Ewbank’s Auctioneers – More Than 25 Years Of Lots ‘Under The Hammer’

Published on: 21 Jan, 2016
Updated on: 21 Jan, 2016

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Ewbank’s is celebrating more than 25 years as a leading Surrey auctioneers and valuers.

Art Deco brooch set with diamond emerald and conch pearl, sold for £9,400.

Located just off the A3, north of Guildford, it sells a huge amount of articles ‘under the hammer’, approximately 22,000 lots each year.

As well as holding specialist sales in all categories of antiques, fine art and collectables, Ewbank’s also holds monthly antique and collectors’ auctions.

The specialist sales boast a long list: from jewellery to clocks and watches, fine and contemporary art to entertainment and memorabilia, Asian art to militaria, fine wines and spirits to antique furniture. The list goes on and on!

The business was founded by Chris Ewbank in 1990. In 1994, having initially held auctions at the Hog’s Back Hotel, Chris acquired the present premises at the Burnt Common Auction Rooms. The site has acres of parking.

Andrew Ewbank said: “We are a family firm and we pride ourselves in providing the best service, knowledge and expertise. We have an extensive customer base and a truly global reach.”

Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997). Weisman Art Award Yellow Brushstroke, 1991. Sold for £46,000.

Recent years have seen dramatic expansion with Ewbank’s hammer prices increasing by 61% over the last five years. This has bucked the trend of the wider market.

Ewbank’s believe that this is in part due to the success and growth of its specialist sales calendar and investment in the latest website design and live bidding technologies.

It also provides a full range of valuation services including probate, insurance and sale valuations.

Andrew said: “Most of our new clients come to us on recommendation, from professional advisers or existing clients.

“The costs of selling by auction in central London have rocketed. We have benefited from the general trend in recent years for more important items to be sold outside the capital.”

Ewbank’s has grown rapidly in recent years employing over 20 highly trained and specialist staff. Chris and Andrew Ewbank lead the family firm.

This was illustrated in 2007 when Ewbank’s sold a collection of items from the studio of Francis Bacon, creating enormous worldwide interest. The sale achieved a total hammer price of over £1 million.

The future looks good for Ewbank’s. With its website (www.ewbankauctions.co.uk), receiving approximately three million page visits per year, buyers are attracted from all over the world.

One of the two floors of auction rooms at the Burnt Common salerooms where items can be viewed at leisure.

Ewbank’s boasts it is one of the only auctioneers to have live internet bidding on its own website. This reduces costs for both buyers and sellers with buyers able to participate in all of the auctions on the website from PCs anywhere in real time.

Chris receiving his award for his membership of the RICS Governance Council (2005 to 2013).

Chris himself is very active nationally in his profession, holding a number of key posts in the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers and in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He chaired the committee of the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers from 2000 – 2007.

He has also in recent years been on the Executive Committee of the British Art Market Federation. Chris is also the founder and chairman of the Association of Accredited Auctioneers, a collection of over 20 of the most prominent regional auctioneers in the UK who have joined forces to market their services.