Behind the Scenes at the Robin Marlar Auction Part 2: The BIG Day
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People began streaming into the ‘Boundary Rooms’ from 8.30am.
The Marlar daughters manned the main door, taking details of potential bidders and handing out the bid numbers. There was an
excitement, a growing buzz, tinged with an anxiety of the impending unknown.
The Sussex hierarchy turned up and some posed with the star of the day, Robin Marlar, who paraded the room wearing his perfunctory
white shorts, short-sleeve shirt, no socks and well-worn hush-puppies as if he’d just wandered in from the Hove beach.
This was Robin airing his best eccentric demeanour. He was visibly sad but resigned that 67 years of collecting would disappear under
the blows of a hammer.
Charlie Ross appeared exuding his usual enthusiasm and vigour. His dinner the previous night at ‘The Lamb Inn’, Wortling with owner and
good friend James Braxton was ‘“a marvellous success”.
"SOLD!"
At 11am on the dot the auction began.
The Boundary Rooms had been halved in size by a sliding door; around 100 vacant chairs awaited occupancy and within a short time a majority
were filled. Meanwhile, a group manned the phones or peered at computer screens for online bids; Charlie who stood resplendent on the podium
wearing his MCC tie and ‘Lords Taverners’ cricket bat lapel, grabbed the gavel and we were off!
It was books galore but the phenomenon that was soon to arrive showed early promise. Almost every lot doubled its estimate. The first star
of the day was lot 21: an Ashley Cooper Indian Cricket Chronology: estimate £700-£800: which soared to £1,500. This was a little taster to come.
But the real clue came 17 lots later when a book by R. Beeston on the 1882-3 Ashes - estimate £800-£900 - fetched £3,000. The added white
spine tape made little difference.
This was the beginning of the impending fireworks where phone and online bids regularly battled for supremacy.
"WE'RE OFF!"
Lot 68 ‘Cricket A Weekly Record of the Game’ - estimate £1,000-£1,500 - sailed to £3,800. A phone bidder eventually won it. After 100 lots
which Ross struggled to get away in 90 minutes due to the strength of bidding, one knew this was going to be a special day.
The rare Lord Russell ‘Recollections of Cricket’ fetched £1,000 above its estimate and then lot 183: the 1864 Wisden that was the first true star
of the day. The floor began feverishly bidding but after the price went past £5,000 the phone and online bidders took over and the price finally
hit £7,200. I was sitting between two of the world’s biggest cricket memorabilia dealers who kept nodding their heads in disbelief as the price
shot up in £200s. Perhaps, there was one for sale on Ebay, at that moment, for several thousand less but that wasn’t the point. This was no
ordinary auction and the reasons why some were bidding varied whether as longtime friends of Robin Marlar and his family, the sense of occasion
or knowing that 25% of the proceeds would go to the Sussex CCC Museum.
Eventually, the ‘Original Paintings and Drawings’ section arrived. There was a sense of expectancy. The hors d’oeuvres had been succulently eaten
now the main course.
Lot 253: William Burgess: Kent v All England at Canterbury C1885 - estimate £800-£1,000. The phone and online bidders took over. The bidding was
feverish. Charlie Ross was in his element cajoling the computer screens as if the invisible bidders were sitting next to him. A lone phone assailant
in the room kept wagging his hand. It was mayhem, yet Ross had complete control. I have attended many auctions in my time but the MCC man is
special, very special.
Burgess fetched £9,000; an HE Russell of Trent Bridge C1885: £10,000 (estimate £800-£1,000) - the two Lawrence Toynbees, the pre-auction stars,
were little more than an anti-climax, barely reaching their reserves and then it happened - like a Chinese New Year fireworks display. The unsigned
Kent v Malling C1770s - the alleged fake and unscrupulous painting that was bought by Marlar at the legendary Sussex CCC “bad sale” in 1980 after
the hierarchy had suffered a cashflow problem, panicked, and chose to sell off their crown jewels - a painting that hung behind the desk of Sussex
player and secretary G.S Grimston, “The Colonel” - a painting that Robin had paid £1,650 for.
STAR OF THE SHOW 
Ross started the bidding at £2,000. The floor bid it up to £4,000 and then the online and phone bidders took over. It reached £10,000 before an online
and phone buyer slugged it out like an Ali v Frazier fight. This was no rumble in the jungle - more like a Hatton Garden heist. The price went up in
£1,000s then £2,000s, Ross cajoling the two prized fighters. The two dealers sitting close to me kept nodding their heads in disbelief - one was almost
concerned for their neck muscles. £20,000, £30,000... there were gasps from the floor... “At £34,000, going once (pause), twice (pause), three times...”
Down came the gavel. Members from the floor stood up and spontaneously clapped - a ripple of amazement and exultancy.
After that, the sale was a bit of an anti-climax. Nothing would match that contest. Further highlights included Lot 308: United All England XI by JC Anderson
- estimate £500-£600 - sold for £5,000. Lot 339: an 1847 lithograph: estimate £500-£600: fetched £2,800.
Ross promised us the auction would be over in time for the ‘Grand National’. It certainly wasn’t. The Golf ‘Masters’ was well under way by the time the
auction ended at around 5.30pm or 6.5 hours later. Ross refused any breaks. His stamina is extraordinary. He was exuding as much energy during the
final lot as he was the first.
The Marlar family appeared to be in a state of shock. Organiser Jon Filby had hoped for £80,000 and given just 18 of the best lots fetched around £107,000,
one presumes the other 416 should help push the final sale price up to at least double or even around £180,000.
Huge congratulations must go to the club museum volunteers who worked so tirelessly to make this auction such a success. Everyone had their important
and differing roles to play where all the cogs fitted together in a seamless way. This was Sussex CCC displaying its very best ‘family ethos’ for one of their own.
