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"An auctioneer should have the knowledge of whatever is being auctioned, he should be sharp, numerate and quick-witted too to handle unforseen situations," Wonnacott said, talking about the qualities of a good auctioneer. "An auctioneer's job is to keep the audience engaged and encourage further bids," he said on the sidelines of the 'Modern and Contemporary Indian Art' auction which was held in New Delhi recently. Wonnacott, who comes from a family of auctioneers, should know it. "Auctioneering is in my genes. Three generations of my family were into it and one thing I did different from my family was I went to study art, only to come back again," he said. After 25 years with an international auction house, Wonnacott decided to ply his trade of knowing art and antiques to an audience beyond the sellers and buyers, and today he hosts two popular television shows "Bargain Hunt" and "Antiques Roadshow" to his credit. "These shows are for commoners who love antiques and art. We travel a lot to make these shows and look for the best bargains that people can go to and buy," he says. Talking about the art and auction scene in India, Wonnacott felt that people in India may soon follow West's 'herd mentality.' "People in the West think, 'okay, everybody is buying art, let me also buy.' I think the same mentality will come to India, and then there will be an explosion in the prices of art and antiques," he said. Wonnacott was of the view that Indian art was still underrated within India and it provides good investment opportunities for the future. Being from a traditional auctioneer family, Wonnacott feels that advances in technology have taken some charm off the auctions. Talking about bidding over the telephone, he said, "Telephone bidding is a different game altogether. It slows down the tempo of a show, but then these days, the uber-rich want to buy surreptiously, so they prefer it." Recalling an auction of objects of former First Lady of the US, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, he says that there were as many as 93 telephones with operators speaking to bidders in 12 different languages from all over the world! "It absolutely slowed down the proceedings and it was one of those very few days when I felt that standing at the lectern was not such an exciting job," said Wonnacott. Of all the various kinds of auctions Wonnacott does, he said that he got the greatest joy in doing charities. "It is here that I can use wit and impress the rich and encourage them to part with their money for some of the most worthiest causes," he said.
— PTI
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Auctioneering is not just about calling the highest bids and pounding the hammer at the end of a bid, it is an art in itself and requires quite a few qualities to succeed, says celebrity British auctioneer, art expert and media personality Tim Wonnacott.
