A George III corner cupboard, a full set of Harry Potter first editions and a vintage wooden ladder are all going under the hammer in the same Devon sale this week. That’s the charm of a timed unsold-lots auction. Alongside it, a Kent house is selling signed material across five collecting fields. Two very different online sales, both biddable from the sofa.
What’s in the Shobrook Auctions timed sale in Plymouth?
This is a timed auction of unsold lots from Shobrook Auctions Limited, and that framing matters. Lots that didn’t find a buyer first time round tend to come back with realistic expectations, so it’s the sort of sale where a patient bidder furnishes a room or plugs a gap in a collection without paying over the odds.
The furniture spans proper period pieces and honest everyday stuff. A George III mahogany bow front corner cupboard and five William IV style mahogany bar-back dining chairs bring the age and patina; a pine pedestal dining table with six matching chairs and a Barker & Stonehouse Flagstone mango wood two-tier oval coffee table cover the practical end. Mid-century hunters should note the teak bureau on stand with matching stool and the teak-veneered two-piece display cabinet — the kind of pieces trade dealers quietly snap up. A pair of G Plan Chloe fabric power recliner armchairs looks after the comfort-first buyer.
Which lots should collectors watch?
- J.K. Rowling Harry Potter first editions (Bloomsbury, 1997–2007, with dust jackets) — read the catalogue notes on edition points and condition before you commit.
- Amstrad RP-10 stereo record player system with speakers and original packaging, plus a vintage Alba 209 portable record player.
- Two vinyl runs: roughly 60–80 LPs of classical and library music, and a separate batch of mid-20th-century records.
- A collection of fourteen Walt Disney Classics and Masterpiece VHS tapes — a tidy slice of late-20th-century home entertainment.
- A Victorian oak banjo-shaped aneroid barometer, an assortment of Victorian and later cranberry, cased and cut glassware, and three signed landscapes by WDM, J. Walker and Bartz.
- A set of four Chinese carved hardwood nesting tables and, for the decorators, a vintage wooden ladder after a bit of rustic styling.
When and where is the Shobrook sale, and how do I bid?
It’s online only, ending Friday 26 June 2026 from 5:00 pm (BST). Shobrook Auctions Limited is based at 6 Stonehouse Street, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 3PE. As a timed sale, you place a maximum bid in advance and the system bids for you up to that limit, with lots closing in sequence from the start time. Browse the full lineup on the Shobrook timed auction listing, or see what else this Devon auctioneer has coming up on the Shobrook Auctions Limited page.
What’s in the Chaucer Auctions autograph sale in Folkestone?
Chaucer Auctions is one of the UK’s specialist names for signed material, and their Live Autograph — Entertainment, Sport, Space, Music and Historical sale gathers exactly the five fields the title promises. Individual lots aren’t published yet, but if you’ve followed Chaucer before you’ll know the shape of each category.
Entertainment usually means signed film and television photographs and ephemera. Music covers signed records, photographs and the occasional instrument, where a clean signature from a sought-after act can move quickly. Sport draws the autograph hunters and the investment-minded alike. Space is the connoisseur’s corner — astronaut signatures and mission material stay genuinely scarce, and that scarcity is the whole game. Historical autographs reward the collector who values the document as much as the name on it.
A word for newcomers: in autographs, confidence comes from homework. Provenance and authentication are everything, so read each lot description for certification or accompanying paperwork, study the images closely, and ask the house questions before the sale. Chaucer’s catalogue confirms exactly what’s on offer once lots go live.
When and where is the Chaucer Auctions sale, and how do I bid?
It’s an online-only live sale starting Thursday 2 July 2026 at 10:00 am (BST). Chaucer Auctions is at Unit 1, Bowles Well Gardens, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 6PQ. You can follow the auctioneer in real time and bid as each lot comes up, or leave an absentee (commission) bid in advance if you can’t make the morning. Factor in the buyer’s premium when you set your ceiling — it’s added to the hammer price. View the catalogue via the Chaucer autograph auction listing, and find their other sales on the Chaucer Auctions page.
Two very different ways to spend a summer week
One sale furnishes a home and feeds the record collection; the other lets you own a signature you’ve admired for years. If either appeals, follow Shobrook Auctions Limited and Chaucer Auctions on Auction Eagle so their next catalogues land in front of you. The good lots reward the bidder who turns up prepared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which auctions are coming up this week?
Two online UK sales: Shobrook Auctions Limited's timed auction of unsold lots in Plymouth, ending Friday 26 June 2026 from 5:00 pm BST, and Chaucer Auctions' live autograph sale in Folkestone on Thursday 2 July 2026 at 10:00 am BST.
When and where is the Shobrook Auctions sale?
Online only, ending Friday 26 June 2026 from 5:00 pm (BST). Shobrook Auctions Limited is at 6 Stonehouse Street, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 3PE.
How do I bid in the Shobrook timed auction?
Place your maximum bid in advance and the system bids for you up to that limit. Lots close in sequence from 5:00 pm BST on 26 June 2026.
When and where is the Chaucer Auctions autograph sale?
Online only on Thursday 2 July 2026 at 10:00 am (BST), from Unit 1, Bowles Well Gardens, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 6PQ.
What kind of items are in the Chaucer autograph sale?
Signed material across five fields: Entertainment, Sport, Space, Music and Historical. Individual lots aren't published yet, so check the live catalogue when it goes live.
Is there a buyer's premium?
Yes — a buyer's premium is added to the hammer price, so factor it in when setting your maximum bid. Check each sale's catalogue and terms for the exact rate before bidding.
