Latest News Articles by Tom Derbyshire
Bulldog spirit drives sign to £71,000 record
27 March 2026An extensive collection of automobilia housed in not one but two Cambridgeshire barns included an eye-catching example of the most sought-after British enamel signs.
No jacket, no big problem for a first edition Hobbit
27 March 2026A first edition, first impression of The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien is a valuable proposition even without its dustjacket.
Long-distance flight moves from experiment to reality thanks to pioneers such as Lombardi
27 March 2026A rare surviving group of unseen early aviation photographs documenting the pioneering long-distance flights of Italian pilot Carlo Francesco ‘Francis’ Lombardi (1897-1983) was offered at Roseberys (26/25/20% buyer’s premium) in south London on March 11.
Huge automobilia ‘barn find’ was more of a ‘two-barn find’
27 March 2026A record price will always stand out, but this comprehensive collection also boasted a much wider range of strong prices underlying a buoyant market
Motor oil can fuels a £1700 auction price
27 March 2026This British Aero Lubricants AMG No 1 motor oil can estimated at £100-150 sold instead via thesaleroom.com for a £1700 hammer price.
Lalique car mascots out of financial reach? Maybe try an Ashay instead
27 March 2026With the most sought-after Lalique glass car mascots making prices up to tens of thousands of pounds at auction, collecting in that market can become very expensive very quickly if you want a wide range.
Not just steam - diesel engines pull in collectors
27 March 2026First introduced by British Railways in 1962-64 and withdrawn between 1973-77, the short-lived Class 52 diesel hydraulic locomotive has gained something of a cult status among enthusiasts.
Huge comics collection comes to light after Stockholm basement discovery
20 March 2026An archive of over 90,000 comic books amassed over five decades by an “eccentric collector and publisher” and unearthed in a Stockholm basement is being sold via a series of auctions held by Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s (SGB).
Newcastle museum targets Trafalgar flag purchase
20 March 2026North East Museums (NEM) has announced it is “submitting a serious expression of interest” to acquire a Union Flag that was flown from HMS Royal Sovereign, flagship of Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.
Lord Ashcroft's medal collection to be displayed at National Army Museum
18 March 2026Lord Ashcroft’s collection of Victoria Crosses and George Crosses, the largest of its kind in the world, is to have a new home at the National Army Museum in west London.
Medal man Mark Smith interview: how keeping it real is key to understanding this market
13 March 2026Medals expert familiar to millions through the Antiques Roadshow chats about his latest book telling a very personal story.
Sir Barnes Wallis found his marbles and the secret to creating his Dambusters Bouncing Bomb
13 March 2026The highlight lot offered in an auction of an archive related to Sir Barnes Wallis (1887-1979) is a set of marbles that he famously used during his early garden experiments while developing the conceptual principles behind the Dambusters Bouncing Bomb.
Not on the front line – but first rate gallantry medals are still highly collectable
13 March 2026Latest result for a ‘not in the face of the enemy’ award underlines how such honours have become a popular collecting field
‘Ammunition Smith’ Rorke’s Drift medals coming up for sale in London
13 March 2026If you look closely at both Lady Butler and Alphonse de Neuville’s paintings of what is probably the most famous British colonial action of the 19th century – Rorke’s Drift – you can pick out a man with a long, thick red beard wearing a blue tunic.
Under siege in the First Boer War and proud of an improvised flag
13 March 2026Despite the brief cataloguing of lot 129 in the Ellis Willis & Beckett (21.5% buyer’s premium) sale, the £4200 hammer price on February 17 indicated that bidders had fought it out for something special.
How Sir Barnes Wallis found his marbles and created the Bouncing Bomb for the Dambusters
06 March 2026Set of marbles used in experiments by the renowned inventor ahead of Operation Chastise stars in a remarkable collection coming up for auction in West Sussex
John Russell Taylor books sale starts online
06 March 2026The Private Library Book Company is offering for sale online the library of John Russell Taylor (1935-2025), a collection of over 20,000 books, many by the renowned author and critic himself.