Print Edition

A rare cigarette card featuring one of England’s top goal-scorers sold for a spectacular £25,900.

The annual antiques and collectors’ fair at Alexandra Palace is no more.

Dreweatts and Forum Auctions are to hold their first joint sale this month.

It was, said the catalogue, “a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a top end sign in such remarkable condition”.

The search is on for a new owner of The Emporium in Hungerford.

Punch and Judy shows in Britain date back to as early as 1662 – recorded by Pepys – with origins in the charismatic 16th century Italian puppet Pulcinella.

A fine First World War silver presentation model of the Vickers FB5 or Gunbus made by Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company (London 1916) was sold together with two related photographs plus a copied letter of provenance at Dominic Winter (20% buyer’s premium).

Forget names such as Palitoy, Britains, Dinky, Sindy, Bing and Marklin for a moment – recent auctions have shown the demand that can exist for lesser-known manufacturers and brands in the toys world.

A Christmas selling show of more than 100 antiques will be offered at interior design and decorating firm Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler’s Pimlico Road showroom.

In collecting terms it is not surprising that a country such as Australia should have a tradition of interest in English ceramics – factories such as Royal Doulton and Moorcroft have a noticeable following.

ATG’s pick of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com, featuring both the highest prices over-estimate and the top prices paid online.

The popular Wanstead Vintage Fair is organised by Karen Stuckey four times annually, with the last of the year running the week before Christmas, on Saturday, December 17.

The final proof coin set bearing Queen Victoria’s portrait was issued by the Royal Mint in 1893.

While the main paintings from the collection of dealer Sir Jack Baer and his wife Diana were sold at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) at the end of September (see ATG No 2564), a group of around 50 works on paper were held back and offered at the Stansted Mountfitchet saleroom’s latest Homes and Interiors online auction.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

This Japanese ‘Super Car’ tinplate vehicle is an unlicensed model, probably based on the Supercar vehicle from Gerry Anderson’s 1960s UK television series.

The latest catalogue from Jonathan Grant Gallery in New Zealand includes 'Pergola', a c.1936 gouache on paper by Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947).

Shelley first introduced the geometric Vogue and Mode shapes in 1930 – both the designs of Eric Slater who had worked at the factory since the end of the First World War.

A small watercolour titled A Sleeping Wayfarer by George Richmond (1809-96) roused a few bidders into action when it was offered at auction.

Nomura was one of the biggest Japanese toy makers post-war and is now particularly renowned among collectors for mechanical toys such as robots.