Never dismiss anything – that’s the golden rule I’ve learned in nearly 20 years in the auction business, writes Charles Hanson.
And that golden rule applies to you too. Because so many people simply can’t imagine something they own, perhaps by chance, could be of significant value.
I was reminded of that when the national press picked up on an auction find that astonished us all when it went under the hammer.
A pair of rather strange-looking denim dungarees with something resembling a frill round the waist made a colossal sum at auction – considering they were bought for £5 in the late 1970s.
Our client picked them up at a clothing sale in Camden, London, more than 40 years ago and thought they might make a fun fancy-dress outfit. She wore them once but, despite hardly using them, they remained in her wardrobe and survived house moves.
The quirky outfit sold for thousands of pounds to an online buyer in America – because it was a costume made for an actor in the first Star Wars film in 1977. The provenance was inside the costume. Labels bore the name of actor ‘Joe Kaye’ and ‘Star Wars’. Kaye played a Lutrillian in the movie. Another clothing label stated, ‘Bermans & Nathans, 40 Camden Street, London NW1’. They were legendary costume designers.
The costume went under the hammer on May 28 with a guide price of £800-£1,200 – and sold for a whopping £9,000. With buyer’s premium and VAT, the total price paid by a private American online bidder was £12,456.
The client was astonished and delighted. When she first bought them, she had no idea they were of any importance. In recent years she’d done a little research into the Star Wars connection – Google was but a glint in the eye in the 1970s – but she was still unaware of any potential value. She took the outfit along for free valuation at Hansons as an afterthought with some other items.
Quirky finds like these often delight at auction – and help to fuel the nation’s obsession with antiques, collectables and history. To offer some other examples, in Derbyshire’s May Antiques and Collectors Auction a 19th Century, possibly earlier, Far Eastern serpentine dagger with a striking ivory-carved figure handle caught bidders’ attention. A UK buyer paid £1,000 for this unusual item of indeterminate age and usage but obvious charm and mystique. It sold for nearly 10 times its guide price of £140-£160.
Lot 2141 was also unusual – a knitting sheath with the end carved as a whale and inlaid decoration. This 19th century English object was a beautifully made – and clearly cherished – work of art. It was a fine example of innovation in the knitting industry, invented to speed up the traditional craft.
Worn within a belt around the waist, examples of knitting sheaths appeared as early as the 17th century and were evident in Germany, France and the Low Countries as well as northern England. However, the creator of this particular piece clearly took great pleasure in fashioning the figure of a whale to the base and adding fine inlaid panels as further embellishments. It realised £360 – double its £100-£150 estimate.
Another lot to surprise in May was a collection of 10 assorted vintage oil cans which sold for a hammer price of £1,200. And still on the theme of the unusual, a plan dated 1804 of The Old and New Town of Edinburgh and Leith with Proposed Docks made £850.
Another find to fascinate the media was a circa 1810 rosewood apothecary box filled with bottled treatments to tackle ills and tin containing 200-year-old tablets.
There must be countless items like these stuck in drawers, garages or attics that could deliver a welcome windfall amid today’s spiralling cost-of-living crisis. So, if summer sun is shining light on forgotten corners of your home, do delve and explore. Who knows, you might uncover potential treasures.
Because despite tough economic times, a worldwide army of bidders are snapping up items. And, as well as quirky discoveries, they’re keen to acquire gold, silver, jewellery and vintage designer watches. The latter consistently dominates the top 10 lots in our sales.
Highlights in Hansons’ May Antiques and Collectors included lot 200, a diamond and 18ct gold solitaire ring which reached £2,000. Then there was lot 293, a 9ct gold cigarette case by Charles Green & Co, Birmingham, 1933, £1,450, and lot 94, a Chinese 800 grade silver serving tray, £1,300.
So search out those forgotten gems and quirky collectables for auction assessment. Free general and specialist valuations are available by appointment every week at Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire. Plus, Saturday morning valuations/consignments launch on June 11. To book an appointment, email [email protected] or call 01283 733988.
