West Midlands

Top-selling lot in Halls’ (24% buyer’s premium) books and manuscripts sale on November 15 was a collection of 14 letters written by the Anglo-Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) between 1818-31.

Porcelain from short-lived Staffordshire firm comes from collector and dealer who revived the market

The Times recently ran a feature on seven of the most atmospheric towns in the UK in which to do your Christmas shopping for one-off gifts, maybe combining this joysome activity with a weekend break. Here are some art and antiques options in two of them, Ludlow in Shropshire and Frome in Somerset.

Kashmir sapphires have acquired a near-legendary status, due to their lustrous cornflower colour, soft velvety texture and extreme rarity.

Dealers hail return to Midlands venue a year after closure of popular Antiques for Everyone events

To help raise funds for a flood appeal at the West Midlands Showground in Shrewsbury, local fair organisers Emma and Oli Jones, aka JOS Events held a special ‘yard’ sale there earlier this month.

The artist Samuel Fulton (1855-1941) painted portraits of people and horses but by far his favourite subject was dogs.

A 1556 first edition copy of Welshman Robert Recorde’s The Castle of Knowledge was estimated at £5000-10,000 and made £12,600 including buyer’s premium at Hansons’ November 1 Library auction.

An example from Frederick Edward McWilliam’s (1909-92) 'Women of Belfast' series is being offered at Halls’ auction in Shrewsbury on December 6.

Annual events held by trade associations CADA and BADA overlap to offer plenty of choice

The front page of ATG No 2558 featured a Second World War nurse’s cape decorated with an array of cloth regimental badges that sold at Essex auction house Sworders in August last year.

Airborne forces memorabilia is usually a winner at auction but especially when it’s an early example

Following the record £64,000 for a Helen Allingham (1848-1926) watercolour at Philip Serrell (20% buyer’s premium) back in July, another group of works by the artist was offered at the Malvern saleroom.

This kitschy Beatles table lamp discovered in a house clearance sold for an impressive £950 (estimate £100-150) on September 14.

Another business launches near Stratford-upon-Avon offering 45 traders

Dealer Robert Pugh is bringing a collection of stoneware saltglaze pots by potter Michael Mosse (b.1951 in Yorkshire) from the 1980s onwards to the biannual Antiques in Tents.

Collector starts event for contemporary, vintage and antique examples in spiritual home of British glassmaking

Recent sales at Fieldings (26% buyer’s premium inc VAT) in Stourbridge have included elements of a cache of working drawings from the Whitefriars factory.

Prices for embroidered samplers can vary hugely depending on what specific features are involved as well as factors such as condition and provenance.

Helen Yourston of B2B Events, organiser of the immensely popular Malvern Flea Fair held nine times a year, has heard intriguing news from the Three Counties Showground where the event is held.