As a result of inheritances, in particular, many people have furniture, decorative objects, jewelry, wines or the like without really knowing the value of their property. For a proper estimate, the parade is to contact a real specialist, namely an auctioneer, who with a double long course (law and art history) is empowered and highly qualified. to estimate the value of your objects inherited from your ancestors or / and which lie dormant in the attic. In Castres, in the heart of the Albinque district, the Tarn auction house opens its doors to the public, for a free estimate, every Tuesday morning from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Philippe Amigues, auctioneer shares his activity between this place and mainly Albi where the auctions take place.
Last Tuesday, two people under the expert gaze of the auctioneer presented costume jewelry and gold, before a couple armed with a few paintings followed by a card collector (among others). Philippe Amigues combines friendliness, speed and efficiency. Sometimes, he comes to his home and it was therefore the case, when one day at the request of a woman who wanted to provide for her mother’s needs, P Amigues therefore pushed open the door of a farm and discovered an inherited object of a great-uncle, that is to say a rhinoceros horn which, later, in the auction room, soared to 70,000 euros. The auctioneer specifies “that today, this sale would no longer be possible, because it is subject to drastic regulations”.
Auctions are centralized in Albi and open to everyone, they have many regulars on the lookout for good deals. What are the essential qualities required to take on the function of auctioneer? “curiosity, empathy, understanding what people want”, replies P Amigues who, on the other hand, does not claim any particular specialty, but rather emphasizes “the importance of versatility”.
He has a particular interest in 17th century glasswork, or even terrestrial globes!
With this morning estimate, the auctioneer democratizes, somewhat, a universe foreign to many of us! In this particular period, the auctioneer notes a renewed interest in his activity; more items offered, more people at auction, currently monitored by video.
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