08/03/2026 General News
At JPS Chartered Surveyors, a fifth-generation family business built on heritage, expertise, and integrity, International Women's Day holds special meaning. Our history includes skilled auctioneers and valuers, and today, we celebrate one of the most important women in our story: Bobbie Isaacs, mother to directors Michael and Mark, and one of the few femail auctioneers to build a career in the industrial and antique world.
Her journey began long before JPS existed in its current form, when the family business was known as M. Isaacs & Sons, founded by her father Joe andgrandfather Mick (and Mike and Mark's grandfather/great-grandfather). What followed was a career defined by hard work, grit, passion and a deep commitment to honouring both people and the items she sold.
Bobbie entered the auction world at just 15, working in the family business's office. By 18, she was running that office as secretary, and soon after, unexpectedly running auctions.
One day, when the auctioneer failed to turn up, her father simply said: "You'll have to do it."
She stepped up, took the auctioneer's place, and described the moment as feeling "reborn." That first experience set the course of her entire career. Bobbie went on to run the weekly sales room, moved into and learned the industry through experience, observation, and relentless dedication.
When the business was eventually sold, Bobbie set up on her own. Her very first phone call came from a liquidator, who told her, "I've got an auction, and you're doing it."
It was a moment of belief. Bobbie has never run an auction sale entirely solo. Yet she took on a major engineering auction in Morcambe, organising the site, cataloguing, and preparing it from the ground up. That sale marked the true beginning of her independent career.
In a male-dominated profession, Bobbie often stood alone. Clients frequently assumed the auctioneer would be a man. Viewers would ask staff "what time does he start?" or comment on how many lots he could sell per hour.
And every time, Bobbie walked out and proved them wrong.
She often faced heckling, dismissive comments, and constant comparisons to her father, yet she describes feeling empowered when she took the rostrum. She understood that being underestimatedcould be a strategic advantage, and she used in masterfully.
Her philosophy was simple: work harder and be honourable, and above all see yourself as an person, an equal to every room you walk into.
Bobbie's career is filled with extraordinary memories:
Bobbie poured tremendous effort into preparation and the auctions: cleaning organising, creating the perfect flow of the sale room. She saw auctioneering as a performance, a show, something alive and exciting.
Bobbie also valued everything from industrial machinery to the rare and beautiful. One standout memory was valuing an 18-carat gold Lonsdale boxing belt, which she described as one of the most stunning items she had ever handled.
Bobbie credits much of her knowledge to learning "at the feet of a master", her father Joe, a highly respected auctioneer. From him, she learned tat honesty and honour are the foundations of the profession.
These values: tradition, integrity, and respect, now live on in JPS, carried forward by Mike, Mark and the whole team. Bobbie describes them as "modern with old-school values," a blend of innovation an heritage that makes JPS what it is today.
Seeing her sons continue the family legacy has brought Bobbie immense pride. She calls it "wonderful" that the profession has now also continued into the fifth generation, and she remains involved today, helping with viewings or clearances simply because she still loves the work.
To her, auctioneering isn't just a job, it's a calling.
"When you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life."
Bobbie's story embodies International Women's Day. She built a successful career at a time when women were not welcomed into the auction world, especially in the industrial machinery and engineering sector.
Her advice to women would be:
Bobbie raised three children while runing major industrial auctions. She showed uo in the cold warehouses with little heating, in eras with limited support and safety measures. She made sacrifices, pushed through barriers, and proved that women are not only capable, they are powerful.
Today we honour Bobbie, not onlt as the mother of our directors, but as:
JPS would not be what it is today without Bobbie's legacy, her standards, and her unwavering passion for this world.
On International Women's Day, we are proud to celebrate Bobbie, and all the women who makes their industries stronger simply by stepping forward, working hard, and refusing to be underestimated.