The HARD SELL

Orlando Bloom and I may not have much in common, but if anyone can empathise with the Pirates of the Caribbean actor hurling everything but his ship's cannons overboard in a race to outrun the Black Pearl, it's me. Between the ever-circling flotsam that comes with raising children, a husband who struggles to jettison the cardboard boxes his camera equipment comes in, and a tide of keepsakes that have washed up on both parental sides, it weighs heavy on this natural minimalist to be so loaded with ballast.
Regular relays to our local charity shop and to friends with younger children help, but I struggle to relinquish items I know my grandparents saved for and cherished. Last winter, however, I finally reached a tipping point. Having had another wave of possessions spill into the house when my mother downsized and with the cost-of-living crisis lucidly prioritising cash over clutter - our saturated shelves had to be addressed. Anything of real value, financial or sentimental, had either already been sold, sorted or kept. The challenge was those pieces of middlingto-low value that were too good for the charity shop yet not profitable enough for professional dealers: granny's attic-type treasures.
But where to start? While guides to selling 'proper' antiques are fairly easy to find, there's much less information about these lower-denomination troves.
This is how I went about selling mine...
Glass & China
I took two boxes of china and glass to the auction rooms - and had my high expectations quickly lowered when the valuer looked at my immaculate Royal Vale Polka Dot tea set, glass trifle bowls and bud vases with polite disinterest.
"Tea sets are not doing well at the moment, nor is glassware,' he said.
この記事は Homes & Antiques の February 2025 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Homes & Antiques の February 2025 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン

Sheer Textiles
Delicate, diaphanous fabrics were used for clothing and accessories long before dressing windows and furniture, says Celia Rufey

Six of the best ISLAND COTTAGES
An island getaway is the ultimate escape, and these beautiful boltholes offer a winning blend of romance, seclusion and sensational vistas, says Jenny Oldaker

Collecting LYONS LITHOGRAPHS
The rise of the tea shop in the early 20th century led to a public art project like no other – prints by top artists of the day, decorating the famed Lyons corner houses. Emma Longstaff discovers more

Rainbow REVELATION
The traditional half-timbered façade of this 18th-century cottage in Sweden belies its personality and colour-filled interior

Bloomfield House
What was once the home of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Bath is now an immaculate, art-filled space, ideal for indulgent group gatherings

Expert advice
Two pros share their tips on throwing outdoor soirées

THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME - Travers Nettleton
The garden antiques expert shares his love of Roman sculpture and the pieces he would never part with

48 hours in TETBURY & MALMESBURY
Tetbury, a long-established hotspot for antiques shopping, is now joined by its up-and-coming neighbour, Malmesbury – together making the southern Cotswolds a standout destination for arts and antiques lovers. Rosanna Morris explores

LUKE HONEY'S Enthusiasms
This Month: Clockwork Toy Boats

6 DEALERS for vintage and antique washstands
1 1st Dibs