Auction official, the soul of the auction. Whether an auction is exciting depends on the auctioneer's experience, voice, body language and instantaneous adaptability. They dominate the rhythm and atmosphere of the scene, just like the king in the auction hall. The Value is honored to invite the "King of Auction Officials" - Hugh Edmeades, an international auctioneer with more than 300,000 items sold in his hand and worth more than £2.2 billion, to elaborate on the most exciting and craziest auction story in the past 34 years.
International Auction Official - Hugh Edmeades
Question: Which auction is the most memorable for you?
Hugh: 10 years ago, the "Qinggong Yuzang Watch" auctioned at Christie's in Hong Kong. 15 mechanical clocks from Nenzin Art Museum took 1.5 hours to finish the shooting, and the bidding was very fierce and exciting.
Hugh (continued answer): In addition, we are very lucky to be able to auction the collection of Queen of England - Princess Margaret. The process was very exciting. A large number of buyers wanted to bid, so we had to use 3 auction halls at the same time, so there were 2 auction officials who conveyed the bids in other auction halls.
Hugh (continued answer): colleagues and I were sent to London to host the auction for Mandela's 90th birthday party. That charity auction was very fun, with Oprah Winfrey competing for the bidding with Elton John, it was so easy to be an auctioneer.
Question: Have you encountered any emergencies during the auction? How to deal with it?
Hugh: There is a wonderful auction "Champalimaud Collection" at Christie's . That day happened to be the 2005 London bomb attack. We were very upset to consider whether to auction as scheduled, because public transport in London was completely closed at that time.
Hugh (continued answer): However, there are so many telephone and written commissions to bid. We think from the buyer's standpoint that this is such an attractive auction, and they will always find a way to come. So, we postponed the auction from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and it was quite wonderful to be able to host the auction.
Hugh has held more than 2,300 auctions since its first hammer lift in August 1984. No wonder there have been so many wonderful and unforgettable experiences. How did the "King of Auction Officials" go on this path? What is the journey of the mind?
Question: How to embark on the road of auction
Hugh hosts auction
Hugh at Christie's South Kensington branch: I joined Christie's, and the last thing I want to do is auction archivist. One day, my boss suddenly left and the company asked me to take his position. I said, "Okay, but I don't want to be an auctioneer, find someone I want to do." They said, "No, furniture is an important department of Christie's in South Kensington, and everyone must realize that you are the department head."
Hugh (continued answer): After , I received some interesting training. At that time, I thought, "If the auctioneer's job is like this, I really don't want to do it."
Question: Why don’t you want to become an auctioneer?
Hugh: When I was studying, I hated campus drama , so I volunteered to be responsible for the lighting and set. I don't want to be the focus, I'm afraid of making mistakes, I'm afraid of forgetting lines, I'm afraid of being teased. Maybe I have a great psychological burden.
Question: Have your ideas changed after becoming an auctioneer?
Hugh: When I became an auction official and walked onto the stage, I knew the bidding number for each call, no matter whether it comes from the front, the back, or the side, I knew very well. For example, if an actor does not understand his lines, he will not be able to perform his work, just like an auctioneer must understand the numbers. Although the numbers are boring, they are the cornerstone of presiding over the auction.
Hugh (continued answer): I am very confident and will not forget the lines and numbers. It is this confidence that supports me to come to the stage. I will dabble in anything that will help me improve my performance and auction skills.
hosts the auction, requiring high concentration and not relax for a second. It is an extremely energy-consuming task.I wonder what the tightest and craziest auction schedule Hugh has ever encountered?
Question: What is the craziest auction schedule you have ever encountered?
Hugh: is always a challenge to auction in Hong Kong. I arrived at Hong Kong Airport at 6:30 on Friday night and rushed directly to the hotel in Kowloon, put on my evening dress and hosted a charity auction at 9 o'clock. The next day, we will host a foreign wine auction for Christie's in the morning.
Hugh (continued answer): I suffered from the jet lag and had never slept at all. My body was still in the UK time zone and was supported by adrenaline. This week I sold almost 300-400 lots, a very compact schedule for 5 consecutive days.
Question: Which auction is the most difficult to endure long
Hugh: The longest is the "Jamsbon" theme auction in London. I completely underestimated the popularity of "Jan Shibang", and that time I stood on the stage for a full 4.5 hours. Also, the auction of "Chinese Art" in New York a few years ago. There are 160 lots, 2 auction officers separate, each person is responsible for 80 pieces, and it is expected to be completed in about 2 hours.
Hugh (continued answer): I first hosted the auction. When I arrived at the 76th item, I thought: "Okay, I will finish it if there are 4 items." The end point is in sight, and I said in my heart: "Continue, continue." Just as I was photographing the last item before handover, someone patted me on the shoulder. It turned out to be the colleague who was going to hand over. He said, "I have encountered a problem and can't take over. You have to complete the auction alone." Suddenly, the finish line disappeared and I continued to stand on the stage for an additional 2 hours. That was a challenge, but we liked it.
When Hugh said so many exciting auctions, everyone must be satisfied if they ended. Please rest assured that The Value will send more exciting content to you. Next time, this "Auction Official King" will personally disclose his auction training and skills, let's see "how auction officials are refined."
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