Penllyn Collectables

In the mid 1980s Dr. Mehta wrote to many world leaders and leading statesmen seeking their photos and autographs. Though most responded with stock photos and facsimile autographs, some also wrote personal notes. Featured is President Chiang Ching-kuo, who was president of the ROC (Taiwan) until his death in 1988. Wiki: "The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China. The ROC was founded in 1912 in mainland China. However, after the ROC lost control of the mainland, the government of the Republic of China relocated to Taiwan in the late 1940s." We bought a file of many of the letters and photos sent to Dr Mehta, together with other signed photos of politicians from…

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In May 2018 we decided to focus this website purely on paper and ephemera. We moved all other items off the site, some to our Ebay and Etsy shops, which both trade under the Penllyn Collectables name. In August 2018 we began to add more letters and autographs here and created several new categories in our important autographs and letters department to make it easier to browse. At the time of writing we have many hundreds of items for sale and this will steadily increase over the coming months. And we now post worldwide as well! Right: Cora Urquhart Brown-Potter, stage actress, signed letter c 1900 (SOLD)

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Dealers (like us!) make a living from buying items and reselling at a higher price. We invest time, money, effort and knowledge to buy right and sell well So if you are downsizing, decluttering or clearing a house, how do you ensure that you get best prices for your possessions? It isn't difficult BUT you have to invest time and be thorough. Try to to examine each item, identify and value. Don't throw stuff out until identified/valued, we can still be surprised at what can be valuable! And when you sell, use the best route. 1: Identify. Use the tips in these guides. Backstamps help, as do any stamped marks or labels. Check stones in jewellery (diamond testers are cheap) and look…

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William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army and this jug, dating to 1882-1884 was discovered at a local auction house together with early 20thC mezzotints, including one of William Booth. We listed this for sale via our Etsy shop with the following description "William Booth Salvation Army Blood and Fire Earthenware Pitcher 1882-1884 This was made by Wright & Rigby in the period 1882-1884 of earthenware, moulded with bas relief side portraits of William Booth, crown above with motto "BLOOD AND FIRE", all covered in a off white glaze To the front is the symbol of crossed swords, cross and S for Salvation. To the base is a Diamond Mark (the Diamond Mark was replaced by the Registered Design Number at the…

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We watch too much collectables television and, judging by comments from friends and neighbours, we are not alone. But some things have changed since 2015 when we first wrote this. Then heavyweight antiques expert James Lewis (pictured right) in "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" had bought a vase from a dealer at a car boot for £38, then identified it as a rare Nantgarw piece and sold it for £3650. But in 2017 up pops Paul Laidlaw, morphed into a bearded waistcoated Scottish gentleman, buying a sub miniature camera for £100 and selling it at auction for £20,000. That is the draw of Antiques Road Trip To us the key for a good collectables programme is the mix of entertainment…

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There's none so blind as those that will not see. OK, it's stretching the meaning of the saying but after all the studying of the lots at a recent auction (including us looking at detailed photos of the lots the night before) how come nobody spotted this little beauty? Titanic memorabilia is a major collectable area and the hairs on the back of our necks should have been standing on end when this was included in a mixed lot of crested china. Crested china was produced by a number of porcelain companies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the most well known being Goss. They would feature the crest of a town or city and made in interesting shapes,…

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The photo to the right is of a porcelain vase with Royal Worcester backstamp and Registered Number 227600. We all use jargon but sometimes it helps to have a brief explanation of terms used! We will add regularly to this glossary of antiques and collectable terms. Acid etching Technique, using hydrochloric acid, to eat into glass and so create the desired design Antique A collectable object over 100 years old Art Deco A style, prevalent between 1920s and 1940, bolder and more angular than Art Nouveau, often with geometric and streamlined shapes Art Nouveau A style, prevalent between 1890 and WWI, whereby object design was based on organic forms Arts & Crafts movement European and North American movement, prevalent in the 1880s-1910, …

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We love to find vintage autograph books! They usually date from the late nineteenth century through to the 1930s and we find that the late Victorian era examples tend to be full of moral rectitude and earnest desires for happiness and health. The popularity of such books appears to increase during the Edwardian era, WWI and the 1920s. The content began to change for in addition to classical and literary quotations, humorous quotes and drawings are seen, as well as many standard inclusions: An invitation to participate "All my friends I now invite, a trifle in this book to write" The entreaty not to read the next page, which then has an admonition about inquisitiveness For a girl, a rhyme about marriage "Hilda Hobbs…

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"Best packing I have seen - great item and fast delivery - thanks". This was in respect of the torsion clock in the picture and while it is the kind of feedback we like to get, getting antiques and breakables safely to the buyer demands attention to detail. If sending breakables by post then good packaging is essential. Poor packaging can leave both sender and recipient disappointed and out of pocket, as well as potentially causing danger from broken glass or china shards. We've learned a few tricks over the years from sending many thousands of breakables by post and, while some may seem obvious, here are the essentials to minimise the risks. 1. Only send what the parcel company and the laws…

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