Yesterday's World, Great Yarmouth

[moonriver]

I see Arreton Barns are trying to sell off working models for the top kind of money you'd pay for something that was totally original and rare, asking an average of £5000 each. The models up for sale are heavily restored and mechanisms crudely repaired.

[daveslot]

Tinny Mutoscope made £2100 +20%
There was a wax headed fortune teller with a ludicrous low estimate, it made £800 + 20%. I would have gone for it but when I viewed it, it had a large crack in the head, unnoticeable when viewed on line.

[moonriver]

Any idea how much the Merchantman crane went for?

[treefrog]

It sold for £850 excl comm, so just over a grand in total....no idea if it was all working....

[moonriver]

OK, thanks. Was it well attended and people bidding in the room or commission bids?

[daveslot]

It sold for £850 excl comm, so just over a grand in total....no idea if it was all working....

I asked them to plug it in but apparently their extension was too short. The left access door was locked with no key, but right open. I could only see two cam followers - I think these use three. The indication mech was missing (pointy thing). Probably worth a grand.

[moonriver]

As I was away in Hamburg and unfortunately missed both auctions (bad long-term organisation on my part). I left commission bids on the fortune teller and the crane of £760 and £800. I was expecting to have won the fortune teller with that bid and wasn't aware of the crack on the face which, once you know it's there, you can just see it on the auctioneer's photos.

The case was horrendously ugly with various add ons but the inside of the case and most of the mechanism definitely had some age to it. As with most of the fortune tellers, various owners over time have redressed, added non period props, etc, but the same figures/ dolls circulate around in some form or another either re-cased or altered in some way. It would have been nice to have got it for £80 to £120! That kind of estimate, albeit silly, still plays mind games with us not to miss out, just in case nobody else actually turned up on the day.

[daveslot]

I have had these fortune tellers before in this case. I believe they were converted by Brenner in the '60s. He recycled arcade machines and put them in these cases, like Athens fortune teller, Mills Cupid Post Office, Canova working model etc.

[moonriver]

That's interesting to know. Ugly cabinet though - looks like '60s kitchen cabinet, although Bollands utilised kitchen cabinets for their later wide case models.

[woody2]

Further items will be sold during December and the New Year.

I wonder what will be in the other sales.

[moonriver]

I asked them to plug it in but apparently their extension was too short.

Funny that the extension lead was too short. I was talking with someone yesterday who reliably informed me that it didn't actually work and had broken cams as well as parts missing, so I'm glad I didn't win it.

The fortune teller however had nice original hair underneath that modern wig and despite the hairline crack in the wax face and damage to back of the neck. It was probably a good buy to re-dress and re-case as the mech was good too.

[daveslot]

Not sure how you can repair the wax head, as the crack was quite wide and presumably would have to be filled. I would keep the case, as it's part of its history and does have merit if it was re-cased by Brenner.

[coppinpr]

Lots of very good firms doing wax doll restoration online. They can do perfect restoration on dolls far far worse than this one.

[pennymachines]

The results of the Yesterday's World sales at Chippenham Auction Rooms are now in the Arena:
Part 1 - 29th November 2014
Part 2 - 16th May 2015

According to their website, "further items from Yesterday’s World, Battle, will be sold during June and July".