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.

Apple Boutique mural

Pioneering journalist with a ticket to ride

18 December 2023

She was the first female broadcaster to be heard on Radio 1 and the only journalist to accompany the Beatles during a four-day coach trip when they filmed their Magical Mystery Tour TV special.

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Pocket chronometer was Breguet built, Humboldt owned

18 December 2023

The combination of a pre-eminent maker and a perfect provenance made a late 18th century pocket chronometer one of the most sought-after pieces at Dr Crott (25% buyer’s premium) in Mannheim on November 18.

Books and works on paper auction calendar, December 19 2023-January 18, 2024

18 December 2023

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions taking place via thesaleroom.com

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The web shop window: Vintage ski posters for Swiss resort Arosa

18 December 2023

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

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Turing and Bayley in tandem as scientific archive comes to the saleroom

18 December 2023

Newly discovered papers show how renowned mathematician and his collaborator worked hand in hand

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Bidders display passion for a Holy Land panel

18 December 2023

Mother of pearl and olivewood devotional objects were made in Jerusalem in large quantities as tourism to the Holy Land took off in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Berkeley Square T Rex (5)

Sculpture of a juvenile T-rex skeleton goes on show in Berkeley Square

14 December 2023

A bronze statue created through 3D scanning the skeleton of a juvenile T-rex has been installed in London by antiquities specialist David Aaron.

WEB Harry Potter 1 Hansons

Boy wizard Harry Potter casts his spell on book collectors

12 December 2023

Harry Potter continues to bring big bids at auction especially for the earliest hardback editions

Victorian travel album

Indian and Egyptian travel photo album takes sensational £135,000

11 December 2023

An impressive result emerged at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood on December 5 when a travel album titled The Ramblings and Adventures of an Indian Officer was knocked down at £135,000.

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Discover the story of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition

11 December 2023

Few people can profess to know more about the 1910-12 Japanese Antarctic Expedition than the Arizona book dealer Chet Ross.

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Eye-witness account of Captain Cook’s death

11 December 2023

Held by the same private New England family since 1792, a copy of 'A Journal of Captain Cook’s Last Voyage to the Pacific Ocean' complete with its map came for sale at Bonhams Skinner (28/26/20% buyer’s premium).

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Brilliant minds Leibniz and Wotton bring brilliant price

11 December 2023

Letter from German mathematician to English scholar takes £14,000 in Edinburgh saleroom

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Pelerin’s source of enlightenment

11 December 2023

Astronomical manuscript for sale includes illustrations by scientist who was in fact an insurance broker

Books and works on paper auction calendar, December 11-19, 2023

11 December 2023

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions taking place via thesaleroom.com

Books and works on paper auction calendar, December 5-10, 2023

04 December 2023

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

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Anchovy paste posts a tasty £8000 result at auction

04 December 2023

Among the most desirable of all ‘Prattware’ transfer printed wares are the series of very rare and highly decorative exhibition-style advertising plaques produced for firms such as Crosse & Blackwell and Huntley & Palmers.

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Dangerous not just decorative dirk

04 December 2023

Decorative Highland dirks from the late 19th century, often mounted in silver and set with cairngorms, appear for sale with some frequency.

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Gallery brings out the colourful side of the Middle Ages

04 December 2023

From 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' to 'The Last Duel', films nearly always depict the Middle Ages as dark, dingy and beset by bad weather.

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Indulge your wanderlust with two travel poster exhibitions

04 December 2023

London poster specialist stages two shows – one held in an embassy

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Most famous novelist of her day – now hardly known

04 December 2023

Top-selling lot in Halls’ (24% buyer’s premium) books and manuscripts sale on November 15 was a collection of 14 letters written by the Anglo-Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) between 1818-31.

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