Wombell's Auctioneers is a friendly independent York based saleroom dedicated to making buying at auction as easy and as enjoyable as possible - no matter whether the lot you want is valued at £10 or £10,000.  We take pride in offering a high level of service to buyers and sellers and we are delighted that customers from decades ago are still customers today.

Buying at Wombell's auctions has never been easier and there are a number of ways to bid at our auctions. You can bid in person in the room on sale day; you can place an absentee bid and allow us to operate your maximum bid; or you could book a telephone line with us and bid remotely live on the phone (see house rules below). Or you can shop our sale using the Easy Live Auction platform and bid online live during the auction or place an absentee Auto Bid on that system. We hope you find our full Buying Guide helpful. Please contact us if you are unsure of anything.

Either while viewing or on the day of the auction, you can leave commissioned bids at the office. On the bidding sheet you fill in for this, you write the lot number, a brief description of the lot and the maximum bid you are willing to pay. During the auction, even though you are not there, you will remain a part of the bidding until your maximum is surpassed. When watching an auction, note where the auctioneer says "commissioned bid" or "I have several bids here" or "with me"- these are references to the bids different people have left in this way. 

If you would prefer to be at the live auction, you need to fill in a bidding card in reception. You can do this on the day of the auction. This provides us with your details (including an email address so we can invoice you at the end of the auction) and supplies you with a bidding number for that auction. You will need to do this for each auction. When you go to the sale room, please do not worry about accidentally bidding for something, like you sometimes see in the movies. The auctioneer will be looking for people clearly holding up their bidding card to signal that they want to bid. Eyebrow movements and winks only feature when you have been a regular customer for some time.

You can, of course, sign up to Easylive and bid remotely online, either by autobid (which works like leaving a commissioned bid) or bidding live. Please do be aware of the additional charges for this.

Whichever way you choose to participate in the auction, be assured that, at Wombell's, you will be well looked after by our professional and dedicated staff. Our general and specialist sales provide the communities of North Yorkshire with a valuable and valued service. We always strive to be approachable and supportive of all our customers to make the experience of bidding and buying at Wombell's a true pleasure and a rewarding experience. 

Viewings

Viewing days are on the Tuesday and Wednesday before each sale from 10am to 5pm. These provide a leisurely opportunity to meander through the saleroom, inspecting lots and finding that item you've been looking for, maybe to fill a gap in your collection or that item you didn't even know you wanted! You can pop into the cafe on site for a cuppa and a snack, then get back to searching through the various lots.

While you view, you can mark up your own copy of the catalogue - available to download from the website or provided free of charge in reception- and check the description and estimates given. Please note that estimates are only meant to be a guide; if there is an item you really want, you may well need to exceed those estimates.