News

Snap up a Bargain.

Over a hundred thousands of pounds worth of professional photographic equipment is to go under the hammer at an auction in Scunthorpe next week following the collapse of one of the UK’s largest studio portrait businesses.

Olan Mills, which had 35 studios around the country, many of them in Mothercare stores, closed its doors and called in the administrators immediately after Christmas.

A huge quantity of the firm’s equipment has now been consigned to industrial auctioneers CJM Asset Management for disposal. It is to be sold off at an auction on Tuesday (March 3rd).

The kit which will be on offer ranges from studio lighting and stands to cameras.

CJM’s Matthew Cooper said: “It is all good quality professional equipment by top name makers. The studio lighting units are all by Bowens. The stands are all by Manfrotto or Ferenzi.”

“We’ve got around thirty digital cameras, all Olympus E1s, with their lenses.”

 Matthew added: “We’ve lotted the kit for the private buyer, whether amateur or professional, and given that there are around 200 lots there will be enough to go round for almost everyone who is interested.”

“It is being sold without reserve, so things will make what they make. There is a lot of it, so there could be a few bargains for anyone who is even mildly interested in studio photography.”

Tuesday’s auction also includes the stock of an upmarket store at Newbury in Berkshire that specialised in top of the range furniture, kitchens and electrical goods.

Matthew said: “I would say that this is probably the best furniture we have ever seen in the saleroom. It is all contemporary, exclusive - and very expensive. We’re talking names like Leolux of Holland and Tonon of Italy.”

“The star lot is an L-shaped red leather sofa that usually retails for £11,000 but there is even a coffee table that had an £1,800 price tag when it arrived in the rooms.”

“Apart from the furniture, we’ve been sent 8 display  kitchens by Alno some with fitted appliances. We have also got forty flat screen televisions, ranging from 32 inches to 42 inches, most of which arrived with us in their unopened boxes, and a number of Bose sound systems.”

He added: “All this does underline just how hard the recession is now hitting. This was an upmarket store in an affluent part of the country but the stock was seized by the landlord when the rent was not paid and the business has now ceased trading.”

At a slightly less exalted end of the spectrum the auction also includes the stock of a petrol station mini market in North East Lincolnshire that has closed following a bereavement. The petrol station has been put up for sale meanwhile the contents of the mini-market have been sent for sale.

 The stock includes food, sweets, tobacco and the entire drinks department, from beer and spirits to liqueurs and a wine range that goes right the way up to champagne.

In total the sale extends to 2,000 lots. The viewing sessions are on Monday (March 2nd) 1pm-7pm and on Tuesday morning from 8.30am until the start of the sale at 10 am. Catalogues are available from CJM or can be downloaded from the firm’s website: www.cjmasset.com free of charge.

For further information or comment please contact Matthew Cooper

at CJM Asset Management on 01724-334411.