Chilcotts marks two decades of success

Honiton-based auction house Chilcotts Auctioneers has wrapped up a successful twentieth year in business, ending on a high note with a series of prosperous sales.

The auction house, known for its specialist sales, enjoyed considerable success in 2024, highlighted by the strong performance of two significant ‘single vendor’ collections: the Fishley North Devon pottery collection and the Alan Winning antique map collection. Both collections generated considerable interest and exceeded estimated sale totals, thanks to well-executed marketing campaigns that showcased their unique provenance.

Liz Chilcott, co-founder of the auction house, explained how the careful promotion of these collections played a key role in their success: “Often for this type of collection, one that has come down through generations of the same family or has been carefully curated over a lifetime by one person, offers perfect provenance for the discerning collector. For the vendor it’s not all about making some money. In both these cases, the vendors were keen to see their treasured items find new, appreciative homes.”

Chilcotts also had a strong year with 10 successful specialist sales, but it wasn’t just about sales results. The auction house has actively worked to attract the younger generation to the auctioneering world.

Liz highlighted the sector's challenge of engaging young people, explaining, “One of the problems facing our sector is a lack of young people considering the auction world as a potential career path; often, auctions are being associated with older people and not seen as relevant. We’ve been working to tackle the misconception head on, taking part in Honiton Community College’s first careers day, and welcoming a number of work experience students, two from local schools and one recent graduate.”

Looking ahead, Chilcotts is joining forces with the Society of Fine Arts and Antiques (SOFAA) and the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars to create career-focused experience days for secondary school students. Liz, who is a member of SOFAA’s committee, shared, “Career opportunities in the arts and auction sectors are not always covered in depth in state schools, and we hope to address this. Students will be able to meet specialists from different departments and find out not just what’s involved and also what an interesting area this is to work in. Perhaps this type of activity will help attract future people to the sector.”

As Chilcotts looks to the future, sustainability is also on the agenda. The business will be making significant strides in enhancing its green credentials, with plans to install solar panels, storage batteries, and electric vehicle (EV) charging points for customers.

These initiatives are supported by a grant from East Devon District Council’s Carbon Action Programme (CAP). Liz expressed excitement about the upcoming improvements, saying, “This is something we’ve been thinking about for a while so we’re delighted to be able to move ahead. 2025 looks like being a really positive year for us in so many ways.”

With a strong commitment to both its local community and the environment, Chilcotts Auctioneers is set to continue growing in 2025, marking a bright future for the business as it celebrates two decades of success.