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.

Napkin

Napkin contract that signed a 13-year-old Lionel Messi to Barcelona FC comes to auction

20 March 2024

What is probably the world’s most famous napkin – the document that secured the services of a young Lionel Messi to Barcelona FC – comes to auction at Bonhams.

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Vintage beer can sells for record-breaking sum in Massachusetts

20 March 2024

A new world auction record was set for a vintage beer can with the $51,500 ($62,830 with buyer’s premium) final bid for a Perone Beer quart cone top can at Morean Auctions.

War recruitment poster

Pick of the week: Poster recruiting Jewish women to the war effort triples estimate at auction

18 March 2024

Second World War posters recruiting British and American women to the war effort are a familiar sight at auction.

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Charles Darwin presentation copy of On the Origin of Species is among five lots to watch

18 March 2024

With estimates from £800, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week.

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Marathon Withers collection sale brings £1.28m rewards

18 March 2024

“He stored everything like Russian dolls, everything packed away into something else."

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Lincolnshire auction house tunes in to local celebrity Claribel

18 March 2024

Memorabilia relating to the Victorian songwriter ‘Claribel’ returned home from Malta to be auctioned in Lincolnshire and were bought by the local museum.

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Watch counted as thanks to magazine editor Dickens

18 March 2024

A trio of lots relating to Charles Dickens offered at Chichester saleroom Stride & Son (18% buyer’s premium) included a presentation pocket watch.

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Travel tales by Emily Eden told in art and words

18 March 2024

Sketches and journal by Emily Eden relate to her life in the UK then journey to the subcontinent

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Eye on an object: George IV mahogany box

18 March 2024

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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Benz fuels cigarette case appeal

18 March 2024

In 1926, after two years of negotiations, two German automobile producers joined forces to become Mercedes-Benz.

British and Irish book auctions, March 19 to April 11, 2024

18 March 2024

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

Copper jelly moulds

Kitchenalia: Demand increases for Victorian jelly moulds

18 March 2024

In the world of kitchenalia, jelly moulds are in demand.

Johann Sebastian Bach manuscript

‘A testament to elegance’: Bach manuscript goes to Bodleian in lieu of inheritance tax

15 March 2024

A rare autograph manuscript by composer Johann Sebastian Bach has been acquired by the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries.

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Forrest Gump’s feather goes under the hammer at Propstore Auctions

12 March 2024

Sale of entertainment memorabilia includes items from Oscar winners including 'Star Wars', 'Braveheart' and 'Alien'

ATG letters: Money matters – more thoughts on that British Museum department name change

11 March 2024

Daniel Fearon has raised an interesting issue, concerning the British Museum’s name change to their Department of Coins and Medals, on which Brian Clivaz and Michael Graham-Stewart have since commented, not entirely uncritically (Letters, ATG Nos 2632 and 2633).

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Pick of the week: All Blacks debut in a white top

11 March 2024

A shirt from the first time the famed All Blacks played in white instead has sold at auction.

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Watches: How military precision massively influenced design

11 March 2024

The wristwatch, which began to replace the pocket watch in the First World War, really came into its own with the production of bespoke ‘tool’ watches for submariners and airmen later in the century

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Album helped Rolling Stones to go on tour, not fade away

11 March 2024

In 1969 the Rolling Stones were ready to go touring again after a gap of more than two years. Featuring a new guitarist, the 17-date tour in the US began on November 7.

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Signatures provide a roll call of British PMs from Robert Walpole to Rishi

11 March 2024

A private collection comprising the signatures of every one of Britain’s prime ministers sold for £8000 as part of a designated timed online sale of Autographs and Memorabilia.

British and Irish book auctions, March 13-April 10, 2024

11 March 2024

Our regular listing of upcoming UK and Irish books and works of paper sales

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