A former part-time admin worker is celebrating a successful ten-year career at an auction house in Honiton.
Jennifer Bell ASFAV, studied History at Southampton University and later completed a Master's at the University of Exeter.
With her knowledge and experience, she took a part-time role at Chilcotts Auctioneers in 2014.
At the time of her joining, the team consisted of Duncan Chilcott, Liz Chilcott, and porter Dudley Broom.
What began as a two-day working week quickly expanded into full-time hours for Ms Bell, who now spearheads the silver department in collaboration with jewellery valuer and cataloguer, Diana Hollis.
In addition to running the department, she also holds the dual roles of senior valuer & cataloguer and auctioneer, placing her as one of two female auctioneers at Chilcotts.
Ms Bell said: "I start by seeing customers with the items they want to sell, researching them, cataloguing them and finally auctioning them.
"When I’m on the rostrum, I have a personal connection with the customer, I feel like I’m seeing it through.
"It’s a personal type of service that the bigger auction houses don’t really have."
She also shared her deep interest in researching auction items.
Her personal success stories include meticulously researching and cataloguing a silver spoon collection, popularly known as the ‘Charles C Brian Collection’, in 2021.
The collection, which featured 53 lots of West Country spoons, achieved an impressive £43,000 post-auction.
The seasoned auctioneer also spoke of the thrill associated with the business's unpredictability.
She said: "Sometimes you’ll be unpacking a box or visiting a house to view the contents and you come across something really special.
"It can be very exciting for us, and for the client."
Since her arrival, Chilcotts has made several strides in its growth journey, including shifting its premises from Silver Street car park to Honiton High Street's beautiful Dolphin Saleroom.
The team has also expanded to include 14 full and part-time positions.
Ms Chilcott said: "We’re so pleased that Jenny decided to join the team a decade ago.
"She clearly loves what she does and really works hard to achieve the best results for our clients.
"We look forward to the next 10 years!"
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