Smiths Newent Auctions are now inviting entries for their forthcoming sale on the 10th & 11th of August. The sale includes a wide range of Antiques and Collectables including Ceramics, Glass, Silver, Gold, Jewellery, Furniture, Pictures and Collectables. The sale also includes a special section for antique enamel signs, advertising items, antique packaging, and postcards.

Already consigned is an assortment of eclectic items such as an early 20th century Cadbury’s Chocolate mahogany glazed shop display cabinet, a Home Pride Flour Plastic advertising figure and a MotorCraft wall clock.

This is a rather nostalgic collecting area and prices range from many hundreds of pounds for some of the more desirable enamel advertising signs to just £10/£30 for fun items such as the Home Pride flour figure.

Other more valuable collectable items include a huge variety of advertising posters and Smiths are delighted to have a very desirable British Rail poster for Bristol estimated at £300/£500. The poster came in several weeks ago for the June sale, hidden in a group of other ephemera items of low value. But it’s potential was quickly identified and it was a perfect item to put to one side for the August sale.

Although enamel signs are generally priced at the top end of the market, sign written shop display cabinets and other retail display items can prove very popular. Items with attractive pictorial elements are particularly sought after as well as our most favourite brands such as Guinness Beer, Huntley & Palmers Biscuits, various Chocolate manufactures and of course cigarettes.

Fun items in this genre include retro items such as the Smash Potato and Duracell battery operated toys from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Iconic advertising campaigns such as these include large life size cardboard cut out figures and cheap give away items such as badges, pens, mugs and calendars. Advertising companies have grown more and more creative over the years and so the variety of promotional items available is almost endless.

Advertising actually started in earnest in the 19th century and many Victorian manufacturers and shops produced give away items to promote their wares. Of course it is the fact that most of these items have now been thrown away which makes those which remain more collectable. There is also a market for some items of packaging from this era – some of which are of low value but some of which can produce surprising results.

Entries for the sale are invited by appointment from the 10th of July to the 25th of July. Please telephone 01531 821776 for an appointment or visit www.smithsnewentauctions.co.uk