I found a broken bit of porcelain buried in my garden after 50 years – now I’ve sold it for massive sum
A MAN who found a broken bit of porcelain buried in his garden after 50 years has now sold it for an eye-watering £8,820.
The lucky man was left stunned when he found the figure abandoned in his property in Colchester, Essex.
The rare art piece was made by popular British artist Clarice Cliff – famous for her colour-rich pottery.
The home-owner spotted the ornament lying in the shed still with mud on it during some garden maintenance work.
It was found in two pieces, broken across the waist with a chip to the base.
The vendor put the valuable figure in his garden shed – not realising it was worth a fortune.
It was then discovered by his grandson who is an antique fan and loves watching TV show Flog It.
The grandson then checked the figure and saw a mark on the base with the name of the artist.
He then took the 7.5 inches piece to a professional repair shop to fix.
He said: “I watch a lot of antiques shows like Flog It, and the name Clarice Cliff rang a bell.
“I did some searching online and realised how valuable it could be when finding similar items auctioned at major auction houses in the past.
“When I got the estimate I was still very pleasantly surprised!”
The antique, called ‘Age of Jazz’, shows a man in a tuxedo interlocked with a woman in an eye-catching orange dress.
Experts believe it was made by Cliff in the 1930s and buried sometime in the 1970s.
A Woolley & Wallis spokesperson said: “It’s unusual for an object of this type to end up in the ground.
“People tend to use broken plates as drainage for garden pots so digging up sherds in old gardens is fairly common.
“But ornaments tend to get repaired rather than thrown out.
“The original figures were factory made, but cut out of a piece of clay rather than cast-moulded.”
The item sparked a bidding war at auctioneers Woolley & Wallis of Salisbury, Wilts.
It surpassed its initial bidding price of £5,000 and sold for a whopping £8,820.
A spokesperson added: “These figures are rare – we’ve only sold a handful at auction over the last 20 years.
“They were made circa 1930 and are marked on the bottom, which is how the owner identified it as Clarice and carried out the research rather than ditching it!”
It comes as a valuable coin dating back to 50BC found in a field has now sold for an eye-watering £20,000.
Lewis Fudge was thrilled when he discovered the incredible artefact from the New Iron Age in Hampshire.
Suprising household items that are worth a fortune and how to find them
Experts believe the average UK attic hides valuables totalling a staggering £1,922, and around £33billion worth of “junk” lurks in our cupboards and drawers
Antiques expert Charlie Ross, who regularly appears on Bargain Hunt and Flog It!, has listed several items to look out for in your home.
’90s vinyl
“Records made from about 1992 to 1999 are especially valuable as not a lot was made at that time. Vinyl from bands like Mansun might sell for £80 or Kula Shaker, £65,” said the expert.
Star Wars
“What really sells well is carded figures, One auction recently sold a rare character called Yak Face, from Return Of The Jedi, for over £1,500,” said Charlie
Fountain Pens
The Bargain Hunt presenter said: “A rare Namiki fountain pen once sold for £6,000 at auction, while auction house Dreweatts sold a limited-edition Montblanc for an incredible £14,000.”
Old mobiles
“Even if they are not worth a huge amount now, there is no doubt that they will become valuable, so they are worth keeping. The first one of any particular series might also be worth something in years to come”. said Charlie.
Autographs
“If you have a collection of all the Beatles’ autographs, you are sitting on a fortune!” Charlie added.
“I recently met a chap who had a book full of cricketers’ autographs – even that was worth £100.”
Comics
“A Batman Adventures Comic from 1993 could make you around £800. Comics are valuable as they are typically limited edition and quite rare,” explained the expert.
For more information on hidden valuable items, read here.