Collectables

The term ‘collectables’ (or collectibles) encompasses a vast range of items in fields as diverse as arms, armour and militaria, bank notes, cameras, coins, entertainment and sporting memorabilia, stamps, taxidermy, wines and writing equipment.

Some collectables are antiques, others are classed as retro, vintage or curios but all are of value to the collector. In any of these fields, buyers seek out rarities and items with specific associations.

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Collector interview: Meet the ‘Belgravian hermit’

20 December 2021

A lawyer who likes to keep it local also has an insatiable curiosity about art and antiques.

British and Irish book auctions: December 21, 2021-January 27, 2022

20 December 2021

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

First Commonplace Book

Historic library connected to Brontë family saved for the nation in £15.3m purchase with help from Britain’s richest man

18 December 2021

The Honresfield Library of British Literature, containing more than 500 manuscripts, first editions and letters including works by the Brontë family, Robert Burns and Walter Scott, has been purchased by the Friends of the National Libraries for £15.3m.

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Napoleon weapons garniture sells for $2.5m in Illinois

13 December 2021

A remarkable garniture of weapons including the sword Napoleon is believed to have carried when he seized power in 1799 sold at an Illinois auction house.

Musical box by François Nicole

Pick of the week: Nicole musical boxes to get your teeth into

13 December 2021

François Nicole (b.1766), the Geneva-based pioneer of the key-wind musical box, is thought to have made around 440 boxes during his working life, but only around 60 are known today.

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Plentiful plaquettes dispersed in single-owner sale

13 December 2021

London auction offers fascinating bronzes from a little-appreciated collecting field.

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The large-scale mini-mill in demand

13 December 2021

This large-scale model of a late 19th century Australian stamp mill is signed for the Ivanhoe Gold Corporation Foundry.

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Head of Joaquin and Jack’s three fingers

13 December 2021

A live online October 28 sale held by Forum (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) attracted a much higher than expected bid for this small and rather browned poster promising that, for one day only, visitors to The ‘Stockton House’ could view not only the preserved head of the renowned bandit Joaquin, but ‘the hand of Three Fingered Jack!’

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Shakespeare third folio takes £70,000

13 December 2021

Edition of Shakespeare’s works from 1663 heads varied selection in Cambridge.

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Produced by the talented Abraham

13 December 2021

A single-lot sale on October 19 offered an illuminated Ashkenazic prayer book that realised a premium-inclusive $8,307,000 (£6,019,565).

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Third slice of Foxe Pointe Manor library up for auction

13 December 2021

A third selection of 16th and 17th century English books from Fox Pointe Manor was offered by Forum (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) on October 21.

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Ken Spelman bookshop to close in York

06 December 2021

One of York’s oldest bookshops is closing next year.

Zodiac man

Pick of the week: The positive diagnosis for a medieval rarity

06 December 2021

One of around 30 known medieval English folding almanacs, and one of only a few in private hands, sold for £95,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) at Tennants.

New England coins

‘Sweet tin’ silver shilling brings £220,000

06 December 2021

The finest-known example of a New England shilling sold for £220,000 at Morton & Eden in London on November 26 (plus 20% buyer’s premium).

British and Irish book auctions: December 7-21, 2021

06 December 2021

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

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Horror hammer highlights

06 December 2021

Gary Munson collection delivers a string of rarities sold for record-breaking sums

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ATG letter: My concern over increasing number of suffragette fakes

06 December 2021

In 2013 Antiques Trade Gazette was kind enough to print a letter from me in which I protested the practice of dealers and auctioneers of labelling as ‘suffragette’ any piece of jewellery that combined stones approximating to suffragette colours of purple, white and green.

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Chess: Ah, that’ll be the good old Ruy Lopez opening

06 December 2021

The World Chess Championship currently taking place in Dubai began on November 26 in familiar style.

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Bidders spellbound in the US

06 December 2021

Single-owner collections offer magical selections days apart in two salerooms

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Big fish in a large pond: Angling antique to star at Shepton Mallet flea

04 December 2021

A prize-winning fish is among the treasures to be found at next week’s Shepton Flea Market.

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