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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Posters show how bands graduated from uni gigs to much bigger stages

09 June 2025

Now famous for a career of filling stadiums as one of the biggest and most successful bands in the world, Pink Floyd played more humble venues back in the day.

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The ‘Holy Grail’ record sleeve with nothing inside

09 June 2025

“A Holy Grail moment for collectors worldwide” was the promise from Merseyside auction house Omega (29/35% buyer’s premium inc VAT) when a scarce picture sleeve came for sale.

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Tens of thousands of records collected over more than 60 years come to auction

09 June 2025

“This has been the biggest single cataloguing job of my career - an extraordinary experience,” said John Silke, vinyl specialist of Surrey saleroom Ewbank’s (25% buyer’s premium).

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Prof Zacron/Robert Drew was drawn in by British art exhibition posters

09 June 2025

As part of a Fine Art auction in Surrey on June 25, Catherine Southon is selling a collection of British art exhibition posters from the estate of Professor Zacron (Robert Drew), the maverick artist best known for the album cover of Led Zeppelin III.

Architectural tea caddy

Rediscovered tea caddy in form of a Georgian house sells at Sheffield auction

04 June 2025

The fashion for tea caddies and other boxes in the form of houses or other decorative buildings emerged in the last quarter of the 18th century and continued into the 19th century.

The Plan for the Colonies

Highlights unveiled for the London Map Fair

03 June 2025

The London Map Fair (June 7-8) at the Royal Geographical Society brings together around 40 of the leading national and international antiquarian map dealers, as well as hundreds of visiting dealers, collectors, curators and map aficionados.

Vizagapatam figure of a cavalryman

Pick of the week: Call in the cavalry for an Indian toy soldier at auction

02 June 2025

The sale of a private collection of arms and armour at C&T Auctions in Kent, on May 13 included a brass figure of a cavalryman from a small but well-known group of Indian toy soldiers.

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Bountiful selection to explore in Chicago saleroom includes accounts of famous mutiny

02 June 2025

US auction offers lots ranging from mutiny on the Bounty to polar tales and a starry menu

Books and works on paper auction calendar, June 4-20, 2025

02 June 2025

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

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Lilliput robot strides up to a big result

02 June 2025

The first clockwork robot with a walking action appeared at Hartleys (20% buyer’s premium) in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, on April 5.

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Extinct species skeleton brings £17,000 result

02 June 2025

This skeleton of an extinct cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) sold for £17,000 in Tennants’ (24% buyer’s premium) Natural History and Taxidermy Sale.

Firsts at the Saatchi Gallery

Firsts book fair organiser delighted by the number of international buyers

02 June 2025

Event generates decent sales and a lively atmosphere during a busy weekend overall for collectors and dealers

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Fossils feature strongly at Parnham Park house sale

02 June 2025

Talk of ‘mammoth’ sales usually entails a sizeable selection of lots.

Singleton Painting Tipu Sultan Sons

Record price for Singleton as painting of the surrender of Seringapatam makes £1.7m

30 May 2025

A painting by Henry Singleton (1766-1839) depicting the surrender of Tipu Sultan’s two sons to Major General David Baird (1757-1829) made five times its estimate at Bonhams.

Napoleon hat

Important Napoleon collection to be offered at Sotheby’s

28 May 2025

Sotheby’s is to offer over 100 important Napoleon items from the Pierre-Jean Chalençon collection in Paris on June 25.

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First part of spectacular Traveller Collection roars into the saleroom

26 May 2025

The first part of an auction series offering a remarkable array of coins buried in Europe for over 50 years to prevent them from being looted during Nazi invasion kicked off with a focus on British and colonial milled coins from Charles II to George V.

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Photos show Maria Callas on and off stage

26 May 2025

Stelios Galatopoulos (1932-2022) was a respected Greek music critic (Cypriot-born) who was based in London.

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London Underground enamel map is a rare survivor from 1915

26 May 2025

A very early enamel map of the London Underground will be unveiled at a specialist fair next month.

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Casas creates a Catalan classic poster

26 May 2025

Like Toulouse Lautrec, Ramon Casas y Carbo (1866-1932) was not only an avant-garde artist but a master poster maker and graphic designer.

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Knife was wielded by an SAS founder who played billiards with ‘Paddy’ Mayne amid battle carnage

26 May 2025

Shown here is a 1st Pattern Fairbairn Sykes fighting knife by Wilkinson, London that belonged to Major Charles George Gibson ‘Pat’ Riley DCM (1915-99), one of the founding members of ‘L’ Detachment, SAS Brigade in 1941.

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