Good lord, it's Monday again...! That means it's blog post time...!
I saw an article this week about a family who uncovered some very rare railway posters in their loft which could be worth a fortune...! So I had a quick google and found story after story of people uncovering all sorts of rare items which have gone on to fetch tidy sums at auction! It got me thinking... What is my greatest ever loft find and more importantly, what is yours?!
So, this week, I'm looking at some of the greatest loft finds ever and I'm putting the question to you. What are your greatest and most valuable loft finds? And I'll have a think about mine too...
Having seen the latest story about the railway posters find, I discovered that these stories are far more common than you realise. A quick search showed that another family in Stourbridge, just three weeks earlier, had uncovered a collection of vintage Star Wars toys in bin bags in a garage. The couple were unaware of the value of the items and had arranged for skips to throw many of them away. They went on to fetch more than £250,000 at auction!
Image courtesy of Aston's Auctioneers
Here's a look at some of the greatest and most valuable loft finds, in no particular order...
1.
Christian Williams was gifted a manky old cigar by his grandfather, which he kept in his loft for many a year. Turns out it was smoked by one Winston Churchill. What Christian didn't know was that his grandfather had been a butler to Winston Churchill, and took the cigar from a meeting between the Allied leaders at Casablanca during WW2. This was subsequently valued at £800!
(Picture: Getty)
2.
This old box had been used by an elderly man to stand his TV on for many years. He even used it as a drinks table on the odd occasion. It wasn't until his passing and the subsequent clearing of his home that experts caught sight of it. Turns out the old box was actually a rare ancient Japanese antique known as a Mazarin Chest. Now, I hope you're sat down, because this old box was valued at a staggering £6.3 million...!
(Picture: BNPS)
3.
A painting of a Catholic Saint which had been sat in an attic for a decade and valued by an "expert" at £300, went on to sale for a whopping £120,000...! It just goes to show you though, even the so called "experts" get it wrong!
(Picture: Charterhouse/BNPS)
4.
A Russian figurine, stored in a loft for nearly 70 years, sold at auction for $5.2 million. Turns out it was a Faberge figurine commissioned by Czar Nicholas II in 1912, one of just 50 in existence... Ee ba gum...!!
5.
A Brother and Sister were cleaning out their deceased parents’ home in suburban London when they found a Chinese vase. They got the surprise of their lives when, at auction, the vase sold for £53.1 million...!!! The vase is believed to be from around 1740 during the Qing dynasty.
6.
And, of course, there was Derek and Rodney, who, while cataloging stock in their garage, uncovered an old pocket watch, which they tossed to one side. However, while dropping off his car, Raquel's Father, James, an antiques dealer, saw the watch and suggested it could be the work of John Harrison, the man who designed and built the world's first successful maritime clock in the 18th century. It later sold at auction for £6.2 million!!
Now, I've certainly never experienced a home find of that magnitude. But I do remember, as a child, my family moved house and while exploring the loft with my Brother, I found, what I think, was an antique butter churn, probably worth around £7.50...
Let me know about your special finds in the comments section below. Remember, it has to have been a home find.
Well, that's it for this week folks! I hope you've enjoyed this week's post. If I've learnt one thing over the years, it is, do not, whatever you do, get rid of a single thing, despite what your better half might say...! Fill that house up to the rafters and if you receive any complaints, point them in the direction of this blog post!
Remember to subscribe to my blog to be notified first of my weekly posts and to receive special discounts, as well as notifications of new stock.
So, until next week, stay safe, keep buying those antiques and keep spreading that Source Vintage love!
Stephen
Owner Source Vintage
Shop from Source Vintage here