Car boot sale find is top of the lots as part two of whisky miniatures auction goes live
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Whisky lovers are being given a chance to get into the Christmas spirit with the second instalment of an auction of a vast collection of miniature bottles of whisky.
Part two of the auction of 4000 whisky miniatures and whisky memorabilia, is online now at Gildings Auctioneers in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
The timed online auction, which is being offered without reserve, will close from 6pm on Sunday, December 12th.
The collection, which contains many rarities and is estimated at £25,000 - £35,000 in total, has been sourced from as far afield as Australia, America, Iraq and Uruguay.
It was amassed by Kettering-based collector Brian Marshall over 30 years.
Although he says, “I don’t like the taste,” Brian’s passion for collecting whisky miniatures took off when he started planning holidays to Scotland around his hobby.
The standout lot from part one of the auction, which ended on November 14th, was a book, ‘The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom’ by Alfred Barnard, which was tipped to exceed £300 and sold for an amazing £1900.
Brian Marshall picked up this guide, which details every distillery in the country and describes techniques and methods of the late Victorian period, in a car boot sale in Scotland for £5 some years ago.
“£5 is quite pricey for a car boot sale book, but the seller insisted because it was a hardback so I said I could stretch to it,” comments Brian.
“It’s incredible to think that it’s sold for so much now.
"I took a whole box of whisky books to the charity shop a few months ago so I’m wondering if I should have done that now!
"But I thought the entire collection would be worth around £8000, so the fact that just one book has made nearly a quarter of that is incredible.”
Other highlights in part one included several collections from The Whisky Connoisseur series, including £375 for a complete Game Birds of Britain miniatures series and £155 for a single miniature of Ardbeg 30-year-old. Presentation gift sets issued by Signatory Vintage also performed well, as did a 1971 single miniature bottle of Macallan 18-year-old which sold for £90.
“We are delighted with the results of part one of the sale of Brian’s fantastic collection and looking forward to seeing the bids come in for part two,” comments Gildings’ director and wine, whisky and spirits specialist Will Gilding.
“It was great to see the interest in the whisky itself, however, the fact that a book was the biggest seller proves that currently, there is as much of an appetite for whisky memorabilia as there is for the spirit.”
The second stage of the auction includes 124 bottlings of Ballantine’s whisky, each with a different label from around the globe and over the decades.
There are also highlights from some of the greatest names in whisky, such as a miniature bottle of Macallan 1961 commemorating Private Eye magazine’s 35th anniversary estimated at £200-£300, a suite of bottlings from the Mini Bottle Club UK, of which Brian was a long-standing member, and a very rare box set of Springbank ‘Old Local Barley’, which could attract bids of £600 - £1000.
“Fittingly, I discovered the Springbank set on St Andrews Day,” adds Will.
“It was one of the last things to be catalogued and it’s arguably one of the most exciting lots within the whole collection, although every box of Brian’s has uncovered a little treasure.
"As well as sought-after rarities, the second part of this auction has something for the taste and budget of every whisky lover so there's no need to let Santa go thirsty this year!”
To view the auction please visit this link
