Rumours that the antique furniture trade is dead and buried proved unfounded at Strides recent auction in Chichester.  An antique inlaid rosewood secretaire bookcase in the Sheraton manner with a glazed door above 2 drawers on turned legs went to a Petworth dealer acting on behalf of a private collector for £8000 against a pre-sale estimate of £2000-£3000.

The previous lot, an old Chinese black lacquer bureau bookcase, just 70cms (2’3”) wide also proved a magnet as a decorative piece of furniture.  It sold for £1850 (estimate £700-£1000).  Having said that, not all is joy and laughter, but the auctioneers went home satisfied at the end of the sale.

More than happy was a Middlesex vendor who sent in a light silver tray and a pair of rugs.  The tray was expected to make over £80 and sold for £110 while the pair of old Agra cream rugs with a Herati field measuring 178 x 93cms (5’10” x 3’1”) were expected to make over £250 and sold for £1350.

Good jewellery brought a number of buyers, possibly with Christmas presents in mind.  An emerald and diamond cluster ring went to a private buyer on the telephone at £2500.  This was followed by a diamond crossover ring in platinum and gold which went to a commission bid from Dorset at £5000.  An unmarked platinum scroll clip brooch went to another bidder at £4500.  This was followed by a solitaire diamond ring which went to a local investor at £1800.  Next up came a platinum and diamond eternity ring which found another buyer at £980 and then a pair of diamond and pearl flowerhead ear clips which made £1000.

A mixed lot of gold coins, mostly sovereigns, half sovereigns and 3 spade guineas (28 in total), brought a cluster of bids over the £1200 reserve price and duly sold for £1440.  A group of World War I military medals to include Military Cross were expected to realise £1000-£1500 but heated bidding took them to £3000.

While modest grandfather clocks have seen a drop in value in the past year, good clocks are still in demand.  Here a Georgian mahogany 8 day longcase clock with arched brass dial by the exotically named William Horn Hale, a Devizes maker in the late 18th century, sold for £2700 (estimate £2000-£2500)