BARNSLEY auctioneer Pierre Maciag has retired from his long-standing role after a glittering career.
Pierre, who has been in the industry for 50 years and clocked up more than half of those with Wilby’s, officiated his very last sale in Barnsley last week.
The 70-year-old said: “It’s a very strange feeling - there are definitely certain aspects of the job that I’m going to miss.
“Particularly the clients and the staff, after having spent 33 years at Wilby’s and building relationships with people.”
Before his retirement, he pulled out a gold-coloured drinking cup and when he checked the markings on the side of the cup, he realised it was made of solid gold.
One of his colleagues, Tim Scourfield, explained to the astonished buyers and sellers in the room: “Pierre was rummaging through this box, sent in by a local charity, when his eye caught sight of the cup.
“It was the find of a lifetime.”
The bidding started off modestly but Tim finally brought the hammer down at a price in excess of £4,000 - a ‘fitting end’ to Pierre’s career.
