Original puppets owned by the legendary children’s entertainer Harry Corbett, including a 1960s Sooty, Sweep and Soo, sold for over £11,000 at auction in Derby today <April 23> after a fierce bidding war.
The famous yellow bear and his pals swept past the £4,000-£6,000 they had been expected to make before going to a buyer from Lancashire.
The 58-year-old building designer, and lifelong fan of the show, fought off bidders online, on the phone, and in the Etwall saleroom, to secure the dreamed-of collection.
He said: “I couldn’t believe that I got it. I was shaking like a leaf. I immediately phoned my wife and asked her if she was sitting down. She, like me, was absolutely delighted.”
The couple are both dedicated fans of the show, even persuading their five-year-old grandson on the merits of the mischievous glove puppets.
The buyer, who wished to remain anonymous, admitted the purchase cost more than his first house – with auction fees, he faces a bill of £14,800.
He said: “A lot of people think I’m mad but it’s difficult to describe what they mean to me.
“For me it’s more about Sweep than Sooty. Sweep is naughtier and by far the better character, in my opinion. But to have all three of them in one package is fantastic.”
The collection, which included two Sweeps and two Soos, was offered for sale by Harry’s son, Dave Corbett, who said he was “delighted” with the result.
And it was the fact the puppets had been owned, and used, by the legendary puppeteer Harry Corbett himself that was behind the purchase.
A member of the Facebook group Sweep Fans Unite, he said: “I date from the era of Harry Corbett and, for me, he was the greatest. These puppets are a piece of history which all started on Blackpool Pier.”
He plans to use an inheritance from his late mother to pay for the archive.
He said: “We used to watch the programme together, so I think she would approve.”
Auctioneer Charles Hanson said: “I know many Sooty fans were hoping the puppets would return to their spiritual roots of Lancashire and I am delighted the trio has found a new home in that great county.”
Dave Corbett was just a baby in 1948 when Harry Corbett bought a glove puppet on Blackpool pier to entertain him and his brother Matthew, who went on to take over the show.
From that impulse buy of a 7s 6d yellow puppet, then just known as ‘Teddy’, few could have predicted the global phenomenon Harry Corbett, then working as an engineer for Leeds council, and Sooty would become.
The archive also included a specially engineered mechanical device made for Dave’s mum – Marjorie, who was known as Toabs, and became the voice and “hand” of Soo in 1964.
Charles Hanson continued: “As their new buyer realises, what made this Sooty, Sweep and Soo so special is that they were effectively part of the Corbett family and owned by Harry himself. I am delighted to have helped to make a new and lasting memory for their new family.”
Auction Details
Auction: The Derbyshire April Specialist Diecast, Model Railway and Collectable Toys Auction
Auction date: 23rd April 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons’ Derbyshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
