Free Antiques & Collectables Price Guide
In the 21st Century they put the finishing touches to any outfit and are a sign of status and adornment but shoes were originally the simplest way to protect the feet. Early shoes were made of large leaves, bark and grass tied together with vines. The decades have seen progression in the design of footwear so it is the modern shoes that are sought after by collectors. Boots were the favoured footwear for the 19th century, worn by both men and women styles varied from the front laced Balmoral boot to the button boot. Delicate shoes were also worn and made of satin, silk, reptile and leather. The styles were not too different from modern day shoes with mules being popular with both sexes for indoor wear and the classic court shoe being worn from 1860s/1870s onwards. Towards the end of the 19th century shoes with extremely high heels became fashionable, almost impossible to walk in. Known as “Barrette” because they were fastened with bars and buttons. The Northampton Museum houses over 12,000 pairs of shoes dating from 1620 to the present day. One of the highlights of their collection are shoes worn by Queen Victoria on her wedding day. Made of white satin and trimmed with bands of ribbon they were made by Gundry & Son, shoemakers to the Queen and are the epiphany of Victorian style By the 1920s and the “Age of Jazz” shoe design became more prolific. Bar shoes were still popular and brightly coloured fabrics were the height of fashion which reflected in the fancy footwear. The 1930s saw more innovative styles with radical modern shapes being introduced. The middle of the 20th century saw the biggest turning point for shoe design; the 1950s introduced the stiletto heel or “little dagger” as it was also known. A complete turn around from the chunky designs of previous decades, highly collected the retro 1950s is where most collectors start buying. Good examples can still be found around car boot sales and jumble sales for a few pounds – also vintage clothes shops stock many 1950s and 1960s shoes for as little as £50 upwards. From the Rock ‘n’ Roll years into the swinging sixties shoes became a fashion statement. Beatlemania saw the reintroduction of the elastic-sided Chelsea boot, which had been fashionable over 125 years previous. Fashion designers such as Mary Quant, started to experiment with plastics using bright psychedelic colours producing hip and trendy footwear for the fashion conscious. The platform boot dominated the mid 1970s with inspiration taken from the “Glam Rock” pop groups of the decade. The film “Tommy” was released in 1975 and starred “Elton John” as the pinball wizard. The famous boots worn by the star were modelled on “cherry red” Dr Martens, moulded in fibre glass they stand 4ft 6.5″ high. These boots can be viewed at the Northampton museum as they are on loan from R Griggs makers of Dr Martens who purchased them at auction when Elton sold them through Sothebys in 1988. The museum also owns a pair of Vivienne Westwood green mock crocodile super elevated Gillies. M ade especially for the museum they are similar to the blue ones worn by supermodel Naomi Campbell when she toppled over on the catwalk in 1993. Westwood is one of the top names in the collecting world and her products can make large amounts of money on the secondary market. Expect to pay from between £400 to £600+ for a pair, especially those dating from the 1980s. This may seem a lot of money but when you take into consideration a brand new pair of Jimmy Choo’s can cost up to £1,000 from a retail outlet, the vintage ones are a bargain. Modern shoe designer Patrick Cox is constantly aware of the collectors market and produces limited edition shoes for this purpose. Last year an exclusive pair of his Swarovski crystal-encrusted red stilettos was auctioned for “Art of Fashion” and raised £7,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Other lots included white stilettos by Stuart Weitzman customised by celebrities such as Dido and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, these raised £200 – £220 a pair. Shoes design has progressed increasingly over the last century with new technology and material available allowing shoe designers to become more innovative and experimental.. Rebecca Shawcross of Northampton Museum’s advice is “shoes will not make you a fortune but buy what you like, wear them and love them”. FACTS Judy Garland’s “Ruby Slippers” from the film “Wizard of Oz” made $666,000 at Christies in 2000. The first Dr Marten rolled off the production line on 1st April 1960 Shoes have been found in buildings where they have been hidden to protect the house and the inhabitants from evil and misfortune St. Crispin is the patron Saint of shoemakers. The oldest shoe in the world was made 8,000 years ago and found in the USA in a cave. For further information on the Northampton Museum and its shoe collection visit www.northampton.gov.uk/museums
The 2018 World Cup Russia begins on Thursday 14 June when Russia face Saudia Arabia. We take a look at some of the official and unofficial merchandise, collectables and memorabilia available to collect and buy. The official mascot for the Russia World Cup is Zabivaka™ which means “the one who scores” in Russian. Zabivaka™ is a wolf and was chosen as the mascot by a vote in which over one million Russians took part. He certainly is a lovable character and he features significantly in the Russia World Cup merchandise and Russia World Cup collectables. Russia World Cup Collectables and World Cup Merchandise at The Official FIFA Store There are three versions of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Plush Mascot Zabivaka™ – 45cm, 35cm and 25cm. A series of 11 very colourful posters featuring the host cities: Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Saint Petersburg, Sohi, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Ekaterinburg, Samara, Saransk, Volgograd and Kazan. Our favourite is the Kazan poster – a selection of others are shown below. Two pin collection sets featuring the host cities and groups look great. You can view all these at the Official FFA site at https://www.fifa.com. Coins There are a number of coin collections being produced including official international commemorative coins produced by British Numismatic Treasury including 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ England Commemorative coin, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Mascot Colour 25 Ruble Coin – colored and plain, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ 25 Ruble Official Emblem Coin, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Trophy 25 Ruble Coin, and 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ LAOLA Wave-Shaped 3oz Silver Coin Bar. For more details visit bnt.org.uk. Winning Moves FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 Monopoly Ravensburger Adidas Fifa World Cup Puzzleball Russia 2018 World Cup Panini Stickers Football stickers form part of every recent World Cup and no collector should be without the album and at least a few packets. The official Panini 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ sticker collection features stickers dedicated to the 32 qualified federations with 18 players per team. There is a section dedicated to the FIFA World Cup™ football Legends collects the FWC Multiple Winners of past editions and shows the History makers all gathered to recall past success and unique scores. There are also holographic exclusive stickers dedicated to FIFA official marks, Federation badges and Legends imagery as well as stadia and venue images. There are scores of official licensees covering the whole world covering nearly every aspect of apparel, homewares, accessories, gifts etc. However, some of the companies that created exclusives for the Brazil 2014 World Cup such as Swarovski and Robert Harrop for example have not created products for Russia 2018. World Cup Related World Cup Willie and the 1966 World Cup World Cup Collectables 2014
The term Fairing can be designated to anything obtained at a Fair, but the term has become exclusively attached to small porcelain figures & figure groups, and sometimes trinket boxes, match strikers, pin holders and spill holders that were given away as prizes or sold at the local Fair. They were usually humorous and sometimes risque, and for the majority they had captions inscribed on their base. Pictured right: A fairing entitled Modesty Sold for £41 at Bonhams, Honiton, 2006. Pride of place on the maid’s mantelpiece was often given to a colourful figure ornament known as a fairing – a treasured memento of a rare day at the local fair. Tony Curtis Pictured left: A Fairing pinbox titled Shall we sleep first or how? Sold for £41 at Bonhams, Honiton, 2006. Fairings were very popular from 1860 to just after the death of Queen Victoria, and costing just a few pence they were popular amongst the working class who would value and collect the Fairings, as a reminder of the day at the fair. The Fair during the mid 19th century was often an annual holiday for the local community. As the century progressed, the growth of the railways and transport networks led to increased mobility and the commercial importance of the Fair decreased. During the later part of the century Fairings were more likely to be sold in shops than be a prize at the Fair. Pictured right: This large collection of Fairings was sold by Christies in Amsterdam in 2004. The collection included over 200 assorted Fairings, of which 22 were impressed with the Shield for the Conte & Boehme Factory, Pössneck, Germany. The Fairings wer sold for 14,938 EUROS. Although seemingly quintessentially British the main production of Fairings was in Germany and in particular the Conta & Boehme 0f Possneck, Saxony. The German potteries were technologically advanced and were ale to produce the small brightly coloured, gilded Fairing pieces cheaply for the mass market. The Fairings were made of white soft-paste porcelain and would be assembled from several moulds, fired, glazed, fired a second time and subsequently had painted and gilded. Conta & Boehme made Fairings from about 1860 to 1914. Several other factories in the area also produced Fairings but generally to a lesser quality, until the start of World War I ended the trade. The subject matter for the Fairings was influenced by ideas from their British agents – many of the Fairings were based on courtship, marriage, everyday life, popular songs, characters and events from the period. The Fairings featured maidens, newly weds, drunks, couples and figures of fun. Some more serious Fairings were produced but the majority were light hearted and great fun. Towards the end of the time that Fairing were being created there was a shift towards more sentimental scenes. With the great variation in Fairing models, their humour and their colourful appearance, Fairings are popular with collectors. Today Fairings can still be purchased relatively cheaply £20-£30 ($30-$50), but early Conta & Boehme studies, rare pieces and Fairings with unusual captions have the most value. Books on Victorian Fairings
Charlot Byj (pronounced by or bye or buy) joined the Goebel Company in the late 1940’s after Franz Goebel noticed some of her artwork while on a visit to New Your City where she was living at the time. Miss Byj soon began designing the little redheaded figurines that are so collectable today today. Pictured left: Charlot Byj Goebel Plaque. The first figurine was copyrighted in 1957 with the figurine known as “Strike” featuring a little redheaded boy bowling. Pictured right: Strike. The series ended production in 1988 with the last collectible figurine being numbered Byj 109 – “A Special Friend”. Pictured left: A Special Friend. The last number in the series was Byj 110 – “Communion” but this figurine was produced in prototype form only with a total of four pieces being produced. The series includes redheaded children as well as quite a few blonde children. Some were extremely popular and were also produced as brunettes. Black children were included in the series although their numbers are quite small. The redheads were always mischievous while the blondes were more serene or religious in appearance. Pictured right: Little Prayers are Best figurine. A new book featuring Miss Byj’s works is to be available in December or early January 2001. Rocky Rockholt is the author – the book being published and distributed by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Pictured left: Print of Bless Us All. The book will include full color photographs of all the figurines as well as Christmas plates and ornaments. The book also deals with the collectibility of the series created by Miss Byj, her wonderful prints, dolls, detailed description of all items, pricing history and a collectors value price guide. Pictured right: Bless Us All figurine. The book will retail for $19.95 or may be purchased from the author for $23.15 each delivered by priority mail to customers in the USA and slightly higher to customers outside the USA. The World Collectors Net Hummel & Goebel information pages.
We all love a bargain, so it`s a bonus when one doll suddenly becomes two! It`s a lot more common than you might think – many dolls can be altered in appearance, giving extra play value, as well as novelty interest. Children love it when a sad doll becomes happy, or a doll in tatters is transformed into a princess, and numerous people nowadays are building up collections of `transforming dolls`. There are several ways in which a doll can change its appearance. Probably the most commonly-found are the topsy-turvy dolls, which consist of two half-dolls joined at the waist, sometimes with an extra doll attached at the back for good measure. Other transformable types include two-or-three-faced dolls, dolls with interchangeable heads, and dolls whose expressions change because their rubber faces are moulded over a moveable wire armature. The easiest topsy-turvy dolls to find are those made from cloth. Sometimes they are dolls which tell a story, such as Cinderella in rags turning into the belle of the ball with a flick of her skirts, or maybe Red Riding Hood who changes to grandma. The wolf might be incorporated too, giving even more value. The principle in all these dolls is the same – they wear long skirts and beneath them you`ll find another head and body, rather than a pair of legs. Recently, Jellycat, produced a topsy-turvy Alice in Wonderland doll who changes from Alice into the Queen of Hearts. Jellycat dolls are beautifully and elaborately made, and their other exciting upside-down dolls include the Frog Princess, Nursery Rhymes, Cinderella and the Enchanted Garden. Another maker, the North American Bear company, issue dolls which changed from witches to fairies and from Goldilocks to the Three Bears, amongst other innovative designs, while during the 1980s Peggy Nisbet made porcelain topsy-turvy dolls. One was Cinderella, who turned from rags to riches, the other was `My Fair Lady`, which altered from poor Eliza Doolittle to posh Eliza dressed for Ascot. Souvenir Topsy-turvys often seen, such colourful stockinette dolls from the West Indies, whose costumes change when they are reversed. Another form of costume doll has a moulded felt face with painted side-glance eyes, and turns from a Spanish senorita into a peasant girl. A few years ago, an Australian company called Milly Molly brought out a rag doll which turned from white to black, the idea being to promote racial harmony. Their slogan was ‘We may look different but we feel the same’, and the marketing theme was a ‘reconciliation doll for world peace’ The idea behind these charming dolls wasn`t new; the white to black theme has appeared many times, not just in cloth dolls but those made from other mediums too. Topsy-turvy dolls can be cloth, composition, plastic, china or celluloid. The American Madame Alexander doll company made a composition doll – a kind of plaster – in the 1930s, which consisted of a pair of dolls joined at the waist, one sprayed black, the other pink. The first had pigtails of black woolly hair, while the other doll`s hair was moulded and painted. These early Madame Alexander dolls change hands for around £150 in good condition. Plastic topsy-turvys i nclude a Roddy from the 1960s, with joined torsos. This was possibly a prototype, as few are around. A simple way of changing a doll`s appearance is to make a cloth doll with two fronts. This method was used for an attractive doll, Bobby Snooks, made by the US company, ToyWorks in the 1980s. On one side he is a smart soldier, but turn him over and he`s tattered and torn after battle, complete with a plaster on his nose. For years, manufacturers have puzzled how to produce dolls which change their expressions. Swivel-heads were often used in antique china dolls; the doll`s head might have two, or even three, faces, and a twist of a knob turned the head to reveal the desired expression. During the 1970s and 80s, this method was revived and a number of `cheap and cheerful` multi-faced bisque china dolls appeared in the shops. These dolls are now becoming sought by collectors, as the early ones are so expensive. The same technique has been used with plastic dolls. In America, they were particularly popular during the 1950s and 60s, and companies such as Ideal issued a series of them such as a soft-bodied girl with a knob on her head hidden by a bonnet. Her three faces changed from sleep, to smile, to cry. One of the most delightful two-faced dolls of recent times was made by Falca in the 1980s. She was a sturdy, 22 inch baby and her two faces – one happy, one miserable – were beautifully and realistically moulded. In addition, she featured a crying/laughing sound chip which, rather cleverly, would only operate when the correct face was forward! Various companies have made vinyl face-change play dolls from time to time, such as a small, 8 inch, unmarked Hong Kong baby dressed a blue floral hooded suit who featured a large knob on top of his head which, when turned, allowed three expressions. Another doll, `Toni Two`, was sold in packaging which boasted, `Turn my head and I`m mad, turn my head and I`m glad`. Toni Two was a toothy toddler wearing a red striped dress. Doll-designer Marie Osmond has featured two-face dolls in her collector`s range, including Missy, a beautifully-dressed doll in a turquoise gingham frock and mob cap, whose expression can be changed from happy to sad. Another way of changing faces is to model the doll`s head on a wire frame, using thin soft plastic, such as in the case of Mattel`s 1960 `Cheerful Tearful` or their later `Saucy` doll. Cheerful Tearful`s expression changed from a smile to a pout when her arm was raised, and she looked cute. In contrast, Saucy was hilarious. Operated in the same manneA collection of Dressel and Kister shoulder head and half-dollsr, she rolled her eyes, grimaced and made the most […]
This is an ideal time to begin collecting pop star dolls, because at the moment the shops seem to be full of them; stars include Steps, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Five and S-Club 7, but perhaps the most notable dolls of recent times have been the Spice Girls. These certainly hit the headlines when they were first produced in 1997 because they were expensive when compared to Barbie and as most girls wanted the set of five, parents were faced with a bill of around a hundred pounds. Nevertheless, the dolls sold in large quantities at first, though sadly they soon became relegated to the bargain section of toy-stores, where they might still be found. Such is the price of fame! These Spice Girls dolls were nicely modelled and bore a reasonable likeness to Scary, Posh, Sporty, Ginger and Baby, aka Mel B, Victoria, Mel C, Geri and Emma. Manufactured by Galoob, the dolls appeared in several sets. The first set, ‘Girl Power’, featured Geri in her notorious Union Flag dress. Emma wore a pink silky mini, Victoria a black mini, Mel C a sporty black jogging suit and Mel B leopard print pants and matching crop top. Each doll had an accessory such as a dog-shaped bag for Emma and a handbag for Victoria. The most interesting thing about the Spice Girls range is the way they kept up with the style of the group – the most obvious being, of course, Geri’s sudden departure, which meant that she was swiftly dispatched from future sets! However, she featured in the ‘On Tour’ set and also in ‘Spice It Up’ (in which she wore a super long white dress emblazoned with the words ‘Girl Power’!) The later ‘On Stage’ set, in which the girls wore velvet trouser suits was Geri-free! With so many of them about, it is unlikely that they will ever change hands for mega-prices, but if you’re collecting for pleasure, not for investment, then these well-made dolls will make a great display. In the 1980s, sets of Take That dolls were issued. The five lads, Mark, Jason, Howard, Gary and Robbie were casually dressed in jackets, jerkins and jeans. Made by Vivid Imaginations, these are now beginning to become collectable, changing hands for around £20 or so, if mint and boxed. (It’s best to keep these character dolls packaged and unplayed with.) A few years later came Boyzone and already these dolls are sought after; Shane, Stephen, Michael, Ronan and Keith also wore casual styles in leather or denim. Look out too for Vivid Imaginations’ 1997 Peter Andre doll. Dressed in black trousers and white T-shirt, this bore a super likeness to the singer. Dolls from the world of pop are nothing new – in the 1960s there were Beatles dolls, Sonny and Cher and Elvis. The Seventies gave us the very collectable 1978 Abba set, made by Matchbox, which featured Frida, Benny, Anna and Bjorn dressed in typical stage clothes – Frida and Anna in a short white minis and boots, Benny in a gold jacket and white satin flares and Bjorn in a blue satin shirt under white bib-top dungarees. Extra outfits could be purchased separately. Teen idol Donny Osmond and his sister Marie were made by Mattel, and made an attractive pair – Donny wore a purple and fuchsia jumpsuit with a silver belt, while Marie’s tiered dress was in similar shades. Boy George, too, was available as a soft-bodied doll, complete with typical hat and long beribboned locks, and is very collectable today. Recently, a fabulous collectors series by Mattel featured Elvis Presley, and he was also Barbie’s hero in the ‘Barbie loves Elvis’ set. The ‘Barbie loves Frankie’, set also by Mattel, would be great for fans of Frank Sinatra. Beatles figurines have recently been issued by McFarlane Toys commemorating the Yellow Submarine film, and also the Sergeant Pepper LP – though not strictly dolls, they would still be at home in a pop collection. In 1995, Triumph International issued an excellent Michael Jackson doll. Not only did this bear a striking resemblance to the star, it boasted a musical chip which played ‘Black and White’ (extremely loudly!) Michael was dressed in black trousers, white jacket and white top. An additional clothing set consisting of a super red leather jacket, black trousers and vividly-coloured T-shirt was also available. This too contained a musical chip, which, when plugged into the doll played ‘Beat It’. An earlier Michael Jackson doll, by MU Productions, wearing a red leather suit, is today keenly sought after. The current wave of dolls mentioned earlier include an excellent Britney Spears series, in which she wears typical outfits such as her schoolgirl gear, or a smart white trouser suit. Made by Play Along Toys, these are well-modelled. In addition there are deluxe sets which contains CDs, as well as Britney dressed in trendy outfits such as a fur-trimmed pink dress or a pink top and tartan skirt. Vivid Imaginations have produced a singing Britney, also dressed in her schooolgirl get-up of red crop-top, white blouse, short navy skirt, grey cardi and long grey socks. You can get other outfits too, complete with slot-in sound packs. Steps dolls, again by Vivid Imaginations, are attractive and can be obtained as ordinary fashion-type dolls, or containing a ‘real working Boom Box’ which plays ‘Tragedy’. The dolls bear excellent likenesses to Faye, Claire, Lee, H and Lisa and are dressed in Steps ‘uniform’ of white tops and trousers. The Christina Aguilera doll by Vivid Imaginations can also be obtained in both singing and non-singing versions. This pretty doll wears such outfits as denim jeans and matching jacket over a brown suede top, or red pvc trousers and a blue, silver- bordered top. Hasbro’s S-Club 7 – Jo, Rachel, Tina and Hannah – can be obtained in various brightly-coloured trendy outfits, and Vivid Imaginations’ Five dolls – Abs, Ritchie, Scott, Sean and J – are also available at the moment from toy stores. No […]
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea a cult classic and we take a look at some of the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea merchandise and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea toys that have appeared over the years. We also look at some auction results and some guide prices. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea first appeared as a film from 1961 that tells the story of the crew of the submarine Seaview as they battle against a giant sea monster. It later appeared as a cult classic TV series that aired in the 1960s (running from 1964-1968). The show followed the adventures of the crew of the submarine USS Seaview as they battled villains and explored the depths of the oceans. The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea toys and merchandise that have been released over the years are highly sought after by collectors. Some of the most popular Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles include the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea action figures released by Mattel in 1964. These Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea toys are highly detailed and feature articulated limbs, making them a favorite among collectors. Over the years, there have been various Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles, toys and merchandise items produced. These include action figures, model kits, lunch boxes, t-shirts, comics and more. Other popular Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles include Irwin Allen’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea trading cards, which were released in 1964. These cards feature photos and information about the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea tv show and movie. These appear to be quite rare in sets and high graded cards are available for upwards of $10 each card. There were 66 cards in the set. A set of 66 in good condition is estimated at $350-$500. Some of the more popular Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles include the Mego action figures which were produced in the 1970s. These are highly sought after by collectors and can fetch high prices at auction. Gold Key created a series of 16 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea comics from 1964 to 1968. Gold Key Comics was known for their adaptions of popular television shows and movies, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was no exception. The comics were written by a variety of different writers and artists, giving each issue its own unique feel. The TV Series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a 1960s American science fiction television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV Series created and produced by Irwin Allen. The show starred Richard Basehart and David Hedison. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was originally broadcast on ABC from September 14, 1964, to March 31, 1968. During its run, it was one of the most popular shows on American television. It was cancelled after its fourth season due to low ratings. However, it remains a cult classic and has been syndicated in many countries since its original run. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was inspired by the success of Allen’s film The Lost World (1960). Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’s premise is similar to that of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, however, rather than a submarine Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’s protagonists use a state-of-the-art nuclear submarine, the Seaview, to investigate strange occurrences and fight evil forces. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was also notable for its time for being one of the first television series to be shot in color. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’s theme song, “The Voyage”, was composed by Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’s musical director, Leonard Rosenman. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’s opening credits sequence featured footage from Allen’s film Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965). What to collect? If you are thinking of starting a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collection, then there are a few things you should consider. First of all, you need to decide what items you want to collect. There is a wide range of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles available, so it is important to narrow down your focus. Once you have decided on the type of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles you want to collect, you need to do some research. This will help you to find out what items are available and how much they are worth. Collecting Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles can be a fun and rewarding hobby. It is important to remember, however, that these items can be valuable investments. So, it is important to do your research before you start buying Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collectibles. Related The Time Tunnel Collectibles
Classed as one of the most important pioneers of the Arts & Crafts movement, William De Morgan was a prolific potter, inventor, novelist and designer.
Robert Harrop created this wonderful set of official Roald Dahl figurines based on the illustrations by Quentin Blake in 2003. There are 27 figurines in the collection featuring all of Dahl’s most famous characters with RD01 being Willy Wonka. As with all Harrop figurines they are very accurate and a true portrayal of Blakes illustrations. The Roald Dahl Robert Harrop collection is very collectable and is one of the few collections increasing in value. Robert Harrop Roald Dahl figurines RD01 Willy Wonka RD02 Charlie Bucket RD03 The BFG RD04 Mr Twit RD05 Mrs Twit RD06 Matilda RD07 Georges Marvelous Medicine RD08 Fantastic Mr Fox RD09 The Grand High Witch RD10 The Enormous Crocodile RD11 The Giraffe, the pelly and me RD12 Alfie RD13 James and the Grasshopper RD14 The magic finger RD15 Miss Trunchbull RD16 Violet Beauregarde RD17 Grandpa Joe RD18 Danny the champion of the world RD19 Badger RD20 Augustus Gloop RD21 Boggis RD22 Bunce RD23 Bean RD24 Veruca Salt RD25 Mike Teavee RDCP Collection plaque RDLE1 Dream Catcher/BFG For more information about Robert Harrop visit https://www.robertharrop.com/
Dame Muriel Spark (née Muriel Sarah Camberg) was born in Edinburgh on the 1st February 1918, and 2018 is the centenary of her birth. She is most famous for her sixth novel, published in 1961, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, with its eponymous title character, the free spirited Miss Jean Brodie. She was placed placed her eighth in The Times list of the ‘50 greatest post-war writers’. Muriel Spark began writing poetry in her early teens at school. At the age of 19 she left Scotland for Southern Rhodesia to marry Sydney Oswald Spark, thirteen years her senior whom she had met at a dance in Edinburgh. In July of 1938, she gave birth to a son Samuel Robin Spark in Southern Rhodesia and having left the marriage, Spark supported herself and her son there. Spark began writing seriously after the war, under her married name, beginning with poetry and literary criticism. In 1947 she became editor of the Poetry Review. In 1953 Muriel Spark was baptised in the Church of England but in 1954 she decided to join the Roman Catholic Church, which she considered crucial in her development toward becoming a novelist. Her first novel, The Comforters, was published in 1957. It featured several references to Catholicism and conversion to Catholicism, although its main theme revolved around a young woman who becomes aware that she is a character in a novel. Spark was to publish four more novels Robinson (1958), Memento Mori (1959), The Ballad of Peckham Rye (1960) and the The Bachelors (1960) until The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1961. Brodie was to become the novel that she would forever synoymous with. In the novel Spark displayed originality of subject and tone, making extensive use of flash forwards and imagined conversations. Muriel Spark Novels and Price Guide These prices are a reflection of the market as of 15th January 2018. As with most modern first editions condition of the dust jacket is critical to the valuation. The Comforters (1957) Robinson (1958) Memento Mori (1959) The Ballad of Peckham Rye (1960) The Bachelors (1960) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961) The Girls of Slender Means (1963) The Mandelbaum Gate (1965) The Public Image (1968) The Driver’s Seat (1970) Not To Disturb (1971) The Hothouse by the East River (1973) The Abbess of Crewe (1974) The Takeover (1976) Territorial Rights (1979) Loitering with Intent (1981) The Only Problem (1984) A Far Cry From Kensington (1988) Symposium (1990) Reality and Dreams (1996) Aiding and Abetting (2000) The Finishing School (2004) Reference Celebrating Muriel Spark and writing about post traumatic stress – Radio 4 a look at the work of Muriel Spark and discussion with William Boyd and Alan Taylor (14 January 2018) Dame Muriel Spark – A great British novelist, and the waspish creator of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – obituary on The Guardian (17 April 2006)