Porcelain bowls bought for £1 sell for more than £62,000
Three bowls bought for £1 each were sold for £62,000 at an auction.
The owners from near Lichfield, who wish to remain anonymous, said they 'may retire' after selling the Chinese porcelain bowls that were originally bought from a Midlands junk shop.
They were bought at the auction by Chinese buyers who were keen to buy back their country's heritage.
One sold for £24,000 while the other two sold for £20,000 and £18,000 which smashed their original estimate of £500 to £800 each.
One of the owners said: “My father was a great collector of Chinese pottery but the most he paid for anything was £1. He used to find pieces in junk shops when he was working in Hyson Green in Nottingham in the 1950s or 60s.
“My mother thought he was wasting his money so he used to smuggle his finds in the house by tucking them inside his coat. When he died in the 1960s he had more than 50 pieces and I sold some of them off then.
“I had the Chinese bowls valued in 1968 and was told all three were worth £75. I thought that was an exorbitant amount then but decided not to sell them – I’m so glad I did.
“I was told my father had a good eye for Chinese porcelain. I knew he read up on it. He loved the pieces and would get them out of the China cabinet to admire and dust them but I never really appreciated them like he did.”
They were sold at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbyshire last week.
The couple had hoped to have enough money for a for a new stair carpet when they found out what the estimated value was.
They did not even check the results of the auction because they were sure they would not be sold for much so Hansons had to give them a call.
She added: “To make £62,000 is absolutely amazing. I may just retire.”
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “Interest in Chinese artefacts has intensified since President Xi Jinping highlighted the importance of the country's heritage.
"Many Chinese buyers feel their past was looted from them so they want to buy back a piece of their history.”
The three bowls have a 15cm diameter and are red, yellow as well as blue with floral designs on the inside and out.
