Hi Gary, I bought this from a second hand shop I loved it because it is very cute. I dont know what age it is? Or what metal it is? I wander if you could help, I’ve no idea what its worth if anything
Dear Mr. Bartle,
Your thimble looks to be made of pewter. If it was silver, it would have a hallmark on it.
Thimbles are still popular items to collect, and there are many examples on the market made from silver, pewter, china, plastic etc. They can vary in value from a few pence to a few pounds each. Unusual silver thimbles and rare gold thimbles are the most sought after, and would hold their value more.
Your thimble does not have a high resale value, but as you state it is a cute example and obviously gives you much pleasure, and that’s what collecting items is about!
Hi Gary
I have sent you an image of a vase similar to one that my sister has. She bought it in Cornwall some years ago, and someone said it could be worth £100.
Dear reader,
Thank you for your email and image of your vase. This double based pottery vase is almost certainly made by Troika of Cornwall and is extremely collectable today.
Troika was a studio pottery company set up in 1962 in St. Ives, Cornwall. They made vases, lamp bases, tableware, tiles and wall plaques. The pottery became popular with tourists in the area, and soon it was stocked in Heals and Libertys in London.
The company closed in 1983, so it was quite short lived. A resurgence in its popularity this century means your vase would be estimated to sell between £800 – 1000!
Hi Gary
I have a set of 3 tables that all fit under each other.
They are all in excellent condition. The large table has the following words across it;
Nova Totivs Terrarvm Orbis Georgraphic AC Hydrographica Tabvla Auction:Henr:Hondis
and the map date on the largest table says 1630, please could you tell me if they are of any value. I have seen some on the internet but only 1 table and not a set of 3
Dear Shirley,
Thank you for your letter. Your nest of tables with the maps, inscription and the date of 1630 is a reproduction set made in the late 20th century. They had fallen out of fashion until recently, but are now becoming more desirable, especially in London. Trendy young people are now looking for items from the last 30 years, and In the right environment your tables could sell for as much as £100.
Hi Gary
This fish teapot belongs to my grandmother, is it worth anything?
Dear reader,
Your teapot is made of Majolica pottery and was made in the 19th century. Majolica is a type of glazed pottery made in Spain, Italy and Mexico. It was made by applying a layer of tin or lead enamel onto a fired piece of earthenware onto which a design was painted. Many of the items made in Majolica were fun items such as novelty teapots, mugs, ashtrays, dessert sets etc.
This type of pottery fell out of fashion in the early 1900’s, but has made a comeback since the 1960s. There are a lot of reproduction pieces around, but the early pieces can be quite valuable.
I would estimate your fish teapot to sell between £250 – 300.
You may be sat on a treasure trove! It is often the items that you think are worthless that can turn out to be the most valuable. Not sure?
Then send an email to antiques@yorkshirereporter.co.uk.
I will answer everyone.
Look forward to valuing for you
