There was just something absolutely charming about this simple household item and one cannot help but wonder about the child it belonged to and its long history over the years. Unfortunately, the cup was in very poor condition with a number of nasty chips as well as significant crazing and staining. One can imagine it might have had a few bumps and knocks along the way! Although these cups usually make around £60/£100 I decided to estimate it at just £10/£30 to reflect this damage. Often a low ‘come and get me’ estimate can encourage stronger bidding than a higher price, which can put buyers off. However, I was absolutely amazed when the bidding raced up and up online and it eventually sold for £170 to an antiques dealer in the North of the country.

This result is actually typical of a number of prices throughout the sale with estimates often being left far behind as I struggled to keep up with the bids flashing in on both bidding platforms at once. It is of course a wonderful problem to have and auctioneering when the prices are so strong is exhausting but also very exhilarating.