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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Tibet caught on film and canvas including Dalai Lama enthronement

23 June 2025

Photo albums contain some of the first images of the remote country plus enthronement of the Dalai Lama

Francis II coin

Coin trove hidden in wall sells for more than £2.5m at auction

18 June 2025

A group of rare coins discovered hidden in a wall in a house in France sold at auction for €3m (£2.5m).

Alan Turing's On Computable Numbers (1936–37)

Alan Turing's major papers sell for six-figure sum at auction

17 June 2025

A group of Alan Turing papers smashed estimates at auction in Lichfield.

Sector rule

Edmund Gunter rules the waves as brass rules makes 20 times estimate

16 June 2025

The Gunter rule was designed to help with the mathematical calculations necessary in navigation.

Baby House-style doll

Early doll coming to auction could be a royal memento gift

16 June 2025

A highlight of the The Dolls’ House, Doll, Teddy Bear and Toy sale taking place at Special Auction Services on June 24-26 is a mid-17th century wooden doll, just 5½in (14cm) high.

Books and works on paper auction calendar, June 18 to July 2, 2025

16 June 2025

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

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Book fairs: New event fills a north-west hole

16 June 2025

Kirkby Lonsdale is the first of three fresh PBFA fairs this year with Frome and Dorchester to follow

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Brace yourselves for Brooker Part 2 at Olympia Auctions

16 June 2025

Foremost among Olympia Auctions’ several collections on offer in the June 25-26 sale are the 96 lots from Robert Brooker’s collection.

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The blades of glory

16 June 2025

Edged weapons such as swords and daggers are on a ‘hot streak’ as one saleroom puts it. Here we look at the latest highlights

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Oh dear, I missed a couple of ‘0’s: musical box sings at US auction

16 June 2025

Lynbrook, New York auctioneer Phil Weiss of Weiss Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) admitted to a minor slip when cataloguing a silver gilt and enamel singing bird music box.

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Dashing cavalry helmet owned by a John Trotter

16 June 2025

A striking household cavalry officer’s 1817 pattern helmet offered at Antony Cribb (25% buyer’s premium) had the considerable bonus of retaining its “very rare” japanned storage tin with the owner’s name legible.

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Persian version of Voltaire’s Peter the Great sells at £14,000

16 June 2025

This extraordinary Persian manuscript sold by Roseberys (26% buyer’s premium) is a translation of 'Voltaire’s Histoire de l’empire de Russie sous Pierre-le-Grand' and his 'Histoire de Charles XII, Roi du Suede'.

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Armour of the winged warriors who saved Vienna

16 June 2025

Polish items were in high demand at German saleroom Hermann Historica (29.5% buyer’s premium inc tax) during the Spring Auction series.

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Hans up for sale then knocked down

16 June 2025

Scarce complete small pamphlets produced by the fairy tales author Hans Christian Andersen come to auction ‘for first time’

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Pair of pistols was ‘given to duke as diplomatic gift’

16 June 2025

The auction history of this highly decorative cased pair of Spanish 22 bore convertible ‘Madrid’ lock pistols goes all the way back to 1843 - with a royal connection.

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Helmet high achievers at Sussex auction

16 June 2025

A strong selection of 18th and 19th century British helmets impressed at East Sussex saleroom Wallis & Wallis (24% buyer’s premium) on May 29, many bringing strong four-figure sums well above estimate.

A Great Bing loco but it wasn’t Grand

16 June 2025

In ATG No 2694 your account of the sale of part of the toy collection of the late Tony Cuff by Bertoia of New Jersey in the US highlighted a “Bing British branded loco and tender Sir Sam Fay in the green livery of the Grand Central Railway”.

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Scimitar ‘presented by Napoleon’ stars in London specialist sale

16 June 2025

Sword linked to former emperor is one of the highlights at London sale held by maritime specialist

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Prussian guards helmet now on parade in the US

16 June 2025

A Prussian Garde du Corps helmet that might well have once graced parade grounds and palaces took pride of place in an East Yorkshire saleroom.

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Sikh dome helmet designed to fit distinctive hair

16 June 2025

This distinctive domed form of this carefully forged helmet gives a big clue to its origin.

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