We asked dealers exhibiting at the National Antiques and Decorative Arts Faire which collectables could be real money spinners in years to come.
Fully Booked
Chatsworth house and estate, an iconic country house in Derbyshire, England, has long been considered as a property beyond price. “Recently, the library at Chatsworth has been valued at more than the house and the rest of the estate put together,” says Michael, a dealer of books, maps and prints, to illustrate his point that books can have an extraordinary value.
According to Michael, you should consider the long-term benefits of collecting modern first editions. “Of course,” he says, “all books are first editions until they are reprinted or re-edited and the majority have no international credibility or collector following, but the serious investor will very quickly discover that the first editions of many books have shown an astonishing return.”
A first edition published in the 1950s or ’60s and purchased for six shillings – or the equivalent of a few rands – can, in 2010, be worth up to R400 000. A wall of books (six ladders and eight shelves) will accommodate some 1 500 books. Over a period, each one of these books could be selected both as an investment vehicle and a reflection of your own interest. “You don’t have to be bookish,” says Michael. “Books written by Terry Pratchett, Dick Francis, Ian Fleming or John le Carré are all hugely collected. First editions of Catch-22, Lolita or Casino Royale are all amazingly valued – and on an international stage.”
Modern first editions are a savvy buy, says Michael Prior of Collectable Books
It only takes a few simple price guides to work out that a collection of 1 500 books, each of which is a fine quality, first edition of one of the first books or popular titles of many 20th- century novelists, could in its entirety carry a current retail value of between R130 and R150 million. Every time a book is converted to a film values soar; Disney bought Winnie the Pooh and another nought was added to the price tag of first editions overnight. When another James Bond or Sherlock Holmes movie is made, the value of the original first edition of the book hits new heights.
Love Tokens
Victorian and sentimental jewellery shows the greatest returns in terms of customer satisfaction and value, says Vanessa Prior of Collectables.
“Antique jewellery has long been a favoured form of investment – world prices show increasing value for high-quality items,” says Vanessa, a trusted specialist in this field for 30 years.
According to her, love rings featuring the words ‘Adore’, ‘Regard’ or ‘Dearest’ spelled out in different coloured gems are increasingly collectable. Jewellery featuring love tokens such as frogs, lizards or snakes, doves or swallows, forget-me-nots or clovers, has become a popular choice for thematic purchasing and gift giving.
The rarity of jet jewellery also presents an investment opportunity,adds Vanessa. Jet is an intense
opaque black substance closelyallied to coal as it is a form of fossilised wood. It became popular after 1861 when Queen Victoria went into lifelong mourning after the death of her husband, Prince Albert.
The supply of jet came almost exclusively from a mine near Whitby in Yorkshire, England, although subsequently a second source was found in Spain. Any number of brooches, pendants, earrings and crosses were made of jet. Today, only a small percentage of this jewellery remains and its value is increasing at a far greater rate than some of the better recognised gemstones. But buyers beware: moulded black glass was passed off as jet and known as ‘French jet’ and in the 1920s and ’30s black onyx was also used in place of the increasingly rare Whitby Jet.
Trading Up
Although buying the ‘best of the best’ is every antique enthusiast’s dream, Clyde believes that part of the pleasure of a lifetime of collecting is moving through the various stages.
“It’s almost a rite of passage,” he says, “starting with perhaps early mismatched silver flatware or relatively common Clarice Cliff pottery pieces, then trading those in for progressively rarer and better pieces, until what you end up with is a collection you cherish, but which at the same time is a good investment.”
For those with serious money to spend, here’s what Clyde picks as his top three ‘best of the best’ investment pieces:
- Victorian Walnut Military chest, R40 000. As these chests accompanied the military hierarchy during their war forays, they were sometimes split in sections for easier handling. Today, they are often bought to split up and use as bedside pedestals.
- Daum Cameo ‘Wild Flowers’ 50cm Acid Etched vase, circa 1900/1910, R69 000. No glass is more sought after than those pieces made in Nancy, France, which is where prestigious Galle and Daum glassware originates. Inspired by the Galle pieces shown at the 1889 Paris Exhibition, this Daum Cameo ‘Wild Flowers’ vase reflects the flora of the region and displays the trademark and innovative techniques of the period – acid-etched, wheel-carved layers of brown, orange and yellow over mottled glass.
- Painting District 6 by Christiaan Nice, R40 000. South African art has truly come into its own and work by South African artists is highly collectable. Whilst Irma Stern and Pierneef artworks continue to command top prices, pieces by many other local artists including Alexis Preller, Cecil Skotnes, Errol Boyley and Christiaan Nice are fast becoming big-ticket items.
Local is Lekker
“There is most definitely a move towards preserving our heritage, and early Afrikaner and Boer War antiques have become highly collectable and are not easy to find,” says Christiaan, a former Springbok rugby player who now spends his time travelling the world to source unique furniture and collectables from as far afield as Argentina, France, Hungary, Holland and the UK.
On a recent trip to the Overberg, Christiaan was fortunate enough to pick up some truly remarkable Afrikaner pieces dating back to the period between 1780 and 1820. “In the late 1700s and early 1800s, there were less than 5 000 families in the Overberg area who had houses that warranted large pieces of furniture. So small furniture pieces were not only functional, but beautifully crafted,” he explains.
In the Riversdale area he found a rare side table in yellowwood and stinkwood with tapered legs, an intact drawer and original inlay. With a price tag of R35 000, this is a museum piece that should be treasured as part of our heritage. Another unusual find was a bathroom cupboard, which is an exact miniature copy of a Cape armoire and shows exceptional workmanship.
Take advantage of the revival of Afrikaner furniture and collectables
Even more intriguing is a collection of Boer War memorabilia, such as an impressive Koffee Confoer set, dated 2nd February 1921, which was probably given as a wedding gift. It includes a coffee pot with a filter ‘bag’ and coal burner, each individually inscribed with the marker’s name FJ Staal, as well as a dop beker, which was traditionally given with wine to slaves working in the vineyards in lieu of payment.
Another fasinating find are some items made by a prisoner of war, who engraved the words Diyatalaxa Camp, Ceylon 1902 and his initials S.B. onto the handicrafts he made during the years he spent incarcerated on the island of Ceylon as a prisoner of the English. This includes a tobacco jar, cufflink holder and wooden pipe all with the carved image of Paul Kruger, as well as a walking stick and officer’s baton, which is intricately carved along the base and topped with the stone-carved head of Paul Kruger.
Stockists:
- Clyde on 4th Tel: 011 482 3266
- Collectable Books Tel: 011 646 8320
- Collectables Tel: 011 646 4211
- Die Ossewa Tel: 011 482 9785
Text by Diana Wemyss. Photographs by Peter Whitfield. This article features courtesy of the July 2010 edition of Garden and Home magazine.
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