pair of cast-stone planters in the form of sacks are just the sort of statuary that lifts a terrace or border.
- 1970 International Harvester 276 diesel tractor — the headline lot for agricultural collectors
- Framed British Admiralty and New Zealand charts — Vanuatu, Tonga and Tahiti waters
- Jacobean Revival oak chairs, corner cupboard and gramophone cabinet
- Cast-stone garden pedestal with putti and sack-form planters — summer terrace pieces
- Chinese carved soapstone figures — fisherman, ten monkeys and a deer family
When and where: Sunday 23 August 2026, 12:00 pm (BST), Unit 10, Bakers Yard, Marsh Barton Trading Estate, Exeter, Devon EX2 8RG. Online only. See the Marsh Barton Auctions house page and the live catalogue on Bidspirit.
How do I bid this Sunday?
Four sales, three counties, one afternoon — after a shotgun in Barnstaple, a coastal chart in Exeter or a £5 punt in Abergele? Register early through each live catalogue so you’re cleared to bid when the hammer starts falling. Follow Pyle’s Auctions, South Dorsetshire Auctions, North Wales Auctions and Marsh Barton Auctions on Auction Eagle, and browse more upcoming UK sales while you plan your week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which auctions are on this Sunday, 23 August 2026?
Four UK sales run on Sunday 23 August 2026: Pyle's Auctions (sporting and fishing) in Barnstaple, Devon at 10:00 am; South Dorsetshire Auctions (antiques) in Wareham, Dorset at 11:00 am; North Wales Auctions (£5 no-reserve clearance) online at 11:00 am; and Marsh Barton Auctions in Exeter, Devon online at 12:00 pm.
When and where is the Pyle's Auctions sporting sale?
Pyle's Auctions' Sporting Effects, Shooting & Fishing sale starts at 10:00 am (BST) on Sunday 23 August 2026 at South Street, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 9DT. It runs online and in person, offering air guns, shotguns, ammunition and fishing tackle.
What is the standout lot at Marsh Barton Auctions in Exeter?
The headline lot is a 1970 International Harvester 276 2WD diesel tractor. The online-only sale, which begins at 12:00 pm (BST) on 23 August 2026, also features British Admiralty nautical charts, Jacobean Revival oak furniture, a Mucha-style Moët & Chandon mirror and Chinese carved soapstone figures.
How does bidding work at the North Wales Auctions £5 clearance sale?
It is online only, with every lot starting at £5 and no reserves. The house is closed until viewing day on 22 August 2026, so request condition reports then. Pictures form part of the description; if you can't view in person you must ask for a report, as no refunds are given.
Can I bid online at these auctions, or must I attend in person?
Pyle's Auctions and South Dorsetshire Auctions offer both online and in-person bidding. North Wales Auctions and Marsh Barton Auctions are online only. Register through the linked live catalogues on EasyLive or Bidspirit before the sale to be cleared to bid.
Is there a buyer's premium on top of the hammer price?
Yes. Most UK salerooms add a buyer's premium to the hammer price, and these houses are no exception. The exact rate and any online surcharge vary by auction house, so check each sale's terms in its live catalogue before bidding.
