Charity shop buys could prove a great investment
Plates and jewellery bought from charity shops can be worth a lot of money, as viewers of STV's The Hour found when antiques expert Anita Manning valued their bargain buys.
Maureen Allison had brought in a plate that she got from a second hand shop in Kirkcaldy. “The plate was covered in grease and when I took a wee bit of the grease off I saw the pattern and really liked it,” Maureen said. “When I got home and washed it I realised it was a Wemyss plate.”
Wemyss is one of the most famous potteries in the world and the plate is a wee bit unusual. Anita said: “Usually the background of Wemyss is white or cream but the background used here is black. “Black was used briefly in the late 1800s, and this is quite a rare plate by one of the best decorators in the Wemyss factory. I would value it at £500.”
Maureen also had a collectible beetroot jar valued at £15. She is planning to hold onto both items.
Elizabeth Prentice had some enamel jewellery that she bought from a charity shop: “I liked the colour and had always liked enamel, and it only cost me £3.” The jewellery set consisted of a necklet, a bracelet, a pair of earrings and two brooches.
Anita said: “This is a Scandinavian 20th century design. It’s Danish and is worth about £450.”
Elizabeth also brought in a vase: “This is also a 20th century Scandinavian design, Swedish this time from the factory of Gustav Berg,” said Anita. “The range is called Argenta and it has overlaid sterling silver on the flower on the front.” She valued the vase at £120.
Source: STV website
Memorabilia from seasons 1-6 of long running fantasy show LOST to be auctioned in LA this weekend
Characters from ABC's 'LOST'
Los Angeles based Auction house ‘Profiles in History’ is putting over a thousand props from ABC’s “Lost” up for sale this weekend (August 21-22)
Show keepsakes such as the passports of the characters, the Oceanic Airlines tickets, John Locke’s wheelchair, Hurley’s winning lotto ticket, Sun’s wedding ring, Ana Lucia’s LAPD ID card, Charlie’s DS ring, and the Dharma Initiative canned goods among many others are set to hit the auction block.
Producers of the show are understood to have cooperated with the auction.
Profiles in History owner Joseph Maddalena has been quoted by the Daily Mail as saying, “This [auction] will have every iconic item from all six seasons – up to the last episode.”
“This will be a watershed event, the most iconic TV show to ever sell its property. One of the reasons they [the producers] are doing this is that they want to give something back to the fans, who are so into the show.”
Just some of the items of LOST memorabilia to be sold at the forthcoming auction in LA
Source: Profiles in History
The Beatles go to Goodwood
What you get for your moneyNot literally but a famous piece of their history is being sold at auction there.
On the 15th August 2010 an old but very famous piano from London's Abbey Road Studios will be auctioned off in the Goodwood memorabilia auction at the vintage festival in Chichester
The piano was housed at the London Abbey Road Studios between 1964 and 1980 and during its time there it was used to record some of the most memorable tracks that the Beatles are known for including Tomorrow Never Knows and Paperback Writer
Later it was also used in studio three by Pink Floyd to record the well known Dark Side of the Moon.
The piano has seen better days and is covered with coffee stains and cigarette burns. Regardless of that if you do wish to go along and buy it make sure you bring your cheque book because the estimate's start at £100,000 with the top estimate being £150,000
Jewels from the ‘most famous love story of the 20th century’ to be auctioned at Sotheby’s
Wallis Simpson: Time Magazine's Woman of the Year, 1936
Twenty pieces from the love affair of Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII are for sale after 23 Years
Twenty‐three years after the legendary auction of the "Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor" - still the most valuable single‐owner jewellery collection ever sold - Sotheby's will offer twenty pieces for sale in London on 30 November 2010.
The sale will include some renowned examples illustrating both the exquisite taste of the famous couple and memorialising key events in their historic relationship. Together the pieces are estimated to fetch in the region of £3 million.
Speaking of the sale, David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby's Jewellery in Europe and the Middle East, said: "It is an extraordinary honour to bring once again to sale these jewels worn by a woman who was a leader of fashion and the epitome of elegance and sophistication for her generation and beyond.
"The offering comprises not only incomparable examples of the genius of Cartier in collaboration with the Windsors, but also pieces whose inscriptions tell the story of perhaps the greatest love story of the 20th century, the romance that led Edward VIII to abdicate the throne of Great Britain."
The Windsors and the House of Cartier
Throughout the Prince of Wales's courtship of Wallis Warfield Simpson, during his brief period on the throne, as well as during their married life, the couple commissioned exquisite jewels from the great European jewellery houses.
The sale will comprise a comprehensive array of pieces commissioned from Cartier, one of the most favoured jewellers of the Duke and Duchess.
With the Duke's encouragement, the creative genius Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier's High Jewellery Director, produced some of her most extraordinary work, among them a realistic onyx and diamond panther bracelet designed in 1952 - perhaps the finest among her three‐dimensional "great cats" jewels.
A further testament to the admiration of the Duke and the Duchess for Jeanne Toussaint's avant‐garde designs is found in a splendid flamingo brooch, ablaze with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, citrines and diamonds, bought by the Duchess in 1940.
Through the 1987 sale, this brooch caught the imagination of the world and became the emblem of the sale.
The Story in the Inscriptions While representing important examples of the art and creativity of the 20th century as well as the style of the Windsors, the jewels also give an insight into the life of the famous couple and many pieces in the sale are dated and bear inscriptions of an intimate nature.
Among these are a delightful heart-shaped emerald, ruby and diamond brooch by Cartier applied with the initials W.E. (Wallis, Edward) commissioned by the Duke in 1957 to mark their 20th wedding anniversary.
Another jewel of great personal significance is seen in the Duchess of Windsor's favourite diamond bracelet by Cartier which supports nine gem‐set Latin crosses, each representing special moments of her life during the years 1934‐44.
One cross was inscribed for the marriage ("Our Marriage Cross Wallis 3‐V‐37 David"); another was a reminder of an assassination attempt against the King ("God save the King for Wallis 16.VII.36").
Other inscribed pieces include a diamond dress suite made by Cartier in 1935, engraved with the initials W and E and the inscription "Hold Tight" - a phrase often employed by the Duke and the Duchess in their correspondence before their marriage.
In 1935 the Duchess gave the Duke an 18‐carat gold and gem‐set cigarette case by Cartier inscribed with "David from Wallis Christmas 1935" and engraved with a map of Europe and North Africa with routes applied in enamel to show their various holidays together and a gemstone set at the various meaningful locations.
In addition to the Cartier creations, the selection will present a gold mesh, ruby, turquoise and diamond purse by Van Cleef & Arpels and a series of silver items and medals, once property of Edward, the Prince of Wales.
Source: Paul Fraser Collectibles
Churchill’s false teeth sold for £15,200 at Norfolk auction
The false teeth were specially designed to preserve Churchill's natural lisp
A partial set of false teeth made for Sir Winston Churchill has been sold for £15,200 at an auction in Norfolk. The dentures, sold by Keys in Aylsham, had been expected to fetch a maximum of £5,000 at the sale on 29 July.
The teeth were owned by the son of dental technician Derek Cudlipp who made them, but he decided to sell.
They were specially constructed to preserve Churchill's natural lisp and were so important he carried two with him at all times.
Keys' valuer Andrew Bullock said the wartime premier suffered from terrible teeth and gums and needed complicated dentistry from childhood.
Churchill valued so highly the skill of his dentist, Wilfred Fish, who worked with Mr Cudlipp, that he nominated him for a knighthood.
And Mr Cudlipp's son, Nigel, said his father's work was so important to Churchill the World War II prime minister would not let him join up to fight.
"When my father's call up papers came, Churchill personally tore them up," he said.
"Churchill said that he would be more important to the war effort if he stayed in London to repair his dentures."
The delicacy and special design of the teeth were widely credited with helping Churchill speak clearly and effectively, said Mr Bullock.
The false teeth were bought by a private collector from Gloucestershire.
The collector is believed to own a number of items of Churchill memorabilia, including the microphone he used when announcing the end of the war.
Source: BBC news
Rare Blue John Antiques return to Derbyshire
Blue John stone urns, a William & Mary marquetry box and a Dutch marquetry bombe chest all made a tidy sum at Tring Market Auctions
A pair of Blue John stone urns on plinths realised an excellent price of £11,200 at Tring Market Auctions’ Fine Art Sale held on Friday 23rd July.
Blue John stone is a rare semiprecious mineral that is found near Castleton, Derbyshire – the only location in the world!
Blue John stone antiques are highly sought after by collectors as proved by the pre-sale interest which came from prospective buyers throughout Europe.
The sale day was well attended with international bids coming from European locations. It was heart-warming and satisfying to learn, however, that the winning bid of the Blue John urns came from a Derbyshire based buyer. The vases were going home.
Stephen Hearn, Managing Director, Tring Market Auctions, said, ‘The pre-sale interest and spirited bidding is a true reflection of the response quality items receive at Tring Market Auctions.’
Other items of interest in the sale sold well with a William & Mary marquetry lace box selling at £1,250 and a small early 18th century Dutch marquetry bombe chest which reached £900.
Oscar Wilde Salomé first edition sells for a staggering £34,000
The 'previously unknown' 1893 First Edition of Oscar Wilde's Salomé
A previously unknown First Edition of one of the most important plays ever written starred in Dominic Winter's UK auction of Printed Books & Maps, last thursday (July 22).
The Irish poet Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) began writing Salomé in 1861. This 1893 signed and inscribed London/Paris First Edition is all the more remarkable for being in French, which Wilde spoke and wrote fluently.
Controversy dogged Wilde throughout his life, and Salomé was no exception. A year before this edition was published in 1892, Lord Chamberlain's licensor banned the play in London for its illegal depiction of biblical characters.
Nevertheless, the play eventually had its debut performance at Paris's Theatre de l'Oeuvre, on February 11, 1896 - the same city in which Wilde would die four years later, penniless and destitute, aged just 46.
Released a year prior to its English language version, this First Edition of Salomé sold in its original purple wrapper printed in silver, and is somewhat faded with marginal browning (including on the spine).
Also adding to the book's historical significance is a signature and inscription by Wilde himself.
Alongside Wilde's autograph, with trademark paraph to the last letter of his name, the fascinating inscription reads: '… Gustave Moreau, Hommage respectueux, Oscar Wilde'.
This inscription is especially significant as it suggests that the book was a personal gift from Wilde to Moreau (1826-1898), whose paintings of Salome the author had praised and which may have inspired the play.
The book - sold with a contemporary photograph of French Symbolist painter Moreau's 1886 watercolour of Salome dancing pasted into its opening pages - appeared in Dominic Winter's Gloucestershire sale with a pre-sale estimate of £20,000-30,000.
Unsurprisingly, this singular and historical artefact of one of Ireland's most important playwrights exceeded all expectations, realising a final price of £34,000.
Elsewhere on the market, collectors have an opportunity to acquire another example of Oscar Wilde's famous signature - on a rare photograph autographed by Wilde during his famous American tour of 1882.
It was during this trip that he famously stated, while at New York City's custom house, "I have nothing to declare but my genius..."
Source: Paul Fraser Collectibles
The ashes of Corrie’s ‘Frisky’ the cat made £700 at auction
Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) with the infamous Frisky
It would have had Ena Sharples spluttering into her milk stout.
The ashes of the cat that appeared in the title sequence of Coronation Street sold at auction today for £700 – five times the estimate.
Frisky the cat appeared in the opening of more than 1,000 episodes of the soap, crouching on the roof of Jack Duckworth's pigeon loft.
His remains had been expected to fetch £150 at Dominic Winter Book Auctions in South Cerney, Gloucestershire. But soap fans from around the world packed the auction room and made telephone and internet bids to push the final hammer price to £700, or £844 after fees.
The money will be given by the owner, John Rimington, from Leeds, to the charity Cats Protection.
He said: "Frisky was not only a much-loved family pet but also captured the heart of the nation. We were very proud to be his owners and we are keen to keep his memory alive."
Frisky shot to fame in 1990 when he was chosen from 5,000 hopefuls to star in the opening titles of Coronation Street.
At the height of his stardom, Frisky's fan club had 1,500 members and he would receive bags of fan mail. But he was diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and his owners had to have him put to sleep.
Frisky continued to feature in the opening credits of the soap until 2001.
His ashes were sold in a sealed wooden casket with a small brass plaque, together with a certificate from a pet crematorium confirming Frisky's cremation on 17 November 2000.
The auctioneer, Chris Albury, said: "It is one of the quirkiest lots we've ever sold – up there with one of Napoleon's teeth and a lock of Jane Austen's hair. We've had a lot of interest worldwide from as far away as New Zealand."
The buyer of Frisky's remains – as yet unidentified – is a soap fan from Essex.
Source: The Guardian
Munch’s Madonna sets a record at UK auction
A hand-coloured image of Edvard Munch's Madonna sold for £1.25million today - doubling its estimate and making it the most expensive print ever to be sold in the UK.
The controversial artwork, in Munch's famous swirling style, had been estimated to fetch £500,000 to £700,000 at Bonhams Prints sale in London.
Bonhams said that as well as setting a UK record, the image was also the second most expensive print to be sold in the world.
Another Munch work, Vampire II, sold in Oslo in 2007 for around £1,256,000.
The Madonna artwork was snapped up at Bonhams by a private buyer from the U.S. for £1,252,000 including buyer's premium.
The work, which has not been shown in public before coming to auction, is signed and dated 1895, the year of its creation.
The artist re-worked his original idea several times between 1895 and 1902.
The print is from the very first state and is, according to Bonhams, arguably the earliest hand-coloured impression.
It shows the Madonna in yellow and white set against a halo of blue, green and red. The central figure is surrounded by a blood red border containing forms resembling sperm and a foetus.
The model for the Madonna was Munch's mistress, Dagny Juel, described as a 'femme fatale' who after numerous ill-fated affairs was shot dead by a young lover in a Tblisi hotel aged 33.
The work, described as being in 'excellent condition' had been in the same family for more than 100 years.
Bonhams head of prints, Robert Kennan, said: 'It has been a real privilege selling such a wonderful image and it fully deserves to have achieved such a fantastic price.'
The work was sold on behalf of the estate of abstract expressionist artist Frank (Albert) Avray Wilson.
It was previously in the collection of his wife Ivy Eckbo, the adopted daughter of Eivind Eckbo, a Norwegian businessman and philanthropist who owned several Munch lithographs.
Source: Daily Mail