South-west England

Among a flurry of historical portraits coming to the regional market at the start of this year, arguably the most notable appeared at Oxfordshire saleroom JS Fine Art (20% buyer’s premium).

If it’s a real mix of topics, genres and ages you are after, this auction had everything

A Plymouth solicitor’s lifetime appreciation of West Country silver was shared by enthusiastic bidders at Chilcotts’ (21% buyer’s premium) Honiton rooms.

Among the more unusual recent lots at Woolley & Wallis (25% buyer’s premium) was an early Victorian table carved from parrot coal.

A 20-piece group of early carved sculpture is on offer from Cotswold dealership Houlston.

Intriguing lot offered paintings as central element and elaborate border section combined

Published in 1906 in a limited run of just 100 copies on paper and 20 on vellum was an edition of Sir Thomas More’s Utopia employing a red and black Subiaco typeface with red initials designed by Eric Gill.

The potent mix of China, horseracing and the 1851 Great Exhibition yielded a strong price for this splendid ‘export’ silver trophy at auction.

Two of the main manufacturers of rocking horses – and competitors – featured in two salerooms recently.

If you cannot decide on whether to collect dolls’ houses or toy vehicles, try this lot offered at Lawrences (25% buyer’s premium) of Crewkerne.

Greywacke sculpture headlines a series of high-flying results including £66,000 double bass

Although catalogued by Smiths of Newent (20% buyer’s premium) as a chair from the early 19th century Empire period, this ebonised mahogany, gilt and polychrome side chair is more probably from the mid-Victorian period.

The recent release of 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain' starring Benedict Cumberbatch provided a topical spin to this rare Amphora pottery model.

Pedal cars are regular visitors to salerooms but rarer powered versions were also produced for children to use, partly for road safety training

A handsome group of eight volumes commemorating the Great Exhibition of 1851 sold in Exeter had been presented to one of its commissioners, England’s serial Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone.

This spring the Cotswold Art & Antiques Dealers’ Association (CADA) launches Cotswolds Curated, a week of exhibitions by members around the area.

These days, marketing a doll as Sindy’s saucy sister would be problematic. And the less said about outfits titled Hockey Honey or School Days, the better.

Before the crash of the R101 during its maiden voyage to France in October 1930, there had been great excitement around the potential of the airship.

As in so many collecting fields, slight variations can be key when it comes to pricing of TV generation toys.

Horology dealer who will stand at Lingfield says buyers are keen to do repairs themselves