As a visitor to London you may have noticed how highly priced this city can be, and on a number of occasions you were probably left with that ‘I-got-fleeced’ feeling.
So to ease your pain, ever so slightly, Offbeat found you a place that is even cheaper than your local discount store.
Yes, you can read that again. Greasbys Auctioneers is the most profitable place you will find in this city. If you have visions of some side-alley secret market open only at night time, you would be mistaken, as inside an old warehouse, which was once a stable, you will find assortments straight out of Pandora’s Box.
From stolen goods confiscated by police, to unclaimed luggage at the airport – you will get it all. There are also many period paintings, crystal crockery and even wedding dresses. This just gets stranger and stranger.Christine Satchett took over this business from her father a few years ago: “You can pretty much furnish your house in two to three visits here,” she said.
She is not wrong. Entering the warehouse you notice all manner of furnishing stacked in each corner of the room. It is not just the old and rusty that is on sale, it is also the new and the sparkling. Cabinets, desks, drawers and even a few fireplaces are on sale today.
The auction room has three to four television sets, and the 40-inch Samsung looks to have come straight from the showroom. Lost luggage from Heathrow, Gatwick and all other airports are lined up neatly on the racks close to the entrance. If your suitcase went missing in London, you have a good chance of finding it here.
Snatch
Alice in Wonderland may not have been Tim Burton’s finest achievement but one certainly feels like Alice ‘tumbling down the rabbit hole’. The room is tiny. But every rack is filled with something radically different than the other. In an adjacent warehouse, they are preparing for the next auction.
“We are having a few collector’s items and antiques on sale next time”, Christine says, whilst pointing to a marvelous looking sword. Dozens of bicycles are lined up outside, and though most of them could do with some maintenance, there are quite a few you would not be ashamed to ride.
A BMW Z5 is also among the lot, but unfortunately it is not for sale.
Let the bidding begin
An announcement over the speakers suggests we stop scavenging as the auction is due to start in ten minutes. The place is packed with the warehouse now holding close to 40 people. Many of them are regulars, and greet each other cordially. Andrew has been coming here for the past five years: “You see quite a few characters in here” he said.
If you do manage to look past the items on sale, you would notice that the most of the people here seem to be straight out of Guy Ritchie’s, Snatch: “You get good deals, but if something has many bids on it, it naturally becomes expensive”, said Andrew.
Concluding with some excellent advice, he said: “You've got to be very careful in an auction: it's very easy to get carried away.” THUD, Christine’s hammer slams down starting the proceedings. An hour into the auction and after having witnessed deals one can only dream of, it is apparent that this is a must-see place.
So if you really want to make the trip to south of London, – Offbeat says put down the required £100 deposit and BID FOR IT.
Nearest tube: Tooting Broadway Underground/ Tooting Overground
Have your say - info@offbeatlondon.co.uk
A 32-inch LCD television sells for just £55 pounds. No, we are not talking about Bruce’s Price Is Right, but Greasbys Auctions where you can find just about anything at the right price.
by Varun Mathure
published on: 13 April, 2010
Going once going twice… gone
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