Prior to its run from November 2-7 alongside the Spirit of Christmas event at the west London venue, organisers and exhibitors were uncertain how the pandemic would impact visitor numbers.
In the event, enough made it through the turnstiles to keep many of the exhibitors busy over the six days.
Most in demand were jewellery and picture dealers who reported selling to a mix of old and new clients.
Jewellery specialist Anthea Gesua of Anthea AG Antiques parted with a number of pieces for four and five-figure sums to new customers including a few Chinese buyers. Among the sales was an 18ct gold signed Van Cleef and Arpels winking owl, c.1960, which had an asking price between £5000-10,000.
AG Antiques sold this 18ct gold signed Van Cleef and Arpels winking owl, c.1960, ticketed at £5000-10,000 at the Olympia fair.
Modern and Contemporary art dealer Thomas Spencer Fine Art sold over 30 pictures and prints with more than half sold off the wall, including a small 15 x 20in (38 x 51cm) watercolour by John Nash (1893-1977) depicting a line of trees ticketed at £14,000.
“This year we took two stands and were a bit nervous to see if the gamble paid off,” said the gallery’s Tom Mehigan. “With restrictions etc it was hard to predict how many people would turn up; however, we sold very well.”
New clients and “just two regulars” bought a range of works from the stand dating from the early 1920s through to Contemporary art and priced between £75 and £14,000.
Modern art dealer Freya Mitton benefited from the crossover with the Spirit fair with several Christmas shoppers buying their first pictures from her. Among the sales was a John Tunnard (1900-71) watercolour from 1942 which went to a US buyer.
Purchases in other disciplines included a large pair of George II silver gilt chargers made in London in 1736 by Paul Crespin, which sold for a high five-figure ticket price from Neil Shepperson of silver specialist Mary Cooke Antiques.
S&S Timms Antiques enjoyed a last-minute flurry of activity, selling four pieces in the final five minutes of the fair to a new customer. Among the gallery’s sales was a Georgian mahogany circular drum table ticketed at £8500.
