Introduction
Buying items at auction can be quite exciting. It is important to understand what kind of items you are looking for, have a budget in mind and don’t get caught up in the atmosphere of the moment. In this blog I will talk you through a recent purchase (box of miscellaneous as featured on the main image) at auction that was bought for the Wildcard business in which we sell antique, vintage and curious items.
Stone Drinks Bottles
These are popular items to sell. There are a wide range of companies who used stone bottles for beverages of all kinds. Flagons are more common, however there are still a large number of the smaller stone bottles out there. These bottles are versatile for their original function or to make decorative items for the home.
Telescopes
We have regular customers who enjoy our wide range of antique and vintage cameras, binoculars and telescopes. This Youngs Leicester Telescope was a great find in this box. This is from around the 1960’s and a great compact instrument for spotting wildlife.
Brass Items
There is a huge market for brass items. Finding the more unique or sought after items can be a little more challenging. In this box there were some great brass items. A pair of brass eagles on wooden stands make great decorative items. The brass plant water mister is a good seller as this is a functional item to date. Candle Snuffer, with the increase of candles for home décor this is a lovely quirky item for putting out your candle.
Vintage Games
This is another area we have a large client base for. Therefore it is really exciting when we acquire more vintage games. Dominoes and Chess Sets are always desirable amongst people. These are timeless classic pastime games.
Barometers and Silver Plated Spoons
Barometers are a fantastic scientific invention by Evangelista Torricelli. They have been made in so many different styles and are highly decorative. Silver Plated spoons range in functionality from teaspoons, tablespoons, dessert spoons, serving spoons and many many more. Most antique and vintage spoons were once part of a set but sadly over the years have become lone items. Silver plated spoons are still highly collectable.
What’s At The Bottom Of The Box
Once the bigger/more common items have been checked, then there is the mystery items to look through. This is where you can possibly find some hidden gems. We have a large collection of pin badges for sale on our website and we found a little bag full of some really interesting pin badges. The Owl salt pot (although missing the pepper pot) is an interesting item that can still be sold on its own. The small bust of Mozart would make a nice gift for any classical music lovers. There was a little oriental figure in the box that was such a unique little item that would be great for resale. These days smoking is on the decline but antique and vintage smoking products are still popular with collectors. The cigarette case will be a good seller too.
What next?
Once we have gone through the items it’s time to set prices and catalogue for sale.
Where to find us
Wildcard Curiosities is based in Freemen’s Common Antique Centre, 8 Counting House Road, Leicester, LE2 7LT.
The centre is open from Tuesday – Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.
There is a café and toilets on site
We also have an online shop