Features

A happy football fan in Texas – quite possibly with Caledonian roots – is now the proud owner of the first jersey to come to auction from Rangers’ 1972 European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph over Dynamo Moscow.

Murray Rose (1939-2012) became the youngest Olympian to win three gold medals during one Games, aged just 17 in 1956.

Anthemion (20% buyer’s premium) in Cardiff offered an extensive selection of Olympic Games memorabilia at auction.

While Ascot Gold Cups are not uncommon, the sight of two heading down the home straight to a rostrum finish on the same day was definitely rare.

The authorities in Qatar may not think so, but beer and sport can perform rather well together.

Collectors are responding positively as dealers put overlooked female artists in the spotlight

This wartime portrait of the writer Amelia Defries shows her in the role of an ARP warden in Kensington.

Amid relief at pandemic restrictions being lifted and encouraging news of auction houses expanding, event organisers faced challenges of rising costs and the trade tackled increasing regulation and restitution demands

Lucy Peck ran The Dolls’ Home, a successful business that opened in Regent Street in London in 1893.

Such was the renown of toy collector the late Jack Tempest that when his collection came up for auction many of the bidders who flocked to the sale on November 10 recognised a lot of the items on offer.

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.

This wonderful photo taken in 1914 shows the Coghill family plus a rather hairy friend: a rare large Steiff centre-seam teddy bear c.1906.

Over the course of 35 years Andy Houldsworth amassed one of the largest collections of Action Man and similar action figures in the UK.

In 1981 the most powerful man in the universe, He-Man, began his fight against the evil Skeletor to save the planet of Eternia and protect Castle Grayskull.

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

Shown here is one of ‘very few known’ examples of Yonezawa’s c.1962 Diamond Planet Robot – the largest tin windup robot produced, 10in (24.5cm) high.

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

Bertha Alexander Behrman – aka Madame Alexander – was probably destined to be a doll maker.

At first glance this early 18th century British-made sporting flintlock is nothing particularly out of the ordinary, despite being impressively engraved and relief carved.

Top result from the October 26 arms and armour auction at Munich saleroom Hermann Historica (25% buyer’s premium) was a 5ft 6in (1.67m) two-hand sword made by the acclaimed bladesmith Wolfgang Stantler II of Passau, c.1580.