A collection of hundreds of vintage photo postcards of Barrow and the surrounding area sold for £12,000 at 1818 Auctioneers, and ones of the Far East made £7,000.
The adage quality always sells came to the fore in this auction, says Bill Nelson saleroom manager at 1818 Auctioneers.
As Bill explains: “Two collections of postcards of the highest standard attracted great interest in 1818 Auctioneer’s specialist online timed auction ending yesterday (Sunday 27 June).
The first, from the estate of a renowned collector from the Barrow area, and numbering hundreds, depicted everyday life in Barrow-in-Furness over 100 years. We expected them to make between £7,000 to £9,000 but they sold for just under £12,000,” says Bill.
“The second collection belonged to a man who spent time in Eastern Asia offering an amazing glimpse into life in Singapore, Penang and Malaysia. We expected them to collectively make £1500-£2500 but they sold for £7,000,” adds Bill.
The top lots out of 119 in a sale that included stamps, was an album of over 150 postcards of Singapore which made £1,800 (lot 102). And another lot made up of several hundred cards of Singapore sold for £1,200 (lot 99).
From the Barrow collection, two top lots made £1,000 each and another three others sold for just under £1000.
The valuer who was tasked with cataloguing them was Ken Payne who says:
“The Barrow postcards are high-quality real black and white photographs. They were produced for both tourists and residents who used them in the days before the Internet for everyday communication. They show what Barrow and the surrounding area looked like in the early twentieth century, providing a fascinating insight into this historical place. We’re delighted with the results – quality cards and quality prices.”
An album of over 150 postcards of Singapore sold for £1,800 at 1818 Auctioneers
A collection of hundreds of vintage photo postcards of Barrow and the surrounding area sold for £12,000 at 1818 Auctioneers. Shown here is one lot of approximately 280 cards that sold for £1,000.