A gobstopper of an auction saw bidders battling over lemon fizz kali, a Rowntree’s Cocoa sign, a 70-year-old bar of chocolate and a till dating back to 1905 when the contents of ‘the best sweet shop in the world’ went under the hammer.
Emotion and nostalgia engulfed the Derbyshire Peak District village of Tissington, home to much-loved business Edward & Vintage, when its contents were offered for sale. It closed in September after a decade of delighting customers.
Fans of the shop drove for miles to bid in person and buyers tuned in online from around the world, including America and Canada, to snap up a memento – much to the amazement of Nottingham-born Dave Walker who opened the period shop in 2012.
Every single lot sold – all 159 of them – including a multitude of sweet jars, Jelly Babies, vintage display cabinets, enamel adverting signs, the brass shop counter bell and a 1920s bar of Bournville chocolate.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers which hosted the auction at Tissington Village Hall (Oct 8), said: “It was a magnificent day. The sun was shining, the room was packed with bidders – and the sale hit the sweet spot. There were tears of emotion and lots of hugs. It was a day brimming with community spirit and goodwill, all thanks to Dave.
“His shop has brought joy to countless people – including my family and children. The success was down to his vintage vision, enormous popularity and hard work. That and the fact that everyone loves sweets or chocolate – or both!”
Dave took the difficult decision to shut his shop because, at the age of 50, he is ready to begin a new adventure in Scotland. He knew Edward & Vintage had plenty of fans but nothing could have prepared him for the sale’s overwhelming success – and the love from his customers which delivered the sweetest results imaginable. Estimates were smashed to smithereens and the final sales total was just shy of £8,000.
Dave said: “I was totally and utterly gobstoppered! Some people drove miles and miles to be there. There must have been around 150 people at the sale. One former customer made a six-hour round trip from Essex just to pick up four glass sweet jars. She wanted her daughter to have a keepsake. Another lady was determined to buy a toy dog on wheels she’d hankered after since coming to the shop as a girl of 10. That’s exactly what I wanted – my wonderful, supportive customers to wander off with a memory.
“Some things sold for crazy amounts. Old enamel advertising signs that had been outside my shop in all weathers for years made hundreds of pounds. A jar of lemon fizz kali sold for £75 and a vintage bar of Bourneville chocolate went for £95.
“There were even bids coming in from New York – to buy things from my little shop in Derbyshire! It was unbelievable. It turned out to be far more of an emotional day than I anticipated. The support I had from customers was amazing. They were prepared bid to help me. When you purchase from a small business you are actually investing in that person’s life. I might get my new cottage watertight now! I have told Ned, my dog, that he’ll have a roof over his head.”
Dave is in the process of renovating a group of derelict crofters’ cottages he bought in 2016, sight unseen, on the island of Sanday in Scotland’s Orkney Islands. After years of gradual renovation work in winter, which involved making 24-hour journeys by car and ferry from Tissington to the Orkneys, he’s making the move permanent.
“I eventually plan to live in one of the crofts in a 13ft by 33ft space. I know it will be hard but I’m looking forward to it. There are about 500 people on the island and they’ve been very welcoming. Ned, adores it. I wanted him to have a beautiful place to live, just like Edward, my previous dog. The Peak District shop was named after him.
“When I announced the closure of Edward & Vintage on Facebook there was an outpouring of grief. I love my customers. Thanks to them I’ve had the most amazing time. They’re a brilliant bunch of loyal people. I’ve seen some of them become parents and children grow into marvellous adults.”
Edward & Vintage, described as the best sweet shop in the world by an online reviewer, won fans all over the world. Tourists from across the globe discovered it and it’s been featured in numerous magazines and papers including a prestigious Japanese publication.
Famous people have walked through the door including actress Joanna Lumley, TV presenters Christine Bleakly, Anna Richardson and Anita Rani and comedian Micky Flannigan. It’s been filmed for Escape to the Country, Country File, Germany’s Ard TV and The Great Interior Design Challenge.
More coverage beckons as the auction was followed by a TV production team making a documentary series about Hansons Auctioneers, which is due to be aired in the new year.
They had lots of excitement to capture as numerous items excelled including the original shop fittings. Lot 44, a vintage shop display counter, made £300 from an estimate of £80-£120; a 1930s vintage Cadbury’s wall display cabinet reached £330 and an Edwardian mirror-backed display unit achieved £320.
The shop’s 1905 cash register, made in Dayton, Ohio, USA, was contested to £420 from a low estimate of £300 and an American shop counter brass bell made £110 from a £20-£30 estimate.
Enamel advertising signs proved popular. Lot 42, an original Rowntree’s Cocoa sign, reached £380 from an estimate of £80-£120 and a Lipton’s Tea sign made £170 from a £40-£60 guide. In addition, lot 67, a Greensmith’s Derby Dog Biscuits advertising board made £110, treble its £30-£50 estimate.
Lots big and small did well. For example, a framed Freeman’s Baking Powder advertising card made £48; lot 34, a vintage tin collection including Quality Street, Werthers and Bassetts, sold for £33 and a sweet jar filled with Jelly Babies made £41.
Unusual buys included lot 39, The Story of Chocolate, an original 1950s Cadbury’s School Project kit with original chocolate wrappers and cocoa beans. It reached £130 from an estimate of £30-£40.
And period nostalgia went into overload when a 1930s mannequin in vintage clothing reached £150 from an estimate of £40-£60. It originated from a department store in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
Bidders were equally keen to secure a vintage rock chopping machine made by L Collier of Rochdale. It sold for £170 from a £40-£60 estimate.
The Edward & Vintage Sweet Shop Auction took place on October 8 at Tissington Village Hall in Derbyshire. To find out more, email [email protected].
