Celebrating 30 Years of Dugglebys


August 2026

This year marks a special milestone for David Duggleby Auctioneers & Valuers, as the business celebrates 30 years since it was founded in 1996 by David and Jane Duggleby.

What began as a small family-run auction house in Scarborough has grown into one of the UK’s fastest-growing auction businesses, with salerooms, valuation offices and specialist services now operating across Yorkshire. Three decades on, the company remains rooted in the same principles on which it was founded: specialist knowledge, personal service and a genuine enthusiasm for the objects, stories and collections entrusted to us.

From Vine Street to a Northern Powerhouse

David Duggleby entered the auction world straight from school, building the experience and eye for detail that would later shape the business. In 1996, alongside his wife Jane, he established the first David Duggleby saleroom on Vine Street in Scarborough, transforming a historic building into the centre of the company’s operations.

That building remains at the heart of the business today. Over the years it has welcomed countless clients, collections and bidders, from local house clearances and private estates to specialist auctions attracting international interest. Although David and Jane have now stepped back from the day-to-day running of the company, they remain very much part of Duggleby’s. David continues to provide specialist fine art valuation consultancy and can still occasionally be found behind the rostrum conducting some of Duggleby’s prestigious Fine Art auctions. Jane also remains a familiar face around the offices and continues to lend her expertise to jewellery valuations when needed.

A Historic Home in Scarborough

The Vine Street saleroom has a story of its own. In the late 19th century, the site was known as Foxton Mews, a large courtyard with multi-storey stables used by W. Foxton & Son for horses, carriages and charabancs. As transport changed, the building adapted. Between 1929 and 1935 it was home to E. H. Robinson, operating Scarborough & District White Coach Tours and Royal Blue Coaches. It later housed West Yorkshire Road Car Company and East Yorkshire Motor Services, before becoming a motor showroom.

Its latest chapter began when David and Jane transformed the site into an auction house. Today, Vine Street continues to combine history, character and purpose, providing a fitting home for a business built around heritage, craftsmanship and collecting.

A New Generation and a Digital Future

The business entered a new era under the leadership of David and Jane’s son, William Duggleby, who became Managing Director and helped establish the wider Duggleby Group.

A key part of this next chapter has been the development of the company’s digital presence. In 2020, Duggleby’s introduced live online bidding with real-time video broadcasts, allowing bidders from across the world to take part in auctions as they happened. This investment in technology transformed the reach of the saleroom, combining the atmosphere of a traditional auction with the accessibility of a modern online platform.

Today, the company regularly attracts bidders from around the globe, while continuing to serve local clients with the personal, approachable service that has always been central to the business.

Growing Across Yorkshire

Over the past decade, Duggleby’s has expanded significantly, with new locations and services allowing the business to support more clients across the region.

In 2018, the company opened a valuation office in Beverley’s Market Place, providing a dedicated local base for clients in the East Riding and surrounding areas. This was followed by an important collaboration with Stephensons of York, leading to the creation of Duggleby Stephenson of York at the Murton saleroom. The opening brought together two respected names and expanded the group’s auction presence, particularly for clients across York and North Yorkshire.

Growth continued in 2024 with the opening of a further valuation office in Harrogate town centre, offering another convenient location for valuation appointments and specialist advice. Alongside these developments, the expansion of Duggleby Removals & Storage and other specialist services has helped create the wider Duggleby Group, offering clients a more complete service covering valuations, auctions, removals and storage.

Looking Ahead

From humble family ran beginnings, Duggleby’s has grown into a team of experienced valuers, auctioneers, administrators, porters, photographers, cataloguers and specialists. The firm now holds in excess of 200 hundred auctions per year across a wide range of collecting fields, including fine art, jewellery, watches, coins, silver, ceramics, furniture, books, militaria, wine, whisky, toys, models, decorative objects and specialist single-owner collections. Behind every sale is a shared commitment to careful research, clear presentation and strong marketing, helping each lot reach the right audience. 

Whether handling a single item, a private collection or the contents of a property, the aim remains the same: to provide an expert, efficient and personal service from first valuation to final sale. Here's to another 30 years of connecting buyers and sellers.
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