With almost 1200 lots to sell in one day, Strides auctioneers in Chichester were kept busy in their last sale before Christmas.  As one might expect, Christmas present buying was evident in the jewellery and silver section, with an Edwardian ruby and diamond bee brooch selling for £1200 (estimate £1000-£1500), an enamel pansy tiepin with a diamond centre, together with a serpent stickpin, at £400 (estimate £100-£150) and a diamond eternity ring at £320.

Coin collectors were snapping up gold sovereigns at £100 to £115 a piece, as the price of gold continues to remain high.  A group of silver crowns mostly from Victoria's golden jubilee in 1887 with similar silver coins in excellent condition brought fierce bidding before selling at £850 (estimate £80-£120). Two 18ct gold medallions of 1965 commemorating The Battle of Britain and Lord Montgomery sailed past their reserves of £200 each to sell for £350 and £360.

A collection of silver from Hampshire included several snuff boxes, vinaigrettes, caddy spoons and more.  Highlight of the group was an Elizabeth I spoon with gilt sealtop finial, with a maker's mark of a mullet over annulet,  London 1587 - probably the earliest piece of silver ever to be sold in Strides saleroom.  Estimated at £600-£800, it was sold to a delighted local collector at £1400.  From the same source, a Georgian bright cut silver oval teapot on an associated stand 1796 (17ozs) sold for £440, a set of silver wick trimmers 1792 on an 1808 tray (10ozs) went for £500 and a mustard spoon with matching small sifter ladle by Paul Storr 1811 (2ozs) made £400.

At a time when bidding was lacklustre for many less desirable lots, Chinese bidding fired up for old Chinese artifacts. A carved ivory fan was expected to make £100-£200, but a London based Chinese man outbid all others at £900.  Later in the sale, a London dealer outbid a mainland Chinese telephone bidder for a Chinese carved hardwood display cabinet, which was estimated at £600-£800 but sold for £2600.

Collector's items have become a main staple of this saleroom, whether it be for a group of playworn Dinky cars at £270, a Mont Blanc Meister Stuck pen (in a mixed lot) at £620, a Beswick grey horse at £660, Hornby toy railway at £250 or more expensive lots.  A Swiss musical box with an inlaid rosewood lid labelled CV Geneva playing 6 airs was expected to make £300-£500 but sold well at £1200.  A buyer who had been away from Sussex for 30 years was welcomed back when he bought an antique brass sextant by T Hardie, Fenchurch St, London for £1450 (estimate £300-£500).