I admit it.
I didn't see this coming.
Yes, I knew he was incredibly popular. I knew his memorabilia sells well - we're almost clean out here at Paul Fraser Collectibles.
But I clearly hadn't fully appreciated just how in demand his memorabilia is.
Who am I talking about?
Winston Churchill.
150 personal Churchill items went up for auction on Wednesday at Sotheby's London. And they didn't disappoint.
In fact, they shocked. Smashing estimates all over the place. It was the most astonishing auction I can remember.
?� Churchill's despatch box, which he used as secretary of state for the colonies in the early 1920s, arrived at the auction with a ?�7,000 high estimate. It sold for ?�278,500 ($437,320). That's close to 40 times its valuation.
?� One of Churchill's paintings (he was an excellent artist). Valued at ?�150,000. Sold for ?�1.4m ($2.1m).
?� And even his cigar humidor attracted huge bids - making ?�21,250 ($33,250) against a mere ?�1,500 valuation.
The auction made ?�15.4m ($24.1m) in all: three times more than anticipated.
 Churchill's despatch box made ?�278,500 ��� almost 40 times its estimate. |
More than 4,000 people came to Sotheby's London showrooms to view the pieces in the four days prior to the sale.
And it wasn't just patriotic Brits snapping up the items. Five of the 11 Churchill artworks that sold went to US bidders. Proof once more that Churchill has fans all over the world.
Investment potential
Last week I wrote about the top 4 collectible investments for 2015. Churchill is among them.
Why?
Because the commemorations for 50 years since his death next month will encourage even more people to own his memorabilia.
This sale confirms the Churchill market is taking a major leap forward. And that now is the time to be getting in, before interest in Britain's wartime prime minister rises still further in the new year. And prices grow accordingly.
But I have some worrying news for you
This is the kind of sale that makes dealers re-evaluate the price of their Churchill memorabilia.
I mean, if you had a Churchill item you were thinking of selling, the dollar signs would be ringing for you right now, wouldn't they?
So what am I going to do?
I'm going to keep prices for my Churchill memorabilia right where they are.
Why's that?
I'm a collector just like you. I want to help you build a collection to be proud of.
I believe in offering fair prices. Not making a fast buck.
So if you're interested in owning rare Churchill memorabilia at a price that offers you real investment potential, you're in luck.
Just.
Because I have only two pieces of Churchill memorabilia still available. Both are superb.
The first is a Churchill-signed and annotated letter from 1919. In it he champions the cause of troops returning from world war one. Its price is ?�3,750 ($5,880).
The second item is a collection of original documents from his funeral. They're priced at ?�550 ($860).
Both make wonderful pieces for any collector interested in 20th century history.
And lastly
This is the last newsletter before Christmas.
So let me wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season.
And thank you for reading this newsletter over the past 12 months - it is an absolute pleasure to put it together for you each week.
Happy holidays!
Paul
