By developing a range of specialist sales to attract specialist collectors from both the UK and abroad, Tennants has seen some exceptionally high hammer prices this autumn. Nick Lambert, Head of Collectables at Tennants says “It is by creating these dedicated sales and marketing them effectively that the best prices are achieved for our clients.”

In their sale of Scientific and Musical Instruments, Cameras and Tools on Saturday, 20th October Tennants sold a rare 19th Century floor standing Penny-in-Slot Symphonion Musical Disc Player for £9,500 (estimate £4,000-£6,000).  This rare machine plays three metal discs at the same time for a fuller sound and was sold along with 49 metal discs.  It sold to a private collector after failing to sell previously at another auction house having appeared on the BBC’s Flog It programme.

Also in this sale an Oak Cased Edison Concert Phonograph reached its upper estimate of £3,000 as did a 19th Century Swiss Rosewood Key-Wind Cylinder Musical Box by Nicole Freres which sold for £1,200.

So long as condition is good, cameras have also been attracting enthusiastic buyers with a Leica M6 Camera Outfit reaching £2,200 (estimate £500-£800)

In their autumn Sporting and Militaria sale on Friday, 26th October, a Northern Ireland George Medal sold for £7,500 (estimate £1,500-£2,000).  This was one of only two George Medals awarded during 1974.  It was awarded for work in Bomb Disposal and it was sold along with two other medals and related ephemera.

A large collection of approximately 500 Sporting Magazines from the early 1900’s of mainly sporting and dramatic news (including ‘The Field’, ‘The Tatler’, ‘The Farm and the Garden’ and ‘Country Life’) sold for £1,800 (estimate £100-£200).

A collection of Clifton Cycling Club Memorabilia, including gold and silver medals, sold for £1,300 (estimate £1,000-£1,500)

A collection of Mixed Sporting Ephemera including fifteen Barrow A.F.C. programmes from the 1950’s and 1960’s along with other football and cricket programmes sold for £850 (estimate £50-£80).

In the Ethnographica Section of the Sporting and Militaria Sale, a carved Punu Wooden Granary Door depicting a female figure sold for its highest estimate of £1,800.

More high prices are expected in Tennants forthcoming specialist sales including their Autumn Book Sale on Wednesday 7th November in which a first edition copy of Arthur Ransome’s children’s classic ‘Swallows and Amazons’ is estimated to sell for £3,000-£4,000.

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A rare 19th Century floor standing Penny-in-Slot Symphonion Musical Disc Player

Sold for £9,500