Published on 1st May 2025

It is a week until the next auction; a relative period of calm at Toovey’s, the leading auctioneers of fine art, antiques and collectables in the south east... 

Tom Rowsell uses natural light to photograph a jade pendant dating back to the Qing dynasty. He has professional lighting at his disposal, but as a specialist of Asian ceramics, Tom knows the importance that Chinese buyers place on seeing jade items without artificial enhancement. In the jewellery department, Tom’s daughter Lucy catalogues a necklace for a forthcoming auction, while in the furniture section, Tom’s brother William polishes a pair of mid-19th century library globes. 

At the opposite end of the warehouse, toys expert Chris Gale inspects a 1:8 scale model of a Ferrari F500 from the Monoposto Collection. It’s a quiet time for art specialist James Gadd, although valuable paintings by Marcel Dyf await collection. Meanwhile, Mark Stonard sorts lots from a recent auction of medals, militaria and weapons, including a medallion commemorating Pahlavi Rule in Iran, which went under the hammer for £4,200. Upstairs, Nick Toovey sorts through a collection of postcards. As one of a handful of specialist auctioneers in this field, he has a rare skill for identifying lost gems amongst boxes of ephemera. Next door, his brother Rupert, Chairman of Toovey’s, is surrounded by hardbacks waiting to be sold at an auction of Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books. He is seated at a round, wooden table that has special significance to the business and his own journey... 

‘I was sat at this table when I first discussed the idea of becoming an auctioneer,’ recalls Rupert. ‘I was passionate about history, art and economics and was offered a place to read history at Sussex University. However, it was a period of great change and many young people were coming out of university and struggling to find work. Unsure of what direction to take, I spoke to my grandfather, a home-grown hero who spent much of his life running around the country in a Morris Traveller, as an exhibition and set designer. He suggested that I become an actor, an auctioneer or a vicar. All these years later, I have also been ordained by the Church of England, so two out of three isn’t bad!’ 

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Rupert was introduced to auctioneering in the Causeway, Horsham, where Jack Ash presided over auctions. Jack had been a livestock auctioneer in Steyning before the war and adopted a fast-paced style at the rostrum. Rupert said: ‘I was captivated by his performance. I have never forgotten that excitement and sense of theatre. It was intoxicating then and I experience the same thrill at the rostrum 42 years later.’ 

When Jack retired, Rupert became the saleroom manager at the age of just 19 and the business flourished. When the auction rooms were demolished for the development of Piries Place, Garth Denham moved to a new location in Warnham, where Denham’s continues today. Rupert then spent seven years helping to establish Bellman’s Fine Art Auctioneers in Wisborough Green, before opening an auction house bearing his own name. His timing proved opportune, as changes at Sotheby’s, the most prominent auctioneer in Sussex at the time, presented new opportunities for others. Sotheby’s closed its regional centres, including Summers Place in Billingshurst, focusing instead on art sales at its Olympia saleroom in London. This meant that Toovey’s was able to secure the services of several renowned experts, either as consultants or as full-time staff. Rupert said: ‘Several members of the team I had put together at Bellman’s also joined me, including Tom Rowsell and Chris Gayle, who have both been fundamental to our success. I first worked with Chris in the Causeway and he has since become not only an extraordinary general valuer, but one of the UK’s leading toy specialists. 

‘We established our first auction house on the Star Road Trading Estate in Partridge Green. We launched on Valentine’s night in February 1995. It was blowing a gale outside too, so I had an awful feeling nobody would turn up! However, hundreds of people supported us, as they were thrilled that I had finally taken the plunge!’

ONE TO WATCH!

If Toovey’s gained a foothold with local support, it has since opened up to a world-wide audience. The business was quick to develop a website geared towards internet bidding and soon, Toovey’s had to move to a larger industrial unit in Washington, where it has continued to grow, with particular success with Asian ceramics. 

Tom Rowsell joined Rupert’s new venture as the saleroom manager, and as since earned a reputation as a specialist in Asian and Islamic ceramics. ‘Over the past 30 years, I’ve experienced the most incredible learning curve,’ says Tom. ‘Lars Tharp, who was an expert on The Antiques Roadshow and also worked at Sotheby’s, mentored me during those early years. The Chinese market was opening up at that time and as we were already holding specialist art sales and reaching a global audience through our website, we were well placed to expand into Asian ceramics.  

‘We have seen many wonderful pieces over the years, from Japanese cloisonné to jade daggers, but the most remarkable discovery came in 2014. I received an email from a Horsham resident with several photos, asking if I thought there was anything of value. Most items were unexceptional, but in the background of one image, I noticed a pea green porcelain vase filled with feathers and fake flowers. Immediately, it piqued my interest. In a clearer photo, I saw the mark and period of Qianlong and realised it was special. The owner brought the vase in for a closer inspection, and although it had been repaired in parts, it was authentic and Lars confirmed my assessment. We put it into the auction with a conservative estimate of £20-£30,000, but hoped it would achieve a higher hammer price. Incredibly, we had 10 overseas bidders and it sold for £520,000. Such things don’t happen very often but you never know what the day will bring and that’s part of the excitement. 

 ‘There is a growing market for Tibetan and Buddhist culture too and in April, we held a single collection auction of pieces owned by Alain Presencer, who has written books on Tibetan travel and released a successful album, The Singing Bowls of Tibet. When it came to selling his collection, he chose Toovey’s because we have established contacts in the Asian market. This was evident at the auction, with one Nepalese gilt bronze figure of Vasudhara selling for £65,000.’ 

Tom is also an expert in wrist watches, having recognised a growing trend, particularly among younger buyers. Recent sales have included a 1958 Rolex Submariner that sold for £17,500 and a rare Jaeger-LeCoultre that fetched £50,000. Tom said: ‘We could see the market was only going one way, so worked hard to grow the department. Now, we are one of the top watch sellers in the country, with sales every two months that regularly attract 200 lots. We have earned a reputation for attention to detail, analysing every watch that goes under the hammer, as bidders must have 100% confidence. That trust gives us the edge over online sites. 

‘There used to be a perception that websites such as eBay would signal the end for traditional auction houses, but in fact trust has become even more important. Sellers trust us to look after their item, cataloguing it properly and presenting it to a wide market. On the buying side, we provide full assessments so people know exactly what they’re bidding for.’

SNAPSHOT OF HISTORY

 Last year, for the first time, a lot at Toovey’s sold for over £1million. It was not a rare Chinese vase or a golden pocket watch, but a painting, A Gaucho on Horseback, by Uruguayan artist Juan Manuel Blanes. Taking the rostrum on that day was Nick Toovey,  a paper collectables specialist who also has a passion for art. Nick said: ‘I love how art can still be parochial, which was certainly the case with the Blanes painting. While he isn’t that well-known in the UK, Blanes is a hugely influential figure in his homeland and an arts museum in Montevideo bears his name. The painting sold for £1,150,000, a record for us and a world-record price for the artist. 

‘Selling is something we do every day and there is always a lot to think about on the rostrum, from managing bids on the internet and in the room to trying to keep everyone engaged. There is an element of performance to auctioneering, but the process is the same whether you are selling something for £20 or £1million. The only difference is that you raise the bid in greater increments! I feel like I should’ve been more excited, but I remained calm, even when the bidding surpassed a million.’  

As the youngest of five children, Nick took an interest in art and antiques at a young age, joining his older brother Rupert’s fledgling business as a porter in 1995. Having experienced the less glamorous aspects of the job, Nick later developed his art knowledge under the guidance of Tom O’Neill. He is also a book specialist (the department is now headed by Charlie Howe), although it is his passion for postcards, cigarette cards and other paper collectables that endures. While the market for some collectables has fluctuated, demand for rare postcards remains buoyant, with some fetching remarkable prices. A rare lithographic postcard by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec sold for £750, while a postcard of a foggy football match between Portsmouth and Manchester United fetched £850, as it was taken at United’s old ground in Clayton. 

Nick said: ‘The golden age of postcards was the early 20th century, before the outbreak of the First World War. In the days before telephones, postcards were our main form of communication and billions were sent every year. While many postcards survived and are relatively common, those that are scarce have become valuable. Key events from the era – notably the sinking of the Titanic – attract a global audience and if you ever find one sent by a passenger during the liner’s stops in France or Ireland, then you would be holding something of great value. I’m keen on Sussex postcards too, as they help keep local memories alive. I believe that Steyning alone had five postcard publishers at one point, selling pictures of local events such as suffragette marches or the Worthing pier fire in 1933, and they provide us with a snapshot of history.’  

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

With a team of specialists in place covering a wide range of fields, Rupert Toovey himself now focuses mostly on single-owner collections. He said: ‘One of the most important things I do is to help people discern what is important, separating what they can release for auction and what they should keep. Nobody at Toovey’s has a sales target, as our only target is to look after people beautifully.  

‘The market has moved towards specific collector fields. This was something we anticipated, so we now have a team of extraordinary specialists who are respected internationally. Joanne Hardy, our ceramics and glass specialist, was a leading light at Sotheby’s, while Tom Rowsell has become one of the UK’s leading wristwatch specialists. Our value is in intellectual property and the specialisms of people like Nick, Will, Mark, Chris, Charlie, Sarah (Harwood, jewellery specialist) and James (Gadd, paintings and drawings) have become more important than ever. 

‘‘While we have these specialists, we remain very much a family firm with family values. In 2018, Nick and Tom became significant shareholders in the business. That was important to me, as they share the same values yet also possess an ever-evolving and contemporary vision for the future of Toovey’s. They are also training the next generation of people who are passionate about antiques and history, ensuring that regional centres of specialist antiques expertise will exist for many years to come.’  

WORDS: Ben Morris / PHOTOS: Alan Wright

Further information: Visit the website www.tooveys.com