ANTIQUES GROWING INTEREST IN VINTAGE TOYS

After aroaringstarttotheir first auction of the year,the team at TrevanionAuctioneers & Valuers are looking forward to abusy2023.

Many of the top results of the day came from the furniture section, which included a fine Jacobean chest of drawers and atwo-section chest of the same period, which made £2,200 and £1,500.

“Furniture of the Jacobean period isn’t always the most popular, but the chests in the auction really stood out,” says auctioneer Ian Woodward. “The chest of drawers are notable in particular,due to thelarge size and three-drawer interior Both had few alterations, they looked smart with fine quality carving, and ultimately are very practical.”

Further lots of note include a19th century testerbed which fetched £1,900, apair of Howard type armchairs which took £1,000, and aVictorian satin birch armchair which made £2,700.

Reflecting on the successes of the day, Ian said: “The furniture market seems to be on asteady upward trajectory.The post-pandemic market has had peaks and troughs, but we are still seeing recordbreaking results for rare and exceptional items –thingsof unusual size, shape or composition,which are well constructed and in great condition.”

Another strong performer in the sale was 20thcentury art, with an early work by iconic Welsh artist Sir KyffinWilliams OBE RA (1918-2006)leading the way

“Pen YGaer is adramatic early work depicting abrooding mountain view from the artist’s house,” explains picture valuer Simon Grover.“The work formed part of KyffinWilliams’s legendary debut show at the Colnaghi gallery in 1949, where it was acquired by prolificcollector L.G. Duke. It was awonderful surprise to remove the picture from the frame and find notes in Leonard Duke’s own handwriting on the mount. Given its provenance, it was not a surprisewhen the work made £1,400.”

Another 20th century art success came with asigned print by the perennially popular L.S. Lowry,titled His Family.

“The work was apparently inspired by awell-dressed family Lowry spotted at abus stopone day,” says Simon. “He appears to have been struck by the fact that, although clearly ‘a family’, each of the figures occupies their own space, showing no interest in the other members. Lowry himself appears at the far right of the picture, surreptitiously observing the family over hisshoulder.”

The print raced away on sale day to make its top estimateof£1,600.

Results from the vintage toys section may have you digging around your old toy chest, after aboxed LEGO 7730 Electric Goods Trainset made £280 +Buyer’s Premium.

“The vintage toy market is driven by nostalgia and rarity,” says specialist Charlie Whittingham. “The interest in vintage LEGO sets has been growing since the 1980s, as brick-obsessed kids are maturing into sentimental collectors. As aresult, the LEGO market is going from strength to strength –recent studies suggest that the average price of an unopened standard LEGO set on the secondary market can grow by as muchas11% annually Some research suggests that many LEGO sets are providing ahigher return on investment than more traditional collectables such as fine art, antiques, and even gold!”

As with any investment, it is important to do your research first and bear in mind value can vary greatly,with anegative return on investment quite possible if you buy the wrong set at the wrong price. “The most valuable sets are those relating to movies –especially Star Wars,” says Charlie. “Sets of famous or notable buildings can also perform well, such as 1980smedieval castle models in yellow boxes, can sell particularly well, as can very early 1950s garages and filling stations. Rarity is also afactor –larger and more specialist LEGO sets are produced in limited numbers, and after these sets are retired, the number available on the secondary market is fairly small, driving up their value. And as always, condition is everything; it is important that sets have all their bricks, original instructions and boxes, ideally with the brick bags unopened.”

If you havea collection you are considering selling or would like to find out what your items could be worth, call us on 01948 800 202 or email info@ trevanion.com and speak to amemberof our valuationsteam. Our next Fine Art & Antique auction will be held on March 22.