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.

Polydore Vergil’s Anglica Historia

Hand-drawn maps lift demand for Mary Tudor’s personal copy of Anglica Historia

12 September 2024

Mary Tudor’s personal copy of Vergil’s history of England has sold at auction for £140,000.

Cray-1 Supercomputer

Auction record for any computer as Paul Allen’s Cray-1 sells at Christie’s

11 September 2024

A Cray-1 Supercomputer owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen set a new high for any computer sold at auction when it took $810,000 (£618,320) at Christie’s New York.

Harry Potter 1St Edition Paperback Front

Soft cover Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone bought for £3.50 in 1997 now hammers at £6600 in auction

11 September 2024

The bad news if you have a first edition of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone' in soft covers is that they are not as rare as the hardback version which numbered 500 copies.

carved giltwood horse

Rare fairground memorabilia gallops ahead at London auction

11 September 2024

On entering an Edwardian fairground, the sheer size and scale of the ornately carved ‘bioscope’ show front would stop an observer in their tracks.

Douglas

Collection of founder member of the Scottish Military Collectors Historical Society comes to auction

09 September 2024

This week Anderson & Garland is offering for sale the private collection of militaria and weapons belonging to Douglas Napier Anderson (b.1927).

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Impronte act as reminder of famous Grand Tour works

09 September 2024

The DuMouchelles (24% buyer’s premium) July 19 sale in Detroit included a collection of ‘Grand Tour’ plaster intaglios and cameos by Paoletti of Rome.

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Gutenberg Bible leaf priced at six figures

09 September 2024

Bayliss Rare Books is offering a fine leaf from the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with moveable type. The leaf in question is the end of Chapter 45 through to the beginning of Chapter 48 of Isaiah (45:6-48:6).

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Ram trade sign hammers at $16,000

09 September 2024

This handsome English trade sign in the form of a ram had a provenance to the London folk art dealership Robert Young Antiques.

Books and works on paper auction calendar, September 10-24, 2024

09 September 2024

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

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Nansen broke the ice for a first UK appearance

09 September 2024

A remarkable late Victorian lecture programme on early polar exploration by the Norwegian scientist Dr Fridtjof Nansen has been sold at Chaucer Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) in Folkestone.

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Monty Python’s buying circus - English literary landmarks collected by the late Terry Jones

09 September 2024

Dozen books including literary trailblazers come to auction from collection of actor and historian Terry Jones

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Auction offers ‘truly magnificent’ copy of Irish antiquities work

09 September 2024

Blessed with a classical education, a gift for drawing and his father’s fortune, the English militiaman and antiquary Francis Grose (1731-91) is best known for his Views of Antiquities in England and Wales, published in several volumes between 1772-76.

Edwardian Locksmiths Shop Diorama

Delightful diorama heads to auction

08 September 2024

A charming item brought to a saleroom last week will go under the hammer next week.

Charlie Chaplin one-sheet poster for City Lights

Charlie Chaplin posters head to auction

06 September 2024

A trove of eight original stone-lithographed Charlie Chaplin film posters is heading to the market at Propstore in Valencia, California on September 12-13.

2659 NE Rare Book Auctions4

Jim Spencer starts new chapter as he moves from Hansons auction house to launch his own saleroom

04 September 2024

Book specialist Jim Spencer has left Hansons and is launching his own saleroom offering monthly timed online auctions in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

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Whoopee - debut Beano complete with free gift sells for a UK record result

03 September 2024

A copy of the very first issue of The Beano – and the only one to retain its original ‘free gift’ - has sold at auction for £26,000.

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Bidders view Hastings trial fan as a cool purchase

02 September 2024

The trial of Warren Hastings (1732-1818) was a cause célèbre of the last decade of the 18th century.

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Whitman’s personal touch creates a surprise performance

02 September 2024

An author printed and signed copy of Walt Whitman’s 'Leaves of Grass' sold for $37,500 (£29,400) with buyer’s premium at University Archives.

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Charles Dickens first issue in book form delivers great result

02 September 2024

'Great Expectations' first appeared in England in 36 weekly parts in the pages of Charles Dickens’ popular magazine, All the Year Round, beginning on December 1, 1860.

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On an original visit to Busytown

02 September 2024

The children’s author Richard Scarry (1919-94) was at the peak of popularity when he published 'Nicky Goes to the Doctor' in 1972.

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