Doyle's vs. Charles Whitaker Auctions

[vintagegriffin.com]

Doyle\'s vs. Charles Whitaker Auctions

who has been keeping a close eye on these two auction houses -- or any others?

i ask because i have some things i would like to offer for auction this fall, and i'm wondering where i'd get the best prices. doyle's always (to me) seems like a disappointment in the spring, and i just breezed through their spring auction catalog and i hardly saw anything impressive -- and really nothing at all from the early end of the vintage spectrum (victorian, edwardian, teens, '20s).

jonathan (et al), would you say that whitaker has become better for antique vintage, and doyle is better for modern vintage?

i have a labeled lucile teens dress, a labeled callot soeurs cape, a labeled house of rouff victorian cape, a labeled (and NUMBERED) lanvin 1915 opera cape that i'm wondering where to send.

re modern, i have a 1949 christian dior ballgown (unlabeled) that is the +exact+ same as the one in the met's costume institute (i think it's called the juno model...it was featured in the goddess exhibit). in 1949 yves st. laurent had only been designing at dior for about two years, so this is one of his early works. i'm unsure where to put that one.

i'll be taking pics soon, but any theoretical advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks and cheers

 

[pastperfect2]

For what it's worth , I have noticed that Doyle's doesn't seem very interested in much other than mid century and later couture. And you really need to keep up with them. From past experience, send photos first and if they want them, then hand deliver.

The last two Whitakers auctions seemed to do well for older labeled pieces. They did sell a teens Lucille last November that wasn't noted in the catalogue, but was labeled. I think it went around $1200, but I could be very wrong.
Whitakers Fall Auction is in October this year, so you may want to conatct them very soon.

Hollis

 

[fuzzylizzie]

Last spring both Doyles and Whitalers had several Tina Leser handpainted blouses. I believe Whitakers had 4 or 5 of them (all with slight damage) and they realized between $400 and $630 each. Doyles had 3 and put them in a lot. They too were damaged. The lot brought $550.