Although I never met Clive Smithers, we corresponded over the years via email, particularly about vintage and 'old school' wargaming. He was an avid collector, and when he died last year, he left behind a huge collection of 'old school' figures that numbered in the tens of thousands. (It is thought that there at least 33,000 figures in the collection!)
Clive's brother, Gavin, has asked Hanson's the auctioneers to sell the collection by auction on 27th May.
As yet no catalogue of the collection has been printed, but judging by Hanson's normal practice, it should be available online about a month before the auction takes place.
An old friend of Clive's – Bob Kett – has asked a lot of bloggers to mention this auction, and I for one will be scanning the catalogue with interest when it is published.
Hanson's is owned by Charlie Hanson, a well-known auctioneer who has appeared many times on TV in such programmes as BARGAIN HUNT, FLOG IT!, and ANTIQUES ROAD TRIP. He has what can best be described as a very singular style of auctioneering, and always seems to be able to get the best price for the items he sells. It will be well worth attending the auction just to see him in action ... and to buy something from Clive's collection!
Funny enough Bob I was speaking on the phone the other day with Tony, (Foy of Prometheus in Aspic blog), and he was telling me about Clive and his enthusiasm for the hobby. Died rather young, very sad. Let's hope the very best prices can be achieved.
ReplyDelete'Lee,
DeleteI must admit to having been a little surprised when I heard that Clive had died. As they say, he was of no great age when he died.
I will certainly be looking out for items to buy when the catalogue comes out. I just hope that the prices are not too way out of my pocket.
All the best,
Bob
Clive was a very knowledgeable wargaming enthusiast.I went to see him several years ago to pick his brains about Peter Gilder, we spent several hours talking about the hobby in the early days.He was a very interesting character.
ReplyDeleteIndependentwargamesgroup,
DeleteClive seems to have been the ‘go to’ man about quite a few matters to do with early wargaming in the UK, and his death is a great loss to the wargaming community.
All the best,
Bob
To my shame, I must have known Clive had died but can't remember it... like yourself, I never met him, but he had in fact got quite a few Garrison/Rose figures.
ReplyDeleteWith your permission, I'll pretty much repost your entry on the Eastern Garrison.
Rob Young,
DeleteI must admit that I had missed any announcement of his death, and that is something that I regret.
Please feel free to repost any or all of what I have written. Spreading the word and getting the best prices for the collection will help to boost the value of Clive’s estate.
All the best,
Bob
I should point out that I did actually know about it and posted it - literally a case of 'it's the meds' - memory has been one victim of my current medical situation.
ReplyDeleteRob Young,
DeleteTell me about it! I’ve been on a painkiller for the past week that brought back my ‘brain fog’ with a vengeance!
All the best,
Bob
Gavin, Clive's brother here. Clive converted his attic so that every inch was a barracks but even so the troops were getting down the stairs. Hansons have decided it's so niche that they will use a timed auction (a la e-bay) which will enable everyone to get a bite or two. I know nothing about wargaming but the warmth fellow collectors have for him is striking.
ReplyDeleteGavin S,
DeleteIt’s great to hear from you.
I thought that my collection was large, but it pails into insignificance in comparison with Clive’s!
It certainly is a niche market, and having a timed auction makes a lot of sense, and will hopefully generate a lot of interest.
Wargamers are a funny bunch, but there is a camaraderie amongst members of the hobby’s community, especially between wargamers who started back in the early days of the hobby.
All the best,
Bob
Belated commiserations Gavin.
ReplyDeleteI normally say something like ‘it’s always sad to hear of the passing of another of the Old Guard’ but in this case he wasn’t so old. My contemporary. Makes you think.
I hope the auction is a success and that the collection ends up with appreciative gamers.
Nundanket,
DeleteThanks for you comment. Clive was held in high regard by everyone in the hobby that had dealings with him, and he will be missed.
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
ReplyDeleteClive's Collection at 33,000 Figures is surely unique- it will be a very interesting auction to view and take part in- I wonder what Periods Clive modeled in and what scale. The biggest collection I've known about is a chap who had the entire Battle of Waterloo in 6mm Scale at 1:1...every person who was at Waterloo is represented- unreal! Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI suspect that it is one of the largest collections of ‘old school’ figures in the UK.
I wonder how long it took to collect and paint enough 6mm figures to restate the Battle of Waterloo at a scale of 1:1.
All the best,
Bob
He started with Napoleonics and from what I saw he became interested in the American War of Independence; English Civil War; Hundred Years War; and so on. It seems to have gone back to the Ancient Brits and up to the Israelis and Palestinians in the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteHansons have a library too of uniform books and other relevant material. I was reunited with a book I had as a school prize, about the English Civil War; not to mention my childhood edition of The Hobbit. Clive was a collector even from his own family!!
Gavin S,
DeleteHis ‘career’ in wargaming sounds very typical, skipping over time from one period to another as something sparked an interest.
I assume that Hanson’s will be selling his books at the same time. If so, that will certainly attract more potential buyers.
All the best,
Bob