Six decades in which we embraced the digital revolution, moved into purpose-built premises and expanded from a one-man operation to a team of ten.
We pride ourselves on being a successful, family run business and for that reason it's important to us that we don't forget where Auction News came from.
Our story began in 1958, when Derby-born entrepreneur Ronald Whitehurst set out to establish a company he called Auction Guide and Auction News Services. Researching auctions in the local library, then listing them in his weekly news sheet and posting it out to a list of subscribers, Ron and his best friend and business partner, John Payne, realised they had found a gap in the market.
Many years later, 1984 to be exact, current Managing Director and John's son, Steve Payne, took over the business reigns with support from his then father-in-law, Wally Windsor. Within a few short years they had quadrupled their subscribers to well over 1000 and things were looking up...
The business continued to expand through the nineties and the noughties and was incorporated as "Auction News Limited" in 2001. With Steve's wife Alison becoming Finance Director in 2004 and his daughter Gemma joining the team as Operations Director in 2014, Auction News remains a family run business to this day with a loyal workforce in place, successfully promoting auctions better than ever in various forms of digital and social media to over 30,000 subscribers.
Our latest project, bidsmart Solutions, is an exciting collaboration with Canamp's Richard Paul, whose bidding software has revolutionised the auction industry over the last two decades. This means we are now able to offer auctioneers the opportunity to not only effectively market their auctions, but to sell their lots via the website too.
The new software covers all bases, giving auctioneers the ability to offer online bidding directly from the Auction News website or from their own site. A fully integrated financial and invoicing package is also available providing auctioneers with the ultimate all-in-one online bidding and marketing solution.
With hard work, dedication, and a spirit of adventure that has so far passed through three generations, Auction News continues to adapt to a changing market place, embrace new technologies and go from strength to strength in what is set to be a very different post-covid auction world.
We get your auctions in front of the right audience.
We've been promoting auctions for years and no one does it better than we do. We ensure your auctions are effectively advertised and marketed, exposing your auctions to the right buyers through highly, targeted campaigns.
Online advertising
Our online advertising is affordable, flexible and will drive extra traffic to your auctions
Social Media Advertising
We use social media channels to promote auctions to the right audiences
Email Marketing
The key component of any advertising campaign
Digital Magazine
The only specialist auction magazine in the industry
Take control of your auctions
Created by Auction News, bidsmart is the ultimate all in one solution for your online bidding software and auction marketing.
Our Team
Executive Director
Managing Director
Operations Director
Sales Manager
Production Manager
Sales Executive
Production Executive
Web Executive
Customer Support Executive
Graphic Designer
Office Cat Executive
Our Clients
We are proud to work alongside some great auctioneers
