Toys can earn you a ‘small’ fortune
Treasure hunters are scouring the country to find some
of Scotland's hidden toy treasures that could be worth a 'small'
fortune.
Today and tomorrow, toy experts, from the
auctioneer firm Bonham's, will be visiting Glasgow and
Edinburgh to cast their eyes over antique toys owned by people in
Scotland.
While TV shows such as Antiques Roadshow and
Cash in the Attic have switched on many to the value
old bric-a-brac, the value
of toys is often overlooked.
Rachel Gotch, of Bonham's toys and dolls
department in London, says there is still a feeling such items are
not serious antiques because they are not furniture or
paintings.
She said: "These are items that would have
been made for a child, so it's still surprising to people when a
doll's house has the same value as an important piece of
furniture.
"In the past, we've had some really exciting
items sent down to us from Scotland, so we've got high hopes for
this visit. We're expecting a busy couple of
days."
Recent examples of toys have included an 1820
doll's house belonging to a family in Perthshire that went on
to sell for more than £14,000 at an
auction.
A model steam locomotive owned by a family
from Dunblane fetched £2280, while a single toy car sold for
£7400.
With many people bringing more than one item
to their sessions - sometimes a crate of toys - the chances of
striking lucky can be higher.
Rachel said: "Earlier this week we had a
gentleman with 30 toys worth £10 or £20 each, but there was one
rare, blue Dinky van worth £150.
"The owners were really pleased. They didn't
expect it and, although it wasn't a fortune, it was a nice surprise
for a toy that might have otherwise gone in the bin."
Try our quiz about the antique toys from
today's story here.
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Toys can earn you a ‘small’ fortune
On the day that one of the country's most traditional
auctioneers is visiting Scotland, some celebrities have announced
their own very 21st century fundraising auction - via Twitter and
eBay.
More than a hundred 'Tweeting' celebrities, including Piers
Morgan, Simon Pegg, JLS, Jamie Oliver, Fearne Cotton, Bear Grylls
and James Corden are preparing to take part in the online auction
for Comic Relief.
Instead of a traditional auction - in which a crowd of people in
a room bid against each other until the auctioneer brings down his
hammer - the bidders simply make their pledges online at eBay.
Starting today the celebrities are revealing the prizes they are
putting up for auction.
Davina McCall will take her winner to the set of Channel 4's The
Million Pound Drop Live and Miranda Hart is offering a signed
script of her BBC comedy Miranda.
And journalist Emma Freud is offering a part in the
next film by her husband Richard Curtis - creator of such
comedies as Blackadder, Mr. Bean, The Vicar of Dibley, and the
founder of Comic Relief.
The Twitrelief auction - which begins today - will also see
celebrity Tweeters sell off "follows", which means they will start
to read all the Twitter messages posted by their highest
bidder.
Until March 20, celebrities will send all their followers on
Twitter a link to a special Red Nose Day eBay page. Every day at
10am more of the extras up for grabs will be revealed. The extra
treats on offer are available only on the special eBay site.
Sports presenter Gabby Logan, married to rugby player Kenny
Logan, said: "To increase the size of my bids I am offering a round
of golf with my husband at Loch Lomond. A hearty lunch
afterwards... tales from the worlds of telly and sport followed by
an arm wrestle with Kenny."
All the money raised will be spent by Comic Relief to help
people living tough lives in the UK and Africa.
The online Twitrelief auction has been organised as part of the
build up to Red Nose Day - on Friday 18th March.
On that day adults and children join forces to do something
funny for money and change lives in the process.
It all ends in a night of telly on the BBC with some of the
biggest names in comedy and entertainment.
Try our quiz about the antique toys from today's story here.
Lesson ideas and
suggestions
*NEW* Read
and discuss lesson ideas on our Facebook page