Could you have a hidden treasure?

I was a bit surprised to find out, when I downsized, that none of my “brown” furniture left to me by my mother-in-law was worth anything. In fact I had to pay the council to take away the oak dining room table she had told me was valuable. Similarly with my father in law’s stamp collection. I also have a collection of Danish crown porcelain which I have tried to research but it doesn’t go for much. I now don’t believe I have anything of value and have just kept what I like!

GreenGran it doesn’t do to put too much weight on these things. My mother never had much in the way of jewellery; just a couple of rings and a few brooches. When she died my two older sisters never offered me the chance to have anything as they didn’t think I would be interested. Fair enough. I loved my sisters dearly and owe them much, so I have never let it bother me. Last year, my eldest niece gave me the one of my mother’s rings, which her mother had had and had then passed on to a friend, who eventually gave it back to my neice. As neither her, her sisters, nor her daughter were interested in it, it was given back to me! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! It is worth nothing, I will never wear it, but neither will I ever let it go.

Urmstongran Check the copyright page of your Potter book:
"The initial hardcover print run was stopped mid-printing after it was discovered that 'Joanne Rowling' rather than 'J.K. Rowling' had been printed on the copyright page. Joanne versions are available for prices starting at around £1,080 and go up to £8,650 for signed pristine copies. First edition first printings will have the number line "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" and a block of misaligned text on page seven. "
A guide to collecting Harry Potter books

Urmstongran I remember reading about a girl who won a book token at school. Not seeing much to 'catch her eye' in the book shop she picked up a copy of the first-edition of the first Harry Potter. The publisher had only printed a small run, to test the market.
She eventually sold it for an astronomical price.

notanana. I know how you feel. My sister didn't even wait for Mum to die. Knowing what a soft touch she was she just asked, "Can I have Dad's medals, the best china, the piano etc...." and kind-hearted Mum just handed them over.
Though it saddened me to miss out on some of the momentos I'm not really into'possessions' and wouldn't bother to fall out with anyone about them.

Some of our family heirlooms were taken to the Antiques road show for valuation, everything was valued at £50 which I knew to be incorrect.
My sister inherited antiques which are passed to eldest DD in family, sister has no children and says she will give them to a museum.
DD bought her dad an antique shipping map, she had it framed but it is now in the attic. The map belonged to one of the Delavals can't remember whether it was admiral or captain but DH thought it would be nice to bequeath it back to Delaval Hall. Northern grans will know about Seaton Delaval.

I’ve now got the piggies advert in my head!

? We are the Westminster piggies, a family,
Of beautiful porcelain pigs ?

(To the tune of Figaro’s aria from Barber of Seville)

ooh the pigs have their original stoppers!

(When you think about it that’s such an odd sentence!)
?

Thank you MOnica

Tins are very collectible now Lbc.

Sadly I've got nothing of great value.
I've got a pretty tin which was grandma's - it contained chocolates and is called 'antique casket' (inspired by the V&A) with what I think are Regency figures. It might be worth about £20!

Probably our most valuable possession is a copy of The Beatles White Album with full original inserts. It is one of the first 10000 issued and is numbered. Just proving that what you most value isn’t necessarily the most valuable,

I do have a 1647 bible....... very carefully stashed away.

Urmstongran This is a link to Natwest sets sold on ebay. Mind you they must all have the original stoppers.
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=Natwest%20piggies%20full%20set&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2045573.m1684

On the other hand 1st edition J K Rowlings have little traction. Probably because, even the first editions, had very big print runs www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=J%20K%20Rowling%20first%20editions&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2045573.m1684

We have 2 full sets of the Nat West pig family which were given to young savers in the 1980’s. I read somewhere they fetch a bit but no idea how to turn them into cash.

Also when JK Rowling’s books of Harry Potter were just taking off I bought a hard backed ‘first edition’ of the third book for a nephew for Christmas. Might be worth a few bob?

Jane10 In which case nothing you have will be hidden treasure because you obviously know what it is all worth.

I think most of you would be really surprised by how much some of your unconsidered trifles could sell for. £10s rather than hundred's. But even, though I do a bit of dealing. I do not know or care about the monetary value of most of household treasures because they are mainly inherited and all are of sentimental value.

I think you are unfortunate notanan to be faced with disgusting grabbiness for deceased family members stuff We have dealt with disposing of the household goods of six relatives and never had any problems, decisions about whether anybody would like anything from the house were not usually made until we were emptying the house and deciding what was to go to charity, sale, the tip, to someone in the family or others.

I've got a number of bits & pieces 'acquired' by my FiL just after the War including sheets of unused Nazi issue stamps, a ceremonial dagger and a silk map of Germany among other things. All this stuff sits in a box in a cupboard. DD & I are going to take it all for valuation at the local auction house.
My best acquisition was a 12" statue of a pre Raphaelite looking young woman which I bought at a jumble sale 40 years ago for 2/6 which has been valued at over £500! I'd never get rid of her. Anyway DD3 has put her name on it ....

Well obviously my stately flat is jam packed with antiques and objets d'art. I have to constantly chase dealers away from the door!

We have two or three pieces of the Nanking cargo in our China cabinet. I don't know if they are any more valuable now than when we bought them.
I also have a lovely little cup decorated with pansies. I've never been able to acertain if it has any value.

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here is my mug! Not a great work of art!

I bought 2 items that I think might be worth a bit more than I paid for them

One is an old brewery price sign that I paid £1.00 for about 40 years ago. It's an illuminated sign for Threlfalls Brewery and is made of bakelite. It shows the prices in pre decimal currency and an example is " tot of rum 1/6d" and "1/2 pint of bitter 1/11d".

The other find was a wallet of "Paper-cuts of Chekiang Province" from 1951. There are 12 incredibly intricately cut scenes of flowers, animals and scenes from China. The booklet says that these were cut by village women and used to decorate their homes. They had no electricity and so would have been done by lamplight. I paid £2.00 for the lot and wonder if they're worth anything more now.

I can't imagine so! I might get a fiver for a royal coronation mug (George V1) … but it is from Haifa so not sure if that increases or decreases its potential value. Nothing I have is of any value to anyone else but me! I have two funny sort of jug vases which were given to me after my great aunt died but they are not of any monetary value. Ikea furniture is not antique yet

Nope! Everything is bought by me and was worth very little even when new!

I refused to join in the disgusting grabbiness for deceased family members stuff so have been left with no heirlooms and barely and momentos but I just cant figure out how people can "scrum" for stuff when newly bereaved and there was nothing left for me

Similar on DHs side

I have a book which my nephew bought at a jumble sale along with a pile of hats! He gave the book to me (his mother made him throw the hats away!). It is Poems of Scott, compiled by Oliphant Smeaton (there’s a name to conjure with!). There is no indication of when it was first published, but it was given as a present to someone called Madge in 1907. Looking on the internet, it seems that that was also the date it was published, which makes the book around 111 years old. I don’t like Scott’s poems (ducks behind sofa!) but I do like the book for its style and it’s age. I don’t think it’s worth a lot though.

In the 70's I was returning from a local antique fair with my D and when we were outside she picked up what was a piece of brown paper and on turning it over there was a charcoal sketch of a horse-drawn fire engine being pulled by 4 white/grey horses dashing to a fire. It is a fabulous drawing and also has a mark/signature of sorts and dated 1929-------but brown paper ? The old thick wrapping type.

I've looked all over the internet as I believe that this sketch could have fallen out of the original painting because it's done on brown paper. Anyhow I bought a frame,just a plain one from a charity shop and it's been hanging up for years. It's an absolute work of art and I'd love to know its origin.

I'm sure though with all the browsing and buying from various charity/antique shops there's bound to be something that I'd double my money on.

I do not know about items of great value, but we are auction haunters, buying and selling bits and pieces, mainly on ebay. I paid £50 for a box of 10 bruised and battered children's sewing machines and while most were branded Vulcan and sold on ebay for £10-£12 each and several ended up in a charity shop, one was a French make and came with a box and sold for £120. DH bought a box of old fashioned fizzy drink bottles. Most sold for £1 - £3, but one sold for £70.

Last week DD took an old cow hide rug to an auction. It had been on her living room floor for about 15 years and was badly worn. She paid £10 for it in good order and sold it, shabby and worn, for £50

There are a few people who pick up eyewateringly valuable items for £1 but not many, but what we have learnt is just how much you can get for quite unconsidered trifles lying around the house.