West Midlands

Forty years ago, the market for crested china was booming – the subject of specialist sales, annual price guides and an international collecting base

The most eagerly contested lot in a recent sale at Potteries Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) was a Doulton stoneware Isobath inkwell.

A curious pearlware pottery hybrid animal with the head of a sheep and body of a winged fish proved a popular entry at Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium).

Nearly 50 people are hoping to reclaim pictures they had consigned to failed art gallery Trinity House Paintings.

The best of nine snuff mulls consigned by a titled long-standing client to Minster Auctions (16% buyer’s premium) was a treen example carved as a ram’s head with glass eyes.

A postcard carried on the world’s first official airmail flight came up for auction in Staffordshire.

Thoughts that the sweet homely watercolours of Helen Allingham (1848-1926) have fallen from favour commercially may be premature, at least judging by the performance of a couple of works sold at a recent regional sale.

A poignant description of life as an artist studying at the Royal Academy in the mid-19th century emerged at auction and more than doubled its estimate.

A new auction record for the Wade factory was set by Potteries Auctions in Stoke-on-Trent when this monumental 3ft 10in (1.15m) high figure made for the 1951 Festival of Britain sold at £4200.

'The Farm, Isle of Skye', a 1973 watercolour and pencil on paper by John Nash (1893-1977) is among the highlights at LAPADA’s Pavilion at The Game Fair.

New fair is set to use Midlands agricultural exhibition centre venue that will be familiar to many visitors

Brian Saunders of Saunders Fine Art, Solihull, has passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Underwear soars above estimate at a Richard Winterton auction

Another tranche of items from the Dudley Ollis collection of playing cards was offered at a recent Dominic Winter auction.

Showing little sign of their huge popularity slowing down, Star War figures made a significant contribution to a two-day TV and film-related auction.

Not everything offered in the model railway market has to involve a glamorous name such as Flying Scotsman to make a good result.

Sasha dolls are named after their Swiss designer, artist Sasha Morgenthaler and were made in the UK and Germany from the mid to late 1960s.

An antiques fair with a country twist is on offer at Ludlow Racecourse from Two C’s fairs over the weekend of Saturday, and Sunday, July 1-2.