Jun 11, 2026
An executor can find themselves balancing two very different pressures at once – the need to value an estate correctly for probate, and the need to realise assets sensibly at auction. Probate valuation for auction sits precisely at that junction. It requires clear judgment, proper market knowledge and an understanding that the figure reported for probate is not always the same as the price eventually achieved under the hammer.
Where estates include fine art, antiques, jewellery, books, silver, coins or general contents, the distinction matters. A value submitted for probate has a legal and tax context. An auction estimate, by contrast, is a selling tool based on likely bidding interest within a defined market, at a defined time. Confusing the two can lead to unrealistic expectations, delays in administration, or avoidable disagreement between executors and beneficiaries.
What probate valuation for auction actually means
In practical terms, probate valuation for auction is the assessment of an item or collection within an estate, carried out with reference to the open market and informed by likely auction realisation. For many chattels and collectables, auction is the most relevant market because it is the route through which such property is commonly sold.
That does not mean a valuer simply picks the middle of an auction estimate and uses that as the probate figure. Proper probate work considers the market as it stood at the date of death, the condition of the property, attribution, provenance, salability and the appropriate selling venue. A strong local decorative picture, a Chinese porcelain vase, a diamond ring and a Victorian bookcase may all be sold at auction, but they do not follow the same market logic.
Executors often ask for a single answer: what is it worth? The more accurate answer is slightly more measured: what would it reasonably have fetched in the relevant open market at that point in time? For many estate assets, that requires specialist auction knowledge rather than a broad insurance-style appraisal.
Probate value and auction estimate are not identical
This is the point that causes most confusion. A probate value is not an asking price and not a replacement cost. It is also not necessarily the figure a family hopes to achieve. It is a reasoned market value for probate purposes.
An auction estimate serves a different purpose. It is designed to guide bidders and encourage participation while reflecting current demand. Estimates may be pitched conservatively to stimulate competition, particularly in categories where strong bidding can carry the final price beyond expectations. Equally, a specialist item may need a cautious estimate if the buying pool is narrow, even though it appears impressive to a non-specialist eye.
As a result, the hammer price may come in below or above the probate value. That is not automatically evidence that the original valuation was wrong. Markets move. Tastes shift. Condition issues emerge under closer inspection. Two determined bidders can push a lot well beyond expectation, while a perfectly sound item can underperform in a quieter sale.
How valuers approach probate valuation for auction
The work begins with identification. Before value can be discussed, the object has to be understood properly. That means sorting period from revival, original from reproduction, and workshop pieces from later copies. In higher value categories, attribution can be decisive. The difference between “circle of”, “attributed to” and a fully accepted artist attribution may be substantial.
Condition follows closely behind. Executors are sometimes surprised that damage, restoration, missing parts or heavy wear can materially affect value. In furniture, that may mean replaced handles, faded polish or later alterations. In ceramics and glass, a small rim chip or repaired crack can reduce appeal sharply. In jewellery, condition, metal content, stone quality and setting all matter. A probate valuation should reflect what is actually present, not what an item might have been worth before years of use.
The valuer will then consider comparable market evidence. That is not done mechanically. An auction record from three years ago in a stronger market may not be persuasive today. Nor is every online result a useful comparison. Serious valuation work weighs date, venue, cataloguing standard, authenticity, condition and buyer audience. A specialist sale with international bidding carries different evidential weight from a modest house clearance auction.
Why specialist knowledge matters in estates
Estate property is rarely tidy from a valuation perspective. Fine pieces may sit alongside ordinary household effects. A box of mixed costume jewellery can contain a single important item. A group of books may appear routine until a scarce edition emerges. A Chinese bowl that has lived on a mantelpiece for decades may require a very different level of scrutiny from standard ceramics.
This is where experienced auctioneers and valuers add practical value. They know which categories justify deeper research, specialist consultation or separate marketing. They also know when an object is commercially modest and should be treated accordingly. Both judgments matter. Overvaluation can be as unhelpful as undervaluation.
For executors, that commercial realism is useful. Probate administration is difficult enough without inflated assumptions attached to saleable assets. A measured valuation gives beneficiaries a defensible basis for decision-making and helps avoid the disappointment that follows when sentiment and market evidence part company.
Common issues that affect the figure reported
Dates matter. Probate values are tied to the date of death, not the date the house is eventually cleared or the property enters a sale. If several months have passed, market conditions may have changed. The valuation must still address the earlier date, even if current selling advice differs.
Condition can also change between inspection and sale. Improper packing, rushed clearance work or storage in poor conditions may alter what can realistically be achieved. This is especially relevant for pictures, clocks, ceramics and fragile decorative works.
There is also the question of quantity. A single silver item might merit individual treatment, while a large volume of ordinary domestic effects may be grouped. Not every object in an estate needs a lengthy written essay. Good probate valuation is proportionate. The important pieces receive proper attention, while lower-value contents are assessed sensibly and efficiently.
What executors should prepare before instruction
A valuer does not need a perfect inventory to begin, but a little order helps. If there are any purchase receipts, previous valuations, certificates, family notes on provenance, or indications that certain items were bought from known dealers or salerooms, those details can be useful. They will not create value by themselves, but they can guide research.
Executors should also be clear about the purpose of the instruction. If the requirement is probate, that should be stated from the outset. If the estate may later consign property for sale, that can be discussed separately. The two exercises are related, but they are not identical.
Where an estate contains broad categories such as paintings, jewellery, Asian art, furniture and books, it is often more efficient to deal with a firm able to assess a wide range of material in-house or through established specialist channels. John Nicholson’s, for example, operates across general and specialist collecting fields, which can be particularly useful where estate contents do not fit neatly into one category.
After probate, what happens if items go to auction?
Once probate has been obtained, executors may decide to sell selected property. At that stage, auction estimates are set for marketing and cataloguing purposes. The sale strategy will depend on the nature of the items. Better works may be entered into specialist sales where they can reach the right bidders. More ordinary pieces may be better suited to general auctions where buyers expect decorative and practical material.
Reserve levels, estimates and presentation all influence outcome. So does timing. A niche collecting category may benefit from being held for a focused sale rather than pushed into the next available date. On the other hand, where administration speed is important, an earlier sale may be the right commercial decision even if the timing is not theoretically perfect. This is one of those areas where it depends on the estate’s priorities.
Executors should be prepared for variance between the probate figure and the final sale result. What matters is whether the sale process was appropriate, properly exposed to the market and handled with reasonable skill. Auction is transparent, but it is still a live market, not a fixed-price mechanism.
A sensible view of value
The best probate valuation work is calm, evidence-based and commercially literate. It does not promise improbable outcomes, and it does not flatten every object into a generic household figure. Instead, it recognises what the market would realistically have made of the property at the relevant date.
For families and executors, that realism is often the greatest relief. It turns a room full of uncertain possessions into something more manageable – assets that can be identified, valued properly and, where appropriate, sold in the right way. When probate valuation for auction is done well, it gives the estate a sound footing and gives those responsible for it a clearer path forward.
Jun 10, 2026
A painting brought down from the loft, a print inherited years ago, or a work bought on taste rather than scholarship can all raise the same question: how to sell art at auction in a way that is both sensible and commercially effective. The right sale can expose a work to serious bidders, create competition and establish market value in public. The wrong approach can leave money on the table, or send a perfectly saleable picture into the wrong room, at the wrong estimate, at the wrong moment.
Auction is not simply a matter of handing over a picture and waiting for the hammer to fall. It is a structured sales process, and the result depends on judgement at every stage – attribution, estimate, reserve, catalogue placement, timing, condition and bidder reach all matter. Sellers who understand those points tend to make better decisions from the outset.
How to sell art at auction: start with the right appraisal
The first step is to establish what the work is, what evidence supports it, and where it sits in the market. That sounds obvious, but many disappointing results begin with overconfident assumptions. A family story may be correct, but auction houses will still assess the work on the basis of medium, condition, signature, provenance, exhibition history and comparable prices achieved for similar works.
That appraisal should be more than a casual opinion. A proper valuation for sale purposes considers not only what the picture might be worth in theory, but how it is likely to perform in an auction setting. Retail asking prices, insurance figures and sentimental value are different measures altogether. A painting insured for a substantial sum may still need a realistic auction estimate if the current market is cautious, the artist is uneven in performance, or condition has affected desirability.
For sellers, this is often the point at which expectations need adjustment. A modest estimate is not necessarily a sign of weak confidence. In auction practice, an attractive estimate can encourage multiple bidders and produce stronger competition. An inflated estimate can suppress interest before the sale even begins.
Choosing the right auction house and the right sale
If you want to know how to sell art at auction well, choose the sale before you choose the headline number. A specialist fine art auction with the right audience will usually outperform a general sale if the work has quality, relevance or recognised authorship. Conversely, a decorative picture with broad furnishing appeal may sell perfectly well in a mixed sale where it reaches practical buyers as well as collectors.
This is where experience counts. An established auctioneer will know whether a work belongs in a dedicated paintings sale, a single-owner collection, a general antiques auction or another category entirely. The best route depends on the art itself and the likely buyer pool. British pictures, contemporary works, continental school paintings and decorative prints do not all attract the same market.
Regional authority also matters more than some sellers expect. A long-established saleroom with specialist departments and strong online bidding can offer both local trust and international exposure. That combination is often more valuable than a fashionable name unsupported by the right expertise.
Estimates, reserves and the balance between ambition and realism
Two figures shape the commercial strategy of any consignment: the estimate and the reserve. The estimate is the published range that guides bidders. The reserve is the confidential minimum below which the lot will not be sold. Used properly, these figures protect the seller while still allowing the market to work.
The temptation is often to push both as high as possible. In practice, that can be counterproductive. Buyers are well informed, and if a picture appears overestimated, they may ignore it altogether. A sensible estimate attracts attention, encourages enquiries and can create the momentum that drives the final price above expectation.
The reserve requires similar discipline. Set too high, it prevents a sale and leaves the work bought in. Set too low without advice, it may expose the seller to a result that feels disappointing. The answer is not a universal formula. It depends on demand for the artist, recent comparables, rarity, condition and how widely the work is likely to be contested.
A commercially astute auctioneer should explain that balance plainly. Auction is a live market, not a guaranteed valuation exercise.
Condition, attribution and paperwork can change the result
Art is highly sensitive to presentation, and not only in the visual sense. Condition issues, restoration, relining, foxing, overpainting and damage to frames can all affect bidding confidence. So can uncertainty around who made the work. A picture catalogued as “attributed to”, “studio of” or “after” an artist sits in a very different market from a work accepted fully by the specialist department.
That is why provenance and supporting paperwork matter. Old invoices, labels, collection history, exhibition records and any previous expert correspondence can be useful. They do not guarantee a higher result, but they can strengthen cataloguing and reassure bidders. If a work has been cleaned or restored, that should also be discussed in advance. Surprises discovered at viewing are rarely helpful.
Sellers sometimes hesitate to mention problems for fear of weakening the lot. In fact, transparent cataloguing usually serves the seller better. Serious bidders are more willing to compete when they believe the work has been described honestly.
Presentation and marketing are part of the sale
Even excellent works can underperform if they are poorly photographed, catalogued lazily or entered into an unsuitable sale. Auction houses do not merely store and list art. They present it to the market. Good catalogue descriptions, accurate dimensions, proper medium identification and clear photography all contribute to buyer engagement.
Online bidding has made this even more significant. Many bidders now encounter a work first on screen, not in the saleroom. They will judge its scale, surface and appeal through images and description before deciding whether to pursue it further. A strong digital presentation can widen the field considerably, especially for regional houses reaching national and international buyers through multiple bidding platforms.
Timing also plays a part. Certain categories perform better in specialist calendar sales, while others benefit from inclusion in busier periods of the auction season. If the work is by an artist currently receiving market attention, a prompt consignment may be wise. In a quieter or uncertain market, patience may produce a better outcome.
Fees, terms and what sellers should ask
Before consigning, understand the charges. Seller’s commission, illustration fees, insurance, transport and any restoration or framing costs should be set out clearly. Reputable auction houses are transparent on these points, and sellers should expect clarity rather than vague assurances.
It is equally sensible to ask how the sale will be marketed, whether the lot will appear online across major bidding platforms, how estimates have been reached, and what happens if the work fails to sell. A bought-in lot is not always the end of the road. It may be suitable for re-offer at a revised estimate, private treaty discussion, or transfer into a more appropriate sale. Still, these possibilities should be discussed before consignment, not afterwards.
For executors and families handling estates, practical administration can be just as important as the art market itself. Collection, inventory, valuation for probate or sale, and co-ordination across categories often matter alongside the final hammer price. In those situations, breadth of expertise can be a genuine advantage.
When auction is the right route – and when it may not be
Auction is particularly effective where there is clear demand, competitive potential, or uncertainty best resolved by the open market. Works by established artists, fresh-to-market pictures, collections with provenance and art with cross-border appeal often suit auction well. The public nature of the process can generate confidence and urgency among bidders.
That said, auction is not always the only answer. Some very high-value works, or pieces requiring a narrower pool of specialist buyers, may warrant a private treaty approach. Likewise, art with condition complications or weak commercial appetite may need careful expectation management. Good advice should include that nuance. The objective is not simply to place a lot into a sale, but to choose the route most likely to produce a sound result.
At firms such as John Nicholson’s, that judgement rests on real saleroom practice – specialist knowledge, informed estimates and access to buyers who are prepared to act. For the seller, that combination is what turns an object on the wall into a properly marketed lot.
Selling art at auction is best approached as a decision of timing, evidence and market positioning rather than guesswork. If the work is assessed carefully, entered into the right sale and guided by a realistic strategy, the process can be both straightforward and rewarding. A measured start usually gives the best chance of a strong finish.
May 26, 2026
We are currently seeing exceptionally high interest and fantastic auction results for gold and gold jewellery.
Now could be the perfect time to sell while demand is strong and prices remain high.
If you have any gold jewellery tucked away that you no longer wear, feel free to get in touch for a free, no-obligation valuation.
Single items or collections welcome
Trusted auction service
Competitive results for sellers
Please contact us at sales@johnnicholsons.com or 01428 653727 for further information.
May 17, 2026
Death, Divorce, Debt and Disaster. These are the four Ds, as they are known, that have traditionally defined why people decide to sell their belongings at auction. Now, I am adding another two: Downsizing and Decluttering. These can both apply as much to collectors and their collections as to households, but whichever it is, they all add to the rich mix of the saleroom, explaining at least one reason why auctions are such a great place to buy.
From family heirlooms to duplicates within collections that can be recycled to fund the next purchase, these sources of auction consignments bring hard-to-find rarities to the surface all the time. Auctions provide probably the best hunting ground thanks to house clearances and deceased estates, where interesting antiques and collectables that have been hidden away for decades get their first public showing. Pitched right, they can create a lot of bidding competition. But these circumstances also create the perfect opportunity to pick up a bargain. That’s why general auctions are such an exciting experience – you never know what will turn up.
Before the days of throwaway consumer culture, this is how many people furnished their homes. Now they call it upcycling, but quality and value are still the watchwords.
If you do decide to de-clutter, downsize or otherwise have a bit of a tidy-up, you may well find things among your possessions that have the potential to earn you a bit of money. If so, here are a couple of tips to remember.
Firstly, don’t spruce up anything antique in the hope of making it more attractive to buyers. You may well find that you damage them or make them less appealing. Dealers, for instance, generally prefer to buy things in ‘untouched’ condition, as it gives them the opportunity to have them restored and build in their own margin. Take that away and they tend to lose interest.
No matter how lacking in detail, if you have any paperwork linked to the items in question, include it with the consignment. It can make all the difference. In many cases, you won’t have any, but if you have memories of that clock sitting on your grandfather’s mantelpiece for the past 50 years, write a note saying so and date it. It may not be much, but it helps a little to fill in the gaps of the piece’s provenance, and that’s what every buyer looks for.
May 6, 2026
A watch handed to a crew member by a passenger during the sinking of the Titanic remains at the centre of one of the most controversial tales involving the disaster. Now it is up for sale at John Nicholson’s on May 20 with an estimate of £30,000-50,000.
The circumstances of the survival of the entire Caldwell family has been one of the most debated tales relating to the Titanic. More than a century on, it has been the subject of a book, blogs, essays and interviews.
At the heart of that debate is whether Albert Caldwell bribed crew members with his watch to secure a place on one of the lifeboats.
Certainly the watch, now up for auction again after selling at Christie’s in 1998, passed to a crew member. And the family, once rescued, disappeared so quickly that they were left off the published list of survivors, making their way home to Illinois to pick up their lives.
In doing so, they also managed to avoid being picked up by an ambulance waiting for them on the quay in New York. It had been dispatched to pick up Mrs Sylvia Caldwell, so that her state of health could be assessed. Did she really have the Tropical Neurasthenia that had enabled the family to quit their post in a Siam mission to return home early, or was she faking?
In 1909, Albert Caldwell (1885-1977) and his wife Sylvia had signed up for a seven-year mission to Siam with the Presbyterian Church’s Board of Foreign Missions. Sylvia was reportedly already ill by the time she gave birth to their son Alden on June 10, 1911, and the couple applied for early release from their contract as a result. Their request was turned down – a considerable blow as it meant the mission would not pay for their expensive return journey.
Eventually, Albert Caldwell’s pleading for the mission to let them leave persuaded led to a change of mind, but his boss wrote to the Board in New York, advising: “When they arrive in New York, have Mrs. Caldwell examined by some of our doctors before settling their account.” If she had been found healthy, the Caldwells would have faced paying for the return trip themselves – a forbidding amount. Hence the ambulance waiting when the Carpathia docked with the Titanic survivors aboard.
In the event, the Caldwells slipped away and disappeared, heading back west, with Albert securing the post of school principal within days.
How the watch changed hands from Albert to Elliott C’s father was never made clear; was it a bribe to let him on the lifeboat with his family, or could it have been handed over in gratitude for the stokers’ part in their rescue?
Albert himself changed the story of their rescue several times throughout his long life.
In a recorded interview still available online, he explained that at first lifeboats were being lowered and sent off only partially full because passengers did not realise the ship was sinking and were reluctant to let their wives and children set off by themselves in such conditions.
However, after descending to a lower deck and speaking with some of the ship’s stokers, he learned the true state of affairs.
At that moment, according to Caldwell, lifeboat number 13, which was only partially filled, was lowered past their deck and one of the stokers shouted to the crew above to hold it in position while the stokers and the Caldwell family climbed in.
Other stories of how Albert ended up in the lifeboat also emerged, some damning, others praising him as the protector of his family.
A photograph of the family on deck two days before the ship sank shows Albert clutching the baby, ten-month-old Alden, with his wife standing next to them. One argument was that her illness meant she did not have the strength to carry the baby. If so, it was likely that Albert was also carrying Alden when they headed to the lifeboat. Records show a sailor cast Alden to Steward Frederick Ray, who then left him in the care of Hilda Mary Slayter, who was grabbed to be placed in the boat as well.
Whatever the case, other men were also in the lifeboat.
When Christie’s sold this lot in 1998, it was erroneously assumed that Elliot C, the son of the crewman who took the watch, was Elliot C. Everett. The accompanying letter of provenance, being signed off as Elliot C. indicates that the C was the surname and could possibly be one of the engine room crew that Albert had befriended.
That letter reads as follows:
David, Add to Will
Father left his much treasured pocket watch and chain / cufflinks to me upon his death and I should like you to have them as a gesture of my gratitude for your many kindnesses over the years. Sadly it was necessary for me to sell the gold watch chain at a time of financial need.The watch has some history attached to it which you will be interested to read. I have included mother’s watch bought by my father as a 25th wedding anniversary present in the early twenties when he worked for the White Star Shipping Line, also her rings and diamond pendant which your wife may like to wear.
Thanks
Elliott C
Caldwell’s great niece wrote a book entitled A Rare Titanic Family in 2012, based on family research, which again self-validated his actions and distances himself as best possible from any disgrace. A copy accompanies the lot.
The watch itself – originally the property of a relative before being passed to Albert – is an 18ct gold cased keyless half hunter pocket watch by Sutherland & Horne, Edinburgh, No.265022, circa 1876.
It is engraved: Presented to JAMES CALDWELL by the employees of the Pumpherston Oil Co. Ltd on his leaving to take charge of the Mining Department at Deans, June 3rd 1896.
Apr 20, 2026
It never ceases to amaze me how what are, frankly, in my opinion a series of unattractive daubs flung together in the name of Contemporary art can make millions at auction when highly accomplished and rather beautiful Victorian landscapes can be had for buttons.
A recent trip to see the excellent Courtauld exhibition, Seurat and the Sea, was a useful reminder that back in the 1880s, they were also breaking new ground in art. Seurat, with Pointillism, or Neo-Impressionism as it was also called, was miles ahead of his time in showing how blending complementary but opposite colours on the spectrum could create all the light, shade, depth and life a painting needed. He died at just 31, having completed no more than 45 major paintings – all of them a treat for the eye on any wall.
I suppose that fashions change and, with them, tastes. Don’t get me wrong, I think a great deal of Modern and Contemporary art has a lot to offer, but it is also rife with mountebanks. However, despite the marvels of Seurat and the leading lights of late 19th century art, the flipside of what has been a rather subdued market for late Victorian and Edwardian painting is that you can pick up stunning art for very little indeed.
Just browsing through one of the online auction platforms the other day, I worked out that, with a fair wind behind me, I could fill a whole wall with stunning Victorian and Edwardian watercolours for less than £2000. Some of the pictures looked a bit tired, but closer inspection revealed that they simply needed a new mount and frame, and at these prices this was very much a realistic option.
I have no idea whether art like this will enjoy a renaissance in years to come – although it certainly deserves to – but those cherry picking now will be in the best position to capitalise if it does. And if prices remain in the doldrums, well they will have a fantastic selection of art gracing their walls, which they will never tire of.
Mar 22, 2026
Getting the asking price right is as much a skill at chattels auctions as it is when putting your home on the market: price it too high and you can kill demand, but undercook it and you risk giving it away.
Overexposure over a prolonged period tends to raise questions as to the condition of the property on offer. A newly redeveloped house near me has recently gone on the market for around 30 per cent more than I would think is reasonable. This is because it will have been priced according to what the plot cost to buy, what the developer paid to knock it down and create the house that now stands there, and what their projected profit is added on top. No one has shown any interest. After a while, market reality will kick in and it will be re-priced accordingly, but that exposure will cost the owner dear and they may well end up with less than if they had simply pitched it at a more competitive rate in the first place.
It’s the same for chattels auctions. Those prepared to consign items at come-and-get-me estimates very often spark a bidding battle, with lots selling for what they really hoped to get for them, or even higher.
Likewise, dealers exhibiting at fairs will often start to discount pieces if fail to shift after a day or two – better to sell something a for a bit less than return home with nothing to show for all the time and expense spent.
Oddly, if you cross the Channel, you will find that French dealers exhibiting at fairs will take the opposite approach. If little or nothing sells, they will start to put prices up, arguing that they need to make up the shortfall. It doesn’t seem to occur to them that potential buyers are even less likely to stump up the cash if what they are looking at is more expensive. It’s a cultural difference, I suppose, but I can’t believe that the French way is a successful strategy.
Feb 23, 2026
When something is aesthetically appealing, beautifully made or intrinsically valuable, it is easy to see why bidders will compete for it at auction.
Rarities, too, command attention, and for the rarest even poor condition can be no barrier to an impressive hammer price.
But some people like oddities, even the macabre, and I have come across quite a few in my long career at the rostrum.
Take, for example, The New Patent Exploding Trench. A WW1 toy produced briefly by Britains, it involved a wooden and fabric trench loaded with six lead riflemen of the Gloucestershire Regiment. When hit, a specially placed flagstaff set off a cap, which made a loud report, shaking the trench and “killing” the soldiers. Why a British factory should have put British soldiers rather than the enemy in the trench is anyone’s guess, but it was a marketing disaster as a result and the toy was soon withdrawn. The result? A rare collectable that has made a decent four-figure sum in the three or four times it has appeared at auction over the past 30 years.
Perhaps the most chilling thing I have seen was not at auction but at a restoration firm. What looked like a framed piece of parchment turned out to be a collection of tattoos cut from the bodies of French soldiers in the field of Waterloo. Now who would want to buy that?
Perhaps the most disturbing item I have come across is a Fiji Mermaid. This has its origins among Japanese fishermen, who sewed parts of different animals together to create chimera – in this case the head and arms of a monkey sewn to the body and tail of a fish.
They first came to Western notice after the captain of an American ship, thinking it a real creature, bought one from Japanese sailors in the early 19th century for thousands of dollars. The great American showman PT Barnum displayed it as a curiosity in the 1840s.
As a trip to Wikipedia will attest, Barnum understood how to generate publicity, writing to the newspapers under various pseudonyms on the subject of the Fiji Mermaid and creating a ruse whereby his associate booked into a Philadelphia hotel, secretly showing the creature to the manager, who then insisted on spreading the word and staging a display to a select audience, including journalists.
Probably destroyed in a fire around 20 years later, by then the legend had caught on and many copies were made. Look it up on Google images and see one for yourself.
Each example is usually named after the town in whose museum it now rests.
Jan 26, 2026
For all you romantics out there, the impending excitement of Valentine’s Day is doubtless at the front of your minds right now. But you should also know that it is an exciting theme for collectors, because vintage Valentine cards have all the attributes required for attracting them, and some can sell for hundreds of pounds.
Legend has it that the first Valentine message was sent in the 15th century, but the first cards arrived with the dawn of the modern postal service in the first half of the 19th century. The earliest known printed Valentine’s card dates to 1797 and was published on January 12 that year by John Fairburn of 146 Minories, London. It depicted a young woman in a landscape setting at the centre, surrounded by cupids, flowers, birds and other symbols of love, as well as messages. In 2013, that made a creditable £450 at auction.
Elaborate cards decorated with lace and ribbons – and even some with moving parts – demanded a considerable outlay on the part of the purchaser. Most popular were the ‘marionette’ cards, with their paper dolls with moving limbs, created by Raphael Tuck, who worked under Royal Warrant.
Celebrated artists and illustrators of the day were drafted in to create designs which collectors seek out now, among them children’s author Kate Greenaway.
The Museum of London has a collection of more than 1700 Valentine’s cards.
It’s staggering to think that by mid Victorian times, the Valentine industry in Britain was so huge that it is thought the public spent hundreds of millions of pounds a year on cards and gifts for their loved ones. Today it is well over £1.5 billion in the UK.
The United States dwarfs that figure, generating almost $15 billion worth of retail sales each year. To put it in context, that is around a quarter to a third of the value of the entire global art market – auctions, dealer and gallery sales, fairs, private deals and so on.
Back in 2003, a Valentine card sent by Princess Diana sold for ten times its estimate at £2000, while in 2012 one sent by Amy Winehouse made £1600.
Dec 27, 2025
As the new year arrives, thoughts inevitably turn to new beginnings, including the prospect of spring cleaning or having a clear-out. If you do decide to de-clutter, downsize or otherwise have a bit of a tidy-up, you may well find things among your possessions that have the potential to earn you a bit of money. If so, here are a couple of tips to remember.
Firstly, don’t spruce up anything antique in the hope of making it more attractive to buyers. You may well find that you damage them or make them less appealing. Dealers, for instance, generally prefer to buy things in ‘untouched’ condition, as it gives them the opportunity to have them restored and build in their own margin. Take that away and they tend to lose interest.
No matter how lacking in detail, if you have any paperwork linked to the items in question, include it with the consignment. It can make all the difference. In many cases, you won’t have any, but if you have memories of that clock sitting on your grandfather’s mantelpiece for the past 50 years, write a note saying so and date it. It may not be much, but it helps a little to fill in the gaps of the piece’s provenance, and that’s what every buyer looks for.
2026 also promises to be an exceptional year for all things American. July 4 will mark the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, so expect specialist auctions and exhibitions linked to that in the coming months. Will a copy of the Declaration come up for auction? It would be worth putting a bet on that. Around three or four copies of the first 1776 printing, known as the Dunlap Broadsides, remain in private hands. One sold in 2000 for $8.1 million.
It is also the centenary of two of the greatest female icons of the 20th century: the late Queen Elizabeth II (April 21) and Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe (June 1). Jazz great Miles Davis would also have turned 100 (May 26), while Walt Disney would be celebrating his 125th (December 5). October 31, 1926 was the fateful date that Harry Houdini failed to make his final escape. And to show how good the Catholic Church is at keeping records, October 3 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi.
