Bamfords Auctioneers & Valuers Reviews 

I purchased a lot from Bamfords back in the spring, and made the rookie mistake of getting carried away and bidding beyond my means. Although I was liable for the hammer price and fees, they were both patient and understanding of the situation. We recently managed to reach a compromise that left everyone happy. Such great customer service means that I would gladly recommend Bamfords Auctioneers, and I would not hesitate to bid (sensibly!) with them in future. All's well that ends well.

Was at bamfords Rowsley today I was sad to hear Olivia was leaving she as been a great help to me and others her happy smiling face will be missed. All the best wishes with her new job with the national trust. I am sure she will shine there too, good luck Olivia and thanks for everything

Last Thursday, day three of your four day Fine Art sale I intended to bid online for lot number 1409. I tried to register to bid when lots in the range of 1300 were being sold. Try as I might the system rejected my efforts even though the information I was offering has been used successfully previously. I rang your number and asked for advice. A very kind and patient lady called Tina spent some time guiding me, with some difficulty as the system wouldn't cooperate. Finally,as we approached my lot number Tina managed to get some sense from the system and I was able to (successfully) bid. Without her help I would have lost the lot. Please pass on my thanks.
When I called to collect the lot a lady called Karen dealt with the proceedings.As before Karen was smiley and spoke with an obvious sense of humour.I've witnessed this before because some months ago a returned call from Bamfords arrived when I was stuck in the junk in my garage.I explained the situation to Karen and she very kindly offered to come over and extricate me from the garage if I was still stuck after dark.I managed to get free so that was no longer needed.
I think you are lucky to have the ladies I've mentioned on your staff plus the other cheerful people who work for you.
Steve R.

I have bought 14 lots from this auctioneer recently across 2 auctions & 4 of the lots were damaged & not as described in the catalogues.
I contacted them via email22/05/2026 & they haven't even bothered acknowledging my messages or responding in any way.
Very poor way to run a so called reputable business & I certainly won't be buying from them again.

not really an auctioning review per say, but i recently went to an Afternoon Tea at the Hostess Restaurant in Mansfield, well badged Afternnon of Antiques, where James Lewis was there as a quest. What a warm and friendly guy. He came with an assistant, to help with probs where the whole room had to guess on the values of objects and then he did a mock auction afterwards. It really was an great afternoon and the meal The Hostess served was great as well. A very fun afternoon and there seemed to be no rush at all as to when it was going to end. Only downside for me was, i was rubbish at guessing the prices. :) But i would certainly go again to another of these events.

They reply to condition report requests promptly but fail to give any useful information as to the presence of damage. I asked if it was original and a description of damage. The first reply was " Condition Report:
Original'. I had to ask again for a damage report and was sent this. "Original. Both car and box in good condition" Hardly informative. They are desperate not to commit themselves and as an internet buyer, this stops me ever buying from this auction house. Something just doesn't smell right when you get condition reports like this.

Avoid like the plague, especially if you are interested in antiquarian books. They list them in the catalogue as books even when missing pages or title pages, and then blame the purchaser or hide behind their terms and conditions or otherwise obfuscate. A terrible advertisement for provincial auction houses. The only safe remedy is to go nowhere near them and use a reputable house instead.

James Lewis was the auctioneer at a school charity event and he was brilliant: he brought such energy to the room, a sense of fun and it was a great success.

James Lewis was the auctioneer at our charity auction this Saturday…and he was just sensational! The moment he walks in the room and starts speaking- he has the room! And it was a rather tipsy, rowdy crowd so he had his work cut out! He has such energy and presence and managed to raise an unbelievable amount of money for our charity…far exceeding our expectations. Thank you once again James, you were amazing!

Such a big thank you to James Lewis and team for hosting 2 charity auctions for our wonderful cause. James is a true professional and his captivating energy made for an exciting auction that far exceeded fundraising expectations. We are truly grateful!

We were at an auction run by James Lewis last Saturday, who was absolutely brilliant! He was engaging, entertaining and most importantly he raised a huge amount of money…exceeding all expectations.

James Lewis held an auction for a private fundraising event for us, and I honestly couldn’t recommend him highly enough.
From start to finish, James was professional, engaging, and incredibly skilled at reading the room. His energy and charisma helped create a fantastic atmosphere, and he played a huge part in driving the success of the fundraiser. He struck exactly the right balance between being entertaining and keeping the event running smoothly and efficiently.
What really stood out was his ability to connect with people and encourage participation without ever feeling pushy. It made a real difference to the overall outcome, and we were thrilled with the results.
I wouldn’t hesitate to ask James to lead another event in the future. If you’re looking for an auctioneer who is both personable and highly effective, he’s an excellent choice

James Lewis is a true professional and master of his craft. Nobody does it better! He has recently hosted two charity auctions that I have attended providing enormous entertainment and raising significant funds for very worthy charities. Thank you James!

We attended an afternoon tea with James Lewis at the Hostess Restaurant as the after meal speaker. He did a quiz where each table had an object to inspect and work out age purpose and cost. It was both fun and informative. James was brilliant and everyone on our table really enjoyed the afternoon and time spent with a true professional.

We have used Bamfords successfully on a number of occasions in the past. However, our trust has now been severely undermined by their handling of consignments and basic record-keeping.
Items are often collected and only later followed up with vague, difficult-to-read consignment receipts, rather than clear, itemised documentation provided at the point of handover. This lack of transparency has led to serious issues.
In March 2025, we consigned Masonic medals to Bamfords. However what went into the sale were not ours. We only realised this after they were returned to us. To this day, we do not know what happened to our own medals, nor who the incorrect items belong to.

In June/July, Bamfords accepted several pictures and other items from us. We were later told that three of the pictures would not be included in a sale. Since then, they have been unable to locate these items or return them. Despite multiple visits and emails, there has been no resolution.
We have dealt with numerous staff members, including Ian, Olivia, Ben, Peter Samson, Julie Crawford, and reception staff, yet no one has taken ownership of the issue. We were informed that the Director, James Lewis, was made aware in early March, but there has still been no meaningful update or outcome.
After ten months, we remain without an explanation, without our pictures, and without confidence in the company. A clear bailment relationship existed, yet it appears this responsibility has not been treated with the seriousness or urgency it requires.
I am no longer writing this in the expectation that our items will be found, but to caution others. Ensure you receive a clear, fully itemised consignment receipt at the outset, and be aware that, in our experience, accountability can be lacking when issues arise.

Kerri was so helpful and knowledgeable. Giving me clear advice on prices and quality. Would definitely use Kerri and Bamfords in the future.

This is the first time that I had placed items for auction and I was very impressed by the two staff members that I had dealt with, Mike Nicholls and Kerri Keeling. They gave good honest opinions and valuations. I was pleased with outcome and will definitely use again.

We have recently sold some Gold and Silver items through Bamfords Auctioneers with the help of their Jewellery specialist Kerri Keeling. From the initial meeting to valuate the items to them being catalogued and eventually being presented and sold at auction, the whole process was very professional and efficient including the payment of the sale funds.
Kerri's help was instrumental in the sale of the items and we would not hesitate to use her and Bamfords Auctioneers again.
M A Heath.

The valuation, cataloguing, communication, all the staff both online and in person were EXCELLENT. We would not hesitate to recommend. We also visited the Auction House and were made to feel very welcome!
Thank you

Extremely well educated staff on the valuation of my items, very easy to carry out the transactions.
Will definitely be using in the future.