Toovey's

Toovey’s are a family-owned auction house based in Washington, West Sussex. 

Established in 1994, they hold monthly sales at their Spring Gardens Auction Rooms with events running for three to four days and divided into distinct specialist categories – from textiles, rugs, stamps to Arts & Crafts, fine art and automobilia.


img_26-3.jpg

Angelica Kauffman portrait reassessed as a George Romney attracts bidding at West Sussex sale

14 March 2022

A portrait of a young woman which was previously attributed to Angelica Kauffman drew bidding at Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) after being reattributed to George Romney (1734-1802).

img_20-1.jpg

A Byzantine ring from Guilhou’s huge collection on offer in West Sussex

07 March 2022

Marriage or betrothal rings of the Byzantine period depict the bride and groom with Christ who performs the marriage rite.

Japanese Meiji 10-yen coin

Pick of the week: Meiji 10 yen pattern coin takes £260,000

24 January 2022

Rare Japanese Meiji gold coin emerges at auction in West Sussex

img_26-1.jpg

Silver drinking novelty sails above estimate

22 November 2021

The windmill cup was the most popular of the novelty silver wager cups produced from the late 16th century until the early 18th century.

img_29-1.jpg

Matisse and more from West Sussex

04 October 2021

Incorporating 40 coloured litho plates, a copy of The Last Works of Henri Matisse, a folio collection of 1958 issued by Harcourt Brace of New York, led a sale held by Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) of Washington in West Sussex at £2600.

img_28-1.jpg

Renaissance herbal without equal

12 April 2021

The binding is an early 20th century one, and the very last leaf has been supplied as an autograph facsimile, but on March 17 the 1578 first English edition of Rembert Dodoens’ A Nievve Herball, or Historie of Plants shown here was bid to £3000.

img_24-1.jpg

Birley moves past the formalities

08 March 2021

Traditional high-society portrait by Sir Oswald Birley finds modern-day auction fans including an overseas buyer

img_22-5.jpg

Heinemann first edition of 'Present Laughter' by Noel Coward sold at Toovey's auction

01 February 2021

Signed by the author and all members of the cast, the stage manager and the props manager, a 1943, Heinemann first of 'Present Laughter' was one of two Noel Coward plays that made up a lot sold for £1600 via thesaleroom.com in a Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) auction.

img_4-3.jpg

£17,000 Martinware tortoise emerges from hibernation

24 August 2020

This Martin Brothers stoneware model of a tortoise with a mirthful face was a very welcome discovery for auctioneer Rupert Toovey on a post-lockdown valuation in the Surrey Hills.

img_10-2.jpg

Two collections of football programmes at auction surge over estimates

10 August 2020

While Manchester United and early FA Cup match programmes often make the big money at auction, a group on offer at a West Sussex saleroom showed that far less famous names can also make the running.

img_14-1.jpg

Witch pickings in salerooms

06 April 2020

Puritan Cotton Mather’s defence of executions is latest work on the subject to surface.

img_23-5.jpg

Headlamps go for glamour at West Sussex sale

17 February 2020

According to patent documents dated February 1928, Woodlite headlamps invented by a William G Woods of Los Angeles were said to give the driver better illumination of distant objects ahead.

Peckitt window.jpg

Teenage diary of 18th century stained glass craftsman bought by York University

20 December 2019

A 90-page journal kept by a 15-year-old boy has been purchased by the University of York for £3200 at auction.

img_19-1.jpg

Taken Brack to basics

09 December 2019

The binding of a copy of 'Vocabularis rerum' of Wenceslaus Brack sold in a recent West Sussex sale was a 19th century one and now broken, but this was in its time a very popular and much reprinted work.

img_5-2.jpg

A second chance to travel with a rare Louis Vuitton trunk

02 December 2019

Collectors who missed out on a rare late 19th century cabin trunk at auction last week have the chance to buy another in West Sussex this coming Friday.

img_28-1.jpg

Diverse lots come together for auction selection in West Sussex

30 September 2019

Variety was certainly in evidence in a West Sussex sale, where the teenage journal of a young stained-glass maker, two broadside ballads and an illustrated dummy for 'Down with Skool!' all brought much higher than predicted bids.

img_21-2.jpg

Buyers vote for political mementos

30 September 2019

Turbulent as politics are today, they have yet to reach the rumbustious heights of a notorious 1826 by-election in Northumberland, memories of which were revisited at Newcastle auction house Anderson & Garland (20% buyer’s premium).

2399HH1.jpg

A pietra dura and ebonised casket and an early 17th-century English text – five auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week

28 June 2019

ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week includes a pottery faience charger and a Fijian sperm whale tooth pendant.

img_16-5.jpg

East meets West in £11,500 cabinet

24 June 2019

The resurgent interest in quality Japanese material and the slower revival of English furniture were both evident in a cabinet on stand sold at West Sussex auction house Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium).

img_28-3.jpg

Greek philosopher gets his house in order

10 June 2019

Early printed books, among them a Bible of 1476, were a notable feature of a recent West Sussex sale.

News

Categories